Besides the manufacturers or reviewers (like ourselves) telling you what is and what is not an electric scooter, it gets confusing when scooters come with a seat. Because then, all you can think is ‘e-bike.’

Well, the GOTRAX Flex, just like the Razor ECO Smart, the Fiido Q1S, and the EMOVE RoadRunner, is a seated electric scooter. Why? Well, no pedals, of course. Some seated scooters like the Jetson Bolt Pro will have pedals to compensate for the small battery, while some like the EMOVE RoadRunner have footpegs as part of their design. The beauty is in the variety.

The GOTRAX Flex electric scooter comes with a regular deck that sort of looks like a hover board, and we love this because it makes the scooter way more compact. And, the absence of a chain drive means you’re not dealing with messy chain stains on the leg of your pants, in the trunk, on the back seat, of your car if you stuff it in there. Oh, and it makes for a much quieter ride.

The GOTRAX Flex is powered by a physically large 350W motor in the rear wheel. While we’re at it, let’s have a quick lesson. 

Motor wattage is one of the most often-quoted numbers in scooter reviews. But, did you know that it tells almost nothing about how the scooter will really perform? Why? Because it’s usually just a rating of how much power the motor can handle, and not how much power the motor-controllers are feeding it.

Schooled?

That’s why it is important for us to test scooters and see how they really perform. By testing, we also get to see how the 264 lbs rider weight capacity spec holds in real-world riding by a person close to that weight limit. We get to see how far the Flex’s 280.8 wh battery goes against similarly rated scooters. And we certainly get to experience the promised comfort of the scooter’s built-in seat. 

Now, here’s our comprehensive review after a week of testing the budget GOTRAX Flex.

If you’re a big dawg, you will like riding the GOTRAX Flex on flat ground. On hills, even the regular Joe will struggle, but that’s a thing with seated scooters (more on that in the Hill Climb section).

The rider weight capacity is typical of seated scooters at this price–264 lbs. But, it is built for comfort, and even the bigger riders will enjoy the plush seat on the GOTRAX Flex scooter, the springs in the seat, the rear suspension, and the ride comfort of the large-diameter wheels. The deck gives plenty of space to rest your feet. However, the handlebar height is somewhat low, but that’s something you will quickly adjust to. 

Performance-wise, the difference wasn’t too much. Paul (165 lbs) got 16.1 mph on his top speed run, while resident big dawg, Ramier, got to 15.1 mph max speed. This indicates that the scooter doesn’t lose too much performance with a bigger rider.

Acceleration is typical for its price class and if you’ve ridden a rental scooter, this feels pretty similar, arriving at 15 mph in 7.7 seconds. It’s a casual cruiser, but you’ll find that it outdoes some of our favorite commuters, notably the $550 Turboant Pro that gets to 15 mph in 9.1 seconds. The GOTRAX Flex scooter also gets to 15 mph just 0.1 seconds shy of our top recommendation for best under $600, the Niu KQi2 Pro.

Unlike the KQi2 Pro (and a bunch of other commuters), the GOTRAX Flex is set up for “zero-start” so you don’t have to kick off to start. However, in all fairness to those scooters, the GOTRAX Flex is more intuitive for beginners thanks to its seated factor. That said, between the super-chill riding position, the adrenaline-free throttle response, and bicycle-sized tires, the Flex is about as un-intimidating a scooter as we’ve ridden.

The Flex is officially GOTRAX’s fastest entry-level commuter. And it’s not just an in-house champ; the scooter’s tested top speed was just a touch faster than most sharing electric scooters clocking 16.1 mph max speed. 

Charted alongside some of our other top commuters, the GOTRAX Flex really did flex, going faster than the $549 Segway Ninebot ES2’s 16.0 mph max speed, the $700 Okai Neon’s 16.0 mph, and the $549 Turboantt Pro’s 15.8 mph. 

The GOTRAX Flex is also just a little faster than the top speed most people are able to sustain riding a bike, just one of the features that give Flex a solid chance at winning a sticker at our Editor’s Choice Awards for Best Commuters. See what scooters made our Best Commuter Scooters For 2022.

We’ll start this one with a disclaimer.

While the GOTRAX Flex scoots right along on flat ground and slight inclines, you need to know that seated scooters in this price range really struggle when it comes to climbing steep hills and GOTRAX’s Flex is no different here. 

Any hills that would make you want to downshift and/or pedal standing up on a bicycle, are really going to slow you down on most seated electric scooters. Much to its credit, the GOTRAX Flex still conquered our steep 10% grade test hill, albeit very slowly.

Here’s what Paul (resident physicist and expert rider) tells us about why seated scooters may struggle a little going uphill:

… Seated scooters use larger diameter wheels which give you more stability and a smoother ride. BUT that means the motor turns fewer times between the bottom of the hill and the top. So, it’s like climbing a hill in higher gear on a bicycle.

And as we’re always reminding you, entry-level prices demand a few compromises. To get better performance, you might have to spend more money. For example, the $800 Fiido Q1 does a little better on hills and sustains an average speed of 6.5 mph up our 200 ft, 10% grade hill against the Flex’s 3.6 mph.

The GOTRAX Flex, again, takes the crown for the longest range on an entry-level GOTRAX. It even went further than the GOTRAX XR and XR Ultra. 

We took our fully-charged GOTRAX Flex out on our challenging range test course–Paul rode the electric scooter as fast as he could, and the GOTRAX Flex managed to carry him through 13.5 miles of range. 

Now, we can also technically dub this scooter our new range class champ, since under $500, only the Worst Scooter we’ve ever tested goes further, and the Xiaomi M365, that’s not newly available for sale in the US, and even when you do get one, there’s no warranty support. 

The GOTRAX Flex electric scooter runs on a 280.8 wh battery, that charges from empty to full in 5 hours. And, if by any chance you feel that the miles per charge on the electric scooter are relatively short or that average battery life might be a deal breaker–fret not. Rumor has it that GOTRAX will be releasing a Pro Version of the Flex, that’s set to have a larger battery, and of course, a larger price tag as well. Keep it RG to be the first to know.

Braking on the GOTRAX Flex is typical of its class. The electric scooter comes to a stop from 15 mph in 15.2 ft. With more expensive scooters like the Zero 8 stopping in 23.4 ft, the GOTRAX Flex isn’t too bad, but it’s not the best.

The electric scooter employs cable-operated front and rear drum brakes, plus regenerative braking for stopping. Regenerative braking is great as it recharges the battery as you slow down.

Drum brakes do not have the same grip as disc brakes and will usually require a firm squeeze to bring the electric scooter to a stop.

The GOTRAX Flex delivers a fun and smooth ride. We’d like to say that all seated scooters are the same way, but they are not built alike, and you can’t throw caution to the wind when buying one. If you can, test it out before purchasing, and if you can’t, bank on us for an honest and comprehensive review.

The GOTRAX Flex–how does it feel like to ride this budget seated scooter?

Our expert rider Paul, and his sidekick and resident big dawg, Ramier, define the ride as; feeling lightweight, nimble, and easy to ride.

And according to GOTRAX, the Flex is classified in the “commuter category” and we think it would make a great bike-lane commuter. Even better is that you get to your commute without the sweat of pedaling, and once you’ve arrived at your destination, it’s small enough that you’re probably going to get away with parking it inside.

We also found that the GOTRAX Flex is a great option for running errands because it’s easy to lock up, and the rear storage basket’s carrying capacity is rated at 50 lbs. If you’re wondering what that’s like, that’s almost 6 gallons of milk, or enough grocery shopping to last a single person living and working from home for about a week. The trick is just getting your cargo to fit.

We said earlier that all seated electric scooters are not built alike, and more so at the entry-level price point. Where the GOTRAX Flex stands out the most is in the rear suspension installation. We’ve ridden what feels like a gazillion standing cooters and we know that suspension is always nice to have. However, when seated, you’ll be begging for suspension when you come across a pothole or other track obstacle.

Why the GOTRAX Flex electric scooter was fun to ride was this–your scooter is rolling on large and stable 14 inch air-filled tires, you have dual shocks in the rear, the seat has springs to absorb even more of that jarring, and the seat itself is super thick, which isn’t a guarantee on a budget scooter. Again, without needing tools, you can adjust the spring tension to make it stiffer or less stiff, depending on your preference, of course.

The large-diameter tires do away with the need for front suspension. That, and the fact that you are seated on the rear tire, so front shocks aren’t too essential.

The handlebar position is relatively low at 27.5 inches and is not adjustable. During our test rides, we quickly got used to this, and it helps that the seat height is adjustable, again, without the need for tools. Then there’s the twist throttle, which is our favorite style. Throttle response is super-smooth–but we already said it, it’s not going to give you an adrenaline rush, no matter how hard you twist. You also won't be getting cruise control on this electric scooter.

Another thing you’ll notice is how quiet this electric scooter is. One of the competing scooters, the Razor ECO Smart, is known to be particularly noisy because it uses a chain drive. Finally, you can feel that the Flex’s stem has a bit of flex to it, but it’s unnoticeable when riding. You don’t need a super stiff stem on a seated scooter because you’re already well anchored by your riding position.

As far as first adult electric scooters go, you're right on the money with the GOTRAX Flex.

The GOTRAX Flex is definitely more portable than a regular e-bike. It weighs 47.6 lbs. However, it will feel a lot lighter than this since it gives you lots of places to grab onto. Also, folded and unfolded, we see an advantage to not having pedals or footpegs, in that you can lie the scooter flat on the ground, it won’t take up more space in width than it has to, and when walking the scooter, you’re not banging your shins against them.

The adjustable built-in seat means you can make the GOTRAX Flex even smaller when putting it away. However, take caution when parking it outside–when you lock it up, you may want to also lock up your seat or take it with you, to make sure you still have one when you get back.

The GOTRAX Flex comes with a low-mounted, bright LED headlight that’s great when riding at night. If you ride frequently in low-light situations, we always advise you to get aftermarket headlights for commuter scooters.