A Guide For Selecting The Best Two Wheeled Upright Scooter
TABLE OF CONTENTS
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and find an electric scooter. Maybe you’re buying an adult electric scooter? Perhaps you’re looking for a kid’s electric scooter? In either case, here you’ll find the two-wheeled upright scooter that suits your needs.
Let’s talk a bit about electric scooters in general. Like most everything in life, there are cheap electric scooters and then there are crazy expensive ones. You can literally choose from a scooter that’s less than $50 to pro scooters that cost several thousand dollars. Typically, the vast majority of scooter buyers fall somewhere in the middle. Why? Well, if you look at the “mass market” producers (and we’ll talk about them in a minute) of any two-wheeled upright scooters, the bulk of their scooter models fall in the $300 – $700 range.
A scooter for any budget and any purpose.
Scooters have been around for decades. However, with globalization and the relatively easy ability to import goods from China cost-effectively, countries around the world have begun to see electric scooters become more and more prevalent. Why? Because on the base of it, the cost of each component to make an electric scooter isn’t outrageously expensive.
Think about it. You have a frame (preferably with an adjustable handlebar), scooter tires, battery, electric motor and, for the most part, that’s it. The cost for a simple metal frame and these components is quite cheap when you’re dealing with Asian manufacturing.
At first, very basic scooters with cheap components began to appear on the market. Now that battery technology has progressed it is quite easy to put a 350w (or more) motor on a scooter which will make it run about 15-20 mph for 20+ miles.
Now the electric scooter craze has caught on, there is a scooter model that features pretty much anything you want. Want adjustable handlebars? No problem. Want a wide wheel scooter so you can ride off-road? Great. Want light-up wheels on your wide deck electric scooter, check, there’s one available. Looking for a ride with a maximum speed of over 50 mph? There are dozens of blazing-fast electric scooters.
The point is, there’s something for everyone.
However, there are several manufacturers that build the vast majority of electric scooters sold in the United States.
“Mass Market” Manufacturers of the Two Wheeled Upright Scooter
If you are searching for a scooter, it’s likely that you’ll run upon a number of “mass market” electric scooter manufacturers.
- Segway Ninebot
- Razor
- GoTrax
They’re “mass market” because these guys churn out serious amounts of scooters each year. I wasn’t able to find a recent number for Segway ninebot, but back in 2018, they produced 1.6 million scooters.
Razor states (on their website) they have sold 15 million razor electric scooters since 2000. It’s probably safe to assume that number is dramatically higher, especially since the start of COVID-19.
Then, you’ve got GoTrax who has taken the market by storm — or at least they’ve taken Amazon by storm. If you go to Amazon and look for the best-selling electric scooters (which I did here), you’ll see that GoTrax dominates the top ten with 5 of their scooters appearing in the top 10.
How to select the best two wheeled upright scooter?
You know you want an electric scooter but you don’t know what to buy. First, you’ve got to identify your use case. Are you interested in finding something you can ride to work? If so, you need to find the best commuter scooter or at least a long-range electric scooter. Perhaps you’re only interested in using it from time to time and don’t want to drop a whole lot of cash. If that’s the case, you can find a number of cheap electric scooter models out there. Or, maybe you’re buying a kid’s electric scooter for your children or grandchildren. Whatever your use, there’s a model for you.
In general, you need to consider the size of the rider. That’ll dictate how big (or small) of a scooter you need to get. You don’t want an adult electric scooter with a giant motor and a maximum speed of over 50 mph if your grandkids are going to be riding! I’d also say you need to consider the speed you want to go. 15-20 mph on an electric scooter is more than enough.
Then, start thinking about a range. Are you going to ride for 30 minutes just for fun or are you interested in a long haul to and from work? Do you want a seat? Yes — you can get an electric scooter with seat. Many models have the ability for you to attach a seat to your scooter but there are a few that come with them.
Recommendations of the best two wheeled upright scooter for each use.
So, let’s get down to brass tax. I’ve narrowed down what I think are the best scooters for a number of different uses. Take a look at why I like each of these:
#1 – Fastest Scooter for Adults
The Kaboo Wolf Warrior. This thing is sick. It’s not the fastest in the world but it’s one of the fastest scooters for adults that you can buy. It’s got a 45mph top speed and can go over 70 miles if you utilize eco mode.
But, I think what I like about this the most is just the fact that you can do pretty much anything you want with it. It’s got big 11″ tires for going off-road, has two motors that churn out more than 5400 watts of unbridled power. If you’re looking for a pro scooter model — this is it. They call it motorcycle-grade and it’s every bit of it. You should buy this one if you’re wearing your big boy pants because testosterone flows when you step on the deck and hit the throttle.
#2 – Cheapest Scooter for Adults
GoTrax GXL V2. We love this scooter. GoTrax makes a nice scooter. It’s a sturdy platform with 8.5″ pneumatic tires. The manufacturer says that top speed is 15.5 mph but in all actuality, it’s only about 13 mph from our tests.
If you want something that you can ride for an hour or so that’s comfortable and affordable, this is it. There are a ton of reasons why we like this model. If you want to find out, just check our full review here.
#3 – Best Bang for your buck
GoTrax Gmax Ultra. Ok, so this one is a little pricey but it checks all of the boxes of stuff that’s important along with stuff you will want. This scooter goes 25 mph and has a range of 45 miles. It’s got nice big 10″ pneumatic tires and a wide deck so you get a comfortable ride.
It’s got a cool digital smart display that shows you the odometer, speed, and battery life. Plus, it’s got a digital lock that disables the scooter for those who don’t know the 3 digit passcode that you’ve set.
It wasn’t easy deciding between the GoTrax Gmax Ultra and the Segway Ninebot Max. The Ninebot Max is a very cool scooter too. They’ve got a great build and provide a solid platform. Plus, it’s a little cheaper than the GoTrax Gmax Ultra. However, the clincher for us was that you just get a little extra oomph with the Gmax over the Ninebot Max. The Ninebot Max features a total range of about 40 miles whereas the Gmax is 45 miles. The Ninebot Max gets you 18.6 mph whereas the Gmax is 20 mph. Are their massive differences, no. Do these little differences warrant some extra scratch — we think so. Check out our full review of the GoTrax G Max Ultra here.
Final thoughts on the best two wheeled upright scooter
We’ve outlined our top three best two-wheeled upright scooter models. However, if you take a look through this site, we’ve tried to cover a ton of different models. We outline what we like, what we don’t like, the ride experience plus technical details so we can provide you with reviews that help you make good decisions! Whatever ride you decide to buy, have fun, stay safe and wear protective gear!
