So your kid wants a scooter to ride on just like their friends this summer? Or maybe they saw a movie or TV show with a cool scooter-riding kid that they want to be just like? Choosing a scooter that your kid will like, that you feel is safe, and that doesn’t break the bank can be a tough thing for any parent. We put together this in-depth guide showing you exactly how to find the best kids scooters. In this article, we’ll cover:
- What safety features you need to look for to keep your child safe on a scooter.
- What features make scooters exciting for kids, and how to determine which your kid needs.
- A comparison of 10 of the best kids’ scooter models on the market today.
…and more. Don’t worry anymore – by the end of this article post, you’ll know either which scooter you want to buy for your kid, or how to shop for the right one for them.
Now that you understand what scooters are on the market, and how to find a quality scooter for your kid, it’s time to talk about the best models out there today. While any scooter could be “the best” for a specific kid, we’ve put together a list of 10 of the most highly rated scooters today. These are scooters that come from a wide range of types, for many sizes and ages, and have earned fantastic reviews many times over.
9 Best Scooters for Kids (Review)
In our opinion, the following are the best ten on the market right now. Let’s dive into what makes each one a fantastic option for your kid.
Razor A3 Scooter
The Razor A3 comes as the most affordable option on our list, and it’s made by one of the most recognized names in the industry. Made with a durable, yet lightweight frame, aircraft-grade aluminum m, this model features Razor’s patented folding system to make it easy to carry around and store. It has adjustable handlebars, so that it can be adjusted for your child’s height, and big, steady urethane wheels that work great on sidewalks and urban roads. It has a weight capacity of 143 pounds and is meant for children over the age of five. It does have a rear brake for gradual stopping and weighs only seven pounds.
Who is this scooter right for? Ideally, this is made for a kid that is already in elementary school, that has never ridden a scooter before. They may not be a kid that is interested in stunts or special riding – just a kid that wants to have some fun on a unique toy. The price point makes it easy for parents to afford some thing that isn’t an obsession, and is still made by a name brand. It’s also great for a kid that doesn’t have a very smooth area to ride in because the wheels are slightly larger and more stable than standard two-wheel scooters.
Micro Sprite Kick Scooter
Love the Micro Maxi but want something for younger kids? The Micro Sprite is one of the best-known kids’ scooter models on the market. And one of the best things about this model is that it can be used by so many children, unlike the Micro Maxi, which is designed for older kids. Have a young child that wants to learn how to ride a standard two-wheel scooter? A teenager that may also enjoy the scooter? Do you want to give it a go occasionally? This scooter can suit you all. It has a weight capacity of 220 pounds and comes with an adjustable handle that extends up to 34 inches tall. It has a kickstand for parking, but can also be folded up. It also weighs just 5.5 pounds and has large urethane wheels that can handle bumpy sidewalks or driveways.
It’s perfect for families with multiple children of different sizes, or a kid that tends to grow out of their toys quickly. It’s a classic two-wheel kick scooter but offers all the best features for this type of scooter.
Razor A5 Lux Scooter
If you are looking for the standard for kids’ scooter design and performance, similar to the overall design of the Micro Maxi, look no more. The Razor A5 Lux is a distinct ride that any enthusiast probably owned at one point. It features:
- A patented folding system that allows you to store or carry it very easily.
- Aluminum frame construction that keeps it both lightweight and robust. It delivers a weight capacity of 220 pounds, and yet weighs under 10 pounds. The only downside here is that it’s not as durable as steel – but the payoff is that it’s easy to use and carry.
- It does have a kickstand to keep it stored upright if you prefer.
- It features a rear brake over the wheel.
- The adjustable handlebars do move for taller riders, so as your kid grows, this scooter will grow with them.
- The urethane wheels on the Razor are incredibly durable and are a bit larger to offer better stability.
As with the Micro Sprite, this scooter is perfect for a family with several kids, or for a kid that is growing fast. It’s great for a beginner and comes in a lot of fun colors.
Micro Mini Original Kick Scooter
Now it’s time to dive into the world of toddler scooters. If you have a kid under the age of four, one of the most significant problems they’ll face with a scooter is keeping it upright when riding. A three-wheel scooter, with two wheels in the front, is best for a small child – and the Micro Mini is the best three-wheel scooter out there today. Made by the same company that delivered the Micro Maxi, it’s is designed so that the child steers by leaning, similar to the way a toddler “steers” their own body as they run. This makes it easier for them to get the hang of riding a scooter and is also safer for them.
Like those on the Micro Maxi, the urethane wheels on this kids’ scooter are designed to give a very smooth ride, and there is a rear brake. There are also tons of fun color options available, which any toddler will like. These are perfect for taking to the park or riding around the block. However, they won’t adjust to grow with your child past the toddler stage – once they are over four to five years old, they’ll need a bigger scooter.
Fuzion Z300 Pro Scooter Complete
If you are looking for a mini scooter for an intermediate rider who wants to get into trick riding, the Fuzion Z300 is a great place to start. This is a very rugged ride, made to be durable and withstand a lot of abuse as a kid practices their tricks. It’s still lightweight frame, though, and can be ridden over just about any paved terrain. It is made for children over the age of eight, with aluminum deck and neck to keep it light. It has a rear brake and comes ready to ride right out of the box.
It is best suited for a beginner pro, who is already familiar with riding a scooter. If your child has had a scooter as a toy, and now wants to get into the sport of riding a scooter, this is a great place to start.
Micro Mini Deluxe Kick Scooter
Did you love the sound of the Micro Mini, but didn’t like the fact that it can’t grow with your child? The Deluxe version is the answer. This three-wheel mini scooter for toddlers features adjustable handlebars so that it can grow a bit into early childhood. It still comes with all the same features and an array of fun colors as well.
The Micro Mini is designed by the same manufacturer as the Micro Maxi, and is perfect for a child who is on the cusp of leaving behind toddler-hood. They’ll still get the stability and safety of a toddler toy, but with the ability to use it for much longer.
Razor Pocket Mod Miniature Euro Electric Scooter
The Razor Pocket Mod is one of the few electric scooters that is made for kids that features a sit-down style. It looks like a tiny Vespa and is perfect for kids that can’t stand for long periods, or who just want to cruise around on their own little ride. The fully charged battery will run for 40 minutes of continuous use, or as far as ten miles. It even has a suspension system so that the ride is nice and smooth.
As you can see, this is no basic kids’ scooter. It’s pricey for a reason – it operates as a moving vehicle, with all the necessary parts. The top speed of it is just 15 miles per hour, and it’s designed for younger children. It’s also straightforward to set up. Just a few minutes and the scooter is ready to go. It has 12-inch pneumatic tires to make it ride over grass, sidewalks, and more. Take it to the park, or just let the kids play with it in the backyard.
There are some downsides to this version. The headlight on the front is actually just a decoration, not a functioning safety light, and if the battery ever dies for good, it is hard to replace. The tires are also not of the best quality, and will likely need to be replaced during the scooter’s lifetime.
All that being said, this is a really great scooter for the price. Getting a fully operational moving vehicle that is specifically designed to suit a child, and that charges with a basic plugin, is a big feat. The comparable versions of this electric scooter are well over the price point of the Razor Pocket Mod.
Razor E100 Electric Scooter
Another scooter on offer is the Razor E100. This is a standing scooter that includes a battery under the wide deck, which propels the scooter forward after the child gives the scooter a good kick to start the ride. This is considered the quintessential starter scooter for a child interested in electric scooters. Here’s what you need to know:
- It can hold up to 120 pounds safely.
- It features a larger air tire on the front to provide stability over bumpy terrain.
- It weighs 25 pounds, but the tradeoff is that it is made of very durable metal.
- The battery will run for a full 40 minutes straight when charged, but the it can also be used as a regular scooter when the charge is gone.
- It has a front hand brake to protect your child.
- The maximum speed is 10 miles per hour – just fast enough for your child to have fun, but still safe.
- Kids won’t be flung off when the motor kicks in because it requires that they have gotten the scooter up to a speed of three miles per hour already.
There are a few downsides to the Razor E100 that are common in most electric scooters:
- There is no way to adjust the speed. Kids kick off, engage the motor, reach the maximum speed, maintain it, and then stop.
- The motor is chain driven, and after a few months of use, it can come off track. This is fixable, and there are many videos out there showing how to fix the problem.
- The battery does take about 12 hours to charge fully, and it can need replacing over it’s lifetime.
- It is not foldable for transport.
The handlebars do extend so that your child can grow with the scooter. Anyone over the age of eight who is under the 120-pound maximum can enjoy this scooter. This model is perfect for a child who is brand new to electric scooters and wants to give it a go.
Fuzion X-3 Pro Scooter
Here’s another pro scooter that is great for total beginners. The last pro scooter on our list was made for intermediate riders who wanted to try some tricks. If you have an inkling that your child will fall in love with the scooter and want to try tricks right away, this is a pro scooter for complete beginners. The X-3 has quite a lot of great features to offer:
- It’s very versatile because of the durable frame, large wheels. It can be used at the skate park, on the sidewalk, on the road, and in the driveway. This is great for practicing before heading to the skate park.
- It is very lightweight, made of quality aluminum that is still durable. The wide deck is made with the square edges of a pro scooter so that tricks like grinding can be accomplished.
- The adjustable handlebars are reinforced to make them more comfortable and durable.
- The urethane wheels of this scooter are the best part of the ensure thing. They are designed to be strong, smooth, and easy to maneuver.
- For a pro scooter, this has a great price point.
The only flaws are that the rear brake can tend to be noisy and that the wheels often go flat after a lot of riding. But those are more annoyances than actual flaws. This is suited for a child that wants to dry pro tricks and other fun riding techniques.
Mongoose Expo Scooter 12” Wheels
The last scooter on our list is an off-road scooter, designed for riding in the rocky dirt, grassy hills, and other rough terrain. It looks a lot like a bike with no seat, thanks to the big, rugged pneumatic tires and front brake system. The wheels do have axel pegs so that this scooter can also be used for a few stunts and tricks, and even though it’s made for off-road riding, there’s nothing stopping a kid from riding it on the pavement. It’s very versatile for that reason.
This scooter is made for kids over the age of six and is best controlled by a child that already has a good handle on the ability to balance. The beefy wheels do add stability, but it’s not as lightweight as other options. It’s perfect for a child that mostly has a backyard to play in and still wants to have fun with a scooter! But if your child wants merely the most versatility to ride anywhere and everywhere with their scooter, this is an excellent choice as well. The construction means that it will likely be a great toy all the way through their childhood years, and the added axle pegs make it a little more exciting than your standard scooter.
Best Scooter for Kids Buyers Guide
What makes a scooter the toy of choice for so many kids these days? Why not a bike or a skateboard? Simply put, it combines the best of a bike and a skateboard into one fun and easy-to-use toy. Kid the standing ride, similar to a skateboard, but they get the ease of balancing and steering with handlebars, similar to a bike.
For parents, scooters often represent a safer toy for their kids. The handlebars make it safer to balance than a skateboard, while the standing design makes it easier to hop off when losing control, compared to a bike.
Benefits of a Scooter for Kids
Some of the main benefits for kids when it comes to scooters are:
- Balance
- Direction
- Motor Skill Development
- Developing Reading Skills
- Confidence
- Fun
For a kid, balancing on a scooter with handlebars is a lot simpler than balancing on a skateboard – but being closer to the ground and in a standing position, can make it easier to balance than a bike. For young kids, scooters are a great way to teach them balance and how to steer in the desired direction.
Scooters can help young children develop essential motor skills. For example, coordination between the eye and the foot, depth perception, and other motor skills are developed in the action of propelling a scooter by kicking.
Did you know that there are many skills a child needs before they ever start reading? For example, they need to have hand strength and dexterity to hold a book and turn pages. They need to be familiar with directions in order to read left to right. These things are helped by riding.
When kids are able to master something new, it builds their confidence. Learning to ride a scooter is easy, and that gives kids a boost of confidence when they do master it.
Finally, riding a scooter is just fun! It encourages kids to play creatively outdoors and lets them have a blast.
Types of Scooters
There are several types of scooters that exist for kids these days, such as:
- Two-wheel
- Three-wheel
- Caster
- Pro
- Off-road
- Electric scooter
The two-wheel scooter is the standard that is commonly seen in the children’s department of chain stores. There is a wheel on the front and the back, a place to stand, and a bar in the front that leads to handlebars. The handlebars may be adjustable for your child’s height, and it may have other special features.
A three-wheel scooter is the same, but it has two wheels on the front and one in the back. This is often an excellent choice for younger children because the second wheel in the front provides more stability overall.
A caster scooter is a unique type of three-wheel scooter. This one has two wheels on the back and one on the front. Instead of a board where your child will stand with one foot behind the other, there is a horizontal board between the two back wheels, so your child will generally stand, as though they were standing on the ground. The way a child moves on this scooter is more similar to the way a skier moves as they ski.
A pro scooter is one that is designed for professional competitive events, and usually features elements that make it better for trick riding. It will often have larger handles, sturdier construction, and so on.
Off-road scooters are designed to be ridden over rough terrain. It will feature larger wheels with more tread, a protective guard on the rear to prevent the foot from coming into contact with the wheel, and a braking system.
An electric scooter is a scooter that runs via battery power. This can allow kids to ride without kicking, and can often reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. These may be best suited for older children and teens, and are even made for adults as well.
Two Factors to Determine the Best Scooter for Your Child
Now that you know what types of scooters there are, it’s time to figure out which type your child should be riding. There are two main factors to consider when choosing:
- Your child’s age
- Your child’s interest level
When it comes to your child’s age, the big thing to consider is safety. A child that is younger than five years old, should be riding a three-wheel scooter. These offer the most safety and stability for a little one. You can even find three-wheel scooters that include a detachable seat so that the child can begin learning with a seat, and move up to standing.
A child that is between the ages of five and ten will often ride either a two-wheel scooter or a caster scooter. These are the next two safest models and are easy to control. However, pro scooters, electric scooters, and off-road scooters can be ridden by any child over the age of six. The selection for the age range of six to 12 is huge, and will largely be determined by your child’s interest.
For a teenaged rider, you’ll want to go with a pro scooter, an off-road scooter, or an electric scooter, simply because these are the sturdiest. There are adult scooters that could work, but adult scooters are primarily made for commuting, rather than fun riding or trick riding.
When it comes to your child’s interest level, consider whether they just like to scoot around as a means of fun transportation, or if they want to ride at a skate park and do tricks. If they have friends that ride scooters and are interested in learning jumps, stunts, and other special moves, you’ll want to choose a pro scooter that works for the specific type of scooting they want to do. If they are just getting around and having fun, but aren’t interested in learning about scooting as a sport, a basic two-wheel scooter will work great.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to a “pro” athlete to ride a pro scooter. This is just a term that means that the scooter is used to do tricks and ride at skate parks. There are pro scooters that are perfectly suitable for beginners, as well as more advanced pro scooters.
What Features Should You Look for in a Scooter?
Once you choose the type of scooter for your child, the next step is to find a quality ride. In order to keep your child safe, and to let them do the kind of riding they want to do, choosing the highest quality components will offer the best scooter.
Brakes are the first part of choosing a safe scooter for your child. Many scooters, especially scooters made for young children, don’t have a brake at all. Instead, your child will just put their foot down on the ground or hop off if they want to stop. The idea is that young children won’t be going fast enough to make a brake necessary.
The next step is a scooter with a foot brake. This is a small attachment over the rear wheel that a child steps on, and it slows the scooter down to an eventual halt. Finally, there are scooters that have hand brakes, which operate similarly to bike hand brakes. These have the most parts, so they will be more likely to break down over time. They could also cause a brake that is a bit jarring to a small child because it’s not as gradual. But they do offer the most safety if your child is riding very fast or riding up and down ramps.
The next thing to consider is whether the scooter is very portable. If the it folds up, it will be a lot easier for your child to store it in their room, carry it to a friend’s house, or bring it along for vacations. Most of the time, electric scooters and pro scooters are the only types that may not fold in some way – but the market has started to introduce very portable electric scooters recently.
The next thing to consider is the size and weight. Is it appropriate for your child? Your child may want a pro scooter, for example, but if they are short or underweight for their age, they may not be able to control the scooter adequately. Additionally, keep in mind the weight that the scooter will support. If your child is heavier than what a toddler-sized scooter is meant to support, they should be moved up to a standard child scooter, even if they aren’t of that age.
Now it’s time to take a look at the wheels. Wheels are one of the parts that are often customized for athletes and pro riding. Depending on what type of ground your child is riding on, they may have actual rubber wheels with treads (for rough terrain), or small, smooth plastic wheels for riding at parks and on the pavement. The bigger the wheel is, the more stable the ride will be – but smaller wheels make it easier to push off and get a little bit of speed. So the choice really does come down to what type of scooting your child wants to do. For most kids, standard plastic wheels are just fine – and keep in mind that you can have a separate set of tougher, off-road wheels to change out when your child will be doing different types of riding.
Consider whether you want to buy what is known as a “complete”, which means that it comes with all the parts included, or if you’d rather choose the components separately yourself. There are a lot of situations in which you may want to choose to build a scooter from scratch, for example:
- Your child is interested in pro skating and wants specific features that don’t come in an affordable complete.
- You want a specific safety feature for a scooter that you can’t find in the type of scooter that is best for your kid.
- You want to have many options so that your kid can choose how they want to ride in different situations.
Finally, consider the handlebars. Many parents want adjustable handlebars that will grow with their child. Consider if they are at a good height, if they will be too big or small for your child’s hands, and if they are made for tricks or not.
Those are the components that make up a scooter. Accessories that you’ll often find included things like grip tape for the wide deck and the handlebars, bells, lights, and more. Start by choosing the best components first, or select a complete option that has the features you and your child want. Then find the right accessories to make the scooter fun and exciting.
Brands and Pricing
As a parent doing the shopping, cost and safety are among your top concerns when it comes to kick scooters. If you want to buy the best quality scooter for a child that is really interested in trick riding, then you do want to consider the durability. That will easily put the price much higher than a standard scooter meant to be a fun toy and nothing more. Some brands that are known for striking a good balance between quality components and affordable prices are Razor, Fuzion, Mongoose, Apex, and Micro.
You can find a decent scooter that is durable and fun, for under $100. These will likely be a standard two-wheel with no hand brakes, but the construction will be sturdy. However, higher-end scooters like the Micro Maxi that feature pro-level characteristics, hand brakes, and more, can cost over $200. And an electric scooter for a child can cost as much as $500. So be aware that there are affordable options out there, but the way to judge an affordable scooter is not the same as judging an affordable toy of another type. Compare these to getting a new bike, and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
One thing to remember when it comes to the price is that a very cheap scooter may cost you more if you have to replace parts in the long run – but then again, so could an expensive scooter. Replacing parts on an expensive scooter may be pricey because the parts are more mechanically involved. Replacing parts on a cheap scooter may add enough to the cost that you could have bought a higher quality scooter from the start.
Safety
Keep in mind that your child will need some safety gear to go with kick scooters. A helmet is the bare minimum, and it’s something that no kid from toddler to teenager should ride without. Knee and elbow pads may be a good idea as well, especially for a very small child.
Scooters have been a popular toy since the 50s, and the lighter they get, the more popular they become for even younger children. As they get more popular, they are the cause of more and more accidents for children. Most commonly, broken arms and hands occur when a child falls. Cuts, sprains, and bruises are also very common on the arms and hands. About 25% of the injuries caused by scooters are to the head, and another 25% are on the legs – the rest is all the arms and hands.
This means that while helmets are always the most important thing, you may not want to skip the arm protection either. Elbow pads can prevent up 82% of elbow injuries. Wrist guards may help with the injury to the wrists and arms, but they do make it harder to steer.
Other important safety tips to follow for a scooter include:
- Only ride a standard scooter where the ground is smooth. Don’t ride over rough terrain (including cracked sidewalks) unless your scooter has wheels specifically for off-road riding.
- Don’t ride scooters at night.
- Don’t allow a very young child to ride a scooter without your supervision.
Exciting Things to Do with a Scooter
If you are thinking about surprising your child with a scooter, then you probably picture them riding around, kicking their leg, and having a blast cruising. But kick scooters are a lot of fun to do tricks on, and many of the best scooters for children that we reviewed are designed for that purpose. Not sure what tricks kids can do on scooters, or why a scooter needs to be designed especially for tricks? Here are some things that kids can do with their scooter, and why it changes the design.
Hopping is one of the first scooter tricks that kids learn. In this trick, the scooter wheels leave the ground, and land back on the ground at the same time – doing a “hop”. For this type of trick, the deck needs to be pretty lightweight so that the kid can get some air!
A “fakie” means to ride your scooter backward, and it’s a foundational building block for many other tricks. It requires that kids have good control over their balance on a scooter, so scooters with slightly larger, more stable wheels, are helpful for this trick.
A manual is a trick in which the front wheel of the scooter is lifted off the ground while the kid rides. This is tricky because lifting up too high will cause the scooter to fly out from under the rider. An excellent rear brake can be helpful in this trick.
A nose pivot is when the rider leans forward to lift the rear wheel off the ground, and while balanced on just the front wheel, turns the deck in a different direction. It’s a neat way to turn around, and it’s best performed on a scooter that is designed to provide a very smooth ride.
Similar to the nose pivot, a 180 is when a hop and a turn are combined. Instead of turning with the front wheel on the ground, both wheels come off the ground, the board is turned, and then the rider lands. This also requires a light board to get some air. Many kids learn how to perform this trick by starting with a nose pivot and then hopping up into the 180 – doing multiple tricks like this that build off each other is called a combo.
Another easy trick for kids to learn is riding with either one hand or no hands on the handlebars. For this trick to be successful, kids need great balance. A deck that is wide, set lower to the ground, and large wheels, will be helpful for learning this trick.
There are also tricks that require that the feet be taken off the board. Often this happens in the air when the scooter isn’t touching the ground.
These tricks are things that are all done from anywhere, even a driveway. However, once you add in ramps at the skate park, there are many other things you can do. For example, a tail whip happens when a rider gets momentum going up a ramp, and while in the air, whips the deck of the scooter around 360 before landing back on the ramp. This requires both a lightweight deck and a solid set of adjustable handlebars, as these are crucial to controlling the scooter during this trick.
There are other tricks that can be mastered once these are learned. A “magnet” is when a rider hops off the board, then brings the board up to their feet, and then lands back on the ground with the deck under their feet by the time they touch down.
As you can see, the way a scooter is designed definitely changes what can be done with it. A heavy scooter may be better for early riders, but it won’t be great for trick riding. A scooter with a unique stance, like a caster scooter, is fun to ride, but it won’t really allow a child to ride at the skate park.
Summing It All Up
This article contained a lot of material for learning how to choose the best scooters for a kid that wants to try riding. So let’s sum it all up in an easy “at a glance” guide. Here’s what you need to know to choose the best scooter for your kid:
- Go for quality components wherever you can to get the safest and most durable scooter.
- Pay attention to the weight capacity and age limit on a scooter, and follow them. Toddlers need different features than children do.
- Look for a scooter that either fits your child’s interest (such as trick riding), or will grow with them over time so they can try new things if they want to.
- Think about where your child will be riding. Rough terrain needs bigger, sturdier wheels. Smooth terrain needs smaller, harder wheels with no air in them (such as hard plastic wheels).
The price range for scooters can run anywhere from under $100 to over $300, and it all depends on the type of scooter you want. However, keep in mind that the most expensive scooters are those that include an operational motor, so they compare more to an electric child’s Jeep than they do to a bicycle.
If you aren’t sure which scooter is right for your child, check out our list of the ten best kids scooters on the market right now. We covered electric scooters, standard two-wheel scooters, three-wheel scooters for toddlers, off-road scooters, and pro scooters. You’ll be able to easily find the best scooter for your child in this roundup.
Now that you have this easy and in-depth guide to choosing the best scooter for your child, be sure to remember to grab a helmet and other safety gear! Scooters are lots of fun, but safety is always paramount. Let your child discover the fun of this unique toy and make some great memories along the way.