If you walk to work, you might have been thinking about getting a scooter to speed up the process. A scooter will mean you can spend longer in bed and get home from work faster, and you’ll also find a scooter easy to get on and off public transport with. The question then might be, “Do I need an electric scooter or a kick scooter?”
Once we’ve answered that question, we’ll have a look at the pros and cons for electric scooters and kick scooters. Finally, we’ll finish off the article with a quick look at some of the best kick and electric scooters available in 2019.
What is a kick scooter?
A kick scooter is basically the same style of a scooter as you may have had as a child. You stand on a platform and propel yourself by kicking your back foot off the ground. Once you’re up to speed, you can stop kicking, stand on the platform, and let the scooter roll where you need to go.
You should get to where you’re going much faster than if you were walking. A kick scooter can travel easily at around 9 mph, and walking you would be going around 2.5 to 3 mph. A kick scooter is then around 3 times as fast as walking, and you’ll also save a little bit of energy thanks to the times when you’re coasting.
What is an electric scooter?
An electric scooter is a kick scooter with a motor that does all the leg work for you. You jump on the scooter, press your throttle, and away you go. Most electric scooters will do around 15 to 18 mph. The reason for this is that once you get over 20 mph, you are essentially driving a motor vehicle in the eyes of the law.
>>> Check out our article about the best electric scooter accessories here <<<
What are the pros and cons?
Weight
Both electric scooters and kick scooters will be light enough to make getting on and off public transport easy. You should also be able to carry them upstairs to your work easily, especially if you fold them up and this will make them both easier to stash.
The kick scooter will be a lot lighter though. The main weight in an electric scooter is the battery and motor, and without them, the kick scooter will be under half the weight of an e-scooter. If you are carrying your scooter a lot, the kick scooter will be the winner in this category.
Servicing
A kick scooter will not require a lot of servicing. You’ll need to grease the headset and bearings occasionally, perhaps pump up your tires if you have a model featuring pneumatic tires, and occasionally have to tighten bolts. An electric scooter will be pretty similar, except in 1 way.
A battery in an electric scooter can be expected to last between 1 and 3 years. The life of the battery can vary due to how you charge your battery and how you use the scooter. For most people, we would be looking at 2 years of service.
You can buy new batteries for your scooter, but you’ll find that a new battery costs almost the same as a new scooter. Part of this is because there is a lot of research work being done on lithium batteries, so the cost is coming down all the time, which means that buying a new scooter every 2 years will bring you a better scooter, rather than carrying on with an outdated version.
Fitness
To get going on your kick scooter you’ll want to be pretty fit, to begin commuting with one. You’re the motor and battery for the scooter. If you don’t want to arrive at work a sweaty mess, then you’ll want to be slightly fitter or travel at slower speeds, to begin with.
With an electric scooter, you have a choice. You can have the scooter do all the work, and you just pilot the scooter. You can also use an electric scooter like a kick scooter. That way you can use the scooter to help boost your fitness slowly and know that if you need a rest, you can use your motor and recover. Slowly you’ll find yourself getting fitter and able to propel your scooter faster as time goes by.
Price
If you want to save money, then both a kick scooter and an electric scooter will save you a lot of money on gas or public transport. Evening paying for electricity an electric scooter will save you hundreds of dollars on your gas bill. That is even before we work out how much cheaper an e-scooter is compared to a car.
If we go further, we’ll expect a kick scooter to be cheaper than an electric scooter. If you think about this, it is only common sense. An electric scooter is simply a kick scooter with an added motor and battery. You’ve therefore got to pay for the extra parts.
The best kick scooters available
Swagtron K8 Titan
Click here to check the price on Amazon.
| Key Features |
| · ABEC 9 bearings |
| · 200mm wheels |
| · Ergonomic grips |
Swagtron scooters are the brand of choice for the Chicago Cubs, that may stand in their favor or against it. Swagtron is a huge scooter brand, and you’ll also find that they have 7-days a week customer service located in America.
The Swagtron K9 Titan is designed to be the commuting kick scooter of choice for adults. As such, it has a weight limit of 220 pounds. To keep you comfy when you’re using the scooter on the streets, it features ergonomic grips. These grips hold your wrists and arms in the right position, so they don’t get too fatigued from vibrations from the ground.
Another way to keep you comfortable is that the K9 Titan features 200mm wheels. These wheels are urethane so you’ll never need to worry about punctures, or having to inflate your tires. Once you’ve got the 200mm wheels up to speed, you’ll find that the wheels are equipped with ABEC 9 bearings. These bearings will keep the scooter rolling and you on your way to work for minimal effort.
Razor A5 Lux
Click here to check the price on Amazon.
| Key Features |
| · Patented rear brake |
| · Patented folding design |
| · Kickstand |
Razor is a name that is almost synonymous with scooters. They have been around for a while, and that is why the Razor A5 Lux contains many patented designs. It benefits from Razor’s patented rear brake. The brake works efficiently and will slow you down even on steep hills. Making the Razor a great choice if you live somewhere hilly.
If you need to jump on and off public transport you’ll find that the patented Razor folding design makes this easy. Your scooter will fold up quickly and as it is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum. If you are popping into a shop for a minute, you’ll find the included kickstand means you can leave your scooter safely standing without any need to fold it down.
The best electric scooters
Xiaomi Mi
Click here to check the price on Amazon.
| Key Features |
| · Red Dot “Best of the Best” Award |
| · 18.6-mile range |
| · 15.5 mph top speed |
The Xiaomi Mi is one of the most popular electric scooters available. The reasons for this are fairly numerous. The first one is that it is simply a great looking scooter, and that is closely followed by its range of 18.6 miles. It can achieve this range at a top speed of 15.5 mph. The Xiaomi Mi will get you to and from work quickly and in style.
The Mi has also won various awards, such as the Red Dot “Best of the Best” Award and the iF Design Award 2017. The reason the Xiaomi won is that not only is a great commuting scooter, but it also has features built-in that make you safer.
The scooter comes with headlights and taillights. You’ll then be visible to other commuters regardless of the weather and the time of day. The motor also runs a double braking system so if you need to stop in a hurry you can.
Swagtron High-Speed Electric Scooter
Click here to check the price on Amazon.
| Key Features |
| · 320 pounds weight limit |
| · 12-mile range |
| · 18 mph top speed |
The Swagtron High-Speed Electric Scooter has a name that nicely tells you everything you need to know. The Swagtron is certainly high speed and is capable of being ridden at 18 mph. Riding it at this speed will shorten its range though. The Swagtron comes with a possible top range of 12 miles. If you ride it at 18 mph, you can expect around half that distance though.
If you have a short commute and don’t want to waste time, then the Swagtron is the perfect scooter for you. It only takes 3.5 hours to charge so you should also be able to safely charge it while you’re at work.
Swagtron have designed the scooter to be robust. It’ll take the accidental knocks and spills you might have. That is why it also comes with a weight limit of 320 pounds. To keep you comfortable when your riding along you’ll find that the scooter comes with pneumatic wheels and you’ll need to keep them inflated if you want to keep your speeds high and protect your battery life.
Conclusion
Choosing between an electric scooter and a kick scooter may by a close call. I would consider distance as a first criteria in my decision. You will arrive to school/work tired after 3 miles of kicking your back foot off the ground, but it’s a mile only ride, the price of a kick scooter makes it more attractive.
The speed is also important. Riding a kick scooter at high speed might be too much for a summer morning. You don’t want to arrive at work all sweaty.
What do you think it’s the best option for your ride, a kick scooter or an electric one?
>>> BEFORE YOU GO! Check out our article about the best electric scooter accessories here <<<
electric scooters are incompetent to kick scooters. electric scooters don’t compare to kick scooters.