What’s the Best Electric Scooter for Older Adults?

Four-wheeled mobility scooters have helped millions of older adults reclaim lost mobility. But compared to folding electric scooters, mobility scooters are slow and cumbersome. Many older people want portability, convenience, and maybe even a little… danger. So, what is the best electric scooter for older adults?

If you’re wondering, and you’re new to scooters, you probably have questions. Are scooters really dangerous? Are they reliable? Are they expensive?

Below, we’ll look at the most important considerations for older riders and introduce you to electric scooters we think work best for older adults because of a combination of value, comfort, reliability, and more.

We’ll start by saying that you should always wear a helmet when riding an electric scooter, and always choose a scooter from a reputable company, a scooter that has been tested for electrical and road safety. 

Here at Electric Scooter Guide, we’ve been riding, testing, and reviewing electric scooters the same way since 2018. We work with the best brands in the industry to help them improve their products, and we share our data and expert observations to help you make the most informed decisions.

Safety

How do you know if an electric scooter is a safe buy? Aren’t electric scooters catching fire? Well, no. The overwhelming majority of cases in the news involve poor quality, untested scooters or ebikes, often used with the wrong chargers or with severely damaged batteries. 

A quality electric scooter that is only used with manufacturer-approved chargers and accessories and that has not sustained any damage from a serious accident is a safe to charge and ride daily. 

As far as road safety goes: we recommend following our riding tips, using additional lighting at dusk/dawn/night, and always, always, always wearing a helmet and/or other protective gear. 

Cost

Electric scooter prices are relative to size, speed, brand, and other considerations. But while there are many expensive high performance scooters out there, you can also pick up a quality electric scooter for less than the cost of a brand-new bike: some budget scooters go for under $600. We’ll introduce you to some of our favorite budget buys below.

Reliability

We rate all the electric scooters we review on a reliability scale, a 10-point rating that reflects warranty length, parts availability, tire and brake type, water resistance level, UL certification, battery type, and other key factors. We’ve included our reliability score with each scooter. 

Comfort

Nearly all of the scooters we recommend come with air-filled tires, and most of them with tubeless pneumatic tires, which do a great job of cushioning bumps in the road. 

Pneumatic tires can’t absorb the shocks of potholes, speed bumps, and other big obstacles. For that, you need suspension, and many of the scooters below come with front or dual suspension for riders who encounter badly paved roads or gravel.

Adding suspension adds comfort, but also adds cost, weight, and possible maintenance issues. Sometimes, however, our joints require it.

Maintenance

Can you fix your own scooter? In many cases, minor repairs are easy, and good companies stock spare parts on their website. Most scooters require some minimal maintenance, like routine tire pressure and brake checks. For major repairs, we recommend service from the manufacturer.

See our recommended electric scooters for older adults just below. We’ve included each scooter’s IP rating and UL certification, where applicable.

The 8 Best Electric Scooters for Older Adults

Rentable Dual Motor Power + Portability

Unagi Voyager | $79/month

The only electric scooter available by subscription and endorsed by Billy Eilish and Iggy Pop, the Unagi Voyager boasts dual motors for climbing hills with ease, an unlockable top speed of 20 mph, incredibly easy, one-handed folding mechanism, and a just-under-30-pound weight, thanks to a carbon fiber stem and magnesium handlebars.

This is the scooter to try if you’re not ready to commit, or if you live in a big city and want the perfect last-mile ride to combine with transit.

It’s the only scooter on this list with solid tires and electronic-only brakes. The upside: no maintenance. Downside: it can be a rough ride on anything but smooth pavement, and traction on wet pavement is reduced

Reliability 8.7 | IPX4 | UL2272

Read our review

Robust Daily Rider

NIU KQi 300P | $649

NIU makes some of most reliable electric scooters we’ve tested. Their new KQi 300 line introduces major improvements to their design, including front suspension, a higher top speed, and more battery capacity for longer-range rides.

We like to recommend NIU scooters to newer riders because they’re easy to ride, hard to damage, and offer some of the best prices and value we’ve ever seen for high quality entry-level electric scooters.

Reliability 8.6 | IP55 | UL2272

Read our review

Ultra-Portable Reliability

NIU KQi Air | $949

The NIU KQi Air has all of the performance of an intermediate commuter electric scooter. But it’s almost entirely made out of carbon fiber. At only 26 pounds – it’s around half the weight of your typical commuter.

Seriously, the KQi Air is very well named – it’s so light you can forget you’re riding a scooter at all. It’s not as compact or easy-folding as the Unagi Voyager, and it’s only got a single motor instead of two. But if you’re looking for light weight, and you’re ready to commit, this could be it.

Reliability 8.9 | IPX5 | UL2272

Read our review

Best Performance Per $

VMAX VX2 Pro | $699-$899

The VMAX VX2 Pro has quickly become one of our favorite electric scooters to recommend for several reasons: VMAX makes some of the most durable electric scooters we’ve ever seen, with reliability ratings well over 9.0 for every model.

VMAX offers three different battery sizes for each model, a flexible pricing system that gives you the same performance, but more range as you step up. We recommend the largest battery model, the VMAX VX2 GT, for a full 29.5 miles of ESG-tested range.

Reliability 9.5 | IPX6 | UL2272

Read our review

Most High-Tech

Apollo Go | $1045 w/code

The Apollo Go represents a further refinement of Apollo’s principles. On the premium side of things, but still affordable, the Go brings together all the company’s tech in a seamlessly integrated package that’s a true joy to ride.

Apollo scooters have the smoothest variable regenerative braking we’ve experienced, with a dedicated throttle that feels like a rubber band as it slows the scooter gradually.

The Go has dual motors for climbing hills, exceptional reliability, and a unique suspension system that keeps scooter weight down while smoothing out every bump in the road.

Reliability 10 | IP66 | UL2272

Read our review

Best Seated Under $1500

EMOVE RoadRunner V2 | $1345 w/code

The Roadrunner V2 is the successor to the ultra-popular RoadRunner, a compact, dual-motor seated electric scooter that could easily pass for an e-bike, except that it has pegs instead of pedals.

The V2 also lacks a chain, meaning it won’t grease up the back of your car. And it’s more fun to ride because you never have to pedal. If you’d rather sit than stand, but you still want to go fast, the EMOVE RoadRunner V2 is the scooter for you.

Reliability 7.4

Read our review

Longest Range

EMOVE Cruiser V2 | $1349 w/code

The EMOVE Cruiser is one of the most well-known, and best-selling, electric scooters in the world. In its V2 redesign for 2024, the Cruiser gets upgrades to its tires, suspension, stem, handlebars, display, and more, but it keeps its 40+ miles of real-world range.

The new Cruiser is one of the most comfortable rides on this list, with a huge, surfboard-like deck. It’s also very heavy, at around 86 pounds, so it’s not going to be a portable option.

Reliability 8.6 | IPX6

Read our review

Best All-Around

Segway Ninebot Max G2 | $999

The Segway Ninebot Max G2 is the second version of the Segway Max, maybe the most popular electric scooter ever made. This upgrade adds front and rear suspension, making it a great all-around scooter for just about any kind of riding, even off-road, if you’re so inclined.

Segway is renowned as a brand for good reason: they make scooters that withstand the test of time, with industry-leading technology and apps for optimal performance. The single-motor Max G2 is fast, relatively lightweight, and just an all-around great scooter.

Reliability 9.2 | IPX5 | UL2272

Read our review

Conclusion

You have a lot of options when shopping for an electric scooter for older adults. If you’re looking for the best combination of value, safety, reliability – and of course that indefinable fun factor – you can’t go wrong with any of the options above.

We ride and test every scooter we recommend, and our reviews have helped millions find their perfect ride since 2018. If you still can’t find what you need, check out our extensive database and keep checking back for new and updated reviews each week.