Several factors come into action while buying the best motorized scooter for adults. If it is your first scooter, there are so many things that you need to know before deciding which product or brand to opt for. Worried thinking about all these? No need to be. We are going to discuss all the key factors in this article. So, all you need to do is keep reading.
We will be starting by addressing some basic queries of newbie riders and proceed on to answer some of the complex and vital factors towards the determination of the right electric scooter for you. So, let us begin now.
What Do You Know About an “Electric Scooter”?
The concept of skateboards had brought the walking legs of the people to roll. However, skateboards or roller skates required manual efforts. Similarly, the fuel-aided motor scooter and bikes had an issue with eco-friendliness. This is where innovation came to the rescue, blending the concept of a motor-driven scooter with that of a skateboard to build a commuting device called an electric scooter.
The electric scooter ideally has 2 wheels, one each in the rear & front, along with a floorboard or deck for resting the foot and a handlebar to hold onto while riding. Three wheel electric scooter is also available, where there are 2 rear wheels and 1 front wheel. Just like the three wheel electric scooter, you can also find some models of one wheel electric scooter available online. The one wheel electric scooter is quite difficult than the ones we are discussing here.
The electric kick scooter is driven by a motor that is powered by a battery.

What Makes An Electric Scooter Different From a Motorized Normal Scooter?
The major differences that an electric kick scooter and a motorized scooter behold are the initial price, traveling experience, maintenance charges, and eco-friendliness. We will be discussing all the points one by one here.
Initial price
This does not require a broad explanation as it is obvious that the price of a motorized scooter that runs on fuel is higher than the one which runs on electricity. The price is higher because the cost of each of the components involved in the fuel scooter is very high adding up to the total cost. On the other hand, the electric scooter parts are very cheap and therefore the total cost is comparatively low.
Traveling Experience
Traveling on a petrol-run motorized scooter for adults would require the user to refill the tank at various intervals of travel. However, due to the availability of petrol pumps along various highways and other roads, it is quite easy to refill the tank, and therefore the user can travel longer distances.
On the other hand, finding a place to charge your electric scooter is not easy and also the thought of standing on the deck while commuting for long distances makes it hard. However, if you opt for an electric scooter with seat this can be eradicated.
Maintenance Charges
As we already mentioned, the electric scooter parts are cheaper compared to the ones used in a petrol-run scooter. Therefore, if parts need to be replaced as a part of maintenance the cost will always be higher for normal scooters.
Eco-friendliness
The most important differentiator is the pollution quotient. The motorized scooter for adults running on petrol emits harmful gasses into the environment whereas an e-scooter is pollution-free for being operated on batteries.
What will be the right size of scooter for heavy adults?
E-scooters come in various sizes but not all will suit you properly. You need to have the perfect size scooter to have a comfortable riding experience. Factors like height and width of handlebar along with length & width of footboard will come into picture while deciding the correct size of e-scooter.
If your height ranges between 5-6 feet, choose a board with a deck of about 22” length and 5” width. People with shorter heights should choose smaller decks while the ones who are above 6ft. should opt for larger decks. As far as handlebar width is concerned 20” is a standard width, however, the height of the bar is according to user preference always. Choose a bar that has a significant height above your waist and does not come near your mid-chest.
What an electric scooter under $500 has to offer its riders?
Well, it is always recommendable not to opt for cheaper products but if you are tight on budget and want to opt for some cheap electric scooters for adults, you can do so but you might end up not having all the high-end features. Let us quickly have a look at what features can we expect under this price range.
- Pneumatic tires enabling comfort
- Kickstart with good speed levels
- Fast charging with Digital display
- Lightweight & Portable
Why choose good quality scooters over cheaper ones?
You should never opt for cheap and low-quality products. The initial cost of an e-scooter is not that high and comes with an affordable budget. I highly recommend all the readers to always opt for the best quality when it comes to e-scooters.
Choosing a good-quality scooter will ensure a longer lifespan for the device and also you will be covered with a warranty on various digital and mechanical parts.

What is special about the electric scooter wheels?
The usual e-scooters come with pneumatic wheels which are filled with air just like the wheel of any other vehicle. There are also options where you get air-free wheels like solid wheels and polymer-filled wheels.
I would recommend you always opt for pneumatic as they enhance the quality of your ride.
Which kind of braking system should your electric scooter have?
The query perhaps requires a bit of restructuring here, it would sound better if it’s a choice for better cable drum brakes and disc brakes. Well, disc brakes are certainly more powerful in comparison, but the question is which would be best for you.
At first, you need to decide on your purpose of buying an adult electric scooter. If it is for a casual purpose, I would recommend you, go for cable drum brakes as they are low in maintenance and performs well even on wet roads. However, if you are fond of speeding, the best option would be disc brakes as they provide powerful braking which is effective to stop your scooter when at max speed.
Another thing which I would like to recommend to all the readers is that they should opt for at least 2 braking systems, perhaps a combination of electronic and regenerative braking would be the best choice.
Some top brands for low-end electric scooter
Low-end electric scooters are not that powerful in operation but are still preferred by many users due to their low initial cost.
Let me provide you with a list of the top 5 low-end scooter brands which you can choose from. So, here we go.
- Segway Ninebot ES2 e-scooter
- Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter for Ultra-Lightweight Adults
- GoTrax Apex E-scooter
- Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter
Why are the electric scooter considered as a cost-effective option?
The e-scooters are an obvious value-for-money product for every scooter lover. Firstly, the initial cost is quite low, and therefore with this, you can easily fulfill your wish of buying an e-scooter without having to invest much.
As it runs on batteries unlike the ones that run on petrol, the cost of operation is halved, and the electric scooters have a low maintenance cost. They are a good alternative to walking and can give you a comfortable commuting experience without putting in many physical efforts.
Factors affecting your choice of electric scooter
There can be so many deciding elements while you opt for buying the best electric scooter for heavy adults. However, not all of them would be your primary concerns while deciding upon the best electric scooter for yourself.
Here, we are going to discuss some of the most vital elements. So, let us begin now.
Design
The design is the first thing that you should look for in an e-scooter. A foldable electric scooter design will add to the portability. You also would like to get a sleek build with less wiring so that it is easy to commute.
Weight Carrying Capacity
Now, coming to the main focus of today’s discussion, the self balance scooter weight limit. As you belong to the category of heavy adults, I would strongly recommend you for an e-scooter having a user-weight carrying ability of 400-550 lbs.
For normal riders, the value is significantly low than the above-mentioned, ranging somewhere between 270-300lbs.
Charge retaining capacity
The life of the battery is very important as it will determine how long can you travel with a fully charged battery till you require to charge it again. If an e-scooter offers around 15-17 miles of charge retaining capacity, you can opt for that product.
Also, look for the charging time as it is vital to quickly charge the battery once empty. A charging time of 4-6 hours can be considered good.
Power of motor & Speed
Motor power will determine how fast you can move with your scooter. A motor with a power of around 250 W is supposed to be a good choice. However, if you want more power in your scooter you can opt for the models providing with a dual motor facility to generate some extra power.
Just now that we have discussed the motor power, the next thing is the speed offered by your scooter. A standard speed between 16-18mph is also a good pick.
Brakes
This is a key feature in your scooter and therefore you must choose wisely. While an adult electric scooter can have a mechanical, electronic, or regenerative braking system, it is always advised to opt for at least 2 types of braking so that even if one fails the other stands to support and save you.
You can opt for a combination of drum brakes with electronic brakes as a powerful braking system.
Tires
The most preferred tires for an e-scooter are pneumatic tires, the ones in which you will have to fill air manually. Some models also come with solid or air-less tires, however, it is always recommendable to old pneumatic tires for ensuring the smoothness of the ride.
Price
Another key factor in deciding which e-scooter you can buy is the price of the product. Small electric mobility scooters are available at cheap prices like $200 as well as at high prices like $3000 and it’s completely your decision to choose your price range.
However, I would recommend you always spend some more money rather than investing in cheap & low-quality products. A good product would cost somewhere around $600-$700.
Warranty
This is very helpful whenever you buy any electric-based product. A warranty covers your products for a certain period against some listed damages. So, you must lookout for a warranty of at least 1 year while buying your e-scooter.
Additional Lookouts
You can also look for some additional features like lighting. Some scooters feature LED lights for headlights and taillights. You can also look for the features like a digital display monitor over the handlebar if you are going to opt for a high-end model. If you are buying girls electric scooter, then the graphics & design will be a big factor.
How will you assemble an electric scooter?
This is a very easy process as most of the parts for an electric scooter bike comes assembled. All you need to do is fix the wheels and the handlebars to the deck. For doing this assemble you would require a 5mm range and a tire-air pump. Pull all the parts of the devices out of the box and lay the deck flat on a surface.
Now, install your handlebar by sliding it in the section created in the device to fit it. Use the 5mm range to tighten the bolts to affix the handlebar after they are aligned. The next step is to fill the tires with air and to do this you would require the pump. Remember, to inflate up to 35 psi because that is the ideal pressure for an e-scooter wheel.