An e-bike or electric scooter can be extremely helpful for essential short-distance travel. As the pandemic restrictions relax, rideable tech is becoming a go-to solution since it offers an easy way to safely and quickly drop off needed goods with vulnerable family and friends or to cover longer distances faster than walking, all while you reduce your carbon footprint.
After testing different types of battery-operated rideables -- some tested before the coronavirus outbreak, others more recently -- I've learned a lot. I've used different models on a commute through sections of midtown Manhattan, around Central Park or down the West Side Highway bike path. All of the products on this list, with the exception of the Swagtron EB5 E-Bike, come with variable ride modes, meaning they have different gears or levels of electric assistance. In most cases, the top ride speed for each device will increase with more advanced settings, at the cost of battery life. It's essential to keep an eye on the battery with these wheels.
I've included water resistance ratings when available for each electric scooter. IP ratings, which stands for ingress protection, let you know the dust- or water-resistance of a product. For example, if something has an IP54 rating, the first number after the letters refers to resistance to solids while the second refers to moisture. Read more in our IP rating explainer.
Also, and let's not make a big deal of this, but I exceed the rated weight capacity for most of these products. For the most part, they all still performed as expected, though maybe with a little less range or speed. No devices were harmed during this roundup.
Lastly, if you plan on getting into rideables, be safe about it. Leave enough space between yourself and both cars and other riders on plain old human-powered bikes and scooters . Remember you're able to go a lot faster, so ride and pass with caution. Make sure to charge your battery and check on your tires. And, most important, always wear a helmet when you ride.
The Trek Allant Plus 9.9S is the kind of growth in these products I like to see and more of what you would expect from a premium e-bike. It replaces the Super Commuter, which is also a great bike (it's currently on sale and was previously on this list).
The design is sleek with a removable integrated battery, or RIB as Trek calls it. Past models had the battery on top of the frame. For those seeking to go further, Trek offers a 500Wh battery that mounts just above the integrated one.
The frame is made from carbon fiber, making it one of the most lightweight e-bikes in its class at 51.5 pounds. This in turn makes it easier to use as a traditional bicycle with its 12-speed Shimano SLX M7100, 10-45T cassette. The Allant handles as if it were gliding over the pavement, and having the option to use the 75 Newton-meters of torque from the Bosch Performance Speed pedal-assist motor -- taking you up to 28 mph -- just adds to the experience.
The Allant's cables are neatly run through the frame, and it has integrated smart lights that dim and brighten depending on the time of day. The Bosch SmartphoneHub is your onboard display that shows riding mode, speed and more. This same display also has brackets to securely hold your phone, which can also be linked to the bike via Bluetooth, providing more detail on a color display, as well as a cable to keep your mobile device charged. The Bosch app for iOS and Android keeps track of where you've gone and how long it took to get there. A nice added feature is that once you close the app from your mobile device, it will automatically turn the bicycle off.
See our gallery of the Trek Allant Plus 9.9S.
See at TrekPremium scooter manufacturer Unagi adds new color customization options and a dual 250-watt motor to this update to last year's E450 model, our previous pick for the best all-around electric scooter. Why call this one the E500? Because that's the new total motor output wattage.
Due to the dual 250-watt motors, the E500 required a slightly larger battery (28.8 volts) than the E450 to maintain the same travel distance. It makes the carbon fiber and aluminum body about two pounds heavier, at just a hair under 27 pounds.
The display is bright and easy to see in sunlight and instead of sticking a bell on the scooter, they've put on an electric horn that's loud enough to be heard through a closed car window.
The electric scooter can support riders up to 270 pounds, hit a top speed of 18 mph, and a travel distance of 15 miles. To stop the scooter just use the ABS electric brake or put a little pressure on the rear spoiler brake for those steep hills.
For a closer look at this electric scooter, check out our gallery of the Unagi E500.
Read more on the Unagi E500.
See at Best BuyThe Levy Electric Scooter slides into this list due to its price-to-practicality ratio. An electric scooter that can hit 18 mph, costs around $500, weighs just under 30 pounds and has a removable battery is a pretty good all-around deal. Levy also has scooters available for rent through its iOS and Android app.
The Levy has air-filled tires that make for a comfortable ride. The battery is located in the steering tube, unlike a lot of other scooters, so you get some body flexibility similar to a longboard for those bumpy roads. I really appreciate that the battery is removable as well. Anyone with a yard or stairs can leave it locked, and remove the battery to take into charge.
The Levy is rated to travel about 15 miles on a full charge but that's not at top speed. I would say most riders would get realistically about 7 to 10 miles. But because it is removable, you can buy a second battery for $139 and carry it with you.
For a closer look, check out our gallery of the Levy Electric Scooter.
See at Levy Electric ScootersOut of all the scooters in this lineup, this is the one that can most closely replace your car. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Apollo Pro made running errands and checking on the family the fastest and safest way to get around New York City.
This is a comfortable ride, due to its dual 10-inch air-filled tires and spring suspension, which you really need for a scooter that can hit 40 mph.
The Pro can travel close to 50 miles on a full charge and is powered by two 1,000-watt motors. You can ride the electric scooter in single- or dual-motor mode (balancing longer life versus more power), or get extra green with an eco mode.
Read our Apollo Pro Scooter hands-on.
See at Apollo ScootersThe Segway Max is a reliable electric scooter that can take you very far. It's rated to go 40 miles on a full charge (if you're driving slower and on flat ground), which is a bold claim by Segway. In real-world conditions, I was able to go 7 miles (my daily commute before working from home) at top speed using 45% of the battery. That's still pretty good considering the scooter itself is rather hefty, weighing 41 pounds and I frequently got it up to 18mph.
The air-filled tires make for a more comfortable ride than the ES series from Segway. One feature I really appreciated was the charging cable. It's a generic power cord with no brick, making it easy to carry around or replace. The 551-watt-hour battery can be fully charged in 6 hours.
To stop, riders can just use the handbrake. There's also a bell built into the handlebar to alert pedestrians you're coming. And if you've got big feet, like I do, I loved the long riding deck, which gave me plenty of room to get comfortable.
See our Segway Ninebot KickScooter Max gallery.
$630 at AmazonThe ES4 Kick Scooter sits atop the Segway consumer scooter chain, with a secondary battery to make a long distance ride or a lengthy ride time a breeze. It can travel an estimated 28 miles on a single battery charge, and the electric motor allows for a top speed of 18 mph (which I was able to hit). The folding point on this e-scooter is different from the others in this roundup. The entire front post folds down, wheel and all. While braking, I would shift my weight back over the rear wheel, pushing down on the spoiler brake along with hitting the handlebar brake (which is an antilock brake), but without much of the front headtube flex you'd feel in some other scooters. There are also shock absorbers that help with shock absorption when you ride over bumpy surfaces.
The dual-battery model weighs just over 30 pounds, and it supports riders weighing up to 220 pounds. The scooter has some good power and can put out 300 to 800 watts depending on the riding mode. Single charge time is longer than the average, about 7 hours. If you run out of battery life and don't have time to charge, it can also work as an old-fashioned kick-and-go scooter. It also sports some customizable LED lights under the deck between the tires. Those and some other settings can be adjusted in the iOS and Android apps.
See our Ninebot by Segway ES4 gallery.
See at SegwayThe Mercane Widewheel scooter is the best electric scooter when it comes to motor power in this lineup. Powered by dual 500-watt motors, it has some serious takeoff power and torque.
Most models are locked to a top ride speed of 15 mph, but there's an advanced mode where you can unlock its full battery power and ride it to 25 mph (but you do so at your own risk). It has a dual suspension and weighs a whopping 50 pounds. The range is up to 20 miles on a single battery charge, and it support riders weighing 220 pounds. The riding deck is longer and wider than your average scooter, making it easy to get both feet on the board comfortably. It has an IPX4 rating.
The scooter gets its name from its 8-inch wide tires. The tires are great for staying upright during a ride, but turns take some getting used to with the tires. Unlike most of the honor-system devices here, this one needs a key to start.
See our Mercane Widewheel gallery.
See at FluidFreeRide.comEven though it's been replaced by the Allant Plus 9.9S at the top of this story, I decided to leave the Super Commuter on this list because it's available at a deep discount. I originally tested this bike in the 2019 TD 5 Boro Bike Tour. First, I wanted to see how it performed as a normal seat bike. It's heavy at 54 pounds, and I had to see how it would fare against some of the sleeker bicycles. The 11 speeds made it easy to maintain a comfortable pace. When I came across a few inclines, the pedal assist (Bosch Performance Speed, 350-watt motor, integrated into the frame) worked perfectly.
Eco was my preferred assist mode. It gives the least assistance of the four settings, so it has the best battery life for long distances. The bicycle does not have a throttle; it is strictly pedal assist. Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo each progressively give you a more spice in your ride, and the estimated distance that the battery will let you travel in each mode shows on the display. Pedal assistance on the Trek coincides with rpm -- the faster you get the cranks around, the more the Bosch system will progressively increase your speed to get those tires moving.
During my daily commute around the city, I found myself riding in the streets more so than the bike lane. I was coming up too quickly behind other cyclists, and battery-powered delivery bikes too. Fortunately, the Trek SC Plus 8 comes equipped with a bell, reflectors and rear as well as front lights, so hopefully they'll see (or hear) you coming on your commute. For those instances where they don't, the S8 comes with 180-centimeter hydraulic disc brakes that stop on a dime, and the wider tires make bumps on the ride hardly noticeable. The S8 has an IP54 rating.
See our gallery of the Trek Super Commuter Plus 8S.
See at TrekThe Onewheel Pint is $950, practically half the price of the bigger Onewheel Plus XR, which costs $1,800. It weighs 26 pounds and supports riders up to 250 pounds. The Pint can travel six to eight miles on a full battery charge with the motor allowing a top speed of 16 mph. It is more maneuverable than any previous Onewheel and most other rideables. It handles inclines with ease and sports rear along with front lights for night riding. The board is operated by shifting your weight forward and back to move forward and back, and heel to toe to steer. Once you get the hang of it, it's like riding a skateboard, and you'll be tempted to pull off some tricks (which we do not officially endorse).
For a closer look, see our gallery of the Onewheel Pint.
Read our OneWheel Pint hands-on.
See at OnewheelThe Onewheel Plus XR is the bigger and older brother to the Pint. Still one of my favorites, due to the all-around freedom you feel when riding. That along with the ability to travel 12 to 18 miles on a full charge of the battery, plus the motor lets you hit a top speed of 19 mph.
A nice feature found in the app, for iOS and Android, is while riding you'll get a notification once the battery is at 50% so you can make it back home from wherever you may roam. The app offers a bunch of other settings from social to board riding customization. It's not the most travel-friendly in terms of carrying around, it weighs about 30 pounds, but is easy to store. In addition, it only takes about two hours to fully charge the battery.
For a closer look, see our gallery of the Onewheel Plus XR.
Read our Onewheel Plus XR hands-on.
See at One WheelRead more:
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