How to Choose the Right Adult Scooter?

There’s a lot of variation among scooters for adults for sale, so you will need to be aware of certain basics when making your choice.

Not all adult push scooter wheels have the same diameter, for instance. The rule of thumb here is that the larger your scooter’s wheels are, the faster it will be. Think, also, about how hard the rubber on the wheels is. Softer rubber wheels provide ample grip and comfort but do usually wear out quicker than their hard-rubber counterparts.

The hardness of a scooter’s wheels tends to be indicated with an A, while the diameter is provided in millimetres.

The deck is another key area of any adult kick scooter – it’s where your feet will go. Different models come with different deck widths. While the material used for a deck can vary, you can generally expect it to be aluminium, which helps to ensure durability and sturdiness.

One other factor about an adult scooter that you might not have thought about is the fluidity of the bearings. This is expressed via the ABEC standard, with lower numbers indicating lower speeds. So if you go for a scooter with an ABEC 7 bearing, for example, you’ll enjoy a more comfortable ride due to not having to push the scooter as much.

Something else that is important if you expect to have to carry your scooter around a lot – such as if you’ll need to take it on public transport – is a good folding system. How quick and easy will it be to fold up your scooter when you need to do so in another thing you should consider.

It’s easy to see why so many adults living in big cities buy themselves a scooter. An adult push scooter feels like it was practically designed for the stop-start nature of travelling around an urban metropolis. It’s easy to use, environmentally friendly and a much faster mode of transport than walking.

Presuming you’re in such a situation – and will therefore only be taking your scooter on short journeys of about one or two kilometres – we suggest you go with wheels of at least 175mm, and ABEC 5 bearings. This will give you a scooter that is reasonably fast without you having to push it too much.

You don’t necessarily need suspension on a scooter to be used over such short distances, though, as it could simply weigh your scooter down. We suggest targeting lightness over comfort in your choice of scooter instead.

Well, in that case, you'll be pleased to learn that many push scooters for adults in the UK are designed to provide extra comfort and speed for those more gruelling trips.

If you intend to take your scooter on journeys of between two and five kilometres at a time, you should look for models with larger wheels of at least 200mm. Such wheels will save you from having to push so hard to go fast enough to catch the bus. Speaking of which, there are many folding scooters for adults available that are also light enough to be easily taken on public transport.

The bearings, meanwhile, will give you the most fluid guide if they are at least ABEC 5. Suspension may also be worth looking for if you want a smoother ride over those bumps and potholes. It isn't necessarily essential, though.

As you can see, many factors dictate which may be the best Decathlon adult scooter for you. Do your research now, including by consulting the latest adult scooter reviews. By doing so, you'll maximise your chances of a rewarding, stress-free and long-lasting experience with your new adult scooter.