Electric scooters: the downsides, first

Tom's Guide's best overall and Wirecutter's runner-up: dual suspension, turn signals, an Eco mode and Apple Find My at a mid-range price. Real range is far below the advertised figure (about 10 miles in Sport mode for Tom's Guide), it weighs over 40 lb, and you must set it up in Segway's app before the first ride.

Real-world range: Claimed 34 miles in Eco mode (9 mph) or 17.5 miles in Sport mode. Tom's Guide got about 10 miles riding only in Sport mode. Wirecutter's 10-mile city loop left 3 of 10 bars.

Weight: 41.4 lb measured by Wirecutter (40.1 lb spec); 40 lb per Tom's Guide

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for the E3 Pro. Segway's older Max G30P and Max G30LP were recalled on 2025-03-20 (CPSC 25-193) for folding-mechanism failures; Wirecutter says both are discontinued.

Tom's Guide's pick for long distances and CNET's pick for speed, safety and style: 28 mph, dual suspension, 11-inch tires, disc brakes, turn signals and Apple Find My. It weighs 54 lb, the throttle could be jerky (partly fixed by firmware), and Tom's Guide's hard riding got far less than the claimed range. About 14% of Amazon ratings are 1-2 stars.

Real-world range: Claimed 50 miles in Eco mode or 25 miles in Sport mode. In its review, Tom's Guide calculated about 11 miles riding hard in Sport mode; its roundup reports about 17-20 miles riding hills at top speed.

Weight: 54.2 lb (Tom's Guide); CNET says 54 lb

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for the Max G3. Segway's older Max G30P and Max G30LP were recalled on 2025-03-20 (CPSC 25-193, about 220,000 units) because the folding mechanism could fail.

CNET's best electric scooter overall: dual motors, suspension, turn signals, self-healing tires and an app that can lock the wheels. At 46 lb it's heavy for a commuter, it doesn't fold small enough for some train seats, and Tom's Guide found the latch needs a jiggle.

Real-world range: Claimed 20-30 miles. Tom's Guide rode about 8 mostly flat miles at around 20 mph and used 28% of the battery.

Weight: 46 lb (Tom's Guide, CNET)

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for the Apollo Go. Apollo has had two other scooter recalls: Phantom V1/V2/60V (2023-08-31, CPSC 23-270) and City Model Year 2024 (2025-07-24, CPSC 25-402).

Tom's Guide's best off-road scooter: 11-inch tubeless tires, 6 inches of front suspension, disc brakes and Apple Find My, and it climbs most hills. It weighs 65.5 lb, the low-end throttle can jolt you forward, and range at top speed is about 15-20 miles.

Real-world range: Claimed 43.5 miles at 9.3 mph, or 18.6 miles at its 24.9 mph top speed. Tom's Guide's review works out to about 15.2 miles riding hard with steep hills; its roundup says about 20 miles at top speed.

Weight: 65.5 lb (Tom's Guide)

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for the ZT3 Pro (SaferProducts.gov recall search, checked 2026-10-11).

Wirecutter's top pick (updated 2026-10-08): it had the most battery left in both of its ride tests, holds speed up hills, and has automatic cruise control and a built-in cable lock. It has no eco mode, a short deck and a bulky charger, and RiderGuide found the rear-only brakes weak until adjusted and the throttle fussy to start.

Real-world range: Claimed range varies by listing. Wirecutter's G4 500W did two laps of a 3.68-mile park loop and still showed three of four bars, and finished a 10-mile city loop with 1.5 bars left. RiderGuide measured 14.6 miles with a 165 lb rider, about half the claimed range.

Weight: 38.7 lb measured by Wirecutter (37 lb spec); 37.4 lb measured by RiderGuide

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for the Gotrax G4 (SaferProducts.gov recall search, checked 2026-10-11).

Tom's Guide's pick for hills: up to 32 mph, full suspension, and turn signals on both the handlebars and deck. It weighs 57-65 lb and has a fiddly fold. In July 2025, CPSC announced a recall of about 790 Model Year 2024 City scooters because the stem weld could crack.

Real-world range: Apollo claims 40-43 miles in Eco (9 mph) and about 23 miles in Sport. Tom's Guide (2023 model) rode 9 miles in Sport at about 19 mph using 43% of the battery, so it found the 23-mile Sport estimate accurate.

Weight: 57 lb (single motor) or 65 lb (dual motor), per Tom's Guide's 2023 review

Recalls (CPSC): CPSC recall 25-402 (2025-07-24): about 790 Apollo City Model Year 2024 scooters (serials 4202240300001-4202240301236 and 4202240400001-4202240400764) because the stem weld can crack and break; 10 reports of cracking, four riders came off, one injury (abrasions). Remedy: stop using and get a free replacement stem from Apollo.

Tom's Guide's best budget scooter: air-filled tires and front suspension give a comfortable ride for about $349. It's slow on hills (4 mph on a 6% grade), tops out at 17 mph, and gets about 10 of its claimed 18 miles. Tom's Guide says it's sold only through NIU, Kohl's and Walmart.

Real-world range: Claimed 18 miles. Tom's Guide got about 10 miles and says to expect closer to 10 on a good day.

Weight: 38.1 lb (Tom's Guide spec)

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for NIU scooters (SaferProducts.gov recall search, checked 2026-10-11).

A popular budget scooter on Amazon (2,565 ratings) that Tom's Guide calls a solid value, with regenerative plus disc brakes and lights all around. Its solid 8.5-inch tires give a bumpy ride, it slowed to 3-4 mph on Tom's Guide's test hill, and real range is about 10 miles. Some Amazon owners report fender breakage and weak batteries.

Real-world range: Claimed 17 miles (150 lb rider, 77°F, flat ground). Tom's Guide estimated about 10 miles. Amazon owners are mixed: some report 20-21 miles, others say the battery dies faster than expected.

Weight: 29.5 lb per Tom's Guide; 35.5 lb per Hiboy's product page

Recalls (CPSC): No CPSC recall found for Hiboy (SaferProducts.gov recall search, checked 2026-10-11).