Choosing the best electric scooter for your needs comes down to price and purpose: What are you willing to spend, and what are you using it for? We’ve tested scooters ranging from less than $200 to more than $1500 to find the best electric scooter for everyone. Regardless of the electric scooter you choose, we suggest plenty of practice before you hit the road. If you’re looking for something for your child, be sure to check out the best electric scooters for kids, as well as our guide to the best bike helmets. If you’re looking at electric skateboards, we recommend the Base Camp F11 that is an urban commuter’s dream. Read on for all of our favorite picks for the best electric scooters.
Our top 3 picks
The best electric scooter overall
The Niu Kqi3 Max is an electric scooter that has it all: A powerful motor, great range, stylish looks, and much more. We had a lot of fun riding it around, and were especially impressed at how it handled hills. The Kqi3 Max’s front ring headlight cuts a real profile, and the red mechanical disc brakes on the front and rear wheels give it a sports car feel. The best electric scooter overall This scooter has everything: Looks, power, and range. It got us up the steepest of hills, it has a great design, and it’s packed with all sorts of features. Best for commuters We love the Unagi Model One because it’s incredibly light, which makes it easy to carry anywhere. And, its dual motors gives it more power than most electric scooters its size. The best budget electric scooter This scooter costs less than $400, but will get you where you need to go. While not the most powerful, it’s light and compact, and has large tires to smooth out the road. To be sure, its actual range is a good deal less than its advertised range of 40 miles, especially when you’re cruising up hills, but was plenty long enough to get us around for a week without recharging. You can also use the Niu app to customize the Kqi3 Max’s ride, and even lock it. However, at 46 pounds, this is one heavy scooter. If you have to carry this up and down stairs, we recommend the Unagi Model One instead. But if weight is not a concern, this is a pretty awesome electric scooter. Read our full Niu Kqi3 Max review. • Back to top
Best scooters for long distances
The Segway Ninebot Kickscooter Max is large and heavy — more than 40 pounds — but it’s all battery weight. With an estimated range of 40 miles, the Kickscooter Max has more than double the range of most other scooters, making it the best electric scooter for those who have long rides. And, with a powerful rear-wheel drive 350-Watt motor and large 10-inch inflatable tires, the Kickscooter Max will not only be able to get up hills with ease, but do so comfortably, too. In our tests, it was second only to the Unagi in maintaining its speed as we went up steep inclines. We also really liked the Kickscooter Max’s bell, which was beefy and loud enough to clear people out of our path. Read our full Segway Ninebot Kickscooter Max review. With dual batteries and an advertised range of 50 miles, the TurboAnt V8 is made for long commutes. We didn’t get nearly as far in our tests — 20 to 25 is more likely, based on the hilliness of your area, as well as your size — that’s still longer than many other scooters. And, you can pop out one of its batteries to recharge it indoors. The TurboAnt V8 also has a dedicated slot for a bike lock, which makes it much easier to chain up if you’re going out to the store, and want to make sure your scooter is still there when you get back. Power comes via a 450W motor, which was fairly powerful, but we wish there was a little more oomph for getting up hills. Read our full TurboAnt V8 review. • Back to top
Best scooters for those who want to go fast
The Apollo City has something most other electric scooters lack: Turn signals. It’s a lot easier to let other drivers know you want to go left or right if you can switch on a light, rather than holding your arm out. Yet, the Apollo City is also a great scooter on its own; its 500-Watt motor can get you up and down hills easily, it has full suspension and puncture-resistant tires, and, when connected to an app, you can customize its performance. Still, at 57 pounds, this is a pretty heavy electric scooter — it’s not our first choice if you have to carry it up a flight of stairs — and its latching mechanism is more finicky than you’ll find on many other electric scooters. But, otherwise, this is a fun and fast electric scooter with a good safety feature built in. Read our full Apollo City review. This is one fast electric scooter. Thanks to its 1,000-Watt motor, the Apollo Explore can hit speeds of up to 31 miles per hour, more than fast enough to keep up with local traffic. The beefy motor also takes you up hills with ease. And, because it has dual suspension and air-filled tires, it offers a smooth ride, even when going over the bumpiest of roads. We also liked the Explore’s colorful display, but it was hard to read in daylight. Turn on the Apollo Explore’s lights, and you’re in for a visual treat: Blue running lights along both sides of the scooter will make everyone turn their heads. But all this comes at a price: The Explore costs $1,299, and, at 52 pounds, is a lot to lug up stairs. But on the road, this scooter is a beast. If you want something even faster, check out our Apollo Ghost review: That model goes up to 35 MPH and has a range of up to 39 miles, as well as a key ignition lock. Read our full Apollo Explore review. • Back to top
Best scooters for those on a budget
For those with modest needs and modest budgets, the GoTrax GXL V2 is a great scooter. It’s not the fastest, nor does it have a particularly long range, but it’s powerful enough to scoot you around economically and comfortably. We especially liked the GXL V2’s large 8.5-inch air-filled tires, which smoothed the ride, and it has nice, grippy brakes, which will bring you to a stop in no time. While it’s 250W motor won’t win you any races, it was still strong enough to get us around at about 15 MPH. It did struggle up hills, though. But if all you need is an inexpensive scooter to get you around your neighborhood, this is a great model to check out. Read our full GoTrax GXL V2 review. The Swagtron Swagger 5 Boost is another affordable scooter, though this one is a little faster at a top speed of 18 mph. It’s well-equipped, with a collapsible chassis, a 300-watt motor, and airless honeycomb tires, which both help with shock absorption and are puncture-proof. While its extremely basic appearance won’t win any points for style, it hits a good balance between price and features The Swagger 5 Boost weighs 26 pounds — a touch lighter than the GoTrax GXL V2 —and supports riders up to 320 pounds. Its advertised range of 12 miles is on the low end — and you should expect less depending on your size and the hilliness of your area — but for less than $400, it’s an acceptable tradeoff. Read our full Swagtron Swagger 5 Boost review. You won’t win any drag races on the GoTrax XR Ultra, but this affordable electric scooter will get you where you need to go. Its 8.5-inch air-filled tires provided a comfortable ride, even without any extra suspension, and its 300-Watt motor was powerful enough to get us moving. We wish the XR Ultra had a rear brake light, but in this price range, that’s a feature you don’t often find. Weighing 26.5 pounds, the XR Ultra isn’t too heavy, so most people should be able to carry it up a flight of stairs. However, we found the locking mechanism on the rear fender to be a bit temperamental. Overall, though, it’s a good electric scooter at a good price. Read our full GoTrax XR Ultra review. The Razor E100 is the best electric scooter for parents who want to get a scooter for their kids to safely ride around town. It comes in a variety of colors and features twist-grip acceleration controls, as well as a hand-operated front brake. The E100 tops out at 10 mph but offers enough torque for heading uphill or over steep bumps. And with 40 minutes of drive time, that’s plenty to get to school and back with a pit stop in between. The Razor E100 is available in a variety of colors and styles, so you should be able to find a model that best fits your child’s personality. Just remember to get them a helmet. One caveat of the E100 is that it uses a chain-drive motor, which can be noisier than hub motors, and could require some maintenance over time. Also, the E100 lacks a bell or reflectors of any kind, so you’ll want to purchase some at a bike shop to help make your child more visible on the road. Read our full Razor E100 electric scooter review. • Back to top
Best scooters for commuters
Thanks to its dual 250-watt motors, the Unagi Model One powers up hills with aplomb, zipping along twice as fast as other scooters with just a single motor. Using both motors (you can opt to use just one) causes the battery life to drop significantly lower than the scooter’s advertised 15-mile range. The Unagi also has a great display that’s bright enough to easily see even in daylight; we also liked its intuitive controls and loud, electric-sounding horn. It has both head and taillights, the latter of which blinks rapidly when you hit the brakes. We were also enamored with the Unagi’s sleek design; its carbon-fiber front post changes in geometry from a circle to a triangular shape, making for an intriguing look. And, on Unagi’s site, you can personalize the look with custom skins. All of this comes at a price: The Model One costs $990. However, Unagi now has a scooter rental program (opens in new tab) which lets you rent one of its scooters for $49/month, or $39/month with an annual subscription. Read our full Unagi Model One review. Because of its ultra-folding design, the Glion Dolly is the best electric scooter for those who have to take it on public transportation. At 27.3 pounds, it’s light enough to cart up a flight of stairs on your way home. It can reach top speeds of 15 miles per hour and lasts for about 15 miles of roaming, which makes it a good fit for small city dwellers. The Dolly has a bright headlight and built-in tail reflector, helpful when riding home in the evening or in the winter months when the sun sets too early, as well as integrated fenders for protecting the wheels. You can also transport the Dolly like a suitcase when you’re not riding it, and it comes with a kickstand so that it stays upright on its own. Perhaps the only drawback of the Glion Dolly are its small hard rubber wheels and lack of suspension, which makes for a bumpier ride than other electric scooters. However, Glion has announced the DollyXL, which has 10-inch pneumatic tires, a more powerful 400W motor, dual headlamps, and a new braking system. You can order it now for $749 at Glion (opens in new tab). Read our full Glion Dolly review. • Back to top
Best scooters for carrying stuff
The Glion Balto is the best electric scooter for those who want something they can use to pick up groceries or carry things to and from the store. It’s just as powerful as the Razor EcoSmart Metro HD, yet the Balto is more portable, as it can fold up on itself, making it much easier to store. We also really like that the Balto comes with a side-view mirror, lights, and turn signals, which made us feel safer in traffic. And, the Balto’s battery is removable, so you don’t have to park the scooter near an outlet. As a bonus, you can also use the battery to charge your phone — but you’ll need to buy an adapter first. Read our full Glion Balto review. The Razor EcoSmart Cargo has a neat trick: It can either haul your groceries or a second person — one of the few electric scooters that can do so. That’s because its basket can be swapped out for a rear seat. Granted, the max weight is 300 pounds, so you’ll both have to be pretty light, but it’s a nice option to have. Thanks to its 1,000-Watt motor, the Cargo has some real getup — it was real fun cruising around our neighborhood — but the chain drive was a bit noisy compared to direct-drive motors. And, its size and weight — 75 pounds — makes it best suited for those who have a garage where they can store it. Read our full Razor EcoSmart Cargo review. While the Segway eMoped C80 isn’t an electric scooter per se, it shares many of the same characteristics as the other models on this page in that its top speed is around 20 miles per hour, to keep it in line with motor vehicle laws. It has a range of about 40 miles (less in practice), but is very comfortable and easy to ride. We loved its big padded seat and full suspension, which smoothed out all the cracks and bumps in the road. While we wished it went faster, it was zippy enough to scoot us around town in style. We also liked its security features, which include an NFC tag to unlock the bike, and an alarm and parking lock if someone tries to move it. Read our full Segway eMoped C80 review. • Back to top
How to choose the best electric scooter
How are you going to use the scooter? How you plan to use your scooter will go a long way to determining the best electric scooter for your needs. If you’re using it as a “last-mile” vehicle — getting you from your home to the bus or train, and then from the bus or train to your office — you’ll want to prioritize an electric scooter that’s small and light. Look for a scooter that weighs between 20 and 30 pounds. You’ll also want an electric scooter that folds quickly and easily. There’s nothing worse than having to fumble with a latch when you’re rushing to catch a train — and your fellow passengers will appreciate it, too. Are you riding on hilly terrain? Where you plan to ride your scooter should also help determine your purchase. If you live in a flatter area, a scooter with a 300W to 350W motor should give you all the power you need. If, however, you live in, say, San Francisco, you’ll want a scooter with a stronger motor to get you around. Larger individuals should also consider electric scooters with more powerful motors. Price: For many, the price of an electric scooter will be the starting point for any buying decision. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect at each price tier.
$100 to $300: These scooters tend to be of the budget variety and come with smaller motors, low-capacity batteries and simple braking mechanisms, though they don’t require maintenance and are great for getting the feel of the electric scooter. This is where you’ll also find most electric scooters for kids.$300 to $600: These scooters can be considered as either midrange or entry-level commuters, and they tend to include bigger wheels, slightly longer ranges, fast-charging batteries and the ability to scale hills.$600 and up: These scooters are in the premium range. You can expect a longer, more comfortable ride, along with larger tires, faster speeds, disc brakes and better suspension.
Battery life/range: After price, this will be the next deciding factor for many. It’s a bit difficult to provide an accurate estimate of battery life and range, because it’s dependent on a variety of factors, including the rider’s weight, the temperature, and the terrain — if you’re riding on flat surfaces, you’ll be able to go much farther than if you’re riding up and down hills. Battery life is typically measured in Amp Hours (aH); the higher the number, the longer you’ll be able to ride. Speed: Most electric scooters will top out at around 15 to 18 miles per hour on a flat road. That’s plenty fast for most uses, but there are scooters that will zip along at speeds in excess of 25 MPH. Motors: The majority of electric scooters will have a single hub-mounted motor (meaning the motor is built into the wheel itself), and will typically have a power rating of 250 to 350 Watts. If you live in a particularly hilly area (or want to go fast) you’ll want a motor with higher wattage. Tires/suspension: There’s nothing worse than a jarring ride as you bump over potholes and cracks in the road. To mitigate this, most electric scooters are now outfitted with air-filled (pneumatic) tires, which help cushion things. Others will have front or rear suspension (or both), which makes for an even more comfortable ride. Bigger tires also mean a more stable ride, too. Lights: If you plan on riding your electric scooter in the early morning, at dusk, or among city traffic, it’s worth getting a model with lights so you can see and be seen. Look for electric scooters with headlights and taillights — the better ones will have taillights that flash when you apply the brakes. Unfortunately, turn signals are rare, so you’ll have to look out when changing lanes.
Electric scooters: Frequently asked questions
How we test electric scooters
There are dozens of varieties of electric scooters on the market, but only a few are worth bringing home to ride. Speaking of brakes, almost all scooters have some sort of handbrake; some will have a secondary brake that can be activated by pressing down on a scooter’s rear fender. Almost all electric scooters will also come with a bell or horn so you can warn others that you’re approaching — but this doesn’t mean you should ride recklessly. And, it’s important to always wear a helmet when riding an electric scooter. For entry-level and commuter scooters, we primarily considered things like portability — how easy it is to fold up to bring on the bus or other types of public transportation, or how light it is to cart up a long stretch of stairs — along with range and top speed. Commuter scooters don’t need to be the fastest things around, but it helps if they can manage at least 15 mph for a sustained time so that you’re not holding up anyone in the bike lane. We also looked at braking mechanisms, including hydraulic disc brakes, which are the best for stopping quickly and safely at top speeds, and mechanical disc brakes, which are considered the second best for their reliability. Extra features like headlights, reflectors and available speedometer also factored into our commuter picks. For our picks for kids, electric scooters in this category don’t offer the same bells and whistles as commuter models. For instance, many of the child and preteen picks don’t fold up for portability, so we considered overall weight and size for kids with longer rides to school. We also stuck with scooters that topped out at 15 mph for utmost safety. And like our commuter and high-performance picks, we pored over reviews from parents where accessible. Lastly, we called in some of the top performers and took them for a ride, noting how they handled both on pothole-filled city streets and hilly, leafy suburbs. We also considered such things as the brightness of their lights, ability to climb hills, controls, portability, and price. For more information, check out our how (opens in new tab) we test page (opens in new tab) for Tom’s Guide. • Back to top
