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NIU

NIU KQi 100P Electric Scooter: the downsides first

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#7 of 8
$Budget commuterScore 3.3/5
Amazon 1–2 star share
not available

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).

Top complaints

What owners love

Good for
  • A first scooter on flat routes
  • Teens moving up from a kids' scooter
  • Short trips of under 10 miles

Scores (tap for why)

What experts say

  • Tom's Guide (best electric scooters): Best budget (updated 2026-07-29): inexpensive and comfortable with nice features, but not powerful enough for hills, and range is much less than 18 miles in practice.
  • Tom's Guide (NIU KQi 100P review): Review: one of the cheapest scooters the reviewer would recommend; best on flat terrain and for smaller riders.
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If that catch is a deal-breaker

Highly ranked electric scooters whose biggest complaint is something else.

#1 in electric scootersSegway Ninebot E3 Pro Electric Scooter

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.

Its catch: range well short of the claim#2 in electric scootersSegway Ninebot Kickscooter Max G3

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.

Its catch: twitchy throttle#3 in electric scootersApollo Go Electric Scooter

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.

Its catch: heavy for a commuter

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