How Portable Are Electric Scooters?

One of the advantages of using electric scooters is their portability. After all, unlike cars or motorcycles, e-scooters can be carried and kept anywhere. Moreover, you don’t need much space. When you’re not using your electric scooter, portability plays a big role in its convenience.

This article tackles insights on an e-scooter’s portability and how you can check if an e-scooter is considered portable. After reading this quick guide, you will be able to identify the most portable electric scooter for you.

Does portability refer to the e-scooter’s weight?

It’s often a misconception for some riders that portability only refers to the e-scooter weight. However, portability refers to several factors that make an e-scooter convenient to carry and store. Aside from weight, some of these factors include the space an e-scooter occupies, its foldability, and convenience when carrying it.

How portable are electric scooters?

Most everyday commuter e-scooters are made for portability. It means these kinds of e-scooters are generally light, compact, foldable, and convenient to carry and keep. With portable electric scooters, you can do the following:

However, some types of electric scooters are not portable due to their design or purpose. For example, the Mearth GTS and GTS MAX, a premium off-road electric scooter, weigh over 20 kg, can’t be folded, and have a larger size than most e-scooters. It’s designed this way to offer more durability, motor power, and battery capacity to ride on rough terrains effectively and safely.  Extreme off-road e-scooter like these are not designed for carrying.

If you’re looking for a portable e-scooter, look through models that are best for everyday commutes.

How to check an e-scooter’s portability

Here are a few factors to look at when checking an e-scooter’s portability.

1. Foldability

First of all, can you fold the electric scooter? A foldable or fold away electric scooter folds in half, where the handlebar is usually hooked on the deck or rear fender to secure it in place. How the electric scooter folds depend on the e-scooter. When it’s folded, riders can easily carry it by its stem. Some e-scooter designs also allow riders to push or pull it using one of the wheels.

Folding e-scooters make them very compact and convenient when travelling on public transit or storing them in tight spots. Overall, being able to fold an electric scooter already offers practical benefits.

2. Size

Next, check the e-scooter size or dimensions when folded and unfolded. The slimmer the dimensions, the less space that an e-scooter will occupy. Also, having a smaller dimension means fewer parts of the e-scooter are sticking out, preventing your e-scooter from tangling into other objects or bumping others.

For example, the Mearth X Pro, one of the most portable electric scooters from Mearth, has a dimension of 45x17x16in (113x45x40cm) when folded and a weight of only 12 kg. Because of its slim and compact design, the Mearth X Pro is perfect for folks living in apartments or smaller houses and for people who always need to have their e-scooter on the go. Its small size gets rid of the hassles of bringing an electric scooter around.

3. Design

Another factor that determines e-scooter portability is its design or build. In other words, is the electric scooter convenient to carry? One way to measure this is to look at the scooter’s centre of gravity. When you fold the e-scooter and hold the middle of its stem, the e-scooter should not lean on either side and should balance in your hand.

Also, when looking at the design, see if an e-scooter can be pulled like a suitcase when folded. Very few e-scooters offer this design, but it’s practical for riders who can’t lift heavier items like e-scooters. For better convenience, choose e-scooters that offer this design if it’s according to your lifestyle.

4. Weight

Finally, check if you can carry the e-scooter. It’s still an important factor to consider since it will determine how and for how long you will be able to lift your e-scooter when not in use. If the e-scooter weighs a fifth of your body weight, it is a sign that you will not be able to carry the e-scooter for a long time.

Overall, an e-scooter must both be lightweight and space-saving for it to be considered portable. Lacking one of these traits means that the e-scooter is not portable or practical.

Why portability matters

Many e-scooter riders overlook the factor of portability when choosing an electric scooter. Although factors like performance and ride quality are important to consider, portability becomes an important aspect when the electric scooter is not in use.

Also, remember that no matter how awesome electric scooters with high specs may be, these types of e-scooters are usually not portable. Finding an e-scooter with a lightweight and practical design will also help you fully maximise the benefits of electric scooters. Hopefully, these quick tips will help you narrow down the best e-scooter for your riding needs.