Best Scooters for Under £500

£500 might be a tight budget for some but here we’ll look at what your best options are within this price range, we’ll look at quality, range and speed and how much bang you get for your buck.

The £500 club is still relatively low for an electric scooter, whilst there are lots of options, you should be conservative with your expectations. £500 isn’t a lot when you factor in that scooter lithium batteries, controllers and motors alone take up so much of the cost in manufacturing, so, at the £500 price point, you’ll still be in the territory of slower more basic scooters. Whilst no doubt there may be faster options, we have to take into consideration the quality of the scooter.

#1 Xiaomi Pro 2 Electric Scooter

Priced at: £449 to £499

Rated 4.9/5 by over 1000 Readers, A fantastic commuters scooter that is light, portable, has excellent range and is a well built scooter.

Reasons to avoid the Xiaomi Pro 2

  Top speed won’t be enough for most

  Charge time of 8+ hours might be too slow for some

  300w single motor will struggle with heavier riders

  Reflector use not overly attractive for the scooters design

  No suspension

Summary of the Xiaomi Pro 2

Xiaomi has cemented itself in the industry by releasing one of the most popular scooters on the planet, the Xiaomi M365 which you can see on pretty much any pavement across cities and towns across the globe. With such a name and being so established, you can bet that anything produced by Xiaomi is going to at least be of good quality and reliable, which we are happy to say extends to the Xioami Pro 2.

The scooter is simple, sleek and very robust so it’s perfect for day to day use as well as commuting, hopping on for that last mile commute or a quick trip to the shops. With a maximum speed of 15.5 mph you won’t be too intimidated by it and judging by the scooter communities, you’ll probably want a bit more speed over time (as many do once they catch the scooting bug) – and that’s OK because a firmware update could add up to 5mph to the top speed.
The pro 2 has a maximum range of around 25-28 miles (45km) depending on the weight of the rider and battery state of charge.

Xiaomi’s pro 2 braking system is simple and effective with a dual braking system that includes a rear disc brake, electronic ABS and regenerative braking – we found it to be very quick at stopping from full speed without it feeling uncomfortable.

The Xiaomi Pro 2 doesn’t feature any independent suspension – which, you’d think would ruin the ride quality, however on the PRO 2 Xiaomi have switched from solid rubber tyres to pneumatic tyres which will help to soak up some of the vibration and uneven surfaces.

The PRO 2 has a simple throttle activated cruise control system that is smart, so it makes setting your cruise speed and maintaining it a doddle, the scooter will automatically compensate for terrain to try and maintain the desired speed.

The PRO 2 also features 3 different speed modes depending on how and where you are using the scooter, if you are cruising along pavements you can set it to pedestrian mode, if you are gently cruising along a country lane you can switch to standard or sports mode depending on the surface being ridden on.

For lighting the PRO 2 features a handlebar-mounted LED light which is bright but probably not enough on its own for night riding, especially if in an area with poor street lighting.  For visibility the PRO 2 retains the reflective indicators on the front and sides of the deck to make you more visible to other pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles.

The PRO 2 features an updated LCD display with more features and scooter information and forms part of the scooter’s intelligent app system. You can connect to your PRO 2 using the MI Home App to change scooter settings, view charge, distance, speed stats and more.

Is the Xiaomi Pro 2 Value for Money?

In our opinion yes the pro 2 presents value for money. The sacrifice of suspension or larger wheels has left Xiaomi to focus on quality and battery. The battery in the PRO 2 is very good and good for a lot of charge cycles.

Who is the Xiaomi Pro 2 Suitable for?

This is a good all round scooter suitable for younger teens, commuters, older riders looking for something to zip about on, last mile commuters and more.

Where to Buy the Xiaomi Pro 2

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#2 Pure Air Pro Electric Scooter

Priced at: £449 to £499

The pure air pro is a highly regarded electric scooter with IP65 Rating, Sleek Design and fantastic performance.

Reasons to avoid the Pure Air Pro 2

  Top speed won’t be enough for most

  Charge time of 8+ hours might be too slow for some

  350w single motor will struggle with heavier riders

  Scooter heavier for its power class

  No suspension

Summary of the Pure Air Pro

The Pure Air Pro electric scooter is a dark, curvy, sleek electric scooter that has motors that offer a bit more power over the Xiaomi Pro 2. With a max loading capability of up to 120kg (19 stone) this scooter is a little more capable with heavier riders, although, let’s face it if you weigh 15 stone and try to ascend a gradient of 20% the scooter is likely to come to a stop or slow down to walking pace.

The Pure Air Pro sports an IP65 rating which is relatively unique, most scooters feature splash resistant IP54 but to see IP65 is really nice, it means that the scooter can be used, even in heavy rain. This alone makes the Pure Air Pro a real contender for commuters who will need to use scooters come rain or shine.

The Pure Air Pro is an attractive scooter in a dark grey/black paint with smooth curves and an elegant design. 

The braking performance of the Pure Air Pro is good but not the best, it does feature an anti skid rear electronic brake alongside a mechanical brake.

Like the Mi Pro the Pure Air Pro doesn’t have any suspension but it does use air filled tyres to compensate and to provide a more comfortable ride.

The Pure Air Pro features a re-enforced chassis to increase the scooters resistance to frame damage from heavier use, off road use or even drops off kerbs. The deck is super grippy and is resistant to a lot of grit, mud and other wear and tear.

The scooters lighting is actually very good, again, another handlebar mounted single LED with a downward beam projection, we found the light performance at night was better than the MI PRO but, we’d still advocate adding your own lights.

The Pure Air Pro works on a 36v system and features an undisclosed 400wh lithium ion battery. The charge time is quicker at 5.5 hours vs other electric scooters.

Is the Pure Air Pro Value for Money?

In our opinion yes the pure air pro is worth the money. It’s a very capable scooter with excellent specifications and good credentials. It’s rugged, robust, sports a really nice design and is beautifully simple.

Who is the Pure Air Pro Suitable for?

This is a good all round scooter best for commuters and riders who like to hit green lanes. With more power than the MI Pro this might be a better choice for people who want a bit more power, but, the capped top speed makes this no faster top end than other scooters in this category.

Where to Buy the Pure Air Pro

ABC

#3 Kugoo S1 Pro Electric Scooter

Priced at: £329.99 to £349.99

The Kugoo S1 Pro is another cost effective line up in the Kugoo range, light and practical the S1 Pro is a great all round scooter.

Reasons to avoid the Pure Air Pro 2

  Not suitable for hilly areas

  Front suspension not all that noticeable

  350w single motor will struggle with heavier riders

  Uncomfortable to ride on terrain

  Some parts of the scooter feel overly cheap

Summary of the Kugoo S1 Pro

Kugoo are a brand that have come out of nowhere and now have a range of fun, exciting & practical scooters from basic commuters to off road machines. The Kugoo S1 Pro is at the lower end of the Kugoo line up with a single 350w hub motor and a 7.5ah battery crammed into a relatively compact deck.

The Kugoo S1 Pro as a scooter offers good value for money & we especially loved the centralised LCD panel which acts as a speedo, trip meter and voltmeter all in one. 

What we loved about the Kugoo S1 Pro was that for the price you get something that is very portable (fits in a carry bag) and is capable of 18mph by default, so it’s a tad quicker than other scooters in the 350w power range out of the box.

The 8″ wheels and frame configuration makes for good ground clearance which helps if you live in an area with poor road surfaces, however, the solid rubber wheels and only single front suspension make the Kugoo S1 pro a little more uncomfortable to ride than other scooters with suspension and/or pneumatic tyres.

The scooter weighs just 11kg! which makes it VERY portable and perfect for people who need something to hop on to for a last mile commute. The folding mechanism is great, very solid, and makes it quick and easy to fold / unfold.

We found the deck to be quite narrow, but, not too dissimilar from other small hop-on hop-off scooters in this price range.

Whilst the overall quality was fair, there were a few things we didn’t like, namely the handlebar grips. But, where some areas have had corners cut, the main areas such as the battery, motor and LCD panel have been concentrated on.

We added the Kugoo S1 pro in because it’s relatively quick, light and has a great range – making it the perfect commuter scooter for under £500.

The one thing to take note is that the S1 Pro does not feature any disc or drum brakes, to slow down there is magnetic regenerative braking as well as foot braking – so don’t expect to stop overly quickly.

Is the Kugoo S1 Pro Value for Money?

Yes, totally worth the money. For just over £300 you get a scooter that’s light, nippy, has a good range of up to 15 miles, is quick to charge and features a really nice central LCD panel and a bright forward facing LED lights.

Who is the Kugoo S1 Pro Suitable for?

The Kugoo S1 Pro is most suited for people who live in a town / city where it’ll be used for light commuting or light cruises around the paths. It’s not suitable for off-road use or use on poor quality tarmac as the ride is too harsh. This is suitable for younger riders as well as commuters. It’s not suitable for people who intend to use it in hilly locations.

Where to Buy the Kugoo S1 Pro

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