I’ve examined a ton of scooters. Not all of them deserve a spot above, however some are nonetheless price contemplating.
Niu KQi3 Professional for $599: Over many rides, I turned fairly keen on the KQi3 Professional, and it was our prime choose on this information for fairly a while. It provides nice vary for the cash. Regardless of driving over steep bridges round New York Metropolis, I continuously bought round 15 miles out of it, however you’ll be able to most likely count on 18 to twenty miles (except you are additionally a tall big like me). It goes 20 miles per hour, the 9.5-inch tubeless tires provide a snug 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 might name light-weight. I additionally want the handlebars might 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 ensure 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 exhausting to placed on—rubbing alcohol is your buddy.) That is additionally the primary time I attempted the MiniMotors Dualtron app, and actually, it is not beginner-friendly. Not one of the phrases and features are properly defined. It isn’t a scooter I might counsel for newcomers, however when you get all the things 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’ll be able to count on nearer to 25 to 30 miles. It will deal with slopes simply effective, 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 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 p.c left within the tank. For those who restrict the pace to twenty by way of the app, you need 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 simple toting. It is quick to fold and is highly effective, with a prime pace of 24 mph. However shaving down the load 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 effective, however you would possibly encounter some skidding if you happen to 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 method to change pace 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 number of quirks maintain it again from being a prime choose. 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 simple to fold and has flip alerts, a slick app, and dependable regenerative braking. The vary is a bit lackluster—I often bought just below 10 miles on a single cost, nevertheless it’s so light-weight that when it died on my approach house as soon as, I strapped it to a Citi Bike’s entrance basket and cycled house (do not do that!). The experience high quality is nice, however I had points with it refusing to connect with my telephone 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, whilst 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 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 pace till a couple of minutes later. I think there’s some thermal situation inflicting this. General, there’s loads of promise, nevertheless it’s simply annoying.
TurboAnt M10 Lite for $300: It is a completely effective price range scooter greatest for folk underneath 200 kilos. (I wasn’t in a position to hit its prime pace of 16 mph.) The meeting requires a number of further 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 shiny, 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 pace and battery life, and it may go as much as 15 mph. The Apex is dependable—I’ve gone to espresso outlets, distant video shoots with a backpack filled with digicam 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 often doled out round 9 miles for me. I am additionally tall, and I needed to continually outstretch my arms to achieve the handlebars. You may need to tighten the rear disc brake; it really works effective, 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 a bit like a Transformer and may hit a max pace of 35 mph by way of 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 troublesome to know. While you’re ready at a lightweight, the GX2 additionally switches to Parking mode after a number of seconds, so that you continually have to recollect to press the mode button to change it to the driving gear. It is tremendous annoying, and Gotrax says there is not any method to disable it. I’m just a little 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 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. For those who 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 in a position to usually 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 if you happen to’re in a loud metropolis like New York, however it may make you self-conscious on quiet streets. It is 53 kilos, so it is heavier than our prime choose regardless of the same 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 while you interact each 600-watt motors (test your native pace legal guidelines first!). In any other case, you’ll be able to cruise alongside at 20 mph as I did on the second gear pace setting (there are three in whole) with the only motor. Vary is fairly common, with round two bars left on the meter after 15 miles, so it may probably final greater than 20 miles, particularly if you happen to’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 grime kicked up from the rear tire. The stem’s angle was additionally just a little too near my physique, and the dearth of a thumb throttle meant my wrist damage after lengthy rides. You may tweak the angle of the throttle and brakes to enhance this although.
Radio Flyer S533 for $599: Actually, I am shocked at how properly this scooter did in my assessments. The folding mechanism is only a latch and a sleeve you pull all the way down to maintain 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 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. Nonetheless, its worth would not match its energy and efficiency; it ought to 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 Professional (2022) for $949: I’ve not examined the brand new 2024 mannequin, however the Apollo Air Professional (2022) was a wonderfully effective scooter (6/10, WIRED Evaluation); I simply do not assume it is well worth the excessive worth. 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 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 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 ought to be. It additionally would not speed up too quick and, regardless of its 39-pound weight, is uncomfortable to hold attributable to its thick stem.
