New York State officially legalized electric bikes and scooters after a state budget agreement was reached in early April 2020, making getting around on motorized wheels easier than ever—and just in time, as many city residents were looking for alternatives to public transit at the start of the pandemic. It also doesn’t hurt that current electric scooters are better than ever, too. “Battery technology has vastly improved over the years, giving riders a quicker charge time and longer range,” says Ben Gibson, managing director of MicroScootersUK. “These technological improvements make electric scooters an even more viable method of commuting for more people.”
When you’re scooter shopping, the main factors to consider are weight, distance, and battery life. Typically, scooters weigh between 20 and 90 pounds, can hit speeds of 15 to 50 mph, and cover as much as 75 miles in on a single charge. The experts we spoke to recommended that first time buyers look for a scooter that is, above all, lightweight because “getting the scooter in and out of the apartment or office can be tedious,” says Manuel Saez, the CEO and co-founder of Brooklyness, a scooter subscription service.
Many of the experts we spoke to also highlighted the importance of a good suspension, which allows your scooter to glide along the road smoothly, even when conditions are less than ideal. As KC Cohen, the owner of Joulvert Electric Bikes and Scooters in NYC, says, without sufficient suspension, “it will feel like riding a jackhammer.” Gibson also warns that the e-scooter market has been flooded with cheaper models, which “are often made with less robust parts and can be prone to product recalls.” And Damon Victor of Greenpath Electric Bicycles says, whatever you do, ”don’t buy a cheap scooter with a cheap suspension. If the suspension breaks while at speed — well, it is not pretty.”
Another thing to keep in mind, says Eric Levenseller, the CEO of Levy Electric, is “the level of post-sales support you’ll be getting.” He adds that first time purchasers often “think an electric scooter will last them as long as a traditional bike, with little maintenance required. But electric scooters, while simple in their design, have complex electronics and battery systems that will likely require replacements over time.” Almost every expert we spoke to echoed this sentiment, so before buying, make sure your e-scooter can get proper maintenance and has a good warranty with replaceable parts. We asked six electric scooter experts (plus two other pros) about the best scooters available right now. Here’s what they recommend.
Best budget electric scooters
Victor says this one is “inexpensive and insanely reliable.” He says that while the Dolly is lightweight enough that you can haul it around the city with relative ease, “it also has a built in ‘dolly’ feature, where you can pull out a handle and roll it on two small dedicated wheels, like carry-on luggage.” It’s the only e-scooter on the list that has this feature, which is especially useful when your battery runs low. Instead of carrying your 30-pound deadweight scooter back to a charging station, at least you can roll it.
Weight: 28 pounds
Range: 15 miles
Weight limit: 255 pounds
Recharge time: Four to six hours
This is the “ultimate budget scooter,” says Chuck Temple, founder of Electric Scooter Guide, who has tested more than 75 electric scooters for his site. “The M365 is quite sleek and well thought out. It’s also easy to use and uncomplicated, making it a great beginner scooter,” he says. The M365 has a 14.6-mile range, “a decent top speed of just under 16 mph, and a braking mechanism on each wheel, with the rear one being a disc, which we consider to be reliable,” he explains. Plus, there are pneumatic tires: “Large tires are safer because they take less force to roll over bumps, and being air-filled helps to cushion the ride.” They grip the road better, too.
Weight: 26.9 pounds
Range: 18.6 miles
Weight limit: 220 pounds
Recharge time: Five hours
Best lightweight electric scooter
The Micro Merlin is one of Micro Scooter U.K.’s best-selling electric scooters, says Gibson. “It is lightweight and has four speed settings, making it suitable for every type of journey.” He also notes that the Merlin has “cruise control for effortless riding and an integrated dual suspension for comfort, a three-hour full recharge with regenerative braking, LCD display, and a 15-mile range.” It weighs only 24 pounds — one of the lightest on our list — and can hold a weight of 220 pounds.
Weight: 24 pounds
Range: 15 miles
Weight limit: 220 pounds
Recharge time: Three hours
Best long-distance electric scooters
“I would recommend this particular model for leisure rides. It has a wide base and tall standing height, both features that make longer distance riding more comfortable,” says Levenseller. This is a heavier scooter, weighing in over 40 pounds, so it’s less ideal for commuting. But if you need to leisurely get somewhere on the weekends, this could be perfect for you. The Ninebot KickScooter Max also stands out with a 40-mile range, though it does have a longer charge time, at six hours. It can reach a top speed of 18.6 mph and handle a 220-pound weight load. Plus, it has an LED dashboard, making it easier to check maintenance issues, power levels, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Weight: 40 pounds
Range: 40 miles
Weight limit: 220 pounds
Recharge time: Six hours
“The Cruiser is basically the Toyota Corolla or Honda Accord of electric scooters,” says Temple. “It’s super-practical and has features that make it comfortable for long-range commuting: huge tires, a large standing area (called a deck), turn signals, a good top speed, good hill-climbing ability, and legendary range.” Temple says the EMOVE has a range of about 50 miles, and it will charge in under 12 hours. At 50 pounds, it’s not exactly lightweight, but many riders will be willing to overlook that for the scooter’s long range and reliability.
Weight: 59 pounds
Range: 50 miles
Weight limit: 350 pounds
Recharge time: Nine to 12 hours
Best electric scooter for even longer distances
“This is the Tesla Roadster of electric scooters,” says John Klinger, the brand manager of MiniMotors USA. Though it’s much heavier, at 95 pounds — almost three times the weight of some of the other recommended models — it “comes with a huge battery pack which will give you up to 75 miles of range, top speeds of over 50 mph (please ride responsibly), and great suspension, which is adjustable,” Kinger says. This scooter is perfect for longer distances, with almost triple the range of other models on our list. It also has ultrawide tires that are great if you travel on less than ideal road conditions. “It’s super impressive that you can have a personal transport device with 50 miles of range that will cost you 50 cents to charge up,” says Klinger.
Weight: 95 pounds
Range: 75 miles
Weight limit: 265 pounds
Recharge time: 20 hours
Best commuter electric scooter
“For someone that is using their scooter primarily for short-distance commuting, I don’t think there are many better options than our original Levy model,” says Levenseller. “It’s also the only electric scooter with a removable battery, meaning you don’t need to carry the whole scooter around with you to get a charge on it.” You can store a backup battery in the stem of the scooter, just below the handles. It has a ten-mile range, a three hour charge time, and it weighs around 27 pounds, “which means carrying it with you on the subway, up the stairs, and tucking it away in your office shouldn’t be an issue.”
Weight: 27 pounds
Range: Ten miles
Weight limit: 230 pounds
Recharge time: Three hours
Best electric scooter for carrying more weight
The IMAX S1 has an adjustable power setting via a “control panel on the handlebars,” says Victor. “This allows one to increase the wattage to either go faster or get up a hill. Or, one can choose a lower setting to go further in distance and get better range.” It takes only about three hours to reach full battery, and it has a range of up to 20 miles and can reach a top speed of 20 mph. The IMAX S1 is one of the heavier e-scooters, weighing around 36 pounds. But it has a powerful motor and pneumatic tires for long, comfortable rides. If your main concern is comfort, then the IMAX S1 will do the job over long distances, but it weighs almost 12 pounds more than some of the other models the experts recommended, which could be a major drawback for some people.
Weight: 36 pounds
Range: 20 miles
Weight limit: 528 pounds
Recharge time: Three hours
Best electric scooter for a comfortable ride
“This thing is the Maserati of scooters,” says Victor. “Not because of its powerful motor that can go over 40 miles on a single charge, but rather,
because of its advanced suspension, system which makes it one of the easiest scooters to control and handle on the market.” The suspension, he says, also “makes it one of the most comfortable for long rides.” It reaches a top speed of 15.5 mph and it can reach a 68-mile range if you use the eco-mode setting, though you’ll have to wait seven hours for a full charge. Plus, it weighs only 27 pounds, and it can hold a maximum weight of 264 pounds.
Weight: 27 pounds
Range: 68 miles
Weight limit: 264 pounds
Recharge time: Six hours
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