How to choose an electric scooter

Are you thinking about spicing up your trips around the town or beyond it? The electric scooters are perfect for that. But the question remains, which scooter is the right one for your needs and skills?

Looking at a broad portfolio of these machines intended for transporting individuals, it is likely that the beginners in the field of electromobility will experience difficulties when choosing among them. That is why we have prepared for you a list of basic questions people should ask themselves before buying a new machine.

Think about where you are going to ride your scooter

One of the most important criteria for choosing an electric scooter is – for what purposes you intend to use it. Do you need it just for commuting to work or do you want to treat yourself to some excitement beyond the city? Do you want to be able to fold it quickly and carry it up several floors without problems or do you require it to be built rigidly and equipped for off-road conditions? Your answers to these questions will determine whether you should look for a city scooter or an off-road scooter.

Electric city scooters

Easy-to-operate, light body, compact and maintenance-free. These are the most important properties that city scooter riders will truly appreciate and their machines must simply have them.

• Little weight and dimensions
• Simple folding mechanism
• Small, often solid, wheels that can’t be punctured
• Maneuverability in small spaces
• Compactness

With these properties, your daily commuting to work, to a café, or anywhere else you need to travel within a city will be fast and safe. And when you reach your destination on a scooter like this, you will be able to just fold it, carry a few kilos to your work desk or hide it under your bed at home.

However, cheap city scooters have limits. For instance, their simple design does not provide for any active suspension, which can be quite annoying when one has to ride daily on bumpy roads. It may even cause damage to the scooter itself or loosen its joints and bearings. If you know that you will be using your new electric scooter beyond smooth city roads, have a look at more expensive city models fitted with a more comfortable chassis of better quality.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a truly durable machine for weekend trips to nature, the best choice for you will be off-road scooters that can handle any terrain.

Electric off-road scooters

These are the models that resemble motorbikes by some of their features. The off-road electric scooters are fitted with components that make them ready for the pitfalls of forest and field roads. Most often you will find them configured like this:

• Fully suspended chassis
• Large pneumatic tires
• Hydraulic brakes
• Robust body and wide deck

Naturally, the category of off-road models is further differentiated based on how difficult terrain they are able to handle. Thanks to their versatile design, the less extreme scooters can be also used for daily commuting, further improving your comfort and often the speed at which you move around the city.

Nevertheless, off-road scooters have their downside, which means you have to consider certain inherent limitations. Unlike purely urban models, with these scooters you cannot count on very practical and simple use. To get a better idea: With a weight often exceeding 40 kilos, carrying a scooter like that up the stairs or loading it into a car trunk will be quite a challenge.

Deciding by performance and range

Among other criteria, the electric scooters for adults can be categorized by their performance. Surprise, surprise, the choice is extraordinarily broad here as well. The offered models range from 250 W to 10 000 W. To avoid having your new machine underpowered or, on the contrary, unnecessarily powerful – the key to choosing your ideal model is to imagine the routes you will be travelling most with your scooter.

A city scooter with a power of 350 W or less will suffice for commuting to work on a flat road. The top speed will reach some 20 to 25 km/h without problems, yet the scooter will come with sufficiently low weight thanks to a small battery. To keep the motor happy, it does not require a lot of supplied energy.

If you live on the outskirts of a large city and the access road to your home leads up a steep hill, look for scooters providing a power of up to 500 W and a range of about 50 km. By doing so, you will avoid having to charge your scooter each time you travel to work from home and you will have enough energy left to make some other trips.

However, these machines will not be enough for having fun in the forest or on roads beyond the city. To truly enjoy activities like that, you will need a scooter with a robust body and capable of delivering a power of over 500 W. Along with performance, do not forget to take into account the range with these scooters. You do not want to find yourself stranded somewhere halfway your trip with empty battery.

Deciding by price

Let’s not fool ourselves. Rather than specs, it will be the price of your new electric scooter that will influence your final decision whether to buy it or not. Electric scooters are anything but toys. This fact is reflected not only in their technical equipment and technology used, but also in their sales price.

If it is your budget that is the primary factor in your decision-making rather than specifications, here are the best models you can get in a given price category.

€500 or less

You will find entry-level models of electric scooters in this price range. These are ideal for those who would like to try out the feeling of riding around town on two wheels but do not want to invest too much money. Which models from Max Blinker’s portfolio do we recommend in this category? Definitely these:

Street Surfing VOLTAIK MGT 350

HX X7

€500 – €800

Do you need a scooter with a longer range and slightly more powerful engine to commute on a flat road? In such case, look at the price category between €500 and €800. Were we to choose in this price range, those would be the following electric scooters:

OKAI Neon

HX X8

THE-URBAN xR1

€800 – €1200

Premium city models packed with modern equipment? If you are looking for scooters with these properties, the up to €1200 category will be ideal for you. All you need to do is to choose the right model:

E-twow GT SL SPORT

E-Twow Booster ES

ZERO 9

€1200 – €2500

These are scooters for those who expect first-class riding properties from their machines, as well as enough power to handle all obstacles both on and off the road. These are no toys but rather models for true electromobility enthusiasts:

INOKIM OXO Hero

Apollo Phantom V2

Dualtron Mini

€2500 or more

The extreme specs and the best the electric scooter technology has to offer. With a machine in this price range, you can be sure that you are riding the absolute top of Max Blinker’s portfolio:

NAMI Blast

HUGO Bike BIG One X

How to choose an electric scooter for children?

Do not worry, both the manufacturers and we have not forgotten about the little ones. Presently, the electric scooter segment is expanding to include new models designed for children aged 6-12 years. These models have a smaller frame, low weight and improved safety.

Among the best in this category is the Ninebot Zing E8 model by the renowned manufacturer Segway. It meets everything parents and children expect from it. The children will like the design and easy operation. On the other hand, as a parent you will be sure that they are riding a truly safe machine. It has three independent brakes, a low center of gravity for better operation and a deck featuring a silicone surface layer that prevents feet from slipping off the deck.

Maybe you have already wondered whether is it possible for older children to ride a light city scooter made for adults? The truth is that there is no general answer to this question. You have to test it yourself. However, do not forget to make sure that your children wear the protectors and a helmet every time. Also, set your scooter to its slowest mode.