Best electric scooter 2023: Switch up how you get around with a speedy e-scooter
Our favourite tried and tested electric scooters you can buy in 2023
When it comes to choosing the best electric scooter for you, it’s easy to think that they’re all largely the same, but that’s far from the truth. In terms of design, there are definitely similarities, but when you look at each model’s specifications, you will notice significant variations in top speed, mileage, charge time, weight, maximum load and even features like water resistance and security.
Before we go any further: although e-scooters remain exceptionally popular in the UK, it is still currently illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter on UK roads, as explained in detail in our buying guide. The British government has pushed back the decision on legality, with no current plans to make changes to legislation in 2023.
Below our at-a-glance list of the best electric scooters you can buy right now, you will find our more detailed reviews of all our top picks. After that, there’s a detailed buyer’s guide, which should help to answer any questions you might have before purchasing your new electric scooter.
Best electric scooters: At a glance
- Best electric scooter: Pure Air | £399
- Best value for money: Xiaomi Pro 2 | £480
- Best long range scooter: Pure Air Pro LR | £549
How to choose the best electric scooter for you
Choosing an electric scooter isn’t as easy as you might think, and there are also some legal questions to consider before buying one. The following section should help you decide on what sort of electric scooter you’re looking for and whether you feel fully comfortable buying one. We will start off with the laws surrounding electric scooters in the UK, US and Europe.
Are rental e-scooters legal in the UK?
The UK Department for Transport has legalised the use of rental electric scooters in specific UK cities, with more cities being added to the list every month. You can ride rental e-scooters on roads, cycle lanes and tracks – provided you have a UK provisional or full driving licence – but not on pavements. Vehicles are limited to 15.5mph and helmets are recommended but not mandatory. The government will monitor the use of rental e-scooters and their impact on the UK public transport space before considering whether or not to legalise private electric scooters on UK roads.
Are privately owned e-scooters legal in the UK?
Private electric scooters are classified as “personal light electric vehicles” in the UK, which means that you’re only legally allowed to use them on private land with the landowner’s permission. If you’re caught riding one on roads or pavements, you could be fined and receive six points on your driving licence. This situation may be about to change, however, with the UK Government saying that expanding the legal use of e-scooters will be a priority in 2022. The Government set out the plans in the Queen’s speech on 10 May 2022. Since then, however, the final ruling has been indefinitely delayed.
Are electric scooters legal in the US?
While private electric scooters are legal in most US states, rules tend to differ from state to state. While some states such as California have embraced them, making them a common sight on roads, other states have different legislations – including strict speed limits, helmets below a certain age or only street use – to ensure safety. Some states even require you to have a driving licence to ride an e-scooter.
Are electric scooters legal in Europe?
Just like with US states, different European countries have different e-scooter laws. While many European countries initially banned them, most countries have now softened their stance. They are now legal to ride in most European tourist hubs including France, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands, but each of these countries has different laws regarding the use of helmets, maximum speed limit and so on.
Is there anything else I should know?
How fast and far do you want to go, and how often?
The main differences between electric scooters relate to how fast they can go, how far they can go and how often you will need to charge them. If you’re planning to use one for your commute, it’s worth considering the total mileage you need to cover daily, and how quickly you would like to be travelling on it. Also, consider whether your electric scooter will be able to complete your commute in both directions without needing a recharge, which will save you the hassle of carrying its charger around all day.
How much should you spend?
Most of the good adult electric scooters cost around £400, but if you want longer mileage between charges, then you’re looking at something nearer to the £600 mark. Generally speaking, you will see longer-lasting batteries, higher speeds and better mileage the more you’re willing to spend. But if you’re planning on using your scooter for only an hour or two each day, you may be better off choosing a good affordable or mid-range unit instead.
Do you need a helmet when riding an electric scooter?
Electric scooters are relatively easy to carry and control but it’s important to be safe while riding them. The use of helmets isn’t mandatory when riding a rental e-scooter in the UK, but we always recommend wearing one. Even though electric scooters are really easy to control, it’s better to be safe than sorry. There’s no reason not to purchase a helmet because you can get one for as little as £20 from most reputableable online retailers.
Precautions to take before riding your electric scooter for the first time
Electric scooters are relatively easy to operate, but if you haven’t ridden one before, their speed and manoeuvrability can take some getting used to. Before riding your electric scooter in any crowded space, we recommend getting a hang of it for about an hour in a secluded area. Apart from checking all its features (including if any are hidden within an accompanying app), pay careful attention to how much pressure you need to apply to the throttle to accelerate, and to the brakes when you need to slow down or halt. While riding, it’s a good habit to always keep one hand on the brake, so you don’t lose control of your electric scooter.
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The best electric scooters you can buy in 2023
1. Pure Air: Best electric scooter
Price when reviewed: £399 | Check price at Pure Electric
If there’s one electric scooter that we can’t recommend highly enough, it’s the Pure Air. After launching last year, Pure Electric made some much-needed tweaks to the second generation of this e-scooter, including a bigger 500W motor that provides better acceleration and sharper climbing ability from the get-go. With its IP65 water resistance, the scooter is built for British conditions and unpredictable weather. It also has a maximum load capacity of 120kg, which is 20kg higher than most other e-scooters on this list.
In terms of features, this year’s version has app compatibility that lets you lock the motor if you need to leave your scooter unattended for a few minutes. Even though it doesn’t have cruise control, this scooter is a dream to ride, mainly because of its 10in pneumatic puncture-resistant tyres that guarantee a smooth journey, regardless of what surface you’re riding on.
Read our full Pure Air review
Key specs – Range: 18.6 miles; Top speed: 15.5mph; E-scooter weight: 17kg; Maximum rider weight: 120kg; Charge time: 5hrs 30mins; Motor power: 500W
2. Xiaomi Pro 2: Best-value electric scooter
Price when reviewed: £480 | Check price at Mi
If there’s one electric scooter brand name we trust it’s Xiaomi. The company not only made one of the most popular e-scooters to date, the Xiaomi M365, but it has also continued to deliver spectacular results with the new generation of e-scooters – the 1S and our favourite model of the bunch – the Pro 2, which is essentially an upgrade of the discontinued Xiaomi M365 Pro. When it comes to build quality, price and features, you will find that the Xiaomi Pro 2 is a hard electric scooter to beat.
It provides a great range of 28 miles per charge, meaning that you can go at least a few trips without charging the scooter, and its 14.2kg weight makes it much easier to carry than any of Pure Air’s offerings. The 8.5in pneumatic tyres provide a firm grip on any surface and we love its cruise control feature, which lets you take your hand off the accelerator throttle from time to time. The only downside is that you cannot ride this e-scooter in wet weather and it only accommodates a maximum rider weight of 100kg, neither of which should be a problem for most people.
Read our full Xiaomi Pro 2 review
Key specs – Range: 28 miles; Top speed: 15.5mph; E-scooter weight: 14.2kg; Maximum rider weight: 100kg; Charge time: 8hrs 30mins; Motor power: 300W
3. Carrera impel is-2: Best e-scooter for security features
Price when reviewed: £549 | Check price at Halfords
The Carrera impel is-2 keeps the chunky and sturdy aesthetic of its predecessor, which used to occupy this position on the list, but includes a bigger, 480Wh battery instead. That means its range is four miles longer, while the wheels have also been boosted to 10in from 8.5in and a new cruise control feature makes life easier for your thumb.
The Carrera impel is-2 performed well in our tests, even when going up tricky hills or over knotty tree roots. The brakes were effective, as were the LED lights, and the company’s excellent security features – such as the electric alarm and cable lock – are still in place.
While the impel is-1 remains a decent and cheaper choice, there’s a lot to recommend the Carrera impel is-2, especially if you will be scooting over rough surfaces or need a longer range.
Read our full Carrera impel is-2 review
Key specs – Range: 22 miles; Top speed: 15.5mph; E-scooter weight: 19.6kg; Maximum rider weight: 120kg; Charge time: 4hrs; Motor power: 350W
4. TurboAnt X7 Pro: Best electric scooter with a removable battery
Price when reviewed: $550 (Roughly £442) | Check price at TurboAnt
The TurboAnt X7 Pro is an excellent choice if you’re new to the world of electric scooters: it’s comparatively light while being solid, it looks great, the handlebar controls are easy to use and, most importantly, it’s a smooth ride thanks to the 350W motor. It’s reasonably quiet too.
However, it’s the rare removable battery that makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s a 36V, 10Ah affair that claims a range of a whopping 30 miles on flat roads in Comfort mode. In our tests, we found it lasted half that in Sport mode in a moderately hilly area, which is still comparable to its close rivals. The battery takes six hours to charge from empty to full.
Elsewhere, the TurboAnt X7 Pro’s 10in pneumatic tyres take the sting out of bumpy surfaces (including, as you can see in the photo above, grass), while you can be confident that the brakes will halt a steep descent and that the bright LED lights will make you visible at night.
The TurboAnt X7 Pro is an impressive all-rounder, delivering everything you would need from an electric scooter along with a handy removable battery. We would have liked a bit more hill-climbing grunt, but that’s nitpicking.
Read our full TurboAnt X7 Pro review
Key specs – Range: 30 miles (in Comfort mode); Top speed: 20mph; E-scooter weight: 14.6kg; Maximum rider weight: 125kg; Charge time: 6hrs; Motor power: 350W
5. Reid E4 Plus: Best scooter with solid rubber wheels
Price when reviewed: £525 | Check price at Mi Scooter
Most electric scooters these days come with solid rubber wheels. While these have obvious advantages like never having to worry about a puncture, we are apprehensive about wholeheartedly recommending them because they don’t guarantee a comfortable ride compared to pneumatic tyres, like the ones on the Pure Air and Xiaomi range. Rubber wheels on the Ninebot Segway series, for example, have resulted in us feeling every bump when riding on even slightly uneven terrain.
The Reid E4 Plus is the first electric scooter with solid rubber wheels that we’ve found a true pleasure to ride, thanks to its brilliant 10in wheels with “in-cellular” tyres. These tyres have holes within the wheels that aim to absorb and negate any additional impact. We also loved its underdeck lights that pulsate different colours. Even though it’s purely aesthetic, it’s sure to catch the eye when you’re riding at nighttime. The scooter also has one of the brightest headlights we’ve seen.
Read our full Reid E4 Plus review
Key specs – Range: 17 miles; Top speed: 15mph; E-scooter weight: 14kg; Maximum rider weight: 100kg; Charge time: 5hrs; Motor power: 350W
6. Pure Air Pro LR: The scooter with the longest range
Price when reviewed: £549 | Check price at Pure Electric
Pure Electric’s third entry in our list is its most recent release. LR stands for “long-range”, so it’s good to see that the scooter lives up to its name delivering an incredible 37 miles on a single charge. All this comes at a price though – this scooter is one of the most expensive on our list. But it’s well worth it, especially if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like charging your e-scooter often, or worrying about your battery running out mid-ride.
The Pure Air Pro LR retains many of Pure Air’s market-leading features, including IP65 water resistance, a maximum rider weight of 120kg and comfortable 10in pneumatic tyres that offer a comfortable ride on almost any hard surface. However, the scooter has two distinguishing factors that separate it from its cousins. The Pure Air Pro LR has a maximum motor wattage of 700W, meaning you get better acceleration and climbing ability than all other Pure Air offerings, and it has an upgraded design with a new, sleek skateboard-like deck that we’re huge fans of.
Read our full Pure Air Pro LR review
Key specs – Range: 37.2 miles; Top speed: 15.5mph; E-scooter weight: 17.5kg; Maximum rider weight: 120kg; Charge time: 9hrs 30mins; Motor power: 500W
7. Indi EX-2: The most stylish electric scooter
Price when reviewed: £359 | Check price at Halfords
If your budget can’t stretch to some of the pricier models on our list, you can still travel in style with the wallet-friendly Indi EX-2. With a distinct, attractive chrome design and a reasonable 18-mile maximum range, it’s an affordable option that offers great value for money.
Although users who anticipate needing to routinely make long-distance journeys might want to opt for a more premium scooter, the Indi EX-2 packs more than enough power for most purposes. It can zip along at up to 15.5mph and the 350W motor is capable of climbing all but the most demanding gradients. It’s also easy and smooth to control thanks to an effective rear electronic brake, a large deck and surprisingly comfortable 8.5in pneumatic tyres.
At just 14.7kg, the EX-2 has an advantage over some of its heftier rivals in terms of portability. Plus, it easily folds up for more manageable transportation.
Read our full Indi EX-2 review
Key specs – Range: 18 miles; Top speed: 15.5mph; E-scooter weight: 14.7kg; Maximum rider weight: 100kg; Charge time: 4.5hrs; Motor power: 350W
8. Eskuta KS-450: Best e-scooter for handling
Price when reviewed: £469 | Check price at Eskuta
The Eskuta KS-450 is a lightweight, comfortable electric scooter with an array of impressive features. Chief among them is the ability to remove the 230Wh battery from its housing in the front stem, a smart design choice that means it can be charged separately from the scooter. More importantly, it also allows you to double the scooter’s range by carrying a spare battery with you on longer journeys.
Riding it is a pleasant, smooth experience due to the powerful dual-braking system and the ease with which the 10in tyres move over both paved and rougher surfaces, such as cut grass. There’s also a splashproof IPX4 rating and effective front and rear lights to help you ride safely in wet, dark conditions.
At just 13.5kg, the KS-450 is fairly portable when you’re not riding it, plus a spare battery unit only weighs 1.5kg, making it relatively hassle-free to slip a spare into your bag. This is an impressive, good-value e-scooter that should appeal to anyone who’s content with a 15.5mph top speed and a smaller initial range.
Read our full Eskuta KS-450 review
Key specs – Range: Up to 30 miles; Top speed: 15.5mph; E-scooter weight: 13.5kg; Maximum rider weight: 120kg; Charge time: 3hrs; Motor Power: 350W