Most electric scooters these days are foldable, which might make you wonder why we even have this category.
While it is true that foldables are pretty much the norm these days, they are not all made equal.
So in this roundup we’re looking at foldable scooters that live up to the spirit of exceptional compactness – or at least try to. If you need transportation to take along in your trunk, in the subway or on a bus then your next ride could very well be right here .
The 7 Best Folding Electric Scooters for Adults Right Now
While the name suggest that only dudebros with backwards caps should be interested, on presentation there’s nothing audacious about the Swagger.I’d expect unhealthy levels of bling, but it’s actually pretty boring to look at.
I have to commend SWAGTRON (which I will always write in caps from now on) for designing a scooter with such single-minded compactness. The folding mechanism seems pretty easy to operate and they’ve opted for carbon fiber to produce the frame. This combined with a dinly 250W motor makes for a scooter that’s easy to just sling around with you, yet it will take a rider up to 113 kg .
It has a maximum speed of 24 km/h and a maximum range also rated at 24 km . The minimum range is a rather short 6.4 km. That makes it less than ideal for anything but last mile transport or campus travel.
That being said, it can fully charge in as little as two hours and it really is priced very well for what’s on offer. There is however no discount for picking the pink model, sadly.
The is the best cheap foldable electric scooter for adults right now.
URB-E Folding Electric Scooter
Most folding electric scooters are some sort of variation on the old-school Razer kick scooter design You have a deck and then the handlebars. There’s a single point of articulation, which means that the scooter will never be shorter than which ever part is longest.
The URB-E throws that design tradition right out the windows with a fresh take on how to fold. There’s a reason the old design is so popular however. The more folding points you put in, the more failure points there are. Which means you’d expect lower load capacities and a much more finicky process. There’s no use in having something be ultra-compact and then needing an engineering degree to unfold it. This is why tents only fit in their backs from the factory and then never again.
The URB-E addresses these problems with aplomb. First of all, it uses carbon fiber and aircraft aluminium to provide the required strength while keeping the total weight of the machine way down . It only weighs 16 kg, which is still not hand-luggage weight but is still pretty light to carry.
You get up 32 km on a full charge and a maximum speed of around 30 km/h . The folding mechanism really is quite brilliant and has been patented. It stands to reason that the URB-E is so exceptional, since the lead engineer did a tour of many cutting edge car makers, such as Fisker and Porsche.
The only real fly in the ointment is the price, which is not cheap. However, it’s not that much more than high-end traditional scooter.
The Dolly is another scooter with some fancy design pretensions. The whole machine is aluminium and there’s no carbon that I can see. Which is probably why it costs quite a bit less than something like the URB-E. It folds down with a simple mechanism, but that’s not the real trick. When folded down it converts into a little trolley, which means that you don’t have to carry it!
The tires are airless , but they are not solid rubber. Instead they have an internal honeycomb structure, which is quite clever. It’s why it’s called the “Dolly”, get it? I can also stand by itself when folded, which makes storage while charging a doddle. The killer feature to me however has to be the foot-operated folding mechanism.
It has a weight capacity of 115 kg, will hit 25 km/h at most and theoretically will go 25 km before running out of bottled lightning. Total charge time from empty to full is about three and a half hours. The claimed efficiency is pretty great too. According to Glion the Dolly uses only $1 of electricity for every 800 km of travel. Pretty amazing when you think about it.
Glion isn’t having it all its own way it seems. The Electric Booster Plus also features a trolley design when folded although lacking those extra little stabilizer wheels.
It folds down with a three point system to a pretty small size too, with a total weight just shy of 11 kg. It has TWO brakes. A combination of normal friction braking and regenerative brakes.
The tires are airless 8-inch numbers, which makes potholes a little scary but should be fine for decent sidewalks. It has a horn, LED display, cruise control and a headlight. Pretty fancy, eh?
The max range is a decent 33 km and it will go up to 29 km/h . Riders can weigh up to 131 kg , which is very generous. Apparently CNET was quite lyrical about this scooter, but in the context of what we’ve seen on the market it’s not a bad choice, but there are more interesting machines for the money.
Hover-1 HY-HBKE XLS
What even is this?! The Hover-1 is clearly different from all the Razer-like electric scooters we see everywhere. It looks more like a stripped-down electric motorcycle than anything else.
You can’t stand on this scooter, since it has bicycle geometry. That does limit who can ride this, since with just an adjustable handlebar you can accommodate plenty of people on a traditional kick-style electric.
That being said, it seems most average adults will have no trouble riding this little guy. As you can see in the promo video it folds up in seconds, but due to its nature it’s still too bulky for anything but storage in a trunk.
You’ll get up to 35 km from this bike with a top speed of 32 km/h . I think as a short-range commuter this is more comfortable and more practical than almost any other scooter on this page. Under the provision that you don’t have to carry it when you reach the end of your journey. This is a really cool personal electric vehicle and it’s priced fairly too. A great alternative choice to kick-style electric scooters.
Airwheel Z5 Folding Electric Scooter for Adults
Airwheel is without a doubt a company that should be considered electric transport royalty. I’ve never encountered a product from them which wasn’t at or near the top of its class. The Airwheel Z5 seems to be no different, despite the company mainly making a name with self-balancing devices.
The Z5 only takes two hours to charge, but you only get about 19 km on a full charge. Not too impressive, but they have a quick-swap mechanism for the battery. Buy an extra battery, put it in your backpack and you shouldn’t get caught out.
This is for lighter riders who optimally weight closer to 60 kg and no more than 100 kg. The top speed of the Z5 is 20 km/h, which is as fast as you’d want to go on those little 8” wheels. It folds up as you’d expect, but since it’s a smaller scooter to begin with and only weight 13 kg it’s very man-transportable .
The Z5 is an all-round great choice for light-duty scootering. The price is right for what it offers and there are no obvious weak points in the product. I also trust the aftermarket support from Airwheel, given that they are so established. Spare parts should be no issue at all either.
Weskate Foldable Electric Scooter
The Weskate is another scooter with a retro design. The specifications of the Weskate are actually quite impressive. One eye-catching spec is the weight capacity. Even adults weighing 150 kg can ride this ! The range is somewhere between 20 km and 25 km which is OK for townsfolk looking to go down the shop, to work or school.
It’s got a lot of comfort features as well. Seat cushioning, shock absorbers and versatile height adjustment. It also has 10-inch pneumatic wheels. So I expect it to handle minor knocks and bumps without issue.
In terms of foldability this is clearly not man-portable, but it’s perfect for a trunk or closet.
What to Keep in Mind When Getting a Foldable Electric Scooter for Adults
If foldability is the main thing that you want in a scooter then there are a few things I think you need to pay attention to.
First of all, how hard is it to fold? Try to find a video on YouTube of someone demonstrating the actual folding procedure and make a decision based on that.
When folded down, can you carry or pull the scooter along yourself? Do you need to? Are you always going to transport it in a car?
What are the final dimensions when folded? Is it small enough to fit where you need it to?
The Pros and Cons of Foldables
The main advantages of foldable electric scooters is that you can stow them away, take them on public transport carry them around if you need to go up stairs or steep hills. You can take them into the office or cafe for charging and generally make them part of your personal gear.
The main disadvantage is that folding mechanisms make the whole machine more complicated, heavier and less strong. Which means you might have to look for a non-foldable model if your durability, speed and weight capacity needs go beyond what’s possible with a folding design.
If you don’t have any portability needs, the you should always go for a simpler, non-folding design. However, the convenience of folding electric scooters is a significant positive factor overall.
FAQs about Folding Electric Scooters for Adults
Let’s see if we can’t allay some of the more common concerns about folding scooters.
Isn’t folding complicated and time consuming?
This was definitely true in the early days when manufacturers used clunky mechanisms and heavy materials. These days it’s rare for a foldable to take longer than a few seconds to convert from storage to rideable modes.
Are All Foldables Like Razer Scooters?
While the Razer kick-scooter design is still the most popular folding scooter type, there are many innovate designs coming to market that break the mold. Some look like bikes, some look completely unique. With a little exploration you’ll find plenty choice on the market.
Are Folding Electric Scooters Safe?
It’s true that structural compromises have to be made in order to make foldable scooters possible. However, as long as you regularly check that locking and folding mechanisms are in good working order these scooters should be no less likely to fail mechanically than their non-folding cousins. Just don’t exceed the weight capacity!
Sir, I was looking for the foldable scooter/bike with seat, 3 wheels, lightest, adult human weight around 225. And budget under $200.. it will allow to thru the TSA for the travel.? Any idea.?
Most electric scooters these days are foldable, which might make you wonder why we even have this category.
The main advantages of foldable electric scooters is that you can stow them away, take them on public transport carry them around if you need to go up stairs or steep hills. You can take them into the office or cafe for charging and generally make them part of your personal gear.
This was definitely true in the early days when manufacturers used clunky mechanisms and heavy materials. These days it’s rare for a foldable to take longer than a few seconds to convert from storage to rideable modes. 
Sir,
I was looking for the foldable scooter/bike with seat, 3 wheels, lightest, adult human weight around 225. And budget under $200.. it will allow to thru the TSA for the travel.? Any idea.?
Thank you.
Shannon