There are so many electric scooter models to choose from, and this can be a little challenging if you never had one in the past. When I first started looking for my scooter, I was a little overwhelmed with all the information out there, and also I wasn’t quite sure what specs should my new scooter have in order to serve me well on my daily commute to work. This is the reason I decided to write this post about how to compare electric scooters and 11 things you should look out for to make sure you purchased the perfect one for you.
1. Battery Life and Range
This will be one of the important specs, if not the most important. I cannot stress enough the need to buy an electric scooter that will have a sufficient battery life which charges quickly and efficiently. If you are using the scooter to commute to work Monday to Friday, you are much better off getting a model that comes to a full charge after 5 hours of charging overnight, than one which has a more powerful motor and needs to charge for 10 hours. The range the scooter can cover is something you have to look into and make sure that it will be sufficient for your requirements, as you really do not want to be running out of juice mid-journey to work.
2. Speed
They will cost more if they can pull higher speeds and you will see some that go very fast and some that have a maximum speed capped to 15 mph – and that can look less impressive if compared to the more expensive models that can perform at 30 mph or more. However, what you need to consider here is again, the primary use for the scooter you’re getting. If you will be commuting with it in a city center, there is really no need for you to be charging down the road at 30 mph, in fact that could be quite dangerous in that setting with cars and pedestrians everywhere. In that case it would be more than sufficient to get a commuter scooter that hits 15 mph speeds – this really is more than enough when you need to zoom past traffic and people. On the other hand if you’re getting an electric scooter to use it on your days out and you just want to enjoy the speed, then make sure that you get a scooter that will be able to perform to your needs.
3. Tires
Some will have solid, some will have air-filled ones, and some have a suspension, but some rely solely on the fact that they have air-filled tires and do not provide any extra suspension. You need to consider your preference with tires carefully, as it will determine the comfort of your ride and efficiency of your scooter. If you don’t mind getting a flat tire now and again, then it shouldn’t be a problem getting a scooter with air-filled tires. Changing the tires is very straight forward on most models and you should find it fairly easy to change. If on the other hand you prefer to have solid tires and never have to worry about punctures in the road, then definitely go for those instead. Certain terrains might make for a bumpier ride, so you also want to consider where will you be using your scooter, in order to make a final decision on what tires to go for.
4. Brakes
Most of them have brakes that recharge your battery automatically every time you brake, some of them have dual braking systems, but ultimately you want to make sure you are safe every time you brake, and that the stopping time is efficient enough. If you live somewhere or will be using areas that have a lot of hills, you specifically want to make sure that the braking will be sufficient going downhill. I have tested my Xiaomi M365, and on flat ground it comes to a full stop in just over 2 seconds. That makes me feel very safe, especially when I am using it in large crowds, on a sidewalk or cycle lanes.
5. Head and Tail Lights
Some scooters are awesome to ride at night and make you feel extra safe due to the strong head, tail and brake lights. These are exactly the specs you should look at, and make sure your scooter has if the plan is to use it for daily commuting to work when you might find yourself returning home at night. Even if you finish at 5pm, consider the autumn and winter months ahead, when daylight is gone by 4.30pm – you would definitely rely on some strong headlights for this kind of ride. You really want to make sure that you are as visible as possible to every road user out there, so that you can relax and safely ride your electric scooter at night.
6. Design
There are bulkier ones and minimalist looking scooters. Some have bigger, some have smaller tires. You should take into consideration all the above, and make a decision depending on what the primary use of the scooter would be. If you need something fairly light and compact because you are commuting every day and you are also getting on a busy subway in New York, you should really get a scooter that will make your life easy, and won’t be a nightmare taking it up and down stairs. If the primary use will be to just put your scooter in the car and go to the beach or countryside and just ride for your enjoyment on different terrains, then you can afford not to really have to overthink about its design and size.
7. Folding Mechanism
Most scooters have straightforward folding mechanisms. However, there is a handful that might have a system that doesn’t appear to be as straightforward as the majority, and thus a little annoying, but nothing that would affect the overall score of the scooter. The bottom line is, if you are going to have to put it in your car to go somewhere, or you need to fold it up and take it on public transport with you, ideally you want it to be a couple of seconds ordeal, rather than something more complicated. Once folded, the weight and dimensions are also worth considering in order to determine if it will be easy enough to handle on a busy bus/train or if you have enough room to put it in your car boot.
8. Display
There are scooters like Xiaomi M365 without a smart display and the only thing that you can see is the battery life. However, there are scooters that have LED displays that tell you a whole range of stats. Xiaomi for example, has an app instead where it tells you the stats, and with their new model Xiaomi M365 Pro they have included an LED display in the design. This would really be down to personal preference, as if you want to be able to just look down while on your ride and be able to see a range of stats without having to mount your phone on the scooter in order to have the app open at all times, I would suggest you look into getting a scooter that provides you with this. If however, like myself you’re not too fussed about it and just need to make sure that you can see you have enough battery life left to get you to work, then you could consider getting a model that just has a very basic display.
9. Phone Apps
Xiaomi has a phone app, and if you mount it to your scooter you can always keep an eye on real time stats while riding. This is an extra feature that some electric scooters have and it can be quite useful, especially if you already need to have your phone mounted to it in order to look at a map. It’s a nice extra feature, and it does provide you with some insightful information about the overall state and health of your battery, so it can be reassuring to have an app in order to check that all is well, up to date and properly operational. Some apps also allow you to lock your scooter, which means that it’s wheels won’t activate until you unlock it through the app. This is a useful feature if you are worried about someone else using your scooter or stealing it.
10. Spare Parts
How easy or difficult is it to come by spare parts, and are they easy to fix yourself? For example, flat tires or replacing the mud guard is easy to find for Xiaomi, and it’s fairly straightforward to fix yourself as there are plenty of tutorials online on how to do it. For some models however, it’s not so straightforward and you might have to outsource the fixing to someone else and pay them for their services. I would say all of this is worth considering before you buy a specific scooter make, in order to have a clearer idea on what situation you might find yourself in, after you’ve used it for a while and certain parts might need replacing.
11. Accessories
There are electric scooter models that come with an array of accessories which you can purchase subsequently in order to make your life a little easier. You can purchase over the shoulder bags, so that you don’t need to hold your scooter once folded up. You can get a rain cover for the LED displays which protect the motherboard from heavy rain if you happen to get caught outside during a storm. It will be easier to get certain accessories for some models, so if you find yourself wanting to get extra bits and pieces in order to improve your overall riding experience, you might want to get a scooter that you can easily find a selection of accessories for.
How to Decide
Ultimately you have to decide which of these features matter the most to you. You might have to compromise on some of them, and go for a scooter that you like even if it doesn’t cover everything you want. Price is a major factor in the decision, and only you know best what you are prepared to spend on a scooter. Take a look at this post where I talk about How Much is an Electric Scooter in order to help out with that aspect. Whichever electric scooter you decide to go for in the end, if you have compared all the above specs when looking at different modes, you can rest assured that you will have found your perfect match.
I would love to hear your suggestions, comments and feedback on this topic, so please feel free to share below.
