A scooter lift lets you take your mobility scooter or power wheelchair anywhere your car can go, without lifting a pound. There are three ways to carry one on a vehicle: an outside hitch-mounted lift that rides on your trailer hitch, an inside hybrid or platform lift that rolls it into a minivan or SUV, and an inside hoist that swings it into a cargo area or pickup bed. At home, a vertical platform lift is a small outdoor wheelchair elevator for porches, decks and garage steps.

This guide covers the full lineups of three manufacturers we install every week: TriLift platform-free hitch lifters, Harmar hitch, hybrid, hoist and vertical platform lifts, and MAC'S Lift Gate vertical home lifts, built right here in Long Beach.

TriLift is different from every other outside lift: there is no platform at all. A triangular lift mounts in your hitch and a matching triangular bracket bolts to your scooter or power chair. Press the wireless remote and the two lock together and rise off the ground. TriLift says its lifts weigh about half as much as a typical platform lift, need only 12 to 13 inches behind the vehicle, and fit most cars, trucks and SUVs.

Harmar is one of America's largest makers of vehicle lifts. Its hitch-mounted line runs from a 135 lb micro lift for a Class I hitch up to a 500 lb manual universal carrier. HD versions need a Class III receiver. Most powered Harmar lifts fold up when empty and include a license plate mount; many offer a swing-away and a MultiView backup camera.

Inside lifts keep your scooter or power chair out of the rain and away from thieves. Harmar organizes them as Hybrid Lifts, which roll the device into a minivan or SUV cargo area, and Hoist Lifts, which lift and swing it in, including pickup bed models. Hoists need headroom: the AL425 needs 30 inches.

A vertical platform lift (VPL), sometimes called a porch lift or outdoor wheelchair elevator, raises a wheelchair, scooter and rider straight up to a porch, deck or garage door. It takes a footprint of roughly 4 by 5 feet, compared with up to 30 feet of ramp for a 30-inch rise. Every model here carries 750 lb.

Mobile home and manufactured home parks: most manufactured home porches sit 24 to 48 inches off the ground, inside the range of the MAC'S PL-50 (up to 50") and Harmar VPL400-X (up to 53"). Plan for a level concrete pad, a 110-volt outdoor outlet, and approval from your park management; some cities also require a permit. Battery backup (Harmar ReadyUPS or MAC'S 12V DC option) keeps you moving during a power outage, and MAC'S includes a manual hand crank as standard.