What is the age limit for electric scooters for kids?

Electric scooters compared

Still undecided? Here’s a quick look at each scooter, its top speed, range, and recommended rider age. Bear in mind that the advertised range of an electric scooter is based on ideal circumstances; in practice, it will often be 60-70% of what the company claims.

How to pick the best electric scooter for your kid

Here are three things to consider before buying an electric scooter for your child:

How big is your kid? Many electric scooters made for kids have a weight limit of 120 pounds. Even though your child may weigh less than that, a bag loaded with schoolbooks may push it over the limit.

How old is your child? The electric scooters we recommend on this page are intended for children ages 8 and up. For kids younger than that, we recommend nonelectric scooters. However, as your child grows older, they may need — or want — an electric scooter with more capabilities. Plus, they may not want to ride the same scooter as when they were a small kid.

How far does your child have to go? If you’re getting your child an electric scooter so they can get to school and back, consider how far they have to travel. If it’s a longer distance, you’ll want to get a scooter with a better range, so your kid doesn’t get stuck pushing the scooter home.

Safety tips for children

Always wear a helmet

According to a national poll at the University of Michigan (initially reported in the The New York Times), only 59% of parents said their child wears a helmet while riding a bike, skateboard or scooter. Don’t be part of the 61% whose kids don’t. While our list of the best bike helmets is geared more for adults, those same companies also make helmets designed for children. You’ll want to look for a helmet that has MIPS or a similar shock absorption technology, which helps prevent rotational head injuries.

A little less than half of all states have laws that require children age 17 and under to wear helmets when riding bicycles, while nearly all states have laws regarding the use of helmets when riding low-powered cycles, such as electric scooters.

For extra protection, consider investing in a pair of elbow and knee pads for your kid. Look for a set that includes wrist guards. Reflective gear is also a good idea if your child will be riding close to sundown.

Add bells, horns, and lights

To keep the price down, many electric scooters for kids lack bells, horns, or lights, as kids should not ride their scooters after dark. Still, a little extra safety measures don’t hurt, and all of these can are inexpensive and can be easily found online or at a local bike shop. At the very least, we recommend adding a bell to the handlebars. You can also check out our picks for the best bike lights, which should easily fit on many scooters.

Don’t buddy up

Kids like to have fun, but remind them that buddying up with a friend on an electric scooter isn’t the best idea. Every scooter has a weight limit, and even if your child and a friend come under that number, putting an extra person on the vehicle makes it harder to balance and steer.

Check local laws and regulations

A Consumer Reports survey found that more than 1 in 4 riders weren’t entirely sure about the traffic laws related to riding electric scooters. If you, too, aren’t sure, check with your city about its rules. In most cases, you can’t ride e-scooters on sidewalks and instead have to use bike lanes and share the road with cars. If you’re anxious about your kid riding across busy intersections, try to map out a route that avoids streets with high pedestrian and car traffic.

Learn to use hand signals

It’s never too early to learn the universal language of hand signals. That’s right: The DMV-mandated signals for turning left, turning right and stopping come in handy when riding an electric scooter. To keep your kid safe out on the road, make sure that they not only know these signals, but also understand how to properly use them. However, it can be tricky to make a hand signal and ride a scooter with one hand.

Avoid hauling extra weight

Your child will likely travel with a backpack on the way to school. But make sure they understand that hanging a bag, or even a sweater, on the handlebars of their scooter can throw the vehicle off balance. If carrying cargo is a concern, consider an electric scooter that’s outfitted with a basket or storage space.

Check for defects

Electric scooters require a bit of assembly before they’re ready for the road. For models like the Razor E100, you’ll have to attach the handle to the base before the scooter’s ready to roll. Once it’s assembled, do a thorough safety check. First, perform a visual inspection, to confirm that everything is connected correctly and the wheels are inflated and sturdily in place.

Then, charge the battery to full power and take the scooter for a test run. Check out the brakes and throttle, trying them really hard. If you find a defect with the product after you’ve taken it around the block, contact the manufacturer immediately.

Teach your kid how to ride properly

Electric scooters are not as tolerant of bumps and potholes than cars because the wheels are smaller. Before your kid ventures out on their own, take them around the block for a few test runs. Teach them how to safely take off, accelerate and decelerate, hit the brakes, and maneuver around uneven sidewalks and sticks in the road. Manufacturers often include safety instructions with the scooter that you can refer to as you teach your child the ins and outs of driving their new vehicle.

Frequently asked questions

How fast are electric scooters for kids?
Electric scooters for kids can only reach speeds of up to 10 miles per hour, and many top out at 7-8 MPH; by comparison, electric scooters meant for adults typically go up to 15-20 MPH.

Some electric scooters for kids will have two modes: A beginner mode that limits the speed to around 6 MPH, and an advanced mode that lets your child get up to around 10 MPH.

At what age should a child get an electric scooter?

Typically, the minimum age recommended by electric scooter manufacturers is 8 years of age; children younger than that may not posses the coordination to safely operate an electric scooter, no matter how slow it goes. The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) suggests 8 as a minimum age at which children can ride a scooter, but it cautions that regardless of age, a child should not ride a scooter if they lack balance and coordination. Other organizations are more cautious: The American Society of Pediatrics has said that children under 16 should not operate or ride on motorized vehicles.

How we test the best electric scooters for kids

You can only test the best electric scooters for kids by actually letting kids test them. Since my own child is too young, I recruited my friends and neighbor’s kids to try out the scooters on streets and roads that were closed off to traffic.

All of the kids who tested the scooters — both boys and girls — were between the ages of 7 and 10, with various levels of riding experience. Some were already familiar with riding non-electric scooters, of both the two- and three-wheeled variety.

As part of the testing, I wanted to see how easy it was for a child to figure out how to use an electric scooter. While most have standard controls — a grip throttle and a hand brake — others use different methods of acceleration and braking. For the most part, kids are pretty fast learners, and can gain a good level of competence fairly quickly.

After they’re done riding, I asked them for their impressions, beyond the usual kid response of “it’s cool.” A kid not wanting to get off a scooter — or if multiple kids are arguing over who gets to ride it next — is a pretty good barometer of a scooter’s popularity.

Because most of these scooters requires at least some assembly, I also consider how long, and how difficult they are for parents to put together. Usually it’s a simple matter of attaching the handlebars, which only takes a few minutes.

All rides are done under the supervision of adults, and the children are wearing appropriate safety equipment. After, we ask them for their impressions — that is, if we can get them off the scooters.