My review of the most popular electric scooter brands(2020 edition)
Last year I got caught up in the electric scooter craze and came out with my 2019 wrap of my favorite products I got to try out. A lot has changed in the industry for consumer grade electric scooters since then, including the introduction of a lot more premium / vehicle grade scooters, some including dual-motors and swappable batteries. I decided to focus this article on these higher end set of electric scooters, those that appear to be the top contenders for mainstream US popularity going into 2020.
Last year my review focus was on scooters primarily in the $400–600 range, this year the lowest price point is with the Levy Plus at $699, and the highest being the Boosted Rev at $1599. As many people have probably realized in the last year — while you can certainly find sub $400 scooters on amazon — sometimes the added cost for these brands below is worth it for a vehicle you are using every day, and companies you are relying on to provide real support when things inevitably break down.
Before jumping into the actual reviews, let’s get the official specs out of the way. The current specs and prices of these electric scooters are all pulled from the websites of each company as of January 2020.
The Unagi Model One
I was really anxious to try this one out after waiting almost 2 months after I ordered for it to be delivered. In terms of physical appearance and sleek design, it definitely held up to their marketing. It’s also one of the lightest scooters I rode, but that comes with its own set of drawbacks — particular the bumpy / somewhat unstable handling on the pavement.
Pros: Very light and probably the fastest to fold scooter of this line up. The raw materials used in constructing this are top notch. Great if you need to carry this upstairs with you or you are using it for a multi-modal trip (including the subway/bus). It doesn’t take up a lot of space and honestly is a pretty cool looking accessory to carry around. Plenty of options to customize the color now was well.
Battery life is solid, although I’d recommend using the single motor setting unless you really need the extra acceleration or hill climbing to preserve the range. The optional dual motor feature is great if your commute involves a bridge and you want to some extra power during the incline, and then you can easily change it back to single motor once you are on a flat surface.
Cons: No manual brake / disc brake. I really didn’t like relying on just e-brakes. They are strong in the beginning but overtime the braking power starts to get reduced, and there really isn’t anything you can do about this since this is all built into the motors. However, their newest model does have a rear step break which adds a bit of safety — but I would much prefer a hand/disc brake.
Solid tires are on the smaller side and make for a very bumpy ride at times. And the fact that this model sits lower to the ground (based on handlebar height) at times I didn’t really feel that comfortable on it as a 175lb, 5’10” rider.
LCD screen was a bit glitchy when starting up / powering down sometimes, but I suspect these issues have been worked out since (I was told by their support — which in general was very responsive).
Segway Ninebot Max
I don’t personally own this one but had a chance to use one for a three day weekend. This thing is the opposite of the Unagi in terms of handling. Very stable, comfortable ride with 10 inch air filled tires — and smooth, solid braking power. It’s acceleration isn’t nearly as powerful as the Boosted Rev, but for an intermediate rider I think it offers plenty of power.
I never had to worry about battery range on this one, although I will say this model was only a few weeks old when I rode it. Because Segway doesn’t use high quality Panasonic / LG / Samsung batteries like every other scooter in this list, there are reports that the battery life can be degraded more quickly overtime, resulting in lower range performance.
Pros: Even without built in suspension, this scooter handles very well on rougher pavements. A plus if you are traveling longer distance on varying levels of surface quality. This is also a great choice for larger riders, not only with one of the widest floorboards (about the same as Boosted Rev), but also a much taller steering column than some of the other scooters.
Cons: HEAVY. Don’t plan on carrying this around with you. Folding also isn’t as fast as the Unagi, Levy, or Uscooter. But if you are keeping it in a lobby / garage or apartment with an elevator, it makes it much more manageable.
Customer support. In general my experience with Segway support has been the slowest of any of these brands I included, which makes sense given the volume they are dealing with. Hoping the model max proves more reliable and easier to service than the ES4 I reviewed last year.
Boosted Rev
Probably the most fun scooter to ride of all of these. If you are looking for something to just rip around on and have a good time with — couldn’t recommend anything more than the Rev. At times it felt a little too fast, but of course there are different speed modes you can choose with this. Putting it in the middle speed mode felt more akin to riding the Levy Plus or Model Max in terms of acceleration, which is still plenty of power for most.
I did really enjoy this scooter and don’t have many complaints (apart from the size and weight) — but I have to say I don’t think I would buy one of these outright for two reasons 1) the price and 2) it’s not really conducive to using as a commuter vehicle, which is my primary purpose for riding scooters.
Pros: Best acceleration, best speed, best at handling sharper turns, and felt very durable. Having the dual braking mechanisms is great feature as well. Most of the time I only needed to use the e-brake, but having the backup hand brake made me feel a lot more comfortable.
Boosted is a solid, well known company. I feel assured that they will continue to have great support and fast turnaround on issues given their larger distribution network in most major cities.
Cons: The heaviest of all of these. Folding mechanism also felt a bit sketchy at times and didn’t feel like it was hooked in all the way on the first try. But for this scooter, I didn’t really try to carry it around as much as the other, lighter models. Again, this isn’t something most people are going to be using to take down on the subway or stash away in a coffee shop with them.
I expected Boosted would come out with a scooter that had better range, but I think the trade off here is you get a lot of power that unfortunately can zap the battery fairly quickly. Riding in the sport mode didn’t get me nearly the stated 22 mile range, maybe closer to 11 or 12 miles.
Levy Plus
I was really excited to get my hands on this one, given the biggest complaint I had with the original Levy model last year was the limited range. Still one of the best value scooters out there with this new model currently priced at $699. The Plus has the same battery capacity as the Boosted Rev, but with a lower power motor at 350W. It’s not much heavier than their first model, this one coming in at about 31 lbs, still a great choice for commuters that need something to fold up and carry.
The other big upgrade is larger tires on this one, at 10” vs 8.5”. The first model already felt quite stable as a larger rider, but this one definitely offers an improvement in terms of ride smoothness over rough terrain.
Pros: Probably the biggest benefit of all the Levy scooters are the swappable batteries, especially if you plan to own long term. Being able to upgrade / replace batteries easily is a huge value add, something not any other consumer scooters on the market I’ve seen have.
Customer service is one of the most responsive out there — on par with Boosted / Unagi — which makes sense given they are another US based company. I also like that they have most parts on their website listed at reasonable prices, which is great if you are the DIY type and wanted to maintain this yourself after the 1 year warranty period.
For people that like the ES4 specs and price point but want something that handles better, this is a great choice. The pneumatic tires and mechanical disc brake on this make for a much more stable ride.
Cons: With a single 350W motor, it doesn’t have quite the acceleration as the Rev or Uscooter. If you plan on going up steep inclines, prepare for reduced speed closer to 15/16mph.
The battery itself doesn’t have a built in locking mechanism, which could be problematic if you plan on leaving these locked up outside. The upside is it only takes seconds to remove these batteries if you needed to throw one in your backpack.
Uscooter Booster V 36V
Despite the hefty price tag on this one, the specs vs. weight might just be worth it. While the acceleration isn’t as quick as Boosted, its top speed is plenty topping out at 25 mph. What’s more impressive is that all of this is packed into a scooter weighing less than 24 lbs.
For having solid tires, I found it rode much smoother than the Unagi. The front and rear suspension is quite affective at dampening the ride on uneven pavement. The adjustable handlebars are also a plus for larger riders. If you’re looking to minimize space storing this indoors or at work, it’s the smallest foldable scooter I have ridden.
Pros: Best power to weight ratio. A single 500W front motor provides plenty of power and top speed. It’s acceleration isn’t as good as the Boosted Rev, but personally I think that’s a good thing in terms of safety. It’s also extremely portable, the handlebars can also be collapsed down and the steering tube can be lowered.
In terms of materials used in construction, it seems very high quality. Not many plastic pieces on the body of this, so imagine it would hold well even in rough conditions.
Cons: I’m personally not a fan of scooters with solid rubber tires, although certainly they are easier to maintain not having to deal with flats. Despite this, the Uscooter has pretty good built in shock absorption, but not anywhere near the type of comfort you would get with riding the Model Max or Levy Plus with 10" air filled tires.
Summary
I think you really can’t go wrong with any of these scooters, it really just depends on what you are looking. There are a few however that really stand out.
Best Compact Scooter: Uscooter — For those with a higher budget that really are prioritizing something lightweight and portable. Most lighter models out there have nowhere near the speed or range of this one.
Best Value Scooter: Levy Plus — if you don’t care about having the ability to go over 24 mph, the Levy series continues to get you the most bang for your buck in terms of battery life, durability, and portability.
Best Weekender: Segway Model Max — with all day range and a sturdy build, this one is great for longer rides. If you are willing to sacrifice on speed, it’s also much more affordable than the Rev.
