If you are considering buying an electric scooter, we’re not surprised. E-scooters are not just fun to use, they are environmentally friendly and will allow you to travel much faster than you would while walking.
However, not many people know what features they should be looking out for when buying an e-scooter. That is why we have put together this electric scooter buying guide.
At the end of this article, you’ll know all about what the most important features are and how important they are to you. Let’s get started!
Things To Consider When Buying An Electric Scooter
Most people simply consider their budget when buying e-scooters. That is, they look at the cost of the e-scooter and go for the options that suit their pockets.
While that is always a crucial factor, it’s also important to look at the features which are going to suit you and your needs. Here are the main things that you want to look out for:
- Size and weight
- Maximum load
- Speed
- Range
- Motor power
- Suspension
- Tires
- Brakes
- Water resistance
- Reliability
1. Size and Weight
The size and weight of the e-scooter is one of the first things to consider. You want an e-scooter that is the right size for you. For example, riding the e-scooter will not be comfortable for you if the stem height does not match your height, or if the deck is too narrow for you.
You should also ensure that the e-scooter is portable so that it easily folds for storing away or carrying around. For example, if you’ll need to carry the e-scooter at some point, such as into a workplace, then you wouldn’t need one that is very heavy.
If you’re only going to be riding to and from your home, then weight and portability are going to be less of an issue.
2. Maximum Load
The maximum load of an e-scooter is the weight limit that it can support. E-scooters are not all made to support the same weight.
Many e-scooters are built to support a max weight of 220lbs (100kg), while a few can support more weight than this. You should ensure that the e-scooter you’ll get is one that can support both your weight and that of whatever load you carry (like a backpack).
First and foremost, it is not safe to ride on an e-scooter exceeding its weight limit. The performance of your e-scooter will be impacted as the scooter will struggle to reach its top speed. Also, it can damage the scooter, and invalidate the warranty.
3. Speed
Many people want e-scooters that can reach very high top speeds so that they can feel the air in their hair when cruising along.
The main determinant of e-scooter top speed is the motor power. They range from 250w e-scooters that can reach top speeds of around 12 mph, to very powerful 3,000w e-scooters that can reach top speeds in excess of 50mph.
However, 15mph is the top speed on many scooters, and this would be enough to give the buzz. This is approximately five times quicker than walking.
Another important consideration when looking at speed is the laws in your local area as they may have a speed limit for escooters. Why spend a lot of money on buying e-scooters with insane speed limits if it’ll be illegal to ride them at that speed? It’s always a good idea to check.
4. Range
An e-scooter range is the distance it can travel before running out of battery power.
If you’ll be using the e-scooter to commute, this should be an important consideration as you will not want your e-scooter to run out of battery life while you are in the middle of your trip. If that happens, you’ll have to carry the e-scooter, because, unlike e-bikes, you cannot complete the journey by pedaling.
In this regard, most e-scooters in the market have a range of around 15 miles, while those that can travel 20-30 miles are still quite common. E-scooters with 15 miles range are perfect for most commutes.
If you want a high-end e-scooter with incredible range then there are many options which go well above 30 miles.
5. Motor power
Electric scooters have electric motors which are rated based on how powerful they are.
Motor power is expressed in watts. The more the wattage of the e-scooter, the more powerful it is. E-scooters generally start at 200 watts, and some are 3,000+ watts.
Motor power matters because e-scooters with more power accelerate faster and are better at climbing hills.
E-scooters rated 250 watts are perfect for general commutes. However, these will struggle on dirt ground or climbing hills. Thus, if you’ll be riding in rough terrain, or doing a lot of uphill riding, you may want to go for an e-scooter with a higher power rating.
6. Suspension
Think of suspension as a “shock absorber”. Suspension is what smooths out bumps to give you a quality ride.
If you will use your e-scooter on paved roads, a suspension may not be very necessary, but if you’ll ride on rough terrains, a model with comfortable suspension is vital.
Without a suspension, vibrations are transmitted upwards to the handlebars every time you hit a bump, and the ride will be very uncomfortable.
Suspension can be added to either the front or rear wheel or to both wheels. There are three types of suspension, spring, hydraulic, and rubber.
7. Tires
The kind of tires that the e-scooter has is also an important consideration. There are two types of tires, solid tires, and pneumatic tires.
Solid tires – These are airless tires. They are rubber throughout and are therefore quite rigid. This makes them puncture-resistant and requires little or no maintenance. So, if you’ll be riding on very unforgiving terrains with a lot of sharp objects, you may consider e-scooters with solid tires.
Pneumatic tires – These are air-filled tires. They can either be tubeless or come with an inner tube. Because of the air in them, pneumatic tires have more “give”, meaning they are able to reduce the transmission of vibrations upwards to the handlebars. So, like suspension, pneumatic tires give a more quality ride.
8. Brakes
The brake is a safety feature that brings the e-scooter to a sudden stop. For safety, it is absolutely necessary that you get an e-scooter with a brake. In fact, some people prefer e-scooters with two brake systems, so that if one fails, the second can be used to bring the scooter to a stop.
There are different types of braking systems in e-scooters.
Electrical brake – This uses the motor for braking. They require little to no maintenance but are not very effective in stopping the e-scooter quickly when traveling at 15+ mph.
Foot brake – This is a mechanical braking system that is activated by pushing your foot down on the rear mudguard. The stopping power is better than that of an electric brake.
Drum and disc brakes – These are also mechanical braking systems. Disc brakes have the best performance, so are ideal if you’ll need to stop quickly when riding at a fast speed. Drum brakes have very consistent performance in wet conditions.
9. Water resistance
E-scooters usually come with IP (Ingress Protection) rating. This shows how resistant the machine is to dust and water.
If you want to ride your e-scooter no matter the weather, without fear of water damaging it, go for e-scooters that are water-resistant.
In IP ratings, two numbers follow the letters “IP” (e.g. IP44). The first number relates to solids, such as dust, and the second relates to liquid.
Simply ensure that the second number is at least 4. A “4” means that the e-scooter is resistant to splashes of water from all directions. A “5” means that it is resistant to low-pressure jets of water from all directions, and a “6” means that it is resistant to high-pressure jets of water from all directions.
10. Reliability
Reliability is the ability of the e-scooter to perform well consistently. After investing in an e-scooter, you wouldn’t want it to break down only after a few uses. Make sure you’re buying a reputable model with good reviews.
Another consideration when it comes to reliability is warranty. You should buy from companies that stand behind their products via warranties. These companies will exchange or repair the e-scooter for you if it develops faults while under warranty.
Go for only e-scooters that offer at least 12 months warranty. You’ll even see some that offer a 24 month warranty.
Final Thoughts
When buying an e-scooter, some of the important things to consider include motor power, range, quality of ride, braking system, and reliability.
It’s always important to think about how these features relate to your needs. You should get an e-scooter that fits in with your lifestyle. Portability may not be important to one person but could be crucial to someone else.
It’s a good idea to go through all these features and see which of them are most important to you. You can then use that information to find the perfect e-scooter for you.
