Best Electric Scooter for Adults

What are you missing out on in life, due to reduced mobility? Without an electric scooter for adults, have you been deprived of outings with family, the freedom of completing your own everyday tasks, or even the simple pleasure of enjoying the neighborhood park on a beautiful day? Luckily, there is a solution for that.

Whatever reason has driven you to search for an electric scooter for adults, cutting through the red tape of all the available options, features, vendors, and warranties can be a daunting task. So, it is essential that you know exactly what you are looking for before you choose an electric scooter for adults to get you around.

Frequently Asked Questions About an Electric Scooter for Adults

If you find your head spinning from the unfamiliar and complex considerations involved with buying an electric scooter for adults (as compared to, say, a car), you’re not alone. The decision to purchase a scooter can be nearly as involved as buying an automobile. The difference is in the types of features you’ll be contemplating most.

How far will an electric scooter go on a single battery charge?

This varies, depending on the brand, terrain, and weight load. However, you can generally expect to get at least several miles out of a single charge. Some models and configurations boast a range of 30 miles or more.

Do I need a special type of outlet to charge an electric scooter?

For most modern scooters, you will plug them into a normal household power outlet. You should plug your electric scooter for adults in whenever you aren’t using it, so you always have a full charge when you need to use it. Even with frequent charging, you won’t accidentally overload the battery or cause it to lose capacity.

Which is better: a three-wheeled or a four-wheeled scooter?

Each has its own merits. A three-wheeled scooter will take up less space and have a tighter turning radius, which is helpful for indoor use. It will also usually weigh a bit less. A four-wheeled scooter affords more stability and power for outdoor use, and can often hold more weight.

How We Reviewed

In our search for the absolute best electric scooter for adults, we consulted many mobility device guides, testimonials, and buyer reviews. We researched features, pricing, warranties, reliability, and other elements to ensure a comprehensive and unbiased knowledge base.

Overall Price Range

As with battery life, the price range of mobility scooters will vary according to the brand, model, features, construction, store markup, and a wide array of other aspects. Because of this, the price range for a new electric scooter for adults can vary anywhere from $600 to $7,000. That’s quite a span! This range becomes more understandable once you begin really delving into all the options out there. You’ll start to see that a “scooter” can consist of anything from a simple, motorized bicycle to an enclosed mini-car, and everything in between.

Many insurance plans will cover at least part of your purchase price, but this will differ according to your plan and even the model you select. Consequently, this is a subject you’ll want to check into with your own insurance plan before getting too far into your search.

Our Top Five Picks

Of all the electric mobility scooters we reviewed, these are the five that stood out as the cream of the crop. They’re in no particular order.

Shoprider Sunrunner 4 (Four-Wheel Version)

The Sunrunner 4 has a decent 300-pound weight capacity. The captain’s chair-style seat, with a high back and adjustable headrest, give the driver enhanced support. Additionally, the seat swivels and slides to accommodate a wide range of personalized settings. A front headlight gives a boost to visibility for both the drivers and others around them. An optional lighting package supplies hazard and turn indicators.

The Shoprider Sunrunner 4 has an Amazon customer rating of 4.7 out of 5-stars. Customers like a lot of things about this scooter. First of all, it is a great scooter for adults. Also, this scooter is capable of a quite respectable 25-mile range on each battery charge, which is one of the higher ranges on our list. You can drive it on grass without issue. The steering column can be adjusted forward and back to correspond to the reach of each unique driver. The front basket can hold a couple of bags of groceries with no problem.

Unfortunately, there are some problems. For example, you cannot disassemble it for storage. Some buyers have also remarked that inadequate instructions have caused issues when putting the unit together or attempting to make adjustments.

The scooter has a six-month to a lifetime warranty depending on the components involved. It costs between $1,450 and $2,000.

Drive Medical Scout Spitfire (Four-Wheel Version)

The Spitfire has a wraparound handlebar and “delta” steering configuration, which is readily adaptable to each driver’s grip and reach. The seat swivels and the armrests rise, making exit and entry a breeze. This compact and streamlined scooter can hold 300 pounds. The controls are simple and easy to read.

Some great details about the Spitfire contribute to its Amazon customer rating of 4.3 of 5-stars. Its handlebar shape makes steering easy, even for those with reduced dexterity. You can easily disassemble the unit into five pieces. The Spitfire features the lowest price point on our list–quite a value for its class. Solid tires ensure you won’t have to worry about flats or punctures. It even has a horn, so you can alert those in your path that you’re coming through.

A potential drawback to the Spitfire is that although the manufacturer reports this scooter is stable on rugged terrain, the end-user feedback consensus is that it’s not as capable on rough ground and uphill grades as expected.

The scooter has a 6-month to a lifetime warranty based on the components involved. Pricing ranges from $620 to $797.

EV Rider Folding MiniRider (Three-Wheel-Style Version)

Foldable and lightweight, the EV Rider MiniRider is the most portable electric scooter for adults on our list. For a unit of this small size, the range of about 9 miles on a battery charge is as expected. This scooter has the physical configuration of a three-wheel scooter, but the front “single wheel” is two small wheels set very close together.

One of the top pros of the MiniRider is that it’s very compact and manageable. It is therefore very well-suited to the narrow spaces, and tight corners often found inside residences. It’s also a great size for those with limited storage space. Customers on www.factorypure.com rate it 4.0 stars out of 5.

While this scooter’s compactness can be a real boon to some, it can also prove prohibitive for some buyers. Also, the weight limit is a rather low 253 pounds. It’s also not suitable for use off pavement or other smooth surfaces. The 9-mile range may be too low for some users, but that may not be an issue for those using it strictly indoors.

This electric scooter for adults carries a 6-month to 3-year warranty. Prices range from $899 to $1,495.

Pride Victory 10 LX (Four-Wheel Version)

Like the Drive Medical Scout Spitfire above, the Victory 10 LX’s handlebar setup consists of wraparound handholds to suit a wide variety of drivers. This scooter has a horn, an LED headlight, tail lights, and turn signals. An adjustable side mirror rounds out the motorcycle-like feature set. Pride also offers a host of optional accessories, such as holders for a mobile device and a cane.

The Comfort-Trac Suspension on the Victory 10 LX affords a comfortable ride, which comes in handy for those spending a lot of time on their scooter. One-handed disassembly makes breakdown easy. The customizable, high-backed captain’s chair takes seating comfort to the next level. As a bonus, the warranty is the only one on our list that includes in-home servicing for one year. Sporty good looks are the icing on the cake. Customers reviewing this electric scooter for adults on Amazon give it 4.3 out of 5-stars.

On the downside, for a scooter with so many other fantastic perks, the 16-mile range is somewhat disappointing.

The Victory 10 LX ranges in price from $1,649 to $3,855. It features a warranty that includes a one-year in-home service plan, plus a 2-year to limited lifetime warranty, depending on the parts concerned.

EWheels EW-37 Vintage (Three Wheels)

This stylishly retro-chic vehicle features LED headlights and taillights, as well as a horn. It’s the only scooter on our list that comes with a car-style remote key fob. A noteworthy 450-pound weight capacity attests to this scooter’s sturdy build. Dual side mirrors make sure you have 360 degrees of visibility.

The EW-37 sports a quite impressive 50-mile range, which beats all the other scooters on our list. The attractive styling will turn heads wherever you go. Six inches’ worth of ground clearance allows great flexibility with the terrain. You’ll also find the enclosed, locking rear storage box convenient. Customer reviewers on mobilityready.com rate the EW-37 Vintage with 5-stars out of 5.

Some less positive aspects to consider are the minimalist backrest pad and tiny armrests don’t provide much support or any adjustability. Also, this scooter is pretty heavy at 227 pounds. Finally, the motorcycle-style handlebars may pose problems to those with a limited range of motion.

This electric scooter for adults has a 3-year limited warranty and costs between $2,195 and $2,295.

Which Electric Scooter for Adults Is Our Top Pick?

When all is said and done, we found the Pride Victory 10 LX to offer the best combination of versatility, comfort, features, and price. While the battery range of 16 miles may not be optimal for some drivers, it is likely to be perfectly acceptable to a majority. Individual needs may differ, of course, but this model tends to cover many bases for most users.

When it comes to electric scooters for adults, there are so many factors to consider that you might feel paralyzed. If that’s the case, try grabbing a pen and paper. List all the things you think you might want or need from a scooter. For example, if you have a limited range of motion in your shoulders, it might be essential for you to find a scooter that offers handlebars which can be pulled in close to your torso. Or, if you plan to use your scooter for runs to the store down the street, you might need your scooter to have a storage basket or bin built in. If you will use your scooter to make your way to the park for light exercise, and you want to be able to lock your wallet or purse away while taking a stroll, add that to your list. And so forth.

Once you have your list of criteria you think you might want or need, narrow the list down to the three most important features your scooter must have. You’ll now be armed with an easy means to whittle down the field of scooter competitors to a much more manageable number, rather than the hundreds you might have been facing before.

Featured image: CC BY-SA 4.0, by Crusaders21, via Wikimedia Commons