We originally reviewed the Ninebot Max in December 2019, and with this January 2021 update find that it is still a super reliable, beefily constructed, low maintenance machine rivaling the ever-popular king of electric scooters, the Xiaomi Mi M365.

It can go double the distance of the M365 with 34.8 km of tested real-world range, and it's slightly faster than electric scooters from the sharing market with a 29.6 km/h top speed. With an additional 100 watts more in the rear hub motor than the M365, the Ninebot Max can propel heavier riders up steeper hills at a faster clip.

The Max also has 22% more standing room than the M365, with a larger deck and large, air-filled tires to cushion long trips. It provides so many user-friendly, comfort-inducing features that it's possible to overlook the Max's rather average looks. The Max isn't a thrilling racer scooter in its performance or appearance, but remains a stalwart machine built for reliable commuting.

The Ninebot Max is an excellent scooter for those who love the general design of the Xiaomi M365 but crave a more durable, longer ranged electric scooter.

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The Max is propelled by a 350 watt motor, with 700 watts of peak power. This is 40% more power than the 250 watt motor from the original M365 and similar scooters in the midrange commuter class.

In our acceleration tests, the Max reached 9.32 km/h in 6.0 seconds, which is faster than the original M365. The Max also has better acceleration than its little brother, the Max G30LP, as well as the Gotrax G4, which has a higher 32.2 km/h top speed.

As with some other scooters in the budget and midrange classes, the Ninebot Max does not have a zero start mode. Zero start means the motor engages as soon as you activate the throttle.

The Max is a kick-to-start scooter, which means that you must kickstart it to about 1.24 km/h before the throttle will engage the motor. Kick-to-start mode is a common safety feature that you'll find standard on shared scooters, as it keeps the scooter from running away if you accidentally hit the throttle while powered on but at full stop.

Although kick-to-start is great for beginners, it's a somewhat annoying feature when trying to power forward to get up to speed from a stoplight or kick your way uphill. If you've ridden a zero start scooter, you'll expect that instant burst of power when pressing the throttle and won't get it.

The Ninebot Max completed our hill climb test (60.96 m, 10% grade, 74.84 kg rider) in 17.0 seconds at an average speed of 4.97 km/h. The Max climbs about as well as the M365 Pro and is significantly faster than the M365, which maintained an average speed of 4.97 km/h.

Because you need to kick the scooter up to speed, it may be a challenge to go uphill quickly without some practice. On a somewhat steep hill, it took us multiple tries before we could create enough speed to engage the throttle. Going uphill might be especially difficult for smaller (shorter) riders, as you'll have to kick, push, get onto the deck, and press the throttle before you can tell if you've gotten it fast enough to power the throttle.

Overall, the Ninebot Max has good hill-climbing ability. We were able to maintain about 4.35 km/h on some impressive hills and were only halted by the steepest ones.

The Ninebot Max has a 29.6 km/h tested top speed, which is fast enough for most riders traveling at safe speeds with traffic. Although the Max doesn't have exceptional top speed, it is still faster than the average shared scooter, which travels at around 9.32 km/h. In the United States, 9.32 km/h is a good average speed for legal travel with other drivers, generally in the bicycle lane -- but regulations for electric scooters vary, region by region and state to state.

The Ninebot Max G30LP, has a slightly faster top speed of 11.18 km/h, likely due to its second generation motor and possibly its lighter weight (its around 1.36 kg lighter and does not have a built-in DC converter).

The Ninebot Max has a whopping manufacturer claimed range of 64.37 km. The Max has exceptional range for its class, but that's a tested 34.8 km of range, which is not quite what Segway claims (64.37 km). The Max's tested range is still among the best given its price and weight.

In our real-world testing, we simulate real-world conditions with a 74.84 kg rider, making frequent stops, going uphill, and riding the scooter as fast as is safe in its highest mode until the battery is depleted.

Actual range will depend on the rider's size and riding style.

Learn more about our rigorous performance tests.

During our 9.32 km/h braking test, the Ninebot Max performed well, but not as well as its lighter weight brother the Max G30LP in more recent testing. When we re-tested, we found the Ninebot Max has strong braking with a short distance of 3.44 m. For context, braking distances under 3.66 m are excellent.

The Max has one brake lever which controls the front drum brake and rear electronic brake. Together, they provide a redundant braking system should one of the brakes fail. One thing we really like about drum brakes is that they are zero maintenance. The braking mechanism is completed encased within the wheel — protecting it from the environment and incidental damage.

Because the brake cable is short and routed relatively straight from the wheel up to the lever, there's zero drag. Braking feels smooth and doesn't require much effort on the rider's part. On the model we received, we adjusted a tensioning screw on the front drum brake to set the brake where we preferred. Overall, the Ninebot Max's brakes provide abundant stopping power even when braking with maximum force, and have required minimal maintenance over time.

Some riders are concerned with having a drum brake on the front wheel, and whether or not that could cause you to topple over the handlebars when braking. During our testing, this didn't happen to us — even when braking hard. However, we generally recommend that you crouch and shift your weight toward the rear wheel for more stability when braking in an emergency.

Despite its lack of suspension, its large 25.4 cm tires and sturdy frame give the Max a better ride than some scooters with dual suspension. On the worst roads, you'll undoubtedly get a brain massage, but overall the Max handles well over most terrain.

The whole package — with its larger deck, thicker stem, and beefier build — make the Ninebot Max feel like a legitimate commuting machine rather than a toy-level kick scooter. It has a super durable, well-constructed frame but with a slower ride feels like a safe rather than thrilling choice. You won't crazily carve the roads on the Max. You'll leisurely put-put among bicyclists and motorist, maintaining a reasonable speed using the comfortable thumb throttle.

However, all those things said — the Max is a well-rounded daily commuter with enough comfort and deck space for going longer distances. When we compare it to the Max G30LP, we felt that the original Max has a more stable ride and for the $120 more is just a better buy given the tested specs and features.

At 19.7 kgs, the scooter is a bit heavy, although still manageable. Based on our experience, 20.41 kg is the absolute highest weight for a scooter to be considered portable. It's not something we'd want to carry for more than a city block or few flights of stairs. It folds down easily, with the stem latching to the rear fender.

The Ninebot Max has folded dimensions of 116.84 cm long by 48.26 cm wide by 53.34 cm tall. The Max is on the longer, taller side when it comes to scooter dimensions, and it may take some angling to get it into your trunk. We tested it in the trunk of a Honda Accord, which has a large trunk, and it fit pretty easily.

The Max has a folding stem with a latch that holds a lever, keeping the stem upright and making the stem rock solid. It has a safety collar that rotates to lock the folding lever into place. This folding mechanism is ultra solid, and the same mechanism is used on the Max G30LP.

Compared to the Max G30LP, it has 6.35 cm shorter handlebars that latch onto the deck that's 6.35 cm shorter, and with the 1.54 kg weight difference, both Maxes are pretty portable.

The Ninebot Max has a great cockpit with a bright LED display that shows all the basic information you need, including speed, battery power, and riding mode. The centered display is bright enough to read in sunlight and automatically dims at night (when front lights are on). A single button below the display controls the lights, mode, and power, but you could also download the mobile app to control these features.

Overall, all the adornments on the handlebars — the easy-to-read display, rubber-covered thumb throttle, brake lever, twist bell, and texturized handgrips appear thoughtfully constructed out of high quality materials.

The bell is loud enough to alert pedestrians but not deter cars. The thumb throttle has a grippy rubber pad on it, maintaining good contact with your "trigger thumb." The brake lever is solid without any play or excess friction, activating both the electronic and drum brakes together.

The Ninebot Max has a high-mounted front LED light that's on the opposite side of the LED display. This is an ideal location for a headlight, providing a wider projection of light for you to see where you're going. It also has a small rear red LED brake light mounted on the rear fender.

The lights are sufficient for providing some visibility, but if you're regularly riding at night, see our guide on additional lights to improve visibility.

The Ninebot Max has 25.4 cm tubeless pneumatic tires that function well at damping road vibrations.

Segway calls the tires "self-healing," which means that the air-filled tires come pre-filled with tire slime. Tire slime makes the tires more resistant to flats, and we'e seen more scooters with pre-slimed tires for convenient comfort, especially in the budget and midrange commuter classes.

Manufacturers are trying to give riders a more convenient (read: flat-resistant) experience, providing a cushioned ride on pre-slimed air-filled tires often without adding suspension, resulting in fewer experiences with flats because the slime repairs punctures as they happen.

The Ninebot Max's deck is great, with ample standing space and a grippy, raised rubber surface. The deck is 17.27 cm wide and 50.29 cm long. It's spacious enough for a variety of comfortable riding positions, and most riders will be able to stand with both feet end to end (skateboard/snowboard style).

The deck has 7.62 cm of ground clearance. The deck-to-handlebar height is 102.11 cm .

Overall, the Ninebot Max is all about the build, as build quality is excellent. The scooter is a substantial contender in its class, and feels like a serious commuting machine because of its seriously sturdy construction.

It gives the appearance that it has been carved from a single piece of metal, with clean, rounded lines, cohesive design, and rock solid feeling, especially when you can feel secure that the scooter is solidly upright or folded given the zero-wobble safety collar folding mechanism. Everything just feels well made. The Ninebot Max that we've had has lasted well over time with minimal cosmetic damage after over a year in our care.

Along with the slip-proof rubberized deck, the Ninebot Max has an IPX5 water resistance rating, meaning that it can tolerate splashes but not full submersion.

We don't generally recommend riding in the rain, but the Max's pneumatic tires perform surprisingly well on wet roads. Practically speaking, the Max can be ridden home if you get caught in the rain.

Our Ninebot Max has a first generation motor, which limits its performance against newer models with a second generation motor. Here's how to identify what generation motor your Max has in it.

To identify the motor, locate the serial number on the rear hub motor. First generation motors have serial numbers that start with the number 6. Second generation motors have serial numbers that start with the number 9.

Our Ninebot Max has a first generation motor, which automatically reduces the speed of the scooter (limiting its output) when the battery is below 70%. It also has a max top speed of around 11.18 km/h, which correlates with the data from our performance tests. It's long range is likely due to its limited output, keeping you from going fast but allowing you to take a longer trip.

Second generation motors, which are in newer Maxes and Max G30LPs, do not limit the speed until the battery drops below 10%, which means they can run at full power until the battery is nearly depleted. Second generation motors have a max top speed of around 12.43 km/h, which we didn't quite get with our Max G30LP, the Ninebot Max's slightly smaller, shorter range brother.

Although we have not yet tested a Max with a second generation motor, we expect it to get around 32.83 km of real-world range.

Segway developed the motors with battery saving technology that limits the scooter's speed, likely to save the battery's overall capacity and control overall speed as a safety measure.

As the Ninebot Max rider community has grown, many riders have shared how they've hacked their Maxes to enhance performance, including higher top speeds and stronger electronic braking.

Here's a shop dedicated to upgrades for the Max. If you see anything you like, here's an exclusive $5 off coupon code (ESG4NORD).

Here's a video from one of our favorite creators, Adam from Wrong Way, on how to hack a Ninebot Max.

The Ninebot Max has a built-in DC converter with a standard IEC 320 C5 "Mickey Mouse ears" power connector, which means you can use any cable with this connector to charge your scooter. Additionally, there is a traditional DC port that can be used with the included charger.

This means that you don't need to carry the heavy charging pack with DC converter around with you, as you can use a relatively cheap and standard power cable for lightweight charging on the go.

This is one of our favorite features of the Max, but it did not make its appearance on the Max G30LP.

The Ninebot Max sets itself apart from most other scooters with its brand name (e.g., ES1, ES2, ES4, G30LP), providing a truly solid longer ranged scooter for a reasonable price. It has excellent build quality, good hill climbing ability, and rider-friendly big 25.4 cm pneumatic tires that have been pre-slimed for maximum flat resistance (and low maintenance).

When it comes to defining a hardworking machine, the Ninebot Max comes to mind. It has such a durable build that you expect it to give you long lasting, consistent performance, ride to ride, and there are hundreds of riders out there that can confirm or deny that claim.

In our experience, it has done well in both dry and wet conditions, beating its smaller brother and keeping up with others in performance tests. The Max is a consistent, stalwart electric scooter worth its weight in gold (or $USD).

The Max remains a great choice for riders willing to carry greater weight for a longer-ranged scooter, and is nicely designed for minimal maintenance and longevity. What it does well, it does really, really well. Let's put it this way: the Max is not about max speed, but about max lifetime, and the Max is not going anywhere.

If the Ninebot Max doesn't appeal to you, look at our alternative scooters. You can also check out our Editor’s pick of best electric scooters.