The Best Electric Kick Scooters of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Leave a comment

I’ve examined a ton of scooters. Not all of them deserve a spot above, however some are nonetheless price contemplating.

Niu KQi Pro for $640: Over many rides, I turned fairly keen on the KQi3 Professional, and it was our prime decide on this information for fairly a while. It presents nice vary for the cash. Regardless of driving over steep bridges round New York Metropolis, I continuously acquired round 15 miles out of it, however you possibly can most likely anticipate 18 to twenty miles (until you are additionally a tall big like me). It goes 20 miles per hour, the 9.5-inch tubeless tires supply a snug experience, and the disc brakes reliably convey it to a fast cease. You get perks like a bell, lights, and house on the handlebar for attaching a cellphone mount. It is tremendous simple to fold, but it surely weighs 45 kilos, so it isn’t what I might name light-weight. I additionally want the handlebars may fold down since they will snag on stair railings. It is barely older now and has been changed by the Niu KQi 300X and 300P, so be sure you catch it on sale.

MiniMotors USA Dualtron Mini Special for $1,399: The directions to assemble this scooter are obscure, and some steps aren’t even talked about within the instruction booklet. (I discovered the handlebar grip laborious to placed on—rubbing alcohol is your buddy.) That is additionally the primary time I attempted the MiniMotors Dualtron app, and actually, it isn’t beginner-friendly. Not one of the phrases and capabilities are nicely defined. It isn’t a scooter I might counsel for newcomers, however when you get all the pieces up and operating, the driving expertise is kind of good. It has a prime pace of 35 mph, and whereas the corporate claims a 40-mile vary, you possibly can anticipate nearer to 25 to 30 miles. It will deal with slopes simply high-quality, however I do discover it bizarre that regardless of being pretty hefty (59 kilos), it has a max load capability of 200 kilos.

Segway P100S for $1,500: This Segway (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is 73 kilos however has a max pace of 24 mph, so it is rather less intense than the Apollo or Dualtron Mini Particular. At that pace, I used to be in a position to get 16 miles in with 35 % left within the tank. If you happen to restrict the pace to twenty through the app, it is best to simply be capable to get shut to twenty or 25 miles. I simply hate the loud flip sign.

Fluidfreeride Fluid Mosquito for $899: If the light-weight Unagi Mannequin One Voyager would not curiosity you however you continue to need an ultra-lightweight scooter, then try the Fluid Mosquito (7/10, WIRED Recommends). At simply 29 kilos, it is one of many lightest scooters on this information and has a snug, built-in seize deal with for straightforward toting. It is quick to fold and is highly effective, with a prime pace of 24 mph. However shaving down the burden on this nimble scooter does have drawbacks. The suspension is simply OK—you may really feel most of these bumps—and the wheels are slim. The braking system works high-quality, however you would possibly encounter some skidding in the event you make a sudden cease, and the vary is lackluster (round 9 miles in my testing, going over the Brooklyn Bridge). There’s additionally no simple method to change pace modes on the fly; you set it earlier than you experience.

Niu KQi Air for $1,099: I used to be so excited to check this scooter, however my expertise with it over a number of months is combined. I nonetheless prefer it, however a couple of quirks maintain it again from being a prime decide. The KQi Air has a carbon fiber body, permitting it to be a mere 26 kilos with a 20-mph prime pace. That makes it the lightest scooter I’ve ever examined. It is easy to fold and has flip indicators, a slick app, and dependable regenerative braking. The vary is a bit lackluster—I often acquired just below 10 miles on a single cost, but it surely’s so light-weight that when it died on my manner dwelling as soon as, I strapped it to a Citi Bike’s front basket and cycled dwelling (do not do that!). The experience high quality is nice, however I had points with it refusing to hook up with my cellphone till I disconnected the inner energy cable within the stem. There is a theft safety that sounds an alarm and slows down the scooter if somebody tries to roll it away, however bizarrely, when you can completely flip off the alarm, the one method to cease it from braking as you roll it’s to show the scooter on. My preliminary mannequin additionally stopped working fully and would not activate, so Niu needed to ship me a second mannequin. Oh, and typically, throughout rides, the scooter slows down and would not hit its prime pace till a couple of minutes later. I think there’s some thermal concern inflicting this. General, there’s a variety of promise, but it surely’s simply annoying.

TurboAnt M10 Lite for $300: This can be a completely high-quality price range scooter finest for folk below 200 kilos. (I wasn’t in a position to hit its prime pace of 16 mph.) The meeting requires a couple of additional steps (extra issues to screw in, just like the rear mudguard). I used to be solely in a position to get round 8 miles driving it, however I like that the folding system is fast, the show is vibrant, and it is fairly gentle at 31 kilos. Simply do not take it up any steep hills.

Gotrax Apex for $350: The Apex is 32 kilos and simple to fold up. It has an built-in bell and a digital show that exhibits your pace and battery life, and it could go as much as 15 mph. The Apex is reliable—I’ve gone to espresso retailers, distant video shoots with a backpack stuffed with digital camera gear, and the grocery retailer—although it isn’t the smoothest experience. The 250-watt motor struggles with any slight incline, and slopes drain the battery quick. The battery often doled out round 9 miles for me. I am additionally tall, and I needed to consistently outstretch my arms to achieve the handlebars. You may wish to tighten the rear disc brake; it really works high-quality, however I would not have minded extra stopping energy.

Gotrax GX2 for $1,499: The GX2 is akin to the Apollo Phantom and Segway P100S in that it is 76 kilos and packs a variety of energy and vary. This gunmetal scooter seems to be a bit like a Transformer and might hit a max pace of 35 mph through the twin 800-watt motors, however I often rode it at 20 mph. It took me to midtown and again to Brooklyn (a complete of 18.4 miles) with some juice left over. I hate carrying it up and down the steps, as a result of the stem is tremendous thick, making it tough to know. Once you’re ready at a light-weight, the GX2 additionally switches to Parking mode after a couple of seconds, so that you consistently have to recollect to press the mode button to modify it to the driving gear. It is tremendous annoying, and Gotrax says there is not any method to disable it. I’m somewhat involved about construct high quality—the motor makes a noise as if one thing is brushing in opposition to it, and this sound disappears if I frivolously press the left brake lever whereas driving. The latch to maintain the stem upright comes down too simply, regardless of a sliding lock mechanism to maintain it in place; Gotrax says it would simply be that it is put in too tightly. If you happen to see any of those points, I like to recommend reaching out to Gotrax and going to a neighborhood scooter store to have them have a look.

Navee S65 for $960: Navee is a comparatively new model rising its presence within the US, and I had an excellent time using the S65 (7/10, WIRED Recommends). I used to be in a position to repeatedly full 16-mile spherical journeys at 20 mph, however that just about depleted the battery. It has nice acceleration, due to its geared hub motor, and it climbs slopes with ease, however this additionally makes it very loud. The motor’s sound disappears in the event you’re in a loud metropolis like New York, however it could make you self-conscious on quiet streets. It is 53 kilos, so it is heavier than our prime decide regardless of an identical vary, and its customer support is up within the air since it is so new. Nonetheless, I had enjoyable driving it.

Evolv Terra for $1,231: I loved my time with the Evolv Terra (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It is 53 kilos and because of the skinny stem, not too annoying to hold. It is highly effective, with the potential to go as quick as 31 miles per hour whenever you interact each 600-watt motors (test your native pace legal guidelines first!). In any other case, you possibly can cruise alongside at 20 mph as I did on the second gear pace setting (there are three in whole) with the one motor. Vary is fairly common, with round two bars left on the meter after 15 miles, so it could doubtlessly final greater than 20 miles, particularly in the event you’re conservative with its speeds. The suspension is OK however the strong tires on rougher roads can really feel fairly bumpy. The fenders additionally appeared fairly ineffective to me as, after a moist experience post-rain, my again was coated in specks of filth kicked up from the rear tire. The stem’s angle was additionally somewhat too near my physique, and the dearth of a thumb throttle meant my wrist harm after lengthy rides. You possibly can tweak the angle of the throttle and brakes to enhance this although.

Radio Flyer S533 for $599: Actually, I am shocked at how nicely this scooter did in my checks. The folding mechanism is only a latch and a sleeve you pull all the way down to hold the latch from coming undone when you experience. It is tremendous simple to fold and unfold, and light-weight at 30 kilos. It isn’t a commuter scooter by any means—my vary hovered below 8 miles on a single cost—and regardless of exceeding its 220-pound load capability, I averaged round 14 mph of its 16 mph prime pace. It is a good little scooter for going to the publish workplace, grocery retailer, or Cinnabon when my spouse asks for a cinnamon roll. Nevertheless, its value would not match its energy and efficiency; it must be cheaper. It is also price noting that the primary mannequin the corporate despatched me did not activate and the second mannequin had a deflated entrance tire. Inflating it was a fast affair and I have not had issues since.

Apollo Air Pro (2022) for $849: I’ve not examined the brand new 2024 mannequin, however the Apollo Air Professional (2022) was a superbly high-quality scooter (6/10, WIRED Overview); I simply do not assume it is definitely worth the excessive value. It goes as much as 21 mph, and I used to be in a position to experience it for about 13 to fifteen miles earlier than it died. You get all of the accouterments, like a entrance gentle and bell, and there is app connectivity to tweak settings to your liking. Nevertheless, the app is required to unlock the Air Professional’s true pace—in any other case, you are restricted to 12 mph. I am extra miffed on the folding mechanism, which is extra work than it must be. It additionally would not speed up too quick and, regardless of its 39-pound weight, is uncomfortable to hold resulting from its thick stem.