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Best Electric Scooters of 2019 - Review Of The Top Models

Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:31 am
by Edmund
Looking at the Best Electric Scooters You Can Buy in 2019. In a previous review, we found who makes Bird, Lime, and other rental scooters. In this review, we're doing a detailed look at scooters including the Xiaomi M365, the Ninebot ES2, GoTrax GXL, and the Swagtron Swagger 5.

Ninebot ES2
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Where to buy:
Segway Ninebot ES2 – eBay
Segway Ninebot ES2 – Amazon

Starting with the most common scooter models used by Bird, Lime, and Jump is the Segway Ninebot ES2. It retails for $600, but can be hard to find and sometimes sold out due to popular demand. It has the best electric scooter design, longest range available, quickest acceleration, and fastest top speed out of all the scooters we tested.

You also have an app where you can track battery life, and customize ride modes, braking resistance, cruise control, and even custom color under glow lights. It features a digital screen on the top, which displays current speed, ride mode, and battery life remaining. The front headlight is bright and the scooter also features two rear taillights.

The Segway is one of the best electric scooters because it has three modes, speed limit mode, standard mode, and sport mode. It also features cruise control, which is a feature the rental scooters do not have. When you turn on cruise control it keeps your current speed after holding the acceleration steady for five seconds. If you touch either the brake, or the acceleration it turns off cruise control.

For brakes, the ES2 has both front and rear brakes. The front uses the front motor to slow you down. You also have a rear brake you can use with your foot. For tires, the Segway has solid rubber tires, which means you never have to worry about tire pressure, or flats. This also causes you to feel more bumps in the road. Segway did add a front shock, and rear suspension to help absorb some of the rough terrain.

You can also buy an additional range battery that costs between $200 and $250, and is sold separately. The battery increases top speed from 15 miles per hour to 19 miles per hour, and increases range up to 28 miles instead of 15 miles. We bought the extra battery. We noticed a big difference in acceleration as well. When riding in the fastest mode around the city, we are getting between 18 to 20 miles of range.

For folding and carrying, the Segway ES2 has the best electric scooter mechanism tested. It has a fold down lever that you press with your foot. The front bar clips directly onto the rear, and you can grab and carry. Keep in mind with the extra battery it adds five pounds to the weight making the scooter very heavy at 32 pounds.

Xiaomi M365
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Where to buy:
Xaiomi M365 – eBay
Xaiomi M365 – Amazon

This is the original scooter Bird started using. If you’re able to find a M365 you will notice it has a simple and clean design. The batteries are stored in the bottom of the foot stand compared to the Segway where the batteries are stored in the front bar. This means it feels more balance while riding.

It has air-filled tires, which provide cushion when going over bumps and cracks. It also has a mechanical rear disc brake similar to what you have on a bike. The benefit is it's more dependable than the Segway ES2’s electronic brake and can be adjusted to be stronger or weaker. However, it does require more maintenance in the long term, such as having to replace brake pads.

The M365 also folds. However, the pull down mechanism can be difficult to pull down. For weight, the scooter is 27 pounds, which is heavy. You wouldn't want to carry this up more than a small flight of stairs. The M365 also has an app where you can customize the ride modes, braking resistance, and track your battery, range, mileage, and much more. The battery range on the M365 is where it shines. Xiaomi advertises a range of 18 miles. In real world testing actual range was even more with 20 miles of range on this scooter.

GoTrax GXL
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Where to buy:
GoTrax GXL - eBay
GoTrax GXL - Amazon
GoTrax GXL - GoTrax.com

Gotrax GXL review. If you want a simple, clean, and well-priced electric scooter, this is the top choice. It retails on Amazon for $300, and is usually in stock. The GXL has a blacked out look, sleek design with little branding. It has a digital display, so you can see battery remaining, and speed, along with a bright front LED. There's two riding modes you can choose from. Mode 1 is the eco mode. Mode 2 will get you to 17 miles per hour with quick acceleration. You have one throttle to accelerate, and another for the front brake.

The scooter also has a unique rear brake that uses a foot pedal in the rear. Having both front and rear brakes makes a big difference. We found the scooter has the best electric scooter stopping of any we have tested so far. The only downside is the GXL does not have an app, and there's also no rear taillight. You also don't have features such as cruise control. The motor is also a bit noisier than most of the other scooters tested. The rear brakes also needed a little bit of adjusting, to keep them from rubbing or squeaking.

For range, it's advertised at 12.5 miles. We found that to be accurate. On a long steady ride we were able to go 11 miles and still have one and a half bars remaining in top speed mode. In the city we stop and go. You should expect less, around 8 to 10 miles depending on what mode you ride. For the price, we think this is currently the best electric scooter deal for 2019. You can get one on Amazon for $460 with Prime shipping.

Swagtron Swagger 5
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Where to buy:
Swagtron Swagger 5 – eBay
Swagtron Swagger 5 – Amazon
Swagtron Swagger 5 – Swagtron.com

Finally, we tested the Swagtron Swagger 5. This scooter comes in at $300 from a company called Swagtron. It's not the best brand name for a company and unfortunately, they like to advertise it on the scooter. Some tape or spray paint can go a long way in fixing this. Branding aside, this scooter looks almost identical to the M365, and also similar to the GXL. The Swagger has a rear mechanical brake just like a bike.

The Swagger 5 has three riding modes. The first two are pretty slow, and the third has a top speed of up to 18 miles per hour. The acceleration is steady, but not as quick as the other scooters such as the GXL. The scooter does have an app you can connect to. The design looks a little older, but you can track your ride, change gears, and track your battery life.

Battery life, and range, this is where Swagger fell short. On a long bike path, real world range was noted at only 9 miles before the battery ran out. In city riding with a slight uphill, range decreased to 5 miles. The battery meter on the scooter also fluctuates due to it calculating voltage and not actual battery remaining. Swagtron has promised a future update will fix this. The scooter does come with a phone mount and a bell, which are nice add-ons.

Summary

Overall, each scooter had different acceleration and braking. The Segway ES2 has the best electric scooter acceleration from all four tested. Meanwhile, the M365 has good acceleration, coming in close to the ES2. The GXL has quick acceleration that also impressed us. Finally, the Swagger with the least acceleration.

For braking, the ES2 has rear brakes, but it is not very strong and cannot stop on a dime. The ES2 also has a higher top speed, and braking quickly from 19 miles per hour will require both front and rear brake at the same time. The M365 has a rear disc brake and can stop faster than the ES2. Finally, the GXL has both a front motor brake and a rear disc brake, so it can stop the quickest.

Finally, here's how we would rank the scooters based on our tests. The Ninebot Segway ES2 is the top scooter with the most range, features, speed, and extras. However, it's the most expensive at $650, plus another $200 if you want the extended battery. The Segway ES4 is the bundle with the extra battery, so you can save money. The GoTrax's GXL is the best electric scooter for your money coming in at $460, and can be found on sale for less. It's clean. It's simple and quick while still having great range. The Xaiomi M365 also known as The Mi is a great scooter for $600. While more expensive, it does have great range with the built in battery and smooth acceleration and braking.

Re: Best Electric Scooters of 2019 - Review Of The Top Models

Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 5:59 pm
by Krabbanshand
I agree that all scooters in your list are somewhat decent but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the Swagger. Its mediocre at best I would say. Also I'd get one of the turbowheel/zero scooters on the list. I mean there are little that comes across those in terms of value for your money. The new X from minimotors are insane sure but its very pricey :) Other than that a good list of scooters for the average joe :)

Re: Best Electric Scooters of 2019 - Review Of The Top Models

Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:58 pm
by Edmund
Couldn't agree more on the Turbowheel. If you're spending four figures on a scooter it's the one to get. It made the list of Fastest Electric Scooters as the best bang for the buck!

The Swagtron is essentially a M365 knock off for cheap. If money is a factor it's worth considering. Although you can now get a M365 for under $400. Save your money, the M365 is the way to go. If you're looking to customize there is no better option.
Krabbanshand wrote:
Thu Oct 03, 2019 5:59 pm
I agree that all scooters in your list are somewhat decent but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the Swagger. Its mediocre at best I would say. Also I'd get one of the turbowheel/zero scooters on the list. I mean there are little that comes across those in terms of value for your money. The new X from minimotors are insane sure but its very pricey :) Other than that a good list of scooters for the average joe :)