Concerned About Gas Prices? Reboot Your Commute with These Electric Scooters (2024)

The KQi3 Pro offers a little something for everyone. It’s has a top speed of 19 miles per hour, so it’s fun and exciting for recreational riders, but it promises a range of 21 miles on a single charge, making it a fine choice for commuters, too. It packs a bright and beautiful headlight and is one of the few scooters priced under $1,000 that comes with dual mechanical disc brakes (for stopping quickly), so you can feel safe riding it — even at nighttime.

The scooter looks and feels sturdy and is easy to assemble. We like that it has a sizeable deck, but wish its handlebars were collapsible. The escooter weighs in at 44.7 pounds, and although it isn’t the sleekest or lightest scooter out there, we think the extra heft is justifiable since the KQi3 Pro is can easily accommodate riders over 6 feet tall and up to 265 pounds without sacrificing performance.

The scooter takes just 5 seconds to accelerate to 15 miles per hour, its tires provide great grip and excellent handling, and the scooter does a surprisingly good job at climbing hills (It’ll go about 8 miles per hour on a 20% hill grade). For those who live in hilly cities, consider the even more powerful KQi3 Max. We think most riders are better off opting for the KQi3 Pro, though. It has a simple folding system, outstanding build quality, a better-than-average range, and is backed by a generous 2-year warranty to boot.

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Available for more than $200 less than our best overall pick the NIU KQi3 Pro, the GoTrax G5 is equipped with a powerful 500-watt motor and a 48V lithium-ion battery, to provide riders an impressive 25 to 30-mile range. Thanks to the scooter’s front suspension and 10-inch pneumatic rubber tires, riders get a smoother less bumpy ride on uneven terrain like bumpy sidewalks.

With its futuristic-looking LED light under its deck board, the G5 stands out and looks cooler and more modern than the competition. The scooter reaches maximum speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, but there’s a slightly slower second mode that hovers around the 15-mile-per-hour mark. Its cruise control feature comes in handy for folks who want to maintain a consistent speed. Thanks to the scooter’s dual brake system you can stop quickly when you need to, though. Other features include a reactive taillight for braking, a headlight, and an easy-to-use one-touch folding system.

The scooter weighs in at 44 pounds and it has a max rider weight of 220 pounds. Although it has a roomy deck, it’s worth mentioning that the scooter’s height is not adjustable. Regardless, the GoTrax stretches your dollar further than the competition and delivers a smooth ride and long range for less, making it a great option for commuters.

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For those in search of a solid, but reasonably priced electric scooter that may not be the flashiest or most featured filled but still can get you from point A to B quickly and easily, consider the Hiboy S2. It’s packed with a decently powerful 350-watt motor and a 270Wh battery that work in tandem to provide ranges up to 17 miles (at a max speed of 19 miles per hour). Testers at Tech Gear Lab say a 14-mile range estimate is more realistic, however.

I appreciate that it has both regenerative braking as well as a rear mechanic disc brake, but wish that it had larger tires and a better suspension system to offer a smoother ride.

Other scooters in its price range require commuters to make more sacrifices than the Hiboy S2, though, which is why we named it our favorite budget scooter.

“It has niceties such as a dual-braking system, headlights and lights that wrap all the way around… and while it’s not perfect, it looks a bit nicer than other budget scooters and delivers more features and a more powerful motor,” wrote Mike Prospero the Editor-in-Chief of Tom’s Guide who tested the Hiboy.

The Hiboy S2 stretches your dollar further than any other budget scooter. Despite its low price point, the scooter does well on hill climbs, accelerates quickly, and is reasonably portable at 32 pounds. But, if you want the smoothest ride possible, we recommend spending a little extra if your budget allows.

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The Segway Ninebot MAX boasts big batteries and a big range — the company promises as much as 40 miles, making it the scooter to buy for commuting. As you’d expect with a range that’s twice as long as the competition, the Kickscooter MAX is a beast both when it comes to performance and size. It can accommodate riders weighing up to 220 pounds and the scooter itself weighs about 40 pounds, so we don’t recommend it if you have to lug it up several flights of stairs.

Besides its heftiness, our biggest complaint is that the MAX takes over 6 hours to fully charge. Fortunately, given its extensive range, you won’t need to plug it in often. Compared to the NIU KQi3 Max, the NIU offers more power and a bigger battery but at the time of publishing it was $150 more expensive ($700 vs. $850). This one still can handle hills with ease, though!

Lastly, if you’re curious about the difference between the MAX G30P and the MAX G30LP, the latter has a 20% lesser range. Segway Ninebot recently announced a new scooter called the MAX G2 that has a top speed of 22 miles per hour and a claimed range of 25 miles. The even cheaper Segway Ninebot F30 only offers a 10-mile range, so we only recommend it for shoppers on a budget.

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Is your kid asking for an electric scooter of their own? Well, before you go looking for the right one, be sure to check if there are age requirements in your state regarding electric scooters. If your child meets the age requirement in your area, our pick is the Gotrax GKS.

Designed for kids up to 154 pounds, this simple scooter delivers 4 miles on a single charge at up to 7.5 mph, which means they can have fun without dealing with the speed or range more suited for adult riders.

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If these other scooters look like sticks on wheels to you, and the idea of having to stand for 12 straight miles, and hauling all your belongings on your back seems brutal, you probably had something more like this in mind.

A seated electric scooter like the Razor EcoSmart, naturally, is going to cost more than your average standing scooter, as the addition of the cushioned seat, wide bamboo deck, and back-mounted cargo carrier not only adds to the cost themselves, but also requires a bit more power to propel the scooter forward. But it's more than worth it when the ride is as smooth as it is on this Razor EcoSmart, which gives you that European Vespa-style cruising energy without the carbon emissions or bulky body.

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Electric scooters come in several different styles with multiple tire options, motor configurations, and battery sizes to cater to every unique individual’s budget constraints and needs.

Some riders may prioritize having a large battery to ensure they have enough juice for their commute, while others strive for the lightest and most portable scooter possible, so they can carry their scooter up several flights of stairs or hold it on the subway. While there may not be a singular perfect scooter that’ll work for every person, determining how and where you are going to use the scooter is a good place to start in finding the best one for you.

We’ve broken down a few more factors to take into account before making a purchase to lessen the likelihood of any potential for buyer’s remorse

Range (the distance you can travel on a single battery charge) is arguably one of the most factors to consider when shopping for an electric scooter. However, the range manufacturers claim should be taken with a grain of salt since the figures they publish involve ideal conditions and slower speeds.

A scooter's range can be affected by a number of variables including a rider’s weight, any hills you come across on your route, and even weather conditions. A good rule of thumb is dividing the advertised range in half for a more realistic range estimate. And under the assumption that you have a 3-mile-per-trip average, you can expect 3 days of battery life if you opt for a scooter with an 18-mile range. It takes roughly 5 hours to charge an electric scooter on average.

Most electric scooters have a single hub-mounted 250-350 Watt motor that’s built into their wheel. We recommend 300 watts of power minimum, but if you’re shopping for a child, a 250-watt motor will suffice.

If you live in a city with a lot of hills, it’s worth splurging a couple of hundred dollars more for something with 500 watts of power or more. If you want to reach the fastest speeds possible, you should opt for a scooter that has an 800 to 1,000-watt motor. Most electric scooters are designed to travel at 15 miles per hour but ones with the most powerful motors can reach speeds between 20 and 30 miles per hour. Be sure to look up local laws in your city or state, as they may limit the top speeds for electric scooters.