How to Choose Which E-Scooter To Buy

Ready to join the e-scooter revolution but not sure where to start?

Our comprehensive overview will help you make an informed decision that fits your lifestyle and your budget.

At Storm Rides, we’ve been bringing the best e-scooters to New Zealand for over 8 years and helping customers with new parts, repairs, and expert guidance.

Whether you prioritise budget, performance, or specific features like portability and off-road capability, we’ll find you the best ride for the best price:

What Matters Most To You: Budget or Performance?

The quickest way to narrow down your search is to establish whether you care more about sticking to a budget or finding the very best model for your needs.

You can easily spend less than $1500 on a lightweight boot scooter like the InMotion Air Pro and more than $7000 on a trail-bashing monster like the Kaabo Wolf King GTR.

If you’re just dipping your toes into the world of e-scooters as a hobby or you’re on a tighter budget, you might want to stick to e-scooters under $1500 to start out.

These e-scooters are still high quality, but they’re built to be lightweight and easy to ride – perfect for entry-level riders and weekend warriors:

If you demand more specialised features from your e-scooter, you can start looking for the best e-scooters for commuting and the best e-scooters for performance.

We recommend narrowing down your search based on three important factors…

The 3 Biggest Factors Determining Which E-Scooter To Buy

This is not an exhaustive list of things to consider when choosing which e-scooter to buy, but a realistic range of factors to help you make the best decision.

Battery life and range

Look for e-scooters with high-performance batteries if you want to rely on your e-scooter for longer rides on a daily or regular basis.

The battery is the most important component of an e-scooter. The capacity and efficiency of the e-scooter battery determines how far you can travel on a single charge and how long the scooter will last between charges.

Prioritising battery life and range will immediately take you into the $4k+ mark and might mean sacrificing some portability; large batteries quickly make e-scooters a bit heavier.

Here are some of our favourite e-scooters for battery life and range:

Be aware that factors like rider weight, terrain, and speed can also influence battery performance.

Proper maintenance, including regular charging and storage in a cool, dry place, also ensures battery longevity and consistent performance.

Portability

Portability is the most important feature for commuter e-scooters.

This is especially true for mixed-mode commutes that involve partial travel on the bus or by car—you need an e-scooter that can be easily stowed.

If you plan to use your e-scooter for regular urban commuting, you should also look for safety features like headlights, bells, and brake lights to ensure you’re seen by traffic in busy urban environments.

At Storm Rides, our commuter e-scooters are lightweight, foldable, and reliable enough to tackle urban terrain and go the distance for longer journeys.

Make sure you’ve got a suitable e-scooter lock to keep your ride safe. We don’t recommend leaving your e-scooter outside unattended.

Off-road capabilities

You can’t just take any e-scooter offroad.

Off-road e-scooters need powerful steering, wide handlebars, hydraulic brakes, and extra-strong components to handle rough trails, eat hills, and withstand light rain and puddles.

Look for e-scooters with the following features to confidently take them off-road:

• Larger, tubeless tyres
• Front and rear suspension
• Aluminium frame
• Hydraulic brakes
• Dual motor
• LED headlight

The best e-scooters in this category are suitable for urban environments, too.

Storm Rides’ off-road e-scooters have an IP rating of IP55 or IPX5, which means they can handle rain and puddles without failure.

Check out the top two models:

Ride safely and look badass with our full range of body armour, helmets, and gloves for all-over protection.

Find A Brand You Like

Each e-scooter brand has a distinct identity and focus with its models.

At Storm Rides, we’ve carefully watched these brands emerge and develop, and we’re always happy to provide guidance on approaching each e-scooter brand in the market.

We’re also NZ’s official distributor of Kaabo e-scooters and InMotion e-scooters.

Here’s a snapshot of what each e-scooter brand offers:

• Kaabo: custom-made parts, reliability, and performance across their range from city cruisers to off-road models like the Mantis and Wolf.
• E-TWOW: compact, lightweight designs that are easy to fold and store, ideal for urban commuters and students seeking portability and simplicity.
• EMove: durability and reliability, focusing on large battery capacities for extended rides, making them perfect for daily commuting and tough conditions.
• Fiido: affordable pricing, simplicity, and versatility, with models that are comfortable and easy to handle, suitable for beginners and casual riders.
• InMotion: sleek designs, user-friendly features, and strong motor capabilities that excel in climbing hills and urban navigation, ensuring a smooth and efficient ride.

Each brand has its own strengths and it can be tricky to discern between them. Reach out to us via our webchat for expert guidance.

Read Reviews

A great way to figure out which e-scooter to buy is to read testimonials from people with similar needs to you.

Storm Rides has hundreds of reviews from happy customers. We recommend checking out specific reviews for the e-scooters you’re interested in to help determine the best fit.

New Zealand has a large and growing e-scooter community and you’ll often find helpful discussions about which e-scooter to buy over on Reddit, too.

Choose Your E-Scooter From Storm Rides

Choosing the perfect e-scooter boils down to matching what matters most to you with the right features.

Storm Rides guarantees quality and reliability, no matter which e-scooter you choose.

We personally test every e-scooter before it leaves our workshop in Auckland, so rest assured that your online order has been quality-tested for safety and performance in New Zealand conditions.

Look for the free shipping code on our website and buy your e-scooter online – our webchat is the best place to get advice and is manned by staff at the store.

We also recommend checking out our guide on e-scooter maintenance and making sure you’ve got the right accessories to ride safely and comfortably.

FAQs

Let’s look at some more specific questions people ask when looking for the perfect e-scooter:

Which brand of e-scooter is best?

Our favourite e-scooter brands are Kaabo, InMotion, E-TWOW, Emove, and Fiido. Storm Rides only sells the e-scooter brands we’re 100% confident in and have personally tested for NZ conditions.

Which e-scooter is best for daily use?

If you want a reliable daily e-scooter, look at our top commuter models like the InMotion Climber or our high-performance models like the Kaabo Mantis King GT.

What’s the best electric scooter for a heavy adult?

Our gruntiest models like the Kaabo Wolf King GTR can take up to 150kg, no problem.