6 Tips for Buying an Electric Scooter for Kids
If you are looking to get your child an awesome gift, an electric scooter should be on your list of considerations. Electric scooters are a great way to get around and a lot of fun to ride. If you were to classify where they fell on a list of a mode of transportation, they would be somewhere between a moped and a skateboard.
Electric scooters are like riding an electric skateboard with a motor, so safety is a top priority when using one. Here are some tips for buying an electric scooter for kids.
Your Child’s Age, Weight, and Height
While children should be at least eight years old, their weight should be taken into consideration, as well, when considering if you should buy an electric scooter for your child. If your child is on the smaller side, a heavy scooter would not be a great choice for them. You want to pick a scooter that is compatible with their weight and height so that they can use it properly. It may be tempting to purchase a scooter that your child can grow into, but this is not always a wise decision.
Throttle vs Kick Start
Do you want your child to be able to push a button to start their scooter or kick start it to get the motor to engage? This is something to consider when you are looking at electric scooters. Some models even have a safety feature so that the motor won’t engage until you are going three miles per hour. This is a good choice if your child is new to using a scooter and wants to practice balancing without having to worry about throttles and brakes, as well.
Steering Handles: Adjustable vs Fixed
Steering handles serve the same purpose as a steering wheel. They change the direction of the front wheels and, ultimately, the direction that your scooter will head. If your child is still growing, an adjustable handle may be your best choice. When they have a growth spurt, you can simply adjust the height of the steering handle. If they are older, a fixed handle would be a better choice, as they tend to be stronger and sturdier.
Speed
For a child, you will most likely not want them going faster than 10 miles per hour (mph) on their scooter. Anything faster, for a beginner, may be scary. The temptation, at first, to go fast will be there and if your child gets hurt, they won’t want to ride again. Having them start off slowly is best, and limiting the speed is a good way to make sure that they cannot go excessively fast on their new ride.
Tires
Type, size, and number of tires is another consideration. Some scooters come with plastic tires where others come with rubber. Rubber tires provide a smoother ride and don’t wear out as fast as rubber tires. The size of the tire should also be taken into consideration. The smaller the rider, the smaller the tire should be. Finally, some scooters come with two tires, while others come with three. Three wheels provide increased sensitivity. If you have a new rider, you may not want the scooter to be too sensitive to direction change. All these factors should be taken into consideration when looking to purchase a scooter.
Battery Life
Scooters these days have a rechargeable battery that allows for a decent amount of usage time, and they can take anywhere from 1 hour to 6 hours to charge. Look for a battery that has a short charging time, but gives you the best amount of ride time. The average run time for a good battery is 40 to 50 minutes for kids scooters.
While there are many factors to consider when purchasing an electric scooter for your kids, these are some of the biggest things to take into consideration.
