Historically speaking, scooters have always been the plaything of the young, a hip way to get around town quickly if skateboards and rollerblades just aren’t your thing, but once these nifty vehicles got the “E-makeover”, adults claimed them for themselves!
However, brands like Razor are trying their darnedest to create kid-friendly electric scooters so youths can join the e-scooter party and have a blast like the rest of us big kids. One of their most popular child-proof designs is the Razor E100, an affordable, almost retro design with tons of character, but is it actually any good?
To find out, I picked up an E100 and put it to the test. Well… my kid did most of the testing. I mostly just stood there with a pen, pad, and a stopwatch.
Razor E100 Electric Scooter Review
Razor E100 Electric Scooter: Pros And Cons
Pros
- Safe 10 mph top speed
- Large air-filled front tire
- Sturdy steel frame
- Price isn’t too bad
- 40 minute runtime
- Lots of cool colors available
Cons
- Small polyurethane back tire
- Quite heavy
- No grip on deck
- No lights
Where Can You Purchase The Razor E100 Electric Scooter?
Shop the Razor E100 Electric Scooter here.
Build And Durability
Even though the E100 definitely gives off major “toy vibes”, the welds are nice and clean, and it seems like a pretty solid bit of gear. My kid’s only had it for about 3 months at this stage, so I can’t speak for the longevity of the build.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s certainly not something that your kids will be handing down to their own kids, but it will definitely last long enough to fall into utter obscurity when the next toy trend sweeps the nation.
It’s not that I can see the frame falling into disrepair, it’s made completely of steel after all, but things like the battery and the electronics simply won’t be built to last, so keep that in mind before purchasing this scooter for your child.
I’d also like to point out that the battery pack is nowhere near as protected as they are on adult e-scooters. It sits beneath the deck, held by latches and a couple of thin metal bars. It’s bound to take a few hits at some point in time, especially if your child is as feral as mine and clearly gets kicks out of doing dangerous and reckless “stunts”.
Cockpit
As you might have guessed, there’s no fancy LED display on the E100. It has a set of standard T-bar handlebars with nice rubber grips and stoppers. On the left you have a relatively comfortable brake lever, and on the right, you have the twist-grip throttle. None of it is super high quality, but neither is it poorly crafted.
The handlebars extend 30 inches from the platform, which seems just right for my kid, but it’s non-adjustable, so if your kid is particularly tall or short for their age, they might find the E100 tricky to ride.
Deck
The deck has sort of a stretched eye shape, flaring out a bit in the middle to provide a larger support base for kids with all kinds of shoe sizes. It measures 7.75”, which should be plenty of room for most kids to get comfy on, up to the 120 lbs capacity that is.
There’s no real grip to speak of, which is a bit worrying, as we don’t want our kids slipping off these things, but they shouldn’t be used in the rain anyway, so as long as their shoes have a decent tread, all should be fine.
Lights
Unfortunately, the E100 doesn’t have any lights at all — you’d have to get the E100 Glow for the privilege. If you’re going to allow your kid to ride after dark around your neighborhood or perhaps a campsite on holiday, be sure to kit it out with at least a headlight and some reflectors.
Acceleration And Top Speed
The E100 arrives with a 100-watt chain-drive motor. It’s not really that powerful, nor should it be if we want our kids to come back in one piece after a ride, so acceleration isn’t fantastic. However, as the top speed is only 10 mph, your kid won’t be waiting too long before they max it out.
It is a kick-to-start model, though, so they must be prepared to put in a little bit of effort to fire up the motor. I like this, as it means they’re at least getting some exercise as they cruise around with their friends.
As for whether 10 mph is safe… I reckon so. Think of it this way. Casual walking speed is between 3 and 4 mph, so this scooter is only just over twice as fast as a stroll.
Battery And Range
The 24 V battery should hold out for 40 minutes of constant use, but if your kid’s got a need for speed, and they’re really ragging on that throttle, you can expect something more along the lines of 30–35 minutes.
So, traveling at approximately 10 mph, your kid will likely get around 5 miles out of the E100. This is a good limitation, as A. you don’t want your kids to ride off into the sunset, never to be seen again, and B. you don’t want to have to pick them up from all over town every time they run out of juice.
Tires And Ride Quality
I really appreciate that Razor have forked out for an 8” pneumatic front tire on the E100. My kid says it makes for a pretty smooth ride. The back tire, however, is much smaller and crafted from polyurethane. It’s the stuff they make skateboard wheels out of, and as the late, great Mitch Hedberg says in Lords of Dogtown, “They grip”.
So, there’s no lack of traction in the rear there, but it does make the scooter a little noisier, and less comfortable to ride.
The E100 really isn’t capable of any form of off-roading, no matter how mild. It doesn’t even like grass, so keep it on flat, smooth surfaces, and everything will be A-ok!
Uphill Performance
The Razor E100 isn’t exactly a conqueror of mountains, but it can tackle mild mounds if you give it time. If you live in a dynamic landscape, your child may find themselves pushing a lot, which may be an issue due to the weight of the scooter, but more on that in a moment.
Braking
With a singular caliper brake activated by the lever on the left-hand side of the handlebars, the E100 has plenty of stopping power considering its low speed, but the location of the lever might have consequences in the future.
Left-hand levers on bikes almost always control the front brake, so if your kid gets used to slamming on the brakes when riding their E100, their muscle memory might kick in when they next ride a bike, which could send them over the handlebars. It’s not something that’s likely to happen, but it’s good to cover all bases when it comes to children and safety.
The truth of the matter is that it’s not often your kid will use the brake, as simply releasing the throttle is a fairly efficient way of slowing down too.
Portability
Here’s where things get a little bit dicey. The E100 weighs 25.5 lbs, which is pretty heavy for kids aged 8 and above. If they ever need to pick their scooter up, there’s only so far they’ll be able to move it.
It doesn’t fold either, so, although it’s a decidedly small e-scooter, “portable” may be a strong word.
Value For Money
It’s not like the E100 goes for big bucks or anything, but I happen to think it’s a little bit overpriced. Granted, you’d be paying at least another hundo for a half-decent, budget e-scooter for adults, but the E100 is objectively pricey for a toy.
Then again, it’s a darn sight cheaper than Playstations, Nintendos, and Xboxes, so perhaps we should just accept the price tag and thank our lucky stars our kids want to spend time outdoors.
Warranty
Razor provides a 2.9-month warranty, which seems a little on the short side of things, especially as kids can be quite reckless with their possessions, but it’s better than nothing.
A Note On Age Range
Razor states that the E100 is suitable for use by kids upwards of 8 years old so long as they don’t exceed the weight-bearing capacity, but it’s important to consider each child individually.
Some confident 7-year-olds that are perhaps a bit bigger for their age will be fine using the E100, whereas I’m sure there are plenty of timid 10-year-olds out there that wouldn’t feel at all comfortable using it. Use your discretion to decide whether the E100 is age-appropriate for your child.
The Final Verdict
My kid absolutely adores their Razor E100, and watching the joy it brings them is more enjoyable to me than riding my own high-spec Hiboy e-scooter. Is it a flawed design? Yes, absolutely, but it’s not supposed to be perfect… It’s basically just a fancy toy.
It’s also important to keep in mind that your child will likely need lots of assistance in using the E100. You’ll have to teach them how it works, monitor them as they ride it (at least for a while), and help with the charging process as well.
But as long as you don’t mind putting in a bit of effort to keep your kid smiling, there’s no reason you shouldn’t treat them to an E100, but be warned, it may just spark a lifelong obsession with e-scooters, and let me tell you, the next one they want… it’s not going to be so affordable.
I give the Razor E100 3.9/5
