The Best Electric Kick Scooters of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

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 value contemplating.

Niu KQi3 Professional for $599: Over many rides, I grew to become 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 may most likely count on 18 to twenty miles (except you are additionally a tall large like me). It goes 20 miles per hour, the 9.5-inch tubeless tires supply a comfortable experience, and the disc brakes reliably carry it to a fast cease. You get perks like a bell, lights, and area on the handlebar for attaching a telephone mount. It is tremendous straightforward to fold, nevertheless it weighs 45 kilos, so it is not what I would name light-weight. I additionally want the handlebars may fold down since they’ll 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 Particular for $1,699: 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 good friend.) That is additionally the primary time I attempted the MiniMotors Dualtron app, and truthfully, it is not beginner-friendly. Not one of the phrases and capabilities are effectively defined. It isn’t a scooter I would counsel for newcomers, however when you get all the things up and working, the driving expertise is kind of good. It has a prime velocity of 35 mph, and whereas the corporate claims a 40-mile vary, you may count on nearer to 25 to 30 miles. It will deal with slopes simply superb, 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 $1,297: This Segway (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is 73 kilos however has a max velocity of 24 mph, so it is rather less intense than the Apollo or Dualtron Mini Particular. At that velocity, I used to be capable of get 16 miles in with 35 p.c left within the tank. In the event you restrict the velocity to twenty through the app, you need to simply be capable of 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 comfortable, built-in seize deal with for straightforward toting. It is quick to fold and is highly effective, with a prime velocity 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 slender. The braking system works superb, however you may encounter some skidding for those who make a sudden cease, and the vary is lackluster (round 9 miles in my testing, going over the Brooklyn Bridge). There’s additionally no straightforward technique to change velocity modes on the fly; you set it earlier than you experience.

Niu KQi Air for $1,249: I used to be so excited to check this scooter, however my expertise with it over a number of months is blended. 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 velocity. That makes it the lightest scooter I’ve ever examined. It is easy to fold and has flip alerts, a slick app, and dependable regenerative braking. The vary is a bit lackluster—I normally acquired just below 10 miles on a single cost, nevertheless it’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 telephone till I disconnected the interior 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, whilst you can completely flip off the alarm, the one technique to cease it from braking as you roll it’s to show the scooter on. My preliminary mannequin additionally stopped working utterly and would not activate, so Niu needed to ship me a second mannequin. Oh, and generally, throughout rides, the scooter slows down and would not hit its prime velocity till a couple of minutes later. I believe there’s some thermal situation inflicting this. Total, there’s loads of promise, nevertheless it’s simply annoying.

TurboAnt M10 Lite for $300: This can be a completely superb funds scooter greatest for folk underneath 200 kilos. (I wasn’t capable of hit its prime velocity 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 capable of get round 8 miles driving it, however I like that the folding system is fast, the show is vivid, and it is fairly mild at 31 kilos. Simply do not take it up any steep hills.

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

Gotrax GX2 for $1,399: The GX2 is akin to the Apollo Phantom and Segway P100S in that it is 76 kilos and packs loads of energy and vary. This gunmetal scooter seems to be a bit like a Transformer and may hit a max velocity of 35 mph through the twin 800-watt motors, however I normally 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 troublesome to understand. Whenever you’re ready at a light-weight, the GX2 additionally switches to Parking mode after a couple of seconds, so that you always have to recollect to press the mode button to modify it to the driving gear. It is tremendous annoying, and Gotrax says there isn’t any technique to disable it. I’m a bit of involved about construct high quality—the motor makes a noise as if one thing is brushing towards it, and this sound disappears if I flippantly 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. In the event you see any of those points, I like to recommend reaching out to Gotrax and going to an area 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 a good time utilizing the S65 (7/10, WIRED Recommends). I used to be capable of commonly 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 for those who’re in a loud metropolis like New York, however it could actually make you self-conscious on quiet streets. It is 53 kilos, so it is heavier than our prime decide regardless of an analogous vary, and its customer support is up within the air since it is so new. Nonetheless, I had enjoyable driving it.

Evolv Terra for $1,212: 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 have interaction each 600-watt motors (test your native velocity legal guidelines first!). In any other case, you may cruise alongside at 20 mph as I did on the second gear velocity setting (there are three in complete) with the one motor. Vary is fairly common, with round two bars left on the meter after 15 miles, so it could actually doubtlessly final greater than 20 miles, particularly for those who’re conservative with its speeds. The suspension is OK however the stable 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 lined in specks of dust kicked up from the rear tire. The stem’s angle was additionally a bit of too near my physique, and the shortage 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: Truthfully, I am shocked at how effectively this scooter did in my checks. The folding mechanism is only a latch and a sleeve you pull all the way down to preserve the latch from coming undone whilst you experience. It is tremendous straightforward to fold and unfold, and light-weight at 30 kilos. It isn’t a commuter scooter by any means—my vary hovered underneath 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 velocity. It is a good little scooter for going to the submit workplace, grocery retailer, or Cinnabon when my spouse asks for a cinnamon roll. Nonetheless, its worth would not match its energy and efficiency; it must be cheaper. It is also value 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 never had issues since.

Apollo Air Professional (2022) for $949: I’ve not examined the brand new 2024 mannequin, however the Apollo Air Professional (2022) was a superbly superb scooter (6/10, WIRED Assessment); I simply do not assume it is definitely worth the excessive worth. It goes as much as 21 mph, and I used to be capable of experience it for about 13 to fifteen miles earlier than it died. You get all of the accouterments, like a entrance mild and bell, and there is app connectivity to tweak settings to your liking. Nonetheless, the app is required to unlock the Air Professional’s true velocity—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 as a consequence of its thick stem.

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