If you’ve ever seen someone zipping by on an electric scooter, you’ve probably wondered what it would be like to ride one. Whether you saw a standing or a sitting version, they do look like a lot of fun. They also look easier to ride than things like motorized skateboards or longboards – and they are! But motorized scooters can be a lot more than just a fun toy to play around on. In fact, many people are using these as dedicated commute devices, or to get around in downtown areas after catching a cab or a bus.
If that sounds like a stretch, consider that most electric scooters can travel anywhere from 10 to 25 miles per hour – plenty of speed for getting around in a pedestrian area! And they are much cheaper than operating a car. You don’t need gas, either – electric scooters are made to be plugged in. Most of the best electric scooters can operate on a single charge for about 40 to 45 minutes, or for up to 15 miles in many cases. All you need to know how to do is turn the steering column, and that’ s it! Want to know more about these cool vehicles? We’ve rounded up the top 10 electric scooters on the market right now, and put them to the test. Here’s what we found.
Our Best Electric Scooter Picks (Review)
Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter – Most Fun Commuter
Quite frankly, if you want to capture a vintage bike vibe on your scooter, there is no other choice for you. The Razor EcoSmart has the coolest design of all these scooters, with its bamboo foot deck, powder-coated frame, and luggage rack in the back. It looks like an electric scooter designed by today’s top tech companies, and it also has one of the longest range times on this list. If you want to commute in style, without worrying about your scooter losing power halfway there, there’s no better choice. Another great bonus is the fact that this scooter comes at a more affordable price than others on this list. The biggest drawback we can see is that changing flat tires is a little complicated compared to other tires; but the payoff is a professional-looking scooter that doesn’t look like you’re riding your kid’s toy to work.
Razor E300 Electric Scooter
This is one of the best selling electric kick scooters on the market at the moment. It is sturdy enough to hold a large adult, it gets a decent speed of up to 15 miles per hour, and it gives you a good 40 minutes of continuous use. This scooter offers a very smooth ride, and that it’s a lot lighter weight than other scooters made for adults. The only real drawback is the price, but considering the bump in weight limit, we think this one is worth the money. It’s a great all-around scooter for both commuting and recreation.
MotoTec Uberscoot 2X 50Cc Scooter – Fastest Electric Scooter
Made for adults, and offering one of the longer ranges in this group, the Uberscoot is a great choice if you have to travel on rough terrain or hills. This foldable scooter is ideal for traveling part of the way by bus or cab, and then using your scooter to finish a commute or get around. It’s light enough to carry, and has a quick-release design that is easy to operate. It’s also one of the few scooters we reviewed with both front and rear lights, meaning you can use it safely and legally at night. Despite being billed as a foldable scooter, we do think this one is pretty bulky for carrying around on the bus for example; but keep in mind that the all-terrain tires are made for a sturdier ride, and will take up more room than the standard slim scooter tires.
GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter – Best for Adults
The GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter is a highly durable scooter with 8.5” pneumatic tires capable of absorbing the shock of travel through the city and along sidewalks and streets. It has a 250W motor providing plenty of power and a 36v battery that can typically allow you to travel for 12.5 miles before needing a recharge. It can recharge fully in about four hours, too, making this a great little scooter for getting to work or school.
The scooter is safe, as well. It has a front and a rear double braking system, an LED headlight, so you can ride at night, and a speedometer to let you know how fast you are going. The scooter has two gears, and in second gear it can go up to 15mph. You will also love that this a simple fold and release design for easy storage!
Ninebot Segway ES 2 Kick Scooter
Those who are searching for a fun and easy way to get around town, to commute to work, school, the gym, and more will want to consider the Ninebot Segway ES 2 Kick Scooter. The scooter offers some fantastic features including Bluetooth connectivity along with a Bluetooth remote control. You can connect to the scooter’s app, as well, which can provide you with diagnostics regarding the condition of the scooter. It features an LED display that will show the driving speed, along with the power mode and the battery level. This machine has a double brake system along with shock absorption for added comfort and safety. There are front and rear LED lights to help ensure that you are visible when you are on the road in low light conditions. This scooter has a 15.5 mile range and 15.5mph top speed. It is foldable, easy to store, and an ideal solution for nearby commutes!
Razor E300S Seated Electric Scooter
Got a short, flat commute and don’t want to waste money on a car? The Razor E300S was made for just that situation. This is a seated version of the extremely popular E300, and comes with all the same pros. The powerful motor can get you where you need to be, and compared to other lightweight seated scooters, this one has quite a bit more power. It also has a very short charge time compared to other scooters – only 8 hours, where many of the others we reviewed need 14 or more. Be aware that this scooter is primarily for flat terrain. The pickup is very low, which is meant to help you feel more comfortable and balanced while riding – but ultimately results in hilly or rough terrain interrupting your ride.
Razor E125 Electric Scooter – Best for Kids
As one of Razor’s lighter scooters, this one is an ideal pick for older kids and tweens. It isn’t the fastest scooter on our list, going only 10 miles per hour, but for kids, that’s more than they can do just pushing themselves. The battery offers a good 40 minutes of continuous cruising, which gives them enough to have some fun, but not enough to roam too far from home – a win win for both of you. The weight limit is the real winner on this scooter. It allows a small adult to ride as well, so not just your kid can enjoy it. The biggest con is that it doesn’t do well on hills – the motor will die on anything other than a flat route. You do have to push it up to about three miles per hour before the motor will kick on, but the good news here is that this scooter is also light enough to be used as a normal scooter without the charge.
Razor Pocket Mod Miniature Euro Electric Scooter
Want something that makes you think of Vespas and vintage scooters? The Razor Pocket Mod Mini Euro is your new best friend. It’s designed for anyone over the age of 13, and has a really awesome line of fun colors to choose from. It’s definitely both the most elegant and the easiest to ride in our line up. However, it only gets about 10 miles of range before the battery needs charging, and it takes quite a while for this scooter to accelerate. Pretty to look at, fun to ride, but not the most high-performance scooter we’ve reviewed, the Pocket Mod would be excellent as a gift for a teen who wants to ride over to friends’ houses on something that looks cool.
Razor E100 Electric Scooter
If you’re looking for a scooter for a child that still has some oomph, the Razor E100 is an excellent starter. This scooter offers decent speed and range, but it keeps things to the lower end of Razor’s range to keep your kids safe. If it runs out of charge, it’s still light enough for kids to ride like a normal scooter. The only downside is that the motor can’t handle hills – it’s flat terrain only for this one unless you want to push it yourself. If you want something a little more powerful than the average electric scooter for kids, or you think your child might want to upgrade one day to a heavy-duty adult scooter, this is a great starter option from a well-known company in the scooter industry.
Glion Adult Electric Dolly-Fold Scooter
If your goal is maximum portability so that you can go from bus, Uber, or cab, to the scooter, then the Glion Dolly-Fold is the choice for you. This is one of the most compact scooters we reviewed, but still offers all the power and capability you need to get around. A large adult can ride on this scooter, and it is also frequently reviewed as one of the quieter electric scooters out there. The sleek, minimal design of this scooter is a fan favorite as well, especially for professionals using this to get part of the way to work. It won’t make you look like you are riding a child’s toy, and it doesn’t look out of place in your office. Another big plus for the Glion is the fact that it gets a full charge in just 3.5 hours – the fastest of any that we’ve reviewed. Use it for your morning commute, charge in your office, then use it at night again. Because it’s a simple standing scooter, you don’t need to worry about age limits or moving vehicle laws.
How We Chose Our Top 10 Electric Scooters
When we looked at the electric scooters on the market today, we wanted to be sure that we were recommending great products. We considered many factors when reviewing these.
- Rider weight: While a couple of the scooters listed above were for children, we focused on scooters that would allow almost anyone to ride comfortably.
- Speed: Many electric scooters are still stuck in the single digits for speed. We only chose scooters that could feasibly get you to work faster than walking. The part of the scooter that determines speed is the engine. There are three main types of engines that electric scooters are made with. The first is a chain drive engine. This is the most common, and works a lot like a bicycle. These are long-lasting and durable, but they are also heavy so they don’t let you go very fast. The second type is called a chainless DC Hub motor. This is a very compact type of motor that has one big benefit: you can recharge it by pushing manually. This isn’t as popular yet, but it is growing in popularity. Finally, there are neo-dymium motors, which use magnetic energy. This is a very efficient type of motor which allows for top speeds, but it is more expensive.
- Range: Having a long battery range is important for commuters, and it’s an area where electric scooters are still improving. We looked for scooters that would give you more than 10 miles of range at the minimum – so that you would actually need to use them, versus simply choosing a long walk. The range of a scooter is all about the battery, but there is a balance to strike. A bigger battery, which emits more than 750W, is best for an adult scooter. You can get batteries that emit all the way up to 2,000W, but they are heavier, and therefore they can slow the scooter down. Additionally, higher wattage means higher prices. You’ll also want to consider the type of battery. A lead acid battery is less expensive, but takes a lot longer to charge. Lithium ion batteries are more expensive, but are safer and can charge in just a few hours.
- Overall design and craftsmanship: Finally, we looked for scooters that are rated highly for their durability and design. Having a scooter that falls apart in a few months doesn’t do anyone any good. These are all well-known brands with a reputation for quality.
Other factors you may want to consider include the terrain you have to get around on, how lightweight the scooter is, how fast the scooter charges, and what your budget is. Those on our list don’t always have top ratings in these area, but we made sure to mention where we were impressed by these factors as well.
Making Your Battery Last Longer
If you are shopping for an electric scooter, you’ve probably heard that they tend to stop working after a while. This isn’t true about the scooter itself, but about the battery. All batteries deteriorate over time, but there are some ways that you can make your battery last a little longer. This allows you to get the most life out of your scooter after investing.
First, remove the battery when you aren’t using your scooter or charging it. If a battery is connected to something, if if that something is off, it sends out a charge, and this drains the battery over time.
Don’t use your scooter until the battery is fully charged the first time. This may mean that you don’t use your new scooter until a full 24 hours after you get it. But this ensures that you get the maximum charge that the battery can ever have the first time around, and helps it last longer.
Don’t recharge the battery again until it runs all the way down. Every time you charge a battery, it adds to the decay. It’s best to keep recharge sessions to as few as possible. Here’s an example: Lithium ion batteries have a lifespan of 400 charges. If you charge it every single day, regardless of if it needs it or not, the battery won’t last much beyond a year. Instead, let the battery die before you recharge it.
Another thing regarding the charging of your battery: never over charge it. Batteries get hot when they are overcharged, and this adds to the decay. Keep the battery below 50 degrees if you can, and remove it after it has charged fully.
A Few Things to Consider Before You Buy an Electric Scooter
So now that you’ve seen how we evaluated the top electric scooters on the market, and how to keep the weakest element in good shape for longer, you’re probably ready to go out and shop, right? Before you do that, here are just a few things to consider about riding an electric scooter.
Where will you charge your scooter between commutes?
There are not that many electric charging stations across the United States. Overall, in the entire country, there are about 48,000 stations – and most of those are located in just a handful of big cities. If you aren’t able to charge your scooter at work, or at the location where you are headed, will you be able to power back up if your scooter starts to lose charge?
Does it really make a big difference on energy consumption?
If you are interested in riding an electric scooter is order to eliminate gas emissions from a car, consider the fact that you are still using energy. Depending on the area where you live, the electricity you need for your scooter may be produced in a way that isn’t much better than a car’s emissions, and you are still adding to the overuse of energy sources. Eventually, there may be solar-powered batteries for electric scooters – but until then, consider that this still isn’t an “eco-friendly” vehicle.
Can a scooter work on every surface that you need it to?
Most of the scooters we reviewed were made for urban use on smooth pavement. Some are able to tackle things like uphill climbs and slightly rough areas like sidewalks. But for the most part, they aren’t made for rough terrain. If you have to commute over unpaved areas, you may not have the best time on an electric scooter.
You, and your scooter, will be exposed to the elements.
Be sure you consider whether or not your scooter is weather proof. If the electrical elements are exposed to rain, will they malfunction? Do you frequently spend a lot of your commute in very hot temperatures that could make the battery decay faster? Are you comfortable with the fact that you don’t have any protection for yourself?
Check Out Our Top Electric Scooters
Overall, any of these top 10 electric scooters would be a convenient and easy way to get through your commute, run down to the store, get around campus, or simply to enjoy a drive in the open air. Choose the one that suits your lifestyle the best and have fun going anywhere!