Buying a Kids Electric Scooter? Read This First

Where this stands in 2026

One addition to the checklist below, and it now matters more than any of the others.

Check for UL certification. Look for UL 2272, which covers the whole electrical system of a personal e-mobility device — battery, charger and wiring tested together. It was introduced after a run of fires in cheap self-balancing scooters, and it is now the baseline for anything with a lithium battery that a child will use and keep in the house. Most reputable retailers will not stock uncertified products; the market that produced those fires moved online rather than disappearing.

Alongside it:

• Use the supplied charger, and replace it with the manufacturer's part if it fails rather than a generic one.
• Charge where you can see it, not overnight and not across a doorway or exit route.
• Adult scooters are not the answer for children. They reach 20–25 mph and weigh more than a child can control or lift. The adult scooter guide explains the difference.

The age and speed guidance in the original still holds, and so does the point about matching the machine to the child rather than to what they have asked for.

Has the kid in your life been hinting that they’d really like a scooter?

Maybe you’re just so great that you came up with the idea of buying a kid’s electric scooter on your own as a nice surprise.

Either way: you’re smart because you came here to do your research before making a purchase.

Electric ride on scooters for kids aren’t outrageously priced, but they aren’t cheap either.

Still, you want to make sure the small electric scooter you’re buying is safe and will hold up over time. Here’s everything you should consider before making your final decision.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Kids Electric Scooter

There’s nothing worse than buying a children’s electric scooter, taking it out of the package, riding it a few weeks, and then hearing “it stopped working” a week later.

Ugh.

Fortunately, an electric ride on scooters for kids is a little more durable than they were in the past.

Make sure to read reviews on Amazon or Walmart before your purchase – they’re there for a reason. Read the bad ones too: you never know how many fakes are out there.

How Fast Can a Small Electric Scooter Go?

Most electric scooters top out between ten and 15 miles per hour – that’s actually pretty fast.

How old is your kid? If they’re young, you might want to consider sticking at the low end of the spectrum around 10mph.

If they’re around 11 or so, go for the 15mph ones. After all, they want to keep up with all their friends. They don’t make scooters for kids that go faster than 15mph.

What are the Rules for Riding on the Sidewalk?

It depends on your local laws and regulations.

In most areas, it’s technically against the law to ride any kind of kid’s electric scooter or anything with a motor on sidewalks. You might not catch a ticket in suburban areas, but it’s definitely risky in urban centers.

In most subdivisions, kids can ride the scooter on the shoulder of the street but main roads are a no-no for anything other than mopeds. Again: check your local laws.

How Old Do You Have to be to Ride a Kids Electric Scooter?

As long as the scooter is electric, you shouldn’t have to worry about an age limit.

For motor bikes and mopeds, most states require the rider to be at least 16 although they may not need a driver’s license or registration.

Just make sure your kid watches out for pedestrians and is familiar with how basic traffic works.

Is An Electric Ride on Scooters for Kids Safe?

They’ll probably take a few tumbles: make sure your kid is equipped with a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads.

Look for something with solid handle bars and a hand-break system. Make sure you find something that’s the right size for the person riding it: a smaller kid might need a small electric scooter.

Don’t underestimate the importance of shoes – flip-flops and sandals are a big no-no. Sneakers are a must.

How Long do the Batteries Last?

You might not think about this before making a purchase, but your kids will really love you if you do.

No one wants a scooter that dies after like 20 minutes of riding. Unfortunately, not all electric ride on scooters have the best battery life.

The best models last between 35 and 50 minutes. Luckily, you can check out these specs before you make an official purchase. Once again, make sure you read the bad reviews to see if customers talk about repeated problems like the battery dying quickly.

Eyeing that Barbie Electric Scooter? Should You Buy an Electric Scooter “for Girls?”

Just because you have a little girl at home doesn’t mean you should run out and buy that Barbie electric scooter for girls.

Does she actually like pink, princesses, and girly stuff? If so, then go for the electric scooter for girls.

If not, stick with the others. The thing is, there aren’t really electric scooters “for boys” but there are electric scooters “for girls.” The scooters for boys are just – scooters.

In many cases, the girl scooters might be of a lower quality and higher price just because they’re pink.

Which Childrens Electric Scooter is the Best?

In general, make sure you’re buying the best small electric scooter to fit your kid’s needs.

Do they like girly stuff or should you skip the Barbie electric scooter?

Are they into speed or are they not quite old enough yet?

Take their interests and activity into consideration and you’ll be fine – they’ll probably just be happy to have one.