Summer Travel Mobility Guide NZ: Travel Wheelchairs, Folding Walkers & Christmas Gifts for Elderly Parents
A Mobility Plus buying guide — family-run and Kiwi-owned since 2005.
Quick answer: If someone in your family will be travelling, flying, caravanning or visiting over the summer, the three things worth sorting early are a lightweight transit wheelchair (from 9.6 kg, so it actually lifts into the boot), a folding walking aid for short distances, and the car transfer aids that make every stop along the way easier. Sort it in October or November, not the week before you go. December stock moves fast and courier networks slow right down.
Every year we get the same phone call in the third week of December. Someone's parents are flying up for Christmas, or the family's driving to the bach, and it turns out Mum can manage the house fine but not the airport, the beach path or the trip to the shops. By then the chair they want is on backorder and the couriers are three days behind. This guide is here so that call doesn't have to be yours.
Why October to November is the right time to buy
Three practical reasons:
- Stock. Wheelchairs, walkers and travel aids are our busiest lines from mid-November. Popular seat widths sell out first, and restocks over the Christmas period take longer than usual.
- Delivery. Courier networks across New Zealand get congested from early December. Rural and South Island deliveries are the first to slip.
- Practice time. This is the one people forget. Nobody should be using a new wheelchair or walker for the first time at an airport. A few weeks at home to get used to the brakes, the folding mechanism and the right handle height makes the trip far safer.
If you're applying for funding through WINZ or ACC, add several more weeks. We provide free written quotes for applications — email info@mobilityplus.co.nz and see our WINZ funding page.
Which travel wheelchair should I choose?
For travel, almost everyone wants a transit wheelchair: smaller rear wheels, pushed by a companion, lighter and more compact than a self-propelled chair. If the person using it needs to wheel themselves independently, you want a self-propelled chair instead, which has large rear wheels with hand rims.
Here are the three we recommend most often for travel:
| Lightweight Folding Transit | Goldfern Transit | X-Lite Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.00 | $559.99 | $799.95 |
| Weight | 11.65 kg | 9.6 kg | 10.6 kg |
| Frame | Steel | Aluminium | Aircraft-grade aluminium |
| Seat width | 45 cm | 45 cm | 43 or 46 cm |
| Overall width | 60.5 cm | 63 cm | 70 cm |
| Max user weight | 136 kg | 100 kg | 110 kg |
| Armrests | Fixed | Fixed | Flip-back for transfers |
| Folded | Folding push handles | 72 x 33 x 76 cm | Folds to 30 cm, backrest folds down |
How to choose between them. The Lightweight Folding Transit at $299 is the best value and takes the heaviest user at 136 kg, but its steel frame makes it the heaviest to lift. The Goldfern at 9.6 kg is the easiest of the three to get in and out of a car boot and is tested to the New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3695.1:2011, which is what we'd choose if lifting is the main worry. The X-Lite costs more but has flip-back arms, which make transfers in and out of the chair genuinely easier, and it folds down smallest.
See the full range of lightweight transit wheelchairs, or compare everything side by side on our wheelchair comparison page.
How do I get the seat width right?
This is the single most common sizing mistake, and it's easy to avoid. Have the person sit in a normal chair, then measure across the widest part of their hips or thighs. Add 2 to 3 cm for comfort and winter clothing. That's your seat width.
Too narrow and it rubs and becomes painful within twenty minutes. Too wide and they slide sideways, lose posture support and can't reach the armrests properly. If you're between sizes, ring us before you order. It takes two minutes and saves a return.
What do I need to know about flying with a wheelchair?
Manual wheelchairs and walking frames are generally carried free of charge as mobility equipment rather than counting against your baggage allowance, and airlines will usually take the chair at the gate so the person can stay in it right up to boarding.
The things worth doing well ahead of the flight:
- Notify the airline when you book, not at check-in. Air New Zealand asks you to add a special assistance request at the time of booking.
- Label the chair clearly with a name and phone number, and photograph it before you hand it over.
- Remove anything loose — cushions, bags, footplates that detach. These go missing.
- Powered equipment is a different story. Battery type and watt-hour limits apply, and requirements differ between airlines. Check directly with your airline well before you travel.
Rules do change, so confirm the current detail on Air New Zealand's wheelchair and mobility assistance page or with whichever airline you're flying.
What about folding mobility scooters?
Folding travel scooters are the natural next step up when someone can walk short distances but not the length of a shopping centre, a market or a waterfront path. The good ones fold in one movement, weigh roughly 25 to 30 kg, and split into pieces light enough to lift separately into a boot.
If you're considering one, these are the questions that matter:
- Can you physically lift it? Even a folding scooter is heavy. Check the heaviest single piece, not the total weight.
- What's the range on one charge? Look for a realistic figure at a realistic load, not the best-case number.
- Will it fly? Airline battery rules are strict. Lithium batteries need to be within watt-hour limits and are usually carried in the cabin.
- Where will it live? Charging needs a power point near where it's stored.
We're adding travel scooters to the range shortly. If you're planning around one for this summer, ring 022 022 9956 or email info@mobilityplus.co.nz and we'll tell you honestly what's coming and when, so you can plan the trip around it.
The lightest walking aids for getting about
Plenty of people don't need a wheelchair at all. They need something light enough to carry and quick enough to deploy at the other end of a car trip.
- Ultra Lightweight Tri Walker, $259.95. At 4.5 kg it's the lightest wheeled frame we sell. No seat, but it turns tightly and folds flat. Read our rollator vs tri-walker guide if you're weighing that up.
- X-Fold Easy Folding Walker, $399.95. 5.8 kg, folds completely flat, wheels pop off tool-free, and it has a seat. The one we suggest most for people staying with family, because it stores flat against a wall.
- Carbon Fibre Folding Walking Stick, $89.95. 260 g, folds into four sections and fits in a handbag or glovebox. Ideal as a backup for someone who's mostly steady but tires on longer walks.
- Deluxe Walking Stick with Seat, $79.95. A cane and a fold-out seat in one, which solves queues, markets and waiting for the ferry.
Browse all lightweight walking frames and carbon fibre travel canes.
Getting in and out of the car
On a long drive, the hard part usually isn't the driving. It's the six or seven times you get in and out at petrol stations, cafés and rest stops. Three inexpensive things make a disproportionate difference:
- Car Exit Aid, $39.95. Slots into the door striker pin to give a solid handle to push up from. No tools, fits most standard New Zealand cars, supports up to 130 kg.
- Swivel Seat, $79.95. A cushion that rotates 360 degrees so you turn and step out instead of twisting.
- Car Essentials Kit, $148.80. Car exit aid, seatbelt grabber, 66 cm reacher and a wedge cushion bundled together, which works out cheaper than buying them separately.
For a longer trip, the Travel Essentials Kit at $227.95 adds a swivel seat, long-reach lotion applicator and an ActiveX seat cushion. More car transfer aids here.
Should I buy or hire for a single trip?
An honest answer: if it's genuinely for one trip, hire it.
Hiring makes sense when a relative is visiting for a fortnight, when someone's recovering from surgery and will be walking unaided by autumn, or when you want to try a chair before committing to buying one. Buying makes sense when the need is ongoing, when the equipment will be used weekly, or when you're going through WINZ or ACC funding.
We hire wheelchairs, walkers and lift chairs across the North Island. See our hire and rental page, and book early — the Christmas and January period is the busiest hire window of the year.
Christmas gifts for elderly parents that actually get used
The gifts that land best are the ones that solve a small daily frustration your parents have stopped mentioning. Here's what our customers buy each other, sorted by budget.
| Budget | Gift | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50 | Car Exit Aid, $39.95 | Small, useful, and doesn't feel like a medical device |
| Under $100 | Easireach Reacher with magnetic tip, $58.95 | Ends the daily hunt for something dropped behind furniture |
| Under $100 | Deluxe Walking Stick with Seat, $79.95 | Turns any queue or market into somewhere to sit |
| Around $100 | Carbon Fibre Folding Walking Stick, $89.95 | Light, smart-looking, and folds away out of sight |
| $150 to $250 | Car Essentials Kit, $148.80, or Travel Essentials Kit, $227.95 | Feels generous, arrives as one parcel, all four or five items get used |
| $400 plus | The Out & About Bundle, $399.75 | A walker, walking stick, car exit aid and seatbelt grabber together, for a real change in independence |
Two tips worth knowing. First, a gift that admits someone is struggling can sting, so framing matters: "I got this so we can do the beach walk at New Year" lands better than "I got you a walking stick". Second, if you're buying a walking stick or frame as a surprise, get the height right or it won't be used. Handles should sit at wrist-crease height with the arm hanging relaxed.
More ideas in our gift collection. And if you or your parents hold a SuperGold Card, check our SuperGold cardholder discount before you order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lightest wheelchair for travelling?
Of the transit chairs we stock, the Goldfern is lightest at 9.6 kg, followed by the X-Lite at 10.6 kg. Under about 10 kg is the point where most people can lift a chair into a car boot without help.
What's the difference between a transit and a self-propelled wheelchair?
A transit chair has small rear wheels and is pushed by someone else. A self-propelled chair has large rear wheels with hand rims so the user can wheel themselves. Transit chairs are lighter and narrower, which is why they suit travel, but they take away independence if the person can push themselves.
Do airlines charge for wheelchairs?
Generally no. Manual mobility equipment is usually carried as an assistive device rather than counted in your baggage allowance. Notify the airline when you book, and confirm the specifics with them, especially for anything with a battery.
When should I order mobility equipment for Christmas?
Late October to mid-November for the widest choice and comfortable delivery. Rural and South Island deliveries need the most lead time. If funding is involved, start six to eight weeks earlier again.
Is it better to hire or buy a wheelchair for a holiday?
Hire for a one-off trip or a visiting relative. Buy if it'll be used regularly, if the need is ongoing, or if you're going through WINZ or ACC.
What's a good Christmas present for elderly parents with limited mobility?
Something that removes a specific daily frustration rather than a general "mobility gift". A reacher, a car exit aid or a folding cane with a seat all get used constantly. Bundles like the Travel or Car Essentials Kit feel more like a proper present while still being practical.
Not sure where to start? Ring us
Tell us where you're going, who's travelling and what they can manage, and we'll tell you what they actually need — which is sometimes less than you'd expect. We're family-run, 100% New Zealand owned, and we've been doing this since 2005.
Call 022 022 9956 or email info@mobilityplus.co.nz. A real person answers.