I’ve examined a ton of scooters. Not all of them deserve a spot above, however some are nonetheless value contemplating.
Niu KQi3 Pro for $599: Over many rides, I grew to become fairly keen on the KQi3 Professional, and it was our prime choose on this information for fairly a while. It gives nice vary for the cash. Regardless of using over steep bridges round New York Metropolis, I ceaselessly acquired round 15 miles out of it, however you possibly can in all probability count on 18 to 20 miles (except you are additionally a tall big like me). It goes 20 miles per hour, the 9.5-inch tubeless tires supply a comfortable trip, and the disc brakes reliably carry it to a fast cease. You get perks like a bell, lights, and house on the handlebar for attaching a telephone mount. It is tremendous simple to fold, however it weighs 45 kilos, so it is not what I would name light-weight. I additionally want the handlebars may 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 be sure you catch it on sale.
MiniMotors USA Dualtron Mini Special 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 laborious to placed on—rubbing alcohol is your pal.) That is additionally the primary time I attempted the MiniMotors Dualtron app, and truthfully, it is not beginner-friendly. Not one of the phrases and capabilities are properly defined. It isn’t a scooter I would recommend for newcomers, however when you get every part up and operating, the using expertise is kind of good. It has a prime velocity of 35 mph, and whereas the corporate claims a 40-mile vary, you possibly can count on nearer to 25 to 30 miles. It will deal with slopes simply high-quality, 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 velocity of 24 mph, so it is rather less intense than the Apollo or Dualtron Mini Particular. At that velocity, I used to be capable of get 16 miles in with 35 % left within the tank. In case you restrict the velocity to 20 by way of the app, it is best to simply have the ability to get near 20 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 take a look at the Fluid Mosquito (7/10, WIRED Recommends). At simply 29 kilos, it is one of many lightest scooters on this information and has a comfortable, built-in seize deal with for simple toting. It is quick to fold and is highly effective, with a prime velocity of 24 mph. However shaving down the load on this nimble scooter does have drawbacks. The suspension is simply OK—you will really feel most of these bumps—and the wheels are slim. The braking system works high-quality, however you would possibly encounter some skidding in case you make a sudden cease, and the vary is lackluster (round 9 miles in my testing, going over the Brooklyn Bridge). There’s additionally no simple solution to change velocity modes on the fly; you set it earlier than you trip.
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 couple 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 velocity. That makes it the lightest scooter I’ve ever examined. It is simple to fold and has flip indicators, a slick app, and dependable regenerative braking. The vary is a bit lackluster—I normally acquired slightly below 10 miles on a single cost, however it’s so light-weight that when it died on my manner house as soon as, I strapped it to a Citi Bike’s front basket and cycled house (do not do that!). The trip high quality is nice, however I had points with it refusing to hook up 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 solution to cease it from braking as you roll it’s to show the scooter on. My preliminary mannequin additionally stopped working fully and would not activate, so Niu needed to ship me a second mannequin. Oh, and typically, throughout rides, the scooter slows down and would not hit its prime velocity till a couple of minutes later. I believe there’s some thermal difficulty inflicting this. General, there’s plenty of promise, however it’s simply annoying.
TurboAnt M10 Lite for $300: This can be a completely high-quality price range scooter greatest for folk beneath 200 kilos. (I wasn’t capable of hit its prime velocity of 16 mph.) The meeting requires a couple of additional steps (extra issues to screw in, just like the rear mudguard). I used to be solely capable of get round eight miles using it, however I like that the folding system is fast, the show is brilliant, and it is fairly gentle 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 exhibits your velocity and battery life, and it might go as much as 15 mph. The Apex is reliable—I’ve gone to espresso outlets, distant video shoots with a backpack stuffed with digital camera gear, and the grocery retailer—although it is not the smoothest trip. The 250-watt motor struggles with any slight incline, and slopes drain the battery quick. The battery normally doled out round 9 miles for me. I am additionally tall, and I needed to consistently outstretch my arms to succeed in the handlebars. You will wish to tighten the rear disc brake; it really works high-quality, 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 plenty of energy and vary. This gunmetal scooter seems a bit like a Transformer and may hit a max velocity of 35 mph by way of the twin 800-watt motors, however I normally rode it at 20 mph. It took me to midtown and again to Brooklyn (a complete of 18.four 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. If you’re ready at a lightweight, the GX2 additionally switches to Parking mode after a couple of seconds, so that you consistently have to recollect to press the mode button to change it to the driving gear. It is tremendous annoying, and Gotrax says there isn’t any solution to disable it. I’m a bit of 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 using. 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’d simply be that it is put in too tightly. In case you see any of those points, I like to recommend reaching out to Gotrax and going to a neighborhood 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 capable of repeatedly full 16-mile spherical journeys at 20 mph, however that just about depleted the battery. It has nice acceleration, because of its geared hub motor, and it climbs slopes with ease, however this additionally makes it very loud. The motor’s sound disappears in case you’re in a loud metropolis like New York, however it might 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 using it.
Evolv Terra for $1,212: I loved my time with the Evolv Terra (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It is 53 kilos and due to the skinny stem, not too annoying to hold. It is highly effective, with the potential to go as quick as 31 miles per hour whenever you interact each 600-watt motors (test your native velocity legal guidelines first!). In any other case, you possibly can cruise alongside at 20 mph as I did on the second gear velocity setting (there are three in complete) with the only motor. Vary is fairly common, with round two bars left on the meter after 15 miles, so it might doubtlessly final greater than 20 miles, particularly in case you’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 trip post-rain, my again was lined in specks of dust kicked up from the rear tire. The stem’s angle was additionally a bit of too near my physique, and the shortage of a thumb throttle meant my wrist harm after lengthy rides. You’ll be able to tweak the angle of the throttle and brakes to enhance this although.
Radio Flyer S533 for $599: Truthfully, I am shocked at how properly this scooter did in my assessments. The folding mechanism is only a latch and a sleeve you pull right down to maintain the latch from coming undone whilst you trip. It is tremendous simple to fold and unfold, and light-weight at 30 kilos. It isn’t a commuter scooter by any means—my vary hovered beneath eight miles on a single cost—and regardless of exceeding its 220-pound load capability, I averaged round 14 mph of its 16 mph prime velocity. It is a good little scooter for going to the submit workplace, grocery retailer, or Cinnabon when my spouse asks for a cinnamon roll. Nevertheless, its worth would not match its energy and efficiency; it needs to be cheaper. It is also value 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 Pro (2022) for $949: I’ve not examined the brand new 2024 mannequin, however the Apollo Air Professional (2022) was a wonderfully high-quality scooter (6/10, WIRED Review); I simply do not assume it is definitely worth the excessive worth. It goes as much as 21 mph, and I used to be capable of trip it for about 13 to 15 miles earlier than it died. You get all of the accouterments, like a entrance gentle and bell, and there is app connectivity to tweak settings to your liking. Nevertheless, the app is required to unlock the Air Professional’s true velocity—in any other case, you are restricted to 12 mph. I am extra miffed on the folding mechanism, which is extra work than it needs 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.
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