While it’s nice to have the reassurance of a mechanical brake, the Razor Icon’s electronic brake was responsive, and slowed me down quickly. I did find that it would continue to brake for a split second after I released the lever, which caused a weird sort of lag. Just above the front wheel is a small triangular cutout through which you can conceivably thread a bike lock, but it’s a pretty small opening. Our biggest complaint with the E100 — and common to most Razor scooters under $200 — is that it lacks reflectors or a bell or horn. Other than that, the biggest problem you’ll have with the Razor E100 is getting your kid off it. Features a LED headlight, a brake-activated taillight, and reflective decals for better visibility.
You can also set an unlock code to help deter thieves, and Apple Find My is built in, should the scooter ever go missing. With an estimated 40-mile range, this scooter will get you where you need to go — wherever it is. If you’re looking for something sleeker, the Razor Power A2 has a similar range but uses a razor moped scooter lithium ion battery, which makes for a slimmer deck. It took him all of 15 minutes to learn the controls and where to properly position his feet and hands before he was scooting around the neighborhood and showing off to his friends. At the time of this update in 2024, its regular price hovered around $200.
Depending on the specific model, and the general condition and age of the scooter’s battery, charging a Bird scooter from empty to full may take from 3.5 to 7 hours. In most markets, Bird charges the ride fee after the end of every ride, charged in the local currency through the default payment method you’ve selected. In some countries, you can (or must) select a balance auto-update plan, that will load funds in your account as a credit, which will later be applied to your rides, and the funds will be refilled when they reach 0. Bird scooters are rented through the Bird mobile phone app, available for iPhone and Android, in the cities where Bird operates. For the newer generation Lime scooters, charging the battery fully takes 6 hours on average. Through the feature called Group Ride, a single Lime user can unlock up to 5 scooters at the same time.
Speaking of brakes, almost all scooters have some sort of handbrake; some will have a secondary brake that can be activated by pressing down on a scooter’s rear fender. There’s nothing worse than having to fumble with a latch when you’re rushing to catch a train — and your fellow passengers will appreciate it, too. Apollo’s app even lets you customize the scooter’s performance, and has a remote-locking function, which engages the scooter’s brakes, razor moped scooter so that others can’t ride it. The Unagi also has a great display that’s bright enough to easily see even in daylight; we also liked its intuitive controls and loud, electric-sounding horn. It has both head and taillights, the latter of which blinks rapidly when you hit the brakes. Razer says that the Icon’s 36V battery is good for about 18 miles of range under ideal circumstances; I came closer to 10 in my riding, which included a number of hills.
If you have to carry this up and down stairs, we recommend the Unagi Model One instead. But if weight is not a concern, this is a pretty awesome electric scooter. Regardless of the electric scooter you choose, we suggest plenty of practice before you hit the road.