The 5 Best Electric Scooters For Kids In 2021
The below article was written by our Chief Executive Paul Williams.
As a dad to an 11-year-old and eight-year-old, I’ve lived and breathed the kick scooter era for kids at the sharp end!
I’ve learned that safety is paramount, and build quality is essential (as these scooters take a pounding). But perhaps what I learned most is that kids are THE most demanding when it comes to their scooters. They need their scooters to perform as they want, whilst also being number 10 on the ‘cool’ Richter Scale!
In 2021, enter the electric scooter for kids. This move from e-scooter firms to transition down to kids is perhaps a natural extension to an ever-evolving market.
Table of contents
1. Pointer #1: Your child’s age
2. Pointer #2: How to choose an e-scooter for your child
3. Pointer #3: Safety first
4. Best e-scooter for kids #1: Segway-Ninebot Zing E8
5. Best e-scooter for kids #2: Razor Power Core E100
6. Best e-scooter for kids #3: GoTrax GKS / H600
7. Best e-scooter for kids #4-5: Razor Electric Party Pop / Tekno
8. Older teens
A few key pointers
Before I give you our top picks of e-scooters for the younger generation, let’s consider the main factors you should consider before purchasing an e-scooter for your kids.
Your child’s age
This is perhaps the first question many parents will think about before even considering getting their kids an e-scooter.
The law is, unsurprisingly, silent on this. All we know is that electric scooters shouldn’t be ridden on the pavement at the time of writing. And, until the imminent legalisation of electric scooters lands, you should use them on private land when driven for personal use.
But aside from this, at what age should your child step onto an electric scooter? Parents need to consider this if purchasing their child’s first electric scooter.
Designs vary considerably and will impact things like stability, the number of wheels, deck plate size and grip, ease of braking (remember small hands pull less grip), and, importantly, speed.
While some manufacturers may assure you that children as young as six can drive electric scooters, it would be essential that they are supervised at such an age. It’s probably sensible to start at least a couple of years older, but much depends on the child’s physical and mental maturity.
How to choose an e-scooter for your child
Choosing an electric scooter is not like choosing other things like bikes. There are horror stories across the internet regarding the early days of electric scooters. Some e-scooters were imported from far away countries, where the battery cells are sub-standard.
This leads to overheating and, in a few extreme cases, catching fire! These days, consumers still need to do their research, but more mainstream manufacturers now use much better components, including batteries from the likes of market leaders LG, for example. The general rule of thumb here is to do your research.
Safety first
Electric scooters are not like standard kick scooters, so you need to always think about safety.
It’s essential to ensure your child has a suitable helmet fitted before they start. Make sure the helmet is the right size and is adjusted correctly. Failing to ensure the helmet is on correctly with the straps the right length is one of the most common mistakes people make. If you see your child’s helmet wobbling around on their head, you need to adjust it in case they have a crash. It shouldn’t be too tight, but it should stay in place if they move their head quickly from side to side.
Elbow and knee pads add extra protection, but if you have children like mine, the novelty of putting them on soon wears off!
Nevertheless, a good set of pads will help in an accident. E-scooters rarely come with bells or lights, but there are plenty of aftermarket accessories. A bell is well worth having – e-scooters are near-silent in operation, so a good bell will help other pedestrians know when your child is coming.
Finally, it’s essential to make sure your child understands how the controls work and support them by knowing the basic rules of riding before they get underway. As time goes on, they’ll become more and more confident riding their e-scooter; just be sure to keep younger children (especially those aged under eight) under very close supervision.
So, onto my picks of the best e-scooters for kids.
Typical price: £220
Everyone has heard of Segway – it’s the company that invented that stand-up micro-mobility fun machine!
Segway has produced some class-leading e-scooters for adults for several years now. It’s now moved into kids’ e-scooters and has produced an excellent model in the Zing E8.
This scooter’s build quality is solid, and the materials and construction will give you confidence that your child will be safe on it.
Its top speed is just 8.7 miles an hour (this one is not for teens!), and it’s not overly generous on power with just a 130W motor.
There are two chief considerations to make with this e-scooter:
Weight limit: The Zing E8 can only accommodate riders weighing up to 50kg. Whilst that might seem plenty, if your child has a backpack full of books, then it might start to struggle.
Hills: This e-scooter performs best on flat ground and will soon start to lose speed on steeper inclines.
But don’t let either of these considerations put you off – there’s plenty of features to like with the Zing E8.
These features include:
A 40mm front shock absorbing system, which provides a smoother, more stable ride.
A triple braking system, which is very responsive.
Non-skid tyres made from solid rubber tyres, which give plenty of grip.
In terms of range, your child should get about 40 minutes out of it (or about six miles). Although this doesn’t sound much, it should be plenty for a younger, novice rider. Plus, you only need to allow about four hours for the Zing E8 to fully recharge.
One of the advantages of its lightweight design is that it weighs just 7.9kg and has an easy folding feature which means that if you end up carrying it for your child, it won’t break you!
In summary, for a first e-scooter aimed at the younger age group (it is marketed from ages six to 12), it ticks many boxes.
It’s competitively priced, made from quality materials, and sturdy and safe.
Its main negatives are that it’s no speed demon (which is no bad thing if you’ve got a young child), it only performs best on flat surfaces, and the handlebar height isn’t adjustable.
Older riders might be interested in Segway-Ninebot’s Zing E10, which goes up to 10mph and has more power at 200W.
Typical price: £199.99
This Californian company has been going for over 20 years. Back in 2000, it sold over 5,000 units of its first non-motorised Razor scooter, which was also named ‘Toy of the Year’ that same year.
Razor’s current line-up includes numerous kids’ electric scooters, and our pick is the Power Core E100.
Aimed at kids aged eight and above, this brightly coloured sturdy scooter has a 100W motor and can travel up to 11 mph.
It has a longer range than some others in the Razor product stable at 60 minutes continuous use, which could prove useful when out and about. However, it does slow down for the last ten or 15 minutes as the battery runs low.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the Power Core E100 takes about 12 hours to recharge, but this is in line with most scooters anyway.
This e-scooter needs to be moving at least 3 mph before the motor engages, and from there, a simple twist of the throttle handle will bring up the power.
With an air-filled pneumatic tyre at the front, the Power Core E100 can soak up some bumps along the way, and with a large deck plate, it gives a comfortable ride. Just bear in mind that any air-filled tyres can puncture and that changing or repairing them won’t be the easiest job.
This is a very competent scooter from a big brand in the children’s e-scooter market and is one of the more popular models out there.
Just bear in mind that its maximum rider weight is 54kg, so it’s not one for teenagers.
With very solid construction, little maintenance, attractive looks, and wide availability from a range of retailers, it should be on your shortlist.
If your child is at the younger end of the scale, Razor has also released the Power Core E90, which is very similar but just slightly slower with a slightly better performing battery. This scooter is also worth considering.
Typical price: £139.99
GoTrax took one of its biggest-selling commuter scooters and adapted it with some very neat child-friendly features to create the GoTrax GKS (also known as H600 here in the UK).
To get moving, you must first put your foot on the deckplate to press down a button – only after you have kicked off and added your rear foot onto a second deck button will the motor engage. This neat safety feature prevents an unstable child from accidentally accelerating before they are balanced and ready, which could cause a crash.
The power comes from a 150W motor, and the H600’s top speed is a modest 7.5mph. So, whilst the teens may want to go faster, this speed should be sufficient for younger users.
This scooter’s range is four miles, but as it’s lightweight at 8kg, it should be possible to double up as a kick scooter if needed.
The tyres are solid rubber to avoid punctures – but, as they’re only six inches, you need to be on relatively smooth surfaces and stay clear of bumpy off-road surfaces.
This e-scooter can cope with riders weighing up to 69kg and standing up to 5 feet in height, making it suitable for kids of many different sizes.
For those wanting a little more (or for slightly taller riders), GoTrax has also released the GKS Pro. This scooter has a taller frame, slightly bigger range at five miles, and a maximum speed upgraded to 9mph. However, you may find it harder to come by this side of the pond.
GoTrax is a US-based scooter firm that positions itself as very much a ‘cool’ brand. It uses numerous US influencers across sport, entertainment, and the arts to push its products. In the UK, GoTrax is less well known, but you can find its scooters on Amazon and other UK-based reseller sites.
Typical price: £180
We move onto another offering from Razor These two e-scooters have the same fundamental mechanics but are ‘skinned up’ to be marketed at either girls (Party Pop) or boys (Tekno).
Both have clever designs which are sure to attract attention – particularly as the evenings draw in, with their LED illuminated under-carriage and light up urethane front wheel!
Razor clearly knows kids and recognises that the ‘cool factor’ is of utmost importance, and this head-turner is bound to attract many young buyers thanks to its cutting-edge design.
It only comes with an 80W motor, so it might feel underpowered to some. But it’s just for younger kids, and it can take them to a speed of 7.5mph on flat surfaces.
Again, a safety first, foot-activated deck plate sensor controls when the motor kicks in and the battery is good for 30 minutes of ride time.
It has a more lightweight frame than some of the other Razor models, meaning it’s easier to control.
And with a lithium quick charge battery, the approximate time to recharge is better than most at just three hours.
On the downside, there is no adjustment to the handlebars, and they don’t folder down, which could be a pain when transporting. However, I suspect your child won’t care about this as, come early evening, they know all eyes are on them with the light show on offer. Get the party started!
Older teens
Some of these models will seem tame for older teens.
It’s worth noting that a number of these manufacturers sell e-scooters aimed at older teens which come with more power, faster speed (typically 15mph), and more range.
But, since their asking prices move up, often to the £350-£500 range, do bear in mind that, at these price points, there are far wider choices in the adult e-scooter market which often have similar specifications.
If you want to check out my picks of the best e-scooters for adults, click here.
Specialist electric scooter insurance from Cycleplan
Whichever of these electric scooters you choose to buy, you need to protect it with specialist electric scooter insurance. This insurance will protect your e-scooter against theft, loss, and damage, and will protect you in case of injury to yourself or another person and damage to third-party property. Find out more about our bespoke e-scooter insurance by clicking the link above, or get a bespoke, buildable quote in minutes here.
