This is Sean from Scooterscooter! Writing today about what I wish I had known about scooters before getting into them myself.

1. Range

Range is important, there’s no point buying a scooter if it can’t go as far as you need it to.

The quoted range by manufacturers is normally done in “ideal conditions”, eco mode on flat ground and warm weather. With a very light rider

If you’re looking at a scooter with a claimed range that’s only just enough for your needs, You might be better off going for something a little bigger just to make sure that you’ll get to wherever you need and back or be able to make multiple trips per charge

The Sundance MoreFar is a perfect example of a scooter with a bigger range, it’s 15Ah battery has a claimed range of 60km so you’ll have no trouble getting around on it.

2. Water Resistant

Water resistance with technology is measured with an “ip” rating, if you don’t know. IP stands for “ingress protection” and it’s an international standard meaning how well a device can stop things like water and dust from entering and potentially damaging it.

The first number refers to dust and particles and the second is for moisture ingress. The higher the number, the better protected the e-scooter is.

The Sundance X8 tough, like other Sundance scooters, has an IP rating of IP54 which is, at the time of publication, an industry standard. But this industry is rapidly growing and evolving so this is only going to improve.

3. Motor power

The motor power will tell you how capable the scooter of carrying you and your things, and if it can handle the terrain you’ll be riding on. It’s generally stated in Watts. Another industry standard is around 250 –300 Watts. This is common among most name brand scooters like Xiaomi, Ninebot, and Sundance.

More expensive scooters will come with a higher motor power, this generally means much more kick on flat terrain, but they will handle hills much better.

The question is how much power you’re looking for. More isn’t always better in this case, sure you could go for a more powerful scooter and lower the settings…but why do that when it costs more for that more powerful scooter.

For example, a lighter rider like myself, lower power can result is a less jerky ride as I’m not trying to manage the throttle as much to keep it from kicking. It’d much easier to control a lower power scooter, and I can save a bit of money along the way. However if I was a heavier rider, or I wanted to climb lots of steep hills, a larger motor might suit me better.

4. Tires

Tires have a massive impact on ride-feel, comfort and most importantly, grip. There are a couple of things you need to know about tires so you know exactly what suits your needs the best. Tire type, tire size.

Tires come with 2 types, air filled (or sometimes called vacuum tires), or solid tires. If you think grip is invaluable and you don’t want to lose out on any. Air tires are the way to go for you. As they’re softer, they have more give when going over rough terrain or over things like a pothole, low curb or stone. They also have a great amount of shock absorption, making for a more comfortable ride.

Another option for air tires is Slime, which sounds and looks like the creation of a monster straight from a Scooby Doo episode. But in fact is a puncture prevention fluid which stops air releasing should a tire be split by some debris on the road by immediately filling the gap that was made.

On the other hand, solid tires are hassle free as they can’t be punctured. So if you despise the idea of getting a puncture, solid is a good choice. This does come at a cost however as they’re not as comfortable to ride and you will lose out on some grip. But there are some middle ground options too, like the dual density tires on the Sundance Maverick, with one being solid and one being air, maintaining some of that comfort in the front and the back cannot be punctured.

Tire size defines the stability of your ride. The larger the tire, the more stable your ride is going to be. A larger tire will also have a larger contact area with the ground, resulting in more traction. We recommend going for something like the Sundance Duo with its 10” air filled tires for the best ride possible.

5. Beware Buying Online

Buying online can be a very convenient and handy option to have, however in the area of e-scooters problems can arise later down the line with certain sellers. As some sellers are “dropshipping”, this is where the seller doesn’t handle any of the products. But instead takes an order, takes his margin, and then gets the manufacturer to fulfil the order.

This is great for the seller as it’s mostly hassle free. But if you buy from a dropshipping store (every dropshipper has a so-called ‘store’) and your scooter ends up having a defect in manufacturing or something broken when you open, you can’t go to the store. The usual practice is to send the scooter back at a cost to you.

Dropshippers also have a tendency to conveniently disappear when any issues arise. This is the big risk with buying online from dropshipping sites.

At Scooterscooter.ie, over the past 12 months we have done our homework on the dropshipping practice. Not that we’d ever go into it. But to see how efficient it actually is, and believe us, we know the pitfalls. Beware of “Hello Friend”.

6. Size and Weight

Lastly, the size of an e-scooter can play a crucial role in how you enjoy your ride. A taller rider like me might not feel very comfortable on a smaller e-scooter as it might just feel too light or flimsy. So a bigger one might suit me better like the Sundance Morefar.

However, a shorter person might struggle with a larger scooter as it might be too heavy or too unmanageable. Especially for folding and carrying it up some stairs, the few extra kilos would be noticeable. So something like the Sundance X8 Tough would be better suited.

So those are the things I think are essential when picking a scooter for you. I hope this guide can help you get your bearings and learn what’s what in the world of electric scooters!