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Oct 14, 2024

10 Best Electric Scooters for Kids - We Test Every Scooter We Recommend!

Several years ago, electric scooters for kids became an overnight sensation. While they were originally heavy, bulky, and finicky, they’ve come a looooooong way in the last few years. While Razor

Several years ago, electric scooters for kids became an overnight sensation. While they were originally heavy, bulky, and finicky, they’ve come a looooooong way in the last few years.

While Razor electric scooters are still a major player in the kids electric scooter market, brands like Segway and GoTrax have also been innovating to bring a lot of solid options to the table.

So what’s the best electric scooter for your boy or girl? We tested 13 different kids electric scooters from all the major scooter brands. After months of testing, we determined that some electric scooters are definitely better than others.

From wheel size and material to throttle type and spring shock dampening, check out our list below to discover what’s great (or not so great) about each of our favorites. Or, click here to skip to the bottom to read our Electric Scooters for Kids Buying Guide.

Visual learner? Watch all of our favorite scooters in action in this video review!

While most electric scooters go 10 mph or more, that is really fast for a young kid! For kids under 8, several brands make electric scooters with lower maximum speeds. This is a much safer alternative for an electric scooter for little kids who are not developmentally ready to go so fast.

While the Ninebots boast a ton of features, the GoTrax GKS sticks to the basics to keep the price tag down. The GKS has two main things going for it.

First, its slower max speed of just 7.5 mph allows younger kids to safely ride an electric scooter. And while most other electric scooters end up going really fast down steeper hills, we found that the GKS maintained a relatively slow speed on the downhill. This is a huge safety win for young riders.

Second, this little kids electric scooter has a unique foot-engaged, kick-to-start throttle which is another safety benefit for young kids. To get the GoTrax GKS started, a child places their foot on the front deck button and kicks off the ground to get the scooter moving.

Once the scooter is moving 1.8 mph, the child places their rear foot on the rear button to enage the motor and accelerate to 7.5 mph. To slow down, the child can raise their rear foot which stops the motor, and also engage the rear fender brake.

Keep in mind that this scooter was one of the bumpier rides of the bunch, so that lower price tag does come at a cost.

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A few MPH can make a big difference for young kids. With a max speed of just 6.2 MPH, the GoTrax Scout is significantly slower than the Ninebot or GoTrax GKS. As a result, the Scout is best for less-athletic or less-coordinated kids who are nervous about going too fast.

Even at that slower speed, if your child is not already a proficient (non-electric) scooter rider, we recommend having them practice with the Scout with an empty battery (no power) first. For kids who don’t know how to ride a scooter at all, even 6 MPH can be intimidating.

If your child is confident and athletic, you’re better off with a slightly faster scooter. Our daredevil 5-year-old girl would only ride the GoTrax Scout in short bursts; her excitement level dwindled quickly because it was too slow for her (even though it was her first electric scooter).

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In full disclosure, we did not test this 3 wheel electric scooter for kids. We’re including it here as the only option we could find for parents looking for an electric scooter for toddlers.

Certainly the bubbles and bright characters are a fun touch, but realistically, a toddler is probably better off on a non-electric three wheel scooter. Anytime you get electronics involved, the potential for things to just “stop working” is pretty high. Also, as parents of toddlers ourselves, we’re proponents of getting them out for exercise (and also tiring them out before nap time)!

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With higher maximum speeds and higher handlebars, these electric scooters are best for kids who are developmentally ready to go faster and have a little more adventure on their scooter.

The full-featured Segway Ninebot comes in several models to cater to a wide age range of kids. Each model offers a different maximum speed, maximum weight limit, and handlebar height.

NOTE: The Ninebot E Series for kids seems to have been replaced by the more affordable Ninebot ZING C series, which is a slightly more basic version of this scooter. It doesn’t have a front spring dampening system. Additionally, it goes faster at 10 mph for the C8 and 11.2 mph for the C9.

The E8 has a lower 8.6 mph max, and a lower and more narrow handlebar, making it ideal for younger kids. The E10 has a 10 mph max and a higher handlebar, best for kids at least 8 years old and 4’3 tall. They are also offered in different colors, but are otherwise the same.

With larger wheels and a front wheel spring damping system, the Segway Ninebots offered the smoothest ride of any of the kids electric scooters we tested.

A unique and super cool feature of the Ninebot is that it’s the only electric scooter for kids that offers a Cruise Control Mode and a Safety Mode.

Every other scooter requires a child to keep the throttle engaged the entire time they are riding, which can quickly get tiring. When set in Cruise Control mode, once the max speed is reached, it will stay there until the child engages the hand brake. When the hand brake is engaged, the motor shuts down until the child kicks off the ground to re-activate it.

Safety Mode allows a parent to lower the maximum speed of the scooter, enabling them to keep younger or less coordinated kids safely riding and slower speeds. Cruise Control and Safety Mode cannot be used at the same time.

In all modes, the scooter will beep a warning at you if you’re going faster than the maximum recommended speed to remind you to brake to slow down. But even if you ignore the warning, the scooter’s motor actually shuts off to slow the scooter down.

Once a safe speed has been attained, the motor will kick back in. How can a scooter go faster than it’s max speed? Going faster than the max happens on any kids electric scooter when going downhill.

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Amazon’s Choice for kids electric scooters, the Razor Power Core E90 offers double the riding time compared to the original Razor E100 (80 minutes vs 40 minutes). With lower handlebars than the E100, it’s better for younger and shorter kids.

With a front plastic wheel, it’s a bumpier ride than the air tire of the E100, but its hub motor (vs chain driven motor) is less likely to need maintenance.

While it’s not our favorite Razor electric scooter for kids, the lower price and higher ride time per battery charge are two pretty big benefits to the Power Core E90.

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While not that popular on Amazon (we can’t figure out why???), the Power A2 is our favorite Razor electric scooter for kids! With adjustable-height handlebars, a less bulky deck, and a folding mechanism, the Power A2 looks quite like a traditional kick-scooter. Weighing in at just 14 pounds (the E100 is 25 pounds!), it even can be used as a traditional kick scooter in the event your battery dies.

Compared to the Segway E10 which is similarly priced, the Razor A2 doesn’t offer as many features and isn’t as smooth a ride, but its handlebars allow kids to customize the fit just for them. This scooter is hard to find in stock, so if you see one, grab it quickly!

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The Razor E100 is the kids electric scooter that started the electric scooter craze. While there have been a lot of advancements since its humble beginnings, the E100 still continues to be one of Razor’s top-selling scooters.

While it doesn’t have an adjustable-height handlebar, it does have a wide deck. Many kids prefer this wide deck because it’s easier for them to place their feet side by side, rather than one foot in front of the other.

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Athletic and coordinated older kids can safely manage faster speeds. The electric scooters below max out between 12 and 15 mph, which is the fastest of any of the other scooters on this list.

The GoTrax Vibe and the Swagtron Swagger 8 are pretty similar in features, and our tween and teen testers loved them both. Both of these scooters feature “grown up” features such as an LED screen that shows speed and mileage, cruise control, a thumb-engaged brake (paired with a rear fender brake), and a long and wide foot deck.

So why choose one over the other? Besides the style preference of your child, the GoTrax does have suspension like the Swagtron and is a bit bumpier on larger sidewalk cracks than the Swagtron. If your neighborhood is full of older sidewalks, the Swagtron may be a better bet.

But if your child will be riding in high-traffic areas, or in the early morning or evening, the GoTrax Vibe’s bright headlight will be an important safety benefit.

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This super sweet retro moto was a surprise hit with our testers (girls and boys!) 10 and older. It was easily the favorite, in part because it goes pretty fast and because the kids feel so grown up riding a motorcycle.

If you stick to pavement, it’s a pretty smooth ride, and the soft seat was an added bonus for young bums. The brakes offer great stopping power, and there’s a small storage compartment under the seat that could fit a cell phone, keys, and a snack.

A cool safety feature is the kickstand. Not only does this keep this kids electric scooter standing upright, but it prevents the scooter from accidentally accelerating. When the kickstand is engaged, the rear wheel is lifted off the ground so if the twist throttle is engaged, the scooter won’t go anywhere. This came in handy at our house when little sister wouldn’t stop climbing on the seat!

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Before you decide on a scooter based just on looks or price, you should consider these additional features:

Electric scooters can get going pretty fast. So when is a child developmentally ready to safely ride an electric scooter? That answer will vary. While scooter brands offer age recommendations, only you know your child and what you think is safe for them.

Most kids electric scooters have a maximum speed of 10 mph. There are a few designed for older kids that max out at 15 mph. For younger or less coordinated kids, there are some that max out between 6 and 8 mph.

These “max” speeds are the only speed on an electric scooter. They do not have the ability to go slower. You’re either stopped, revving up to the max, or at the max.

That said, the maximum speed on a scooter changes based on riding scenario. Electric scooters tend to go much slower while going up an incline. Conversely, they can go a lot faster than their stated maxiumum MPH while going downhill. The speed also varies by brand. When testing 10 mph scooters against each other, they all went a different speed!

Be sure to choose a scooter with a maximum speed that you think is safe for your child’s age and ability, and also factor in any downhill riding they may be doing.

How does your child start their electric scooter? There are two primary types of throttles – push button and grip twist. They are both exactly what they sound like.

Push buttons require a child to push down on a button to go. More advanced push buttons are more like a push dial (blue button above), where the child pushes a dial forward. Our kid testers found this style much more comfortable than simply pressing straight on a button (green button above).

Grip twist requires the child to twist and hold onto a handlebar grip. In the image above you can see the light gray twisting piece.

All throttles require continuous pressure on the button or grip twist to keep power going to the scooter. If a child removes their hand, the electric scooter will naturally slow down and stop over time.

Some scooters have an additional safety mechanism to get the scooter started. “Kick to start” requires a child to get the scooter moving to about 2 MPH before the motor kicks in. This prevents a sudden jolt upon starting, which can be quite jarring for a younger child.

The size of a scooter’s foot deck has a huge effect on the comfort of the ride. Longer or wider foot decks provide more room for kids to place their feet as they ride. This becomes more of an issue as kids get older, so you’ll need to look for a scooter with a foot deck that will still be big enough a few years from now.

In our testing, our kid testers didn’t mind a more narrow deck if it was long enough for them to comfortably rest both feet. For example, they loved the Segway Ninebot (middle below). While not as wide as the Mongoose (top), its additional length offered plenty of foot space. The Razor, which is both narrow and shorter, was not preferred.

The height of the scooter’s handlebars in relation to a child’s body is another important comfort factor. We’ve found that the best spot is usually at waist level, or within a few inches above or below.

While our testers really didn’t mind where the handlebars were within that range, an electric scooter with an adjustable-height handlebar does help you customize the fit for your child. That way you can adjust the height for maximum comfort as your child grows.

Take a look here at the Razor Power A2, which has height adjustable handlebars. They are shown at their lowest and highest points. (For reference, our kid tester is 4’8.)

Most of these scooters don’t have adjustable handlebars, so the manufacturer sets them at a height they feel is best for the average child. As an example, look at the Segway Ninebot E8 vs. E10. The slower E8, which is meant for younger kids, has lower handlebars.

How long can an electric scooter run before the battery goes out? The kids electric scooters we tested had quite a range of maxiumum ride times. The shortest was just 4 miles, while most are about 40 minutes or about 6 miles. The longest was about 12 miles.

If you know your child will be commuting to school or play dates with their scooter, this is a pretty important feature to pay attention to. You don’t want them getting stuck somewhere! (This is also why you should consider getting an electric scooter that can be used as a kick scooter when the power runs out!)

But for our riders who were using the scooters for afternoon fun in the neighborhood, we rarely had an issue with the scooters running out of power before the kids got tired of playing with them. This was in large part because we taught them to be diligent about charging their scooters each night.

When kids electric scooters first came out, they were bulky and clunky and incredibly heavy. When the power ran out, it was cumbersome to get them home.

Luckily times have changed and many electric scooters can be used as a standard kick scooter if the battery dies. So while you still want to encourage your child to keep their scooter charged, they won’t be up a creek if the battery dies when they are away from home. They can simply get a little unanticipated exercise by using their leg power to get home. 🙂

Brakes on a kids electric scooters come in two main styles – a foot brake or a hand brake. The foot brake is engaged when a child uses their foot to push their weight down on the rear wheel fender. A hand brake works like a bike’s hand brake – by squeezing a hand lever.

While most electric scooters for kids have one or the other, a few of the higher-end scooters have both hand and foot brakes. Hand brakes tend to stop the scooter more quickly, while foot brakes can be used for a gradual slow down.

Many electric scooters for kids can fold down for more compact storage or transportation. If you have a garage and your scooter is only going to be used around home, this won’t matter much. But if you live in an apartment or need to transport the scooter in your car, this will definitely come in handy.

There are three primary types of wheels or tires (1) urethane, which is a type of plastic, (2) rubber air, and (3) solid rubber (non-air). In the image above, the first two are solid rubber, and the third is urethane. Sometimes the front and rear wheel are the same, while other electric scooters have different style wheels in the front and back.

Urethane are the cheapest wheels and require basically no maintenance. Because they are plastic, they don’t provide any real cushioning over cracks and obstacles. They also provide minimal traction in wet conditions and also tend to result in a bumpier ride.

Rubber pnuematic (air) wheels provide better traction than urethane wheels, and much better cushioning. They have the disadvantage of being able to go flat. The Razor E100 is the only kids electric scooter to even offer air tires anymore.

Solid rubber, non-air tires provide great traction and can’t go flat. While they don’t offer as much cushioning as air tires, they are generally better at dampening vibrations than urethane wheels. Most new scooters offer solid rubber tires because they have the most benefits and fewest drawbacks.

Higher-end kids electric scooters usually have rubber non-air tires and a suspension system to help smooth out the ride. You can see the spring dampening system on the front wheel of the Segway Ninebot here.

If you’re interested in hoverboards, check out our 5 Best Kids Hoverboards and Safety Guide.

25 Fun and Easy Kids Bike Accessory Ideas: A lot of kids bike accessories are also fun for scooters! Check out baskets, lights, bells, bike helmets and more!

Best Hydration Packs for Kids: Need to carry more water? Hydration packs are a great alternative to water bottles.