Zero 9: Exceptional Balance of Performance and Quality
The Zero 9 is, hands-down, the Best Electric Scooter Under $1200 and simply one of the top electric scooters overall. The Zero has achieved what we think is the perfect balance of range, weight, portability, quality, and price. The scooter has been around and gone through numerous improvement iterations.
Summary
The Zero 9 stands out as the top dog of e-scooters under $1200.
Coming in at just 40 lbs and delivering a realistic 21.7 miles of range on a challenging urban course, the Zero 9 strikes a perfect balance of portability, power, and features. In addition to its utilitarian features, it also has a pretty dramatic stem and ground swag lighting, which is a bonus for some.
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
Tested Top Speed:
28.4 mph*
Tested Range:
21.7 mi*
Weight:
41.4 lb*
Max Rider Weight:
220 lb*
Water Resistance:
None
Acceleration:
4.2 s*
**Based on our independent performance tests which may differ from manufacturer’s claims.
The Zero 9 is available in United States from Rev Rides.
**Based on our independent performance tests which may differ from manufacturer’s claims.
Kaabo Skywalker 10S - Tech Specs
Tested Top Speed:
32.0 mph*
Tested Range:
25.1 mi*
Weight:
-*
Max Rider Weight:
264 lb*
Water Resistance:
None
Acceleration:
3.7 s*
**Based on our independent performance tests which may differ from manufacturer’s claims.
Mercane Widewheel Pro - Tech Specs
Tested Top Speed:
26.7 mph*
Tested Range:
19.3 mi*
Weight:
55.8 lb*
Max Rider Weight:
220 lb*
Water Resistance:
IP54
Acceleration:
3.2 s*
**Based on our independent performance tests which may differ from manufacturer’s claims.
Performance and Rankings
Which is best at what?
Performance: Mercane then Zero then others
Portability: Unagi by far, then Zero then Mercane then Kaabo
Ride: Zero then Kaabo then others
Quality: Many pros and cons across each
Motor: Kaabo and Mercane have 500-600W per wheel whereas the others have 250-300W
Warranty: (2023 UPDATE) the Kaabo Skywalker has drastically declined in popularity, support, and availability the US, so has the Zero 9. The WideWheel Pro can still be purchased from Fluid Freeride and the Model One from Unagi.
The Kaabo Skywalker 10S had the best performance — it had the highest top speed, longest tested range, and best braking performance.
The WideWheel Pro came in second with the best acceleration to 25 mph and quickest hill-climbing performance.
The Zero 9 is competitive — though not a winner — in all performance categories. It delivered very respectable top speed, acceleration, and range.
Finally, the Unagi lags significantly behind the others with its somewhat low top speed and its single-digit range.
Ride Quality
The Zero 9 crushes the other scooters in terms of ride quality. It has an excellent front and rear spring suspension and 8.5-inch pneumatic tires. Together, the suspension and tires help to smooth out rough terrain and should be suitable for anything you'll encounter in a city.
Additionally, it has the most deck space of the tested scooters -- leaving plenty of room to plant your feet in a comfortable position.
The 10S (above) is equipped with a suspension and even larger 10-inch pneumatic tires. Yet, it has the least amount of usable deck space due to the placement of the suspension components.
Finally, the WideWheel Pro and Model One bring up the rear. Both lack pneumatic tires, making for a rough ride. The WideWheel Pro does have an integrated suspension, but it's very stiff and jarring on uneven terrain. The Model One has no suspension, but uses tires with "air pockets" that provide some road damping, but still a harsh ride on poor terrain.
Portability
The Unagi Model One gets its first win, for being the most portable scooter of the bunch -- thanks to its meager 26 lbs and ultra-quick folding mechanism.
Some of the e-scooters in this cohort weigh twice as much!
The Zero 9 comes in second for portability. It is the next lightest scooter -- tipping the scales at 40 lbs. Additionally, it folds to the most compact dimensions thanks to its folding handlebars and telescoping stem.
The Skywalker 10S is the least portable scooter of the bunch. It is the heaviest and has the largest folded dimensions.
Build Quality
The Zero 9 and Skywalker 10S (above) share the prize for the best quality. Each of these scooters are sturdy metal juggernauts -- each with distinct advantages and drawbacks that cause them to tie. The Skywalker has a more extended 12-month warranty and a slightly higher 265 lb weight limit than the Zero 9. On the other hand, the Zero 9 has better overall fit-and-finish and better build quality out of the box.
The Unagi (above) takes the second spot for quality. It has a great design, long 12-month warranty, beautiful fit-and-finish, and the highest weight capacity of 275 lbs. The Unagi's build quality is good but unremarkable, given its premium price point compared to its other features.
Bringing up the rear is the WideWheel Pro (below). The Pro has a 6-month warranty and meager 220 lb weight capacity -- when we consider its hefty 54 lb weight.
Summary
There is a strong case that the Zero 9 is the best electric scooter under $1200 -- taking 1st or 2nd place in every category we considered it. The Zero 9 delivers long real-world range, enough power, a good ride, and is light enough for frequent lifting and carrying. It has a spacious deck and large dual pneumatic tires that, along with a dual-suspension, provide ride quality that won't fatigue you after long distances.
Runners-Up
The Skywalker 10sis a great scooter with a comfortable ride; it had the longest range of the scooters considered. The main drawbacks that kept it out of the Winner’s Circle were its relatively cramped deck and 56 lb weight. The Skywalker has the tires, suspension, and battery to go a long distance, but we found the relatively small deck to be cramped for long rides. Riders with smaller feet may not find this to be a problem. Finally, its 56 lb weight was simply too much for regular lifting and may be very difficult for some to carry upstairs. However, this scooter does offer quite a bit for its price point. If you want something with great range and power and don’t mind the weight, it’s worth looking checking out.
The WideWheel Prois a weighty dual-motor scooter that has thrilling acceleration. It is probably one of the most fun electric scooters you can buy. It is a worthy contender as the best scooter, but not balanced enough to take the win. It has great performance but lacks practical features like a quality suspension and pneumatic tires that enhance daily riding. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking for a super fun scooter, less practical scooter, for recreational use.
The Unagi Model One is very competitive if you are looking for the best portable electric scooter. Tipping the scales at 26 lbs, it is among the lightest scooters, in general. When you consider that excellent acceleration provided by dual motors — the next lightest dual-motor scooters weight more than twice as much — its weight is downright ridiculous. However, as a contender for the Best Electric Scooter Under $1200, it has to compete considering an “average rider” who is not looking for a specialized, ultra-portable scooter. For this reason, it did not prevail in this category — it’s simply too specialized for the average rider.
Full Methodology For Selecting Best Electric Scooter Under $1200
We considered approximately twenty electric scooters — all costing between $900 and $1200. Next, we excluded any scooter that wasn’t available for purchase as of 2020. We applied simple criteria to narrow the choices down to just a handful of scooters that we subjected to full, in-depth, hands-on testing, and comparison.
Max weight of at least 220 lbs. We chose these criteria because we are looking for powered scooters for adults.
Only well-known, established brands. We excluded brands that have recently appeared, on Amazon for example, that may not be around in the next few months.
Battery capacity of more than 200 watt-hours. This ensures a range of at least 7 miles, which is reasonable at this price.
After applying these criteria, we are left with nine unique challengers from eight notable brands, including UScooters, Kaabo, Unagi, Mercane, and Zero.
Challengers
We’ve reviewed and tested every scooter from this list (or at least some version of it). From here, we’ll purge a few more scooters to keep the list simple.
Note: The values below are from our independent testing and may differ from the specifications provided by the manufacturer.
Booster V
The UScooters Booster Vis a specialized scooter that is targeted for users who want something that is an ultra-portable tank. The Booster V is one of the lightest scooters you can buy, folds into an incredibly compact package and has maintenance-free solid tires. However, due to its specialized design, it has a somewhat limited range and poor ride quality on bad roads. It is a contender for the best portable electric scooter, but not well-rounded enough to compete with other scooters for an the average rider.
Mercane WideWheel (dual motor)
The 2019 Mercane WideWheel(dual motor version) was not kept in as a finalist because the WideWheel Pro, an upgraded version of the same scooter made it in. This doesn’t mean the Mercane WideWheel is a bad scooter.
Following our purge, just four finalists remain — the Kaabo Skywalker 10S, Unagi Model One (E500), WideWheel Pro, and the Zero 9. To determine the best scooter under $1200, we graded these scooters based on results from hands-on testing, in terms of performance, ride,portability, and quality.
Evaluating the Finalists
We evaluated the finalists in four areas: performance, ride, portability, and quality.
Performance. Performance basically describes fast the scooter goes, how far it goes, and how quickly it accelerates and stops. Factors affecting this are brake type, motor power, controller power, and battery capacity. All scooters are tested under the same conditions with a 165 lb rider. We use high-precision Racelogic GPS unit — the same type used for performance car testing. We use this type of unit because cell phone-based performance logging is unreliable for many of these tests. For performance, we consider:
Acceleration time (0 to 15 mph)
Top speed
Range (100% to 0% charge)
Stopping distance from 15 mph
Ride. Ride or ride quality basically describes the feeling and stability of the scooter on a variety of terrain. Some scooters have a great ride on smooth roads but are punishing on poor ones. Features that affect ride quality are tire type and size, the geometry of the scooter, and the presence or lack of suspension. To test ride quality, we typically ride the scooter for several weeks and for around 100 miles. We test the scooter on the following types of terrain/conditions:
Roads in good/bad repair
Dirt trails
Riding over grass
Up and downhill
Wet and dry conditions
Portability. Portability describes how easy a scooter is to carry, store, and bring onto public transportation. Some things that affect portability are weight, folded dimensions, and folding mechanism. We specifically rate portability, based on:
Weight
Folded dimensions
Folding ease and speed
Carrying ease
Quality. Quality encompasses how well the scooter was designed and assembled. We also consider warranty duration and post-purchase support data, if known. Some scooters need a full tune-up as soon as you take them out of the box, while others are ready to ride. To rate quality, we consider the following factors:
Fit and finish
Quality of components
How solid the scooter feels
Noise or rattling parts
Drop test, repeated three times
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