The best lightweight folding electric scooters
Weight is the spec that decides whether a scooter gets ridden or left in the hallway. These are the lightest models in our registry that still have a measured range worth having.
By Ryder M. · Published September 27, 2026
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The weight thresholds that matter
Scooter weight is not a smooth scale — it has cliffs. Roughly:
- Under 30 lb: a one-hand carry. You can take it up stairs, onto a train, into a lift without planning.
- 30-45 lb: a two-hand lift for a short distance. Manageable into a car boot, unpleasant up two flights.
- 45-60 lb: a deliberate lift. Fine if you roll it most of the way and lift only over a curb or into a boot.
- Over 60 lb: a scooter you park, not one you carry.
Only one scooter in our whole registry sits in the first band, and that scarcity is the point: making a light scooter that also has usable range and brakes is genuinely hard, which is why it is expensive.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NIU KQi Air26.4 lb with 24.2 measured miles. Nothing else comes close to that ratio — 0.92 miles per pound. | Carrying up stairs | 5.9 | |
| 2 |  GoTrax G437.4 lb and 14.6 measured miles at a listed $439. The budget carry option. | Best under $500 | 5.4 | |
| 3 | NIU KQi 100F38.8 lb, 11.4 measured miles. Fine for a short hop, wrong for a commute. | Short last-mile hops | 4.0 | |
| 4 |  Segway Ninebot E3 Pro40.1 lb with IPX5 — the lightest scooter here with a published rain rating. | Budget buyers who want support | 5.1 | |
| 5 |  Apollo Go46 lb but 700 W and IP66. The heaviest here, and the only one built for hills. | Most capable lightweight | 5.9 |
Scores are computed from published specifications using the rubric on our research methodology page. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up.
Every pick in full
Each model below lists what the maker publishes, what an independent tester measured, and the trade-off you accept by choosing it. Nothing here is perfect.
NIU KQi Air
26.4 lb with 24.2 measured miles. Nothing else comes close to that ratio — 0.92 miles per pound.
- Range:
- 24.2 milesMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Top speed:
- 20.1 mphMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Weight:
- 26.4 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Max rider:
- 265 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
What is good
- 26.4 lb is roughly half what a typical 24-mph commuter weighs
- 24.2 measured miles from a scooter this light is the outlier figure in our whole dataset
- IP55 covers dust ingress as well as road spray
What you give up
- 350 W is the least hill-capable motor of any scooter we recommend
- 265 lb payload — the standard ceiling, with no headroom for a rider near it
- Featherweight construction is the expensive way to build a scooter
GoTrax G4
37.4 lb and 14.6 measured miles at a listed $439. The budget carry option.
- Range:
- 14.6 milesMeasured (Rider Guide, Sep 2026)
- Top speed:
- 20.0 mphMeasured (Rider Guide, Sep 2026)
- Weight:
- 37.4 lbMeasured (Rider Guide, Sep 2026)
What is good
- 20 mph and 14.6 miles for a listed $439 is a lot of scooter per dollar
- 37.4 lb is at the light end for a budget model
- Widely stocked, so replacement parts are easy to find
What you give up
- 14.6 miles leaves little margin once cold weather and hills take their cut
- No IP rating, payload or brake spec on the page we sourced
- Budget scooters are where build quality varies most between units
Listed at $439Measured (Rider Guide, Sep 2026) when we read that page. We do not publish live prices — check the current one before you buy.
NIU KQi 100F
38.8 lb, 11.4 measured miles. Fine for a short hop, wrong for a commute.
- Range:
- 11.38 milesMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Top speed:
- 17.4 mphMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Weight:
- 38.8 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Max rider:
- 265 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
What is good
- One of the cheapest scooters in this data set with an independently measured range
- 17.4 mph is a sane speed on a scooter with entry-level brakes
- 38.8 lb is manageable for occasional lifting
What you give up
- 11.4 measured miles means a 5-mile each-way commute is already at the limit
- 300 W will struggle on anything steeper than a gentle rise
- No IP rating published — treat it as fair-weather
Segway Ninebot E3 Pro
40.1 lb with IPX5 — the lightest scooter here with a published rain rating.
- Range:
- 17.2 milesMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Top speed:
- 19.3 mphMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Weight:
- 40.1 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Max rider:
- 265 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
What is good
- IPX5 at a budget price — most scooters this cheap publish no rating at all
- 17.2 measured miles covers a 7-mile each-way commute with margin
- Parts and service are easier to find than for any other brand here
What you give up
- 19.3 mph is slow if your route includes a stretch of open road
- 400 W is mid-pack at best on hills
- Nothing about it is exciting — that is rather the point
Apollo Go
46 lb but 700 W and IP66. The heaviest here, and the only one built for hills.
- Range:
- 19.8 milesMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Top speed:
- 26.7 mphMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Weight:
- 46 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
- Max rider:
- 265 lbMeasured (eRideHero, Sep 2026)
What is good
- IP66 — dust-tight and rated for powerful water jets, the best rating in the dataset
- 700 W at 46 lb gives a genuinely good power-to-weight ratio for hills
- A drum brake is the right choice on a scooter meant to be ridden wet
What you give up
- 19.8 measured miles is the weak spot
- Regen is a supplement, not a second friction brake
- 265 lb payload despite the capable hardware
Range per pound
The useful way to compare lightweight scooters is measured miles divided by pounds, because it exposes which scooters are light by having a small battery and which are light by being well engineered.
- NIU KQi Air — 24.2 miles / 26.4 lb = 0.92 mi per lb
- Segway Ninebot E3 Pro — 17.2 / 40.1 = 0.43
- Apollo Go — 19.8 / 46 = 0.43
- GoTrax G4 — 14.6 / 37.4 = 0.39
- NIU KQi 100F — 11.38 / 38.8 = 0.29
All the underlying range and weight figures are independently measured (eRideHero, Sep 2026) (Rider Guide, Sep 2026); the division is ours. The KQi Air is more than twice as efficient per pound as anything else here, which is the entire justification for what it costs.
What you give up going light
Power, mostly. The KQi Air’s 350 W is the weakest motor of anything we recommend, and on a 10% grade with an average adult aboard that will show — see the hill-climbing guide for the wattage thresholds. You also give up payload headroom: every scooter on this page is rated at 265 lb.
The honest alternative
If your commute does not involve stairs, a 48-55 lb scooter buys you more range, better brakes and more motor for considerably less money. The main commuter round-up is the right page in that case. Light is a solution to a specific problem; if you do not have that problem, do not pay for it.
Frequently asked questions
▸What is the lightest electric scooter with real range?
The NIU KQi Air, at an independently measured 26.4 lb with 24.2 measured miles — about 0.92 miles of real range per pound, more than double any other model in our registry.
▸How heavy is too heavy to carry?
Above about 45 lb, most people stop carrying a scooter and start rolling it. Above 60 lb it becomes something you park rather than transport.
▸Do lightweight scooters climb hills?
Less well, because light usually means a smaller motor. A 350 W scooter handles gentle rises; 500 W and up is the threshold for 5-10% grades and 1000 W+ for anything above 10%.
Read next
Kick & Volt does not ride or bench-test scooters. Every real-world figure on this page is attributed to the third party that measured it — how we research this.