If you live in an urban setting, you’ve most likely seen those electric scooters sitting outside restaurants, shops, and other community places that you can rent.
You can easily rent them with an app and then drop them off wherever your destination is.
While riding a scooter to and from work, restaurants, friends’ houses, or other places may seem like a great idea, is it really?
How reliable are these scooters, and are they worth investing in? If you’re asking these questions, you’re not alone.
Electric scooters can be reliable forms of transportation! Due to advancements in technology, electric scooters have evolved from fun toys or novelty items to reliable forms of transportation.
Let’s look into what makes these scooters reliable and what to look for if you want to purchase one.
What Makes a Reliable Electric Scooter?
Just like there are some vehicles on the road we’d consider more reliable than others, some electric scooters are more reliable than the competition.
When regularly used, most electric scooters should only need maintenance a few times per year. Finding a high-quality scooter will ensure that you do not constantly need care for it.
When browsing the internet for the perfect, reliable scooter for yourself, these are generally the main things you’ll want to look for.
Battery Life
When researching electric scooters, you’ll want to look into how long the battery life is.
Most lithium batteries will last in a scooter for three to four years, as long as you’re storing the scooter properly when you’re not using it. Storing it properly means keeping it out of direct heat.
If you’re using your scooter as your primary form of transportation, you don’t want a scooter that has poor battery life. Even if the battery can last for three to four years, how long will the charge hold?
Nothing is worse than trying to leave work and not being able to ride your scooter. Each brand is different, and the battery life varies drastically.
Some scooters can only hold a charge for two hours when constantly on, while others can have it for six hours or more.
Speed
Depending on how far you’re going and how comfortable you are navigating the roads/sidewalks with your scooter, the speed is something you’ll want to consider.
You don’t want a scooter that can go too fast because it can be dangerous, but you also don’t want an electric scooter that is too slow.
A reliable scooter will have enough speed to quickly and safely get you to and from your destination.
Additional Features
Additional features like Bluetooth speakers aren’t usually the first thought people have when thinking of a reliable scooter, but you don’t want to ignore this.
If you’re going to be using your reliable scooter every day for work or getting to and from the store, having Bluetooth speakers will make you want to use it more because you can listen to your favorite music or podcasts while traveling.
Other additional features include GPS services and customizable settings.
What Are the Top Name Brand Scooters on the Market?
An electric scooter is an investment, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting a reliable scooter.
There are hundreds of options out there, but some are better than others. Name brands aren’t always better, but it doesn’t hurt to look into them for electric scooters.
These brands focus on providing safe, fun, and reliable scooters to people, so you know you’re getting something high-quality.
Of course, you should always do your own research and look at reviews to make sure other riders agree with their claims.
Some of the best name brand electric scooters on the market right now come from these companies:
Tips for Buying a Reliable Electric Scooter
While there are several characteristics of a reliable scooter like the battery life, how fast it can go, and so on, those are general guidelines.
Every person is different, and what may be a reliable scooter for you won’t be for another person.
Depending on how often you’ll use the scooter, where you’ll ride it, and even how much you weigh all factor into what makes a reliable scooter reliable for you.
Wheel Size
The smaller the wheels are, the more challenging it might be for you to ride.
When you’re not comfortable riding your electric scooter, it’s no longer a reliable form of transportation for you.
Wider wheels usually are more accessible to steel and ride, plus they make for a less bumpy ride.
The smallest wheels you’ll find on adult scooters are six inches, while the largest is 13. Most people prefer something in the middle, but the larger the wheel, the smoother your ride will be.
One thing to think about, though, is that, yes, the large wheels will provide a smoother ride, but they’re heavier and will make the total weight of the scooter heavier and potentially more challenging to carry.
Suspension
In addition to choosing an electric scooter with larger wheels, the proper suspension can help avoid bump rides too.
High-quality suspension is perfect if you’re riding on dirt roads, uneven concrete, or if there are other bumps in the street.
Suspension is also crucial for an electric scooter because it helps you accelerate, brake, and turn corners easily. The types of suspension that electric scooters can have are:
- Spring suspension
- Hydraulic suspension
- Rubber suspension
Spring suspension has fewer shocks because the spring and coil reduce the impact you feel when you’re riding.
The hydraulic suspension has an actuator that expands with liquid when you hit a bump in the road, preventing you from feeling super bumpy. Rubber suspension is ideal for absorbing impact.
Brakes
All electric scooters come with brakes to allow you to stop and slow down while riding safely.
When selecting your reliable electric scooter, there are four different types of brakes to choose from:
- Foot brakes: You press down on these with your foot, but they’re not as comfortable to use, even with their strong stopping power
- Electric brakes: These are easy to use, low maintenance, but they don’t stop as quickly as other brakes
- Disc brakes: These brakes have the best stopping power, and they’re relatively lightweight
- Drum brakes: These are inside your wheel hub and are low maintenance. They perform really well even in the rain or snow
Weight Limit
Another critical safety element when selecting a reliable scooter is the weight limit.
Each scooter has its own maximum weight limit, so be sure to choose one that suits your own weight. If you’re over the weight limit for the scooter you choose, it won’t be safe for you to ride.
Each electric scooter will have its own weight limit, and it can vary based on the company that’s producing the scooter.
On average, most electric scooters can accommodate adults that weigh between 220 and 265 pounds.
If you’re heavier than 265 pounds, you don’t have to miss out on having an electric scooter.
Plenty of companies offer scooters that hold adults well over 300 pounds. If you’re wondering what scooters can accommodate heavier adults, there are some options:
- Zero 10X Electric Scooter: Up to 330 pounds
- Emove Touring Electric Scooter: Up to 308 pounds
- Apollo Pro Electric Scooter: Up to 330 pounds
- Emove Cruiser Electric Scooter: Up to 352 pounds
Weight of the Scooter
When you’re commuting to and from work or elsewhere, the scooter’s weight will play a massive role in how reliable it is.
If you can’t carry it inside, downstairs, or for more than a few seconds, you’ll not want to use it.
If you’re not going to be carrying it often or at all, then the scooter’s weight probably won’t matter too much to you.
The lighter the scooter is, the better it will be for those who have to carry it around.
Smaller wheels will make the scooter lighter, and there are plenty of scooters out there that weigh approximately 20 pounds, give or take a few.
Where You’ll Ride the Scooter
You’ll want to consider where you’ll be riding your scooter. Does it rain a lot where you live? What about when it snows? Are there a lot of hills? All of these will impact how reliable your scooter is.
Most electric scooters can withstand a certain amount of water hitting them, but not all of them are considered waterproof or water-resistant.
If you know you’ll be riding the scooter in the rain or snow, you’ll want to look into one that can handle that without getting damaged.
As for those who live in areas with a lot of hills, having great suspension and high-quality brakes is that much more important.
You don’t want to be going downhill and unable to slow down fast enough.
Price
How much you’re willing to pay for an electric scooter will play a role in your choice. E-scooters aren’t exactly cheap, but there are plenty of affordable electric scooters that are under $500.
If you’re not on a budget or have saved up a significant amount of money, this may not matter.
High-quality electric scooters can run you anywhere from $600 to over $1,000.
If you’re on a budget, you’ll want to look into the features of all the more affordable scooters to make sure you’re still getting a reliable choice at a lower price point.
Do Your Research
While we’re here to provide you with information you’ll want to think about when choosing an excellent and reliable electric scooter, you should always do your own research before purchasing.
When scanning through product listings of electric scooters, you can look for what type of brakes they have, wheel size, the maximum speed, and other qualities.
It would be best to look for products that have a high star rating and plenty of customer reviews.
These reviews come directly from people who have used the electric scooter you’re looking at, so they better understand how it will function.
Benefits of Purchasing a Reliable Electric Scooter
The benefits of purchasing a reliable electric scooter are significant compared to something less reliable.
When you buy a reliable scooter, you’ll benefit from:
- You can avoid sitting in your car in traffic for hours on end
- They’re more eco-friendly than cars and public transportation
- They’re a lot of fun to ride
- The maintenance of an electric scooter is almost always more affordable than a car
- A reliable scooter will last longer than a non-reliable one, saving you time and money in the future
Keeping Your Electric Scooter Reliable
Of course, every scooter will eventually need some repair or maintenance, especially if you’re riding it daily.
Investing in a high-quality scooter will lessen the amount of money you spend in the long run on repairs.
The good news is that you can help keep your electric scooter reliable by performing preventative maintenance.
This includes cleaning the scooter regularly to prevent the build-up of dirt, which can cause parts not to work as well, and checking the scooter for performance issues.
You can check the tires before you leave every so often to ensure there’s enough traction and air and no holes in the tires.
Another thing you can do to keep your electric scooter as reliable as possible is never to overcharge it. Overcharging it can damage the battery and actually lower your battery life.
It’s not even the overcharging that damages it, but when a battery is plugged in for too long, it can overheat, which causes damage. Like your phone, you shouldn’t let the battery overheat while charging.
Final Thoughts
Electric scooters can be reliable forms of transportation!
A reliable electric scooter will be safe, have quality brakes and suspension, and will have a battery life that will last the duration of your commute and back home.
As long as you take the time to research high-quality brands and look into the features and maintenance required of the scooter, you’ll be riding around for a long time without any issues.
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