Electric scooters have seen a huge resurgence in popularity over the last couple of years, both with kids and adults, who've discovered they can be a surprisingly convenient and fun way to shave some time off the morning commute.
They're a big purchase though, and you probably don't know exactly what to look for from a scooter, so we've picked out some of the best on the market, breaking down the features and specs that you need to think about before you buy.
Are Electric Scooters Legal In The UK?
Before you rush out and buy an electric scooter you should know that electric scooters cannot currently be used legally on the roads or pavements in the UK. This means you can only use them on private land.
However, the government has brought forward plans to evaluate their use - along with rental scooters as found in many European cities - to June 2020 instead of some time in 2021. With corona virus forcing people to avoid public transport, the use of green alternatives such as electric scooters is surely something that the government would like to promote when people begin to return to work.
All of this is likely to mean that electric scooters will finally be legalised in the UK, although you may have to insure them. At this stage there are still a lot of questions to be answered but it looks like good news for everyone who already owns an electric scooter - as long as they're limited to 15.5mph (25kmph).
If you need to travel a longer distance, you might like to read about the best electric bikes.
Xiaomi Electric Scooter
- $399.99
Let's start with an electric scooter that's aimed at adults rather than kids, the Xiaomi Electric Scooter. This one is so much fun - fast, practically silent, battery power that just keeps on going and speed-trackable via a mobile app.
It has a folding design that should make this electric scooter easy to carry, although thanks to the huge battery even with its aluminium chassis it still weighs 12.5kg.
There are some other cool features too, including cruise control, adjustable acceleration, a headlight and brake light, a kinetic energy recovery system and an ABS braking system at the front and mechanical disk brake at the rear.
It will take up to 100kg of weight, which is about 15.5 stone (one big adult or a medium adult and a child), and keep going up to 30km. You won't manage quite this distance if you push it to its top speed of 25km/hour, but you'll still get hours of playtime. Large 8.5in tyres will allow it to manoeuvre small kerbs and some light offroading.
Xiaomi's electric scooter has a retail price of £399.99, but the best deal we've found is from GearBest, and shipping from Europe so it will not incur import duty. Sadly it is currently out of stock there, but you can also buy in the UK via Xiaomi itself, Pure Scooters, Scootered and Box.
A newer 'Pro' model has also been announced outside the UK, and is available on GearBest now for £412.50.
Ninebot Max G30
- $699.99
The Ninebot Max G30 is a phenomenal electric scooter with impressive acceleration and a 40-mile range, but it’s not for everyone. The Max G30 undoubtedly offers one of the best electric scooter experiences available right now thanks to the large 10in tyres that help reduce shock when riding along, and the three driving modes offer wildly different experiences based on the environment you’re in, but at 18kg, it’s certainly not portable when compared to other scooters in our chart.
That heft is mainly down to the tyres and the large internal battery that offers an incredible 40-mile range, making it the ideal solution for longer commutes to work. The issue is the weight makes it difficult to take on trains and buses - less than ideal if you’re looking to bridge the gap between your the various modes of transport you currently use.
Alfawise M1
- $345.99
The Alfawise M1 is a Xiaomi M365 copycat with an integrated speedo, a dual-braking system and more durable tyres. It's buckets of fun, with a top speed of 25km/hour and able to go up to 30km - not that you can easily keep track of this, since there's no companion app.
Unfortunately, issues with our review sample meant we had to replace the front tyre, and found that Alfawise does not supply spare parts.
The M1 is also cheaper than its Xiaomi lookalike. Since we reviewed the Alfawise M1 the company has made some improvements to its design that enhance comfort, durability and monitoring of stats, and it has increased the motor power from 250W to 350W. The second-generation model is available here at £280.60/309.67€/US$345.99.
Build quality lets down the M1, however, and we found it difficult to view the speedo in direct sunlight. We also found the automatic acceleration disconcerting, though once you get the hang of the throttle the cruise control feature is useful. Braking can be dramatic, too, so try to avoid doing so too sharply.
Turboant X7
- $499.99
Not quite up to the build standard set by the Xiomi M365, but with a more informative LCD display, the Turboant X7 houses its battery in the handlebar tube which gives better ground clearance.
It's relatively powerful on flat surfaces, but struggles quite a lot up hills even with riders half the maximum weight of 125kg. The 8.5in wheels are inflatable and use standard schrader valves like car tyres.
The battery is removable and has its own charging port so can be charged separately from the scooter. You can now purchase additional batteries, although they're $299.99.
Like the Xiaomi, there's built-in lights and reflectors, plus cruise control which is activated by maintaining the same speed for 6 seconds.
Bear in mind that you can only buy it direct from Turboant in Shenzhen, China. There are warehouses in California and Germany if you need a repair or replacement under warranty, though.
Inokim Light 2
- US$1199
It isn't as light as the Mini and, at 13.7kg, you may not consider it light at all. But it is built like a tank and has a 250W motor in the rear hub which propels you along at a speedy 21mPh.
The brake is just as strong, and front and rear LEDs flash to warn others of your presence.
The scooter folds in half for transport or storage and the handlebars can be folded too. On the right side is an LCD display which shows your speed and total distance covered. Using the buttons you can choose between three power levels, but you can treat it like a normal kick scooter as well: you won't have to carry it when the battery runs flat.
Talking of batteries, the Light has a range of 24 miles, so you could easily use it to commute to work.
As well as the black model we tested, you can also opt for white, blue, orange or green.
Razor E300
- $269.99
Razor’s E300 electric scooter is a decent mid-range scooter, and is suitable for both kids and teenagers (possibly even big kids too, but we’ll let you decide that!). The E300 boasts a speed improvement over the E100, reaching speeds of up to 15mph while matching the 40 minutes of constant use that the E100 offers.
The E300 also features a ‘super size’ deck and frame, meaning the rider can stand firmly with both feet. It also features a twist throttle for finer control over speed, and a retractable kickstand so you don’t have to leave your scooter on its side when not in use.
The wider 25.4cm tyres should provide a comfortable and smooth ride, and the maximum weight limit for the E300 is 100kg.
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