Electric scooters are a fun, easy way to travel around town, and we've rounded up the best ones available to buy today.
We've looked at electric scooters for every budget, but price isn't the only factor to consider when you're planning a purchase. It's also important to think about the range you'll need (how far the scooter can travel between charges), its top speed, its weight (particularly if you're planning to take it on public transport).
Safety is another important consideration. If you're intending to ride at night then you'll need to look out for scooters with suitable lights. A wide footplate (ideally with a non-slip grip) can make the scooter more stable, and electrically-assisted brakes can give you more stopping power.
Here we've focused on lightweight folding scooters for commuting rather than performance models that boast much higher top speeds, but are prohibitively expensive for everyday riding.
It's worth noting that some electric scooters are more easily available in certain countries (for example, it's much easier to get hold of a Xiaomi scooter in the UK than the US) so we've also aimed to cover the best scooters from a range of brands so there's something for everyone.
Are electric scooters legal?
It very much depends on where you live. Laws vary hugely between countries and even cities. Some places put virtually no restrictions on use of electric scooters, while others require you to keep below a certain speed, obtain a license, wear a helmet, or stick to certain routes.
In a few countries, such as the UK, electric scooters are illegal to ride on public footpaths and roads, and can only be used on private land. To make sure you're scooting on the right side of the law, check out our full guide to electric scooters and the law.
The experts at Segway know a thing or two about getting around on two wheels, and that experience has helped it build an impressive electric scooter that's surprisingly affordable.
Its real world performance will depend on how and where your ride, but the Segway-Ninebot ES4 Electric KickScooter has a quoted range of 28 miles and a top speed of 18.6mph, making it one of the fastest scooters in this price bracket.
Its footplate is reasonably wide, with a non-slip surface to make your footing more secure on damp days. Its stopping system helps keep you safe too, with an electrically-assisted front brake to slow you down gradually and a fender brake for slamming on the anchors in a hurry.
Add a rear light and an extra external battery, and you've got a practical, sensibly designed electric scooter that'll get you from A to B quickly and safely. For our money, it's the best electric scooter around.
The Xiaomi Mijia M365 (the forerunner of the M365 Pro below) is hugely popular, and if you've ever hired an electric scooter there's a good chance it was one of these with different branding. Between them, the two scooters make up the bulk of sales outside the US, and it's easy to see why.
At just 12.5kg it's incredibly light, and it folds down small enough to carry on the train or subway for the final leg of a longer journey. Its charger is particularly compact too, and can be tucked easily into a bag or pocket if range is a limiting factor.
This model is a little more basic than the Pro version, with slightly less speed and power, but if you don't have to face too many hills on your commute then you might not mind trading the extra oomph for a lower price.
We prefer the Segway Ninebot's safety-first approach, but if you're on a tighter budget then it's hard to go wrong with the Mijia M365.
This is the successor to the original Xiaomi Mijia M365 – one of the most popular electric scooters in the world. The Xiaomi Mijia M365 Pro is a little heavier than its predecessor, but its 27-mile range is a major improvement, and makes it a great choice for regular commuting without the need for charging every couple of days.
The Mijia M365's brakes have also been improved for quicker, safer stopping, and the slightly wider deck makes it easier and more comfortable to ride. Balancing on an electric scooter will always take practice, but having more space for your feet makes the learning curve a little less steep.
The only real disadvantages of the Xiaomi Mijia M365 Pro are that it's not the prettiest electric scooter on the block, and its brakes aren't as impressive as Segway's, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better electric scooter so affordably priced.
The Boosted Rev is the Rolls-Royce of electric scooters, with an impressive top speed of 24mph and a range of up to 22 miles. You'll need to keep the speed down and avoid hills to achieve that sort of distance though, which is worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a scooter for your regular commute unless you're happy to take the charger to the office with you.
This electric scooter is made by the company behind some of the world's best electric skateboards, Boosted Boards, and its pedigree really shows. It accelerates via an innovative throttle wheel, which will be familiar if you've ever ridden one of its boards, and has regenerative brakes that help keep its battery going a little longer. Its frame is solidly built and weatherproof, and thanks to its wide, air-filled tires, it feels super safe to ride.
The main downsides are its weight, which can make it a challenge to heave around, and its price, which is several times that of less luxurious scooters. Still, if you're thinking of trading in your regular train or metro ticket for an electric scooter, the Boosted Rev might be worth the expense.
The Gotrax GXL is at the cheaper end of the scale, and its price has dropped significantly since launch. It should therefore come as no surprise that it's a pretty frill-free affair that doesn't have the most impressive spec sheet.
In theory it can hit a maximum speed of 15.5mph, but in our tests we only managed to hit about 12mph. Whether that's a problem will depend on where you're riding; for congested streets where you need to keep the speed down to avoid collisions, it's unlikely to hold you back.
It doesn't have the greatest range either, whimpering out after 10 miles during our test rides, but that's still sufficient for most small commutes. If it does run out of juice a little way from home, at 14kg it's not too much trouble to carry. This also makes it a good choice for taking on public transport.
The absence of a rear light means it's not ideal for riding after dark (unless you fit your own), but for the price, it's an effective, affordable scooter for everything but late night joyriding.
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We've looked at electric scooters for every budget, but price isn't the only factor to consider when you're planning a purchase. It's also important to think about the range you'll need (how far the scooter can travel between charges), its top speed, its weight (particularly if you're planning to take it on public transport).
Safety is another important consideration. If you're intending to ride at night then you'll need to look out for scooters with suitable lights. A wide footplate (ideally with a non-slip grip) can make the scooter more stable, and electrically-assisted brakes can give you more stopping power.
Here we've focused on lightweight folding scooters for commuting rather than performance models that boast much higher top speeds, but are prohibitively expensive for everyday riding.
It's worth noting that some electric scooters are more easily available in certain countries (for example, it's much easier to get hold of a Xiaomi scooter in the UK than the US) so we've also aimed to cover the best scooters from a range of brands so there's something for everyone.
Are electric scooters legal?
It very much depends on where you live. Laws vary hugely between countries and even cities. Some places put virtually no restrictions on use of electric scooters, while others require you to keep below a certain speed, obtain a license, wear a helmet, or stick to certain routes.
In a few countries, such as the UK, electric scooters are illegal to ride on public footpaths and roads, and can only be used on private land. To make sure you're scooting on the right side of the law, check out our full guide to electric scooters and the law.
The experts at Segway know a thing or two about getting around on two wheels, and that experience has helped it build an impressive electric scooter that's surprisingly affordable.
Its real world performance will depend on how and where your ride, but the Segway-Ninebot ES4 Electric KickScooter has a quoted range of 28 miles and a top speed of 18.6mph, making it one of the fastest scooters in this price bracket.
Its footplate is reasonably wide, with a non-slip surface to make your footing more secure on damp days. Its stopping system helps keep you safe too, with an electrically-assisted front brake to slow you down gradually and a fender brake for slamming on the anchors in a hurry.
Add a rear light and an extra external battery, and you've got a practical, sensibly designed electric scooter that'll get you from A to B quickly and safely. For our money, it's the best electric scooter around.
The Xiaomi Mijia M365 (the forerunner of the M365 Pro below) is hugely popular, and if you've ever hired an electric scooter there's a good chance it was one of these with different branding. Between them, the two scooters make up the bulk of sales outside the US, and it's easy to see why.
At just 12.5kg it's incredibly light, and it folds down small enough to carry on the train or subway for the final leg of a longer journey. Its charger is particularly compact too, and can be tucked easily into a bag or pocket if range is a limiting factor.
This model is a little more basic than the Pro version, with slightly less speed and power, but if you don't have to face too many hills on your commute then you might not mind trading the extra oomph for a lower price.
We prefer the Segway Ninebot's safety-first approach, but if you're on a tighter budget then it's hard to go wrong with the Mijia M365.
This is the successor to the original Xiaomi Mijia M365 – one of the most popular electric scooters in the world. The Xiaomi Mijia M365 Pro is a little heavier than its predecessor, but its 27-mile range is a major improvement, and makes it a great choice for regular commuting without the need for charging every couple of days.
The Mijia M365's brakes have also been improved for quicker, safer stopping, and the slightly wider deck makes it easier and more comfortable to ride. Balancing on an electric scooter will always take practice, but having more space for your feet makes the learning curve a little less steep.
The only real disadvantages of the Xiaomi Mijia M365 Pro are that it's not the prettiest electric scooter on the block, and its brakes aren't as impressive as Segway's, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better electric scooter so affordably priced.
The Boosted Rev is the Rolls-Royce of electric scooters, with an impressive top speed of 24mph and a range of up to 22 miles. You'll need to keep the speed down and avoid hills to achieve that sort of distance though, which is worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a scooter for your regular commute unless you're happy to take the charger to the office with you.
This electric scooter is made by the company behind some of the world's best electric skateboards, Boosted Boards, and its pedigree really shows. It accelerates via an innovative throttle wheel, which will be familiar if you've ever ridden one of its boards, and has regenerative brakes that help keep its battery going a little longer. Its frame is solidly built and weatherproof, and thanks to its wide, air-filled tires, it feels super safe to ride.
The main downsides are its weight, which can make it a challenge to heave around, and its price, which is several times that of less luxurious scooters. Still, if you're thinking of trading in your regular train or metro ticket for an electric scooter, the Boosted Rev might be worth the expense.
The Gotrax GXL is at the cheaper end of the scale, and its price has dropped significantly since launch. It should therefore come as no surprise that it's a pretty frill-free affair that doesn't have the most impressive spec sheet.
In theory it can hit a maximum speed of 15.5mph, but in our tests we only managed to hit about 12mph. Whether that's a problem will depend on where you're riding; for congested streets where you need to keep the speed down to avoid collisions, it's unlikely to hold you back.
It doesn't have the greatest range either, whimpering out after 10 miles during our test rides, but that's still sufficient for most small commutes. If it does run out of juice a little way from home, at 14kg it's not too much trouble to carry. This also makes it a good choice for taking on public transport.
The absence of a rear light means it's not ideal for riding after dark (unless you fit your own), but for the price, it's an effective, affordable scooter for everything but late night joyriding.
Continue reading...