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- Electric scooters provide a fun, quick, economical, and environmentally-friendly way to get around town.
- The Glion Dolly Foldable Lightweight Adult Electric Scooter is our top pick because it has a smooth, powerful ride and a convenient fold-up-and-roll-it design.
I used to try my kids’ kick scooters and wondered if I could use one to get around. Enter the electric scooter. Electric scooters are convenient for running errands and commuting short distances. Although I haven’t given up my car yet, I can’t ignore scooters’ advantages.
First, electric scooter ownership is definitely less expensive than automobile ownership. Because they are battery-operated, electric scooters do not require trips to the gas station for costly fill-ups and have zero emissions to boot.
Also, you won’t need to worry about finding or paying for a parking spot. Scooters are small enough to park almost anywhere and most fold up for easy portability and storage. Finally, you can enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and wind (well, breeze) while coasting around on your electric scooter.
Before taking your scooter for a spin, don’t forget to don protective gear like a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. The US Consumer Products Safety Commission strongly recommends an appropriate helmet, especially if you’re cruising along at 15 miles per hour or faster.
Also, check local laws regarding the use of electric scooters. In reaction to the invasion of fleets of electric scooter rentals, some cities have banned them, while others allow them. They are a boon to some people for personal transportation but a hassle to other people dodging ones scattered around or avoiding them zooming in and out of traffic.
But if you ride responsibly and safely, you’ll reap the rewards of an electric scooter. We read over ratings and reviews by many scooter aficionados and owners in order to present the best ones for different purposes.
Here are the best electric scooters you can buy:
- Best electric scooter overall: Glion Dolly Foldable Lightweight Adult Electric Scooter
- Best budget electric scooter: Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter
- Best electric scooter for commuting while sitting: Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter
- Best for electric scooter commuting while standing: GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter
- Best electric scooter for kids: Razor E100 Electric Scooter
Updated on 11/11/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and formatting.
The best electric scooter overall
Solid and durable, the Glion Dolly Adult Electric Scooter rides extremely well and folds up into a handy rolling unit for easy portability when not in use.
Appealing to students, commuters, and even riders age 60 and above, the Glion Dolly Electric Scooter earns great reviews. With eight-inch-wide never-flat tires, its ride is as smooth as silk with a maximum rider weight of up to 255 pounds.
Topping out at 15 miles per hour, this electric scooter has versatile speeds. Its lithium-ion battery life offers plenty of juice to power a 15-mile range.
With a short charge time of three-and-a-half hours, the Glion Electric Scooter is perfect for scooting to campus or the office, recharging during the class or workday if necessary, and riding back home. And each way, you’ll enjoy a quiet ride with its 250-watt engine that purrs.
The Glion Electric Scooter uses anti-lock electromagnetic regenerative brakes that are steady for some but jerky and a little slow for others.
It has a sleek design that folds up and rolls like stand-up luggage with a pull-handle dolly. Finally, customers praise the manufacturer’s customer service highly.
Pros: A great investment that’s durable, powerful, smooth, and conveniently portable
Cons: No speedometer or odometer
The best budget electric scooter
A great starter model for newcomers to electric scooters, the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter delivers power for a low price.
When most people think of kick scooters for kids, they think of the Razor brand. Don’t count it out in the electric scooter game, either. The Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter is a zippy and economical model. With a top speed of 10 miles per hour and a maximum ride time of up to 70 minutes, this fun and sturdy scooter is an excellent deal.
The Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter is a wallet-friendly way for novices to dip their toes in the electric scooter transportation pool. Reviewers describe it as easy to assemble, ride, and maintain.
In fact, Best Reviews named this model “Best Bang for Buck,” Lifewire chose it as “Best Budget” scooter, and EnvyRide selected it as one its top five “budget friendly” models.
You might not expect much power from a budget model, but the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter defies expectations. With a surprisingly long life per charge, the scooter’s battery allows for up to 70 minutes of continuous use. A lot of reviewers say they simply charge the battery overnight.
You kick-start the scooter to get it going, and then the in-wheel hub motor takes over. It also has a push-button throttle and hand brakes.
Despite the scooter’s advertised maximum rider weight of 120 pounds, we found several online reviews by grownups over 150 pounds who found it quite peppy and rideable. We gathered from comments, however, that the Razor Power Core E90 Electric Scooter is best for kids or lighter, shorter adult riders.
Pros: Zippy and economical with long battery life
Con: Small and more suited for kids or petite adults
The best electric scooter for commuting while sitting
Have a seat and commute in comfort and style on the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter.
Perfect for commuters and riders ranging from young adults to senior citizens, the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter is designed for stability, convenience, and good looks.
Its solid bamboo deck and padded adjustable-height seat help you balance and rest your feet while traveling. A large detachable rear basket holds items for safe, accessible transport on errands. ThrillAppeal notes how this model sports a “vintage bike vibe” with its 16-inch pneumatic tube tires on spoke wheels.
Excellent for commuting, the Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter tops out at 18 miles per hour and has a ride time up to 40 minutes. With a 36-volt lead battery and a 500-watt motor, this model carries up to 220 pounds, including the rider and cargo in the basket.
The Razor EcoSmart Metro Electric Scooter has a hand-operated rear disc brake that works fine on level ground but can get hot. Many riders wish this model had a front brake as well.
Voted “Best Speed” by Lifewire, “Most Fun Commuting Scooter” by ThrillAppeal, “Ideal For Short Trips” by Transportation Evolved, and one of the top seven scooters for adults by Ride Two Wheels.
Pros: A good value, perfect for commutes and short trips, convenient rear cargo basket
Cons: Single rear disc brake gets hot and is less effective without front brake
The best for electric scooter commuting while standing
Make your commute to work or class fun by zipping along on the sleek, sturdy, and powerful GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter.
Enthusiastic feedback from students and commuters makes the GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter sound like a cool replacement for your car — well, sort of. Shoppers love traveling while avoiding traffic and parking hassles as well as saving money on gas.
For lengthy commutes, go green by combining this scooter with public transportation: ride the scooter to a transit station, lock it on a bike rack, and then hop on a train, bus, or subway to finish your journey. If you do ride it all the way to your destination, the scooter folds up into a compact, portable package that is easy to stash under a desk.
With eight-and-a-half-inch pneumatic tires, the GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter delivers a smooth ride over bumpy roads. After just four hours of recharging, its 36-volt, UL-certified lithium-ion battery provides up to 12 miles of range or 12.5 hours of ride time. The 250-watt hub motor powers up to a top speed of 15.5 miles per hour and hauls a maximum weight of 220 pounds.
The GOTRAX GXL Commuting Electric Scooter is easy to assemble and constructed of high-quality material. Reviewers feel reassured by the scooter’s dual hand and foot braking system that stops the scooter well. It also has a headlamp but no tail light.
My Pro Scooter named it “Best Electric Scooter for Commuting” and Ride Two Wheels and Livewire list it among their tops picks for electric scooters.
Pros: Strong, excellent for commuting, and has dual braking system
Cons: Headlight dim, no taillight, and reports of poor customer service
The best electric scooter for kids
Designed especially for kids, the Razor E100 Electric Scooter is fun, safe, and durable for little ones or anyone just starting out in the electric scooter world.
Recommended for riders age eight and up, the Razor E100 is a scooter you can feel confident about when your kid is zooming around outdoors.
Having won a Parent’s Choice Award, this scooter was named “Best Electric Scooter for Kids” by The Strategist of New York Magazine and highly rated on Top Ten Select.
With a top speed of 10 miles per hour and a kick-start feature — the scooter must be moving up to three miles per hour and the rider pushes a button before the motor engages — the Razor E100 Electric Scooter prioritizes safety.
The handlebar adjusts to different heights and houses the handbrake and twist-grip accelerator/throttle. Some people feel reassured by this scooter’s slow acceleration while others think it accelerates quickly, but not too quickly for concern.
After twelve hours of charging, the 24-volt lead battery can provide up to 40 minutes of continuous ride time. Although the Razor E100 Electric Scooter has a maximum weight capacity of 120 pounds, many “big kids” weighing much more than that have tried this model for short rides with satisfactory results.
This model is easy to assemble, which is a godsend for parents of kids eager to hop on and ride right away. It has an eight-inch pneumatic front tire, a urethane rear wheel, a sturdy all-steel frame that holds up well, and a handy kickstand. A drawback of the frame’s low clearance is that the underside and motor can scrape the ground when your kid makes sharp turns and rides over curbs.
If the Razor E100 Electric Scooter seems too small, try the highly-rated Razor E300 Electric Scooter. Recommended for riders age 13 and older, this model is the next step up, with similar but some larger features: wider (nine-inch) pneumatic front and rear tires, a taller frame, and a greater maximum weight capacity of 220 pounds. Teens will love this model that zips up to 15 miles per hour and engages the motor from a standstill position (i.e., no need to kick/push start).
Pros: Safety features like a kick-start motor and maximum speed of 10 miles per hour; very good battery life
Cons: Low clearance; may be too small for growing tweens
What to look for in an electric scooter
EddieHernandezPhotography/Shutterstock
When shopping for an electric scooter, you should consider the following:
- Maximum rider weight capacity: The scooter should be made to support your weight or more.
- Maximum speed: Choose speed based on your needs.
- Ride performance: How it feels on the road, whether it’s bumpy or smooth, flat or hilly, is key.
- Range and ride time: You’ll need to know how far and long it runs on a fully charged battery.
- Battery charge time: Lead batteries take several hours to charge, while lithium-ion batteries charge faster.
- Motor: You want at least 250 watts for kids’ models but 500 to 1,000 watts for more powerful ones.
- Brakes: Brakes can be hand clutch disc or electric magnetic.
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