Gotrax Glider Electric Scooter Review 2020
Check the latest prices on the Gotrax Glider
Gotrax Glider Key Features
| Dimensions | Speed | Range | Charging time | Weight | Foldable | Smartphone app? | Cruise control? | Suspension | Disc breaks? | Waterproof rating | Lights? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfolded: 100x92.2x36.7 cm (39.3x36.2x14.4 inches. Folded: 100x36.7x15.9 cm (39.3x14.4x6.2 inches) | up to 27 km/h (17 m/h) | 15 km (9 miles) | 3 hours | 7.8 kg (17.1 lbs) | Yes | No | No | No | No | IP55 waterproof grade | Front LED and rear reflector |
Gotrax Glider Overview
Based in the US, and just founded in 2017, Gotrax is a new entrant to the electric transport sector specializing in eco-friendly electronic transport like hoverboards, electric scooters, electric ATVs, and accessories.
In this electric scooter review, we will be looking in-depth at the Gotrax Glider electric scooter. Having the ability to reach 27 km/h (17 m/h) due to its 7.8 kg (17.1 lbs) light body and 250W hub motor at the front, we think its a great electric scooter for kids, teenagers and adults alike.
The Gotrax Glider is very compact, it’s not bulky like many of the other electric scooters on the market. The battery and wiring is well hidden, and at a glance it really just looks like a regular kick scooter. The 24V, 5.2 ah Lithium-Ion battery allows a max distance of 15 km (9 miles) riding in perfect conditions before needing a 3 hour recharge.
The Gotrax Glider is a lightweight powerful electric scooter which makes it a great choice for children and adults alike. Just remember, even though the max rider weight 120 kg (264 lbs) is a lot, the heavyweight could greatly impact acceleration, distance driven and uphill handling.
Speed and Power
Whilst this certainly isn’t the most powerful electric scooter on the market in 2020, what you lose in range and distance, is made up for in compactness and charging time.
How fast does it go?
This always seems to be the first question asked! And to our surprise, the Gotrax Glider as a budget level electric scooter is really quite fast! It reaches 27 km/h (17 m/h). This is more than enough for children and teenagers to have fun and great for adults who want a speedy new toy!
The high speed on this light electric scooter is possible thanks to 250 W motor with a peak performance of 450 W.
Does it have more than one speed setting?
Gotrax Glider has 2 speeds the standard mode and economy mode. The standard mode can reach up to 27 km/h (17 m/h), people using the scooter reported that economy mode goes just to around 16 km/h (10 m/h).
What is the range/distance?
One of the downsides of this small, light electric scooter is the distance it can ride. According to the suppliers’ information, the max distance you can reach with full charge is just 15 km (9 miles) and even this will be affected by the weight of the rider and terrain.
What age/weight is it suitable for?
If you are thinking about buying this electric scooter for a child or an adult be sure to understand that the distance, acceleration and hill capacity may be greatly influenced by riders weight. If a child weighing 50 kg (110 lbs) should have no trouble climbing 12 degrees and steeper hills, accelerating to max speed in few seconds and riding for up to 15 km (9 miles) an adult person weighing twice as much might experience much worse performance in mentioned categories.
Can it be used offroad?
The wheels are similar to that of a regular kick scooter, so we recommend sticking to roads and urban areas with the Gotrax Glider.
Battery Life
Since it’s such a lightweight scooter it obviously packs a small battery. The 24V, 5.2 ah Lithium-Ion battery is not designed for long rides. If you are constantly riding it should last around an hour, and you can see your battery usage on the handlebars.
How long does it take to charge?
Whilst some prospective buyers might be put off by the short distance, the Glider will charge fully in just 3 hours.
How long will the battery last for?
The suppliers have not mentioned how many charge and discharge cycles the battery can withstand, but after reading a number of customer reviews some people believe that the battery is not of the highest quality because the distance driven kept dropping after using the scooter for 3-6 months. This would be within warranty, though so if this happens you should be able to get a replacement.
Design and Ergonomics
The Gotrax Glider design has surprised us! We were expecting a cheap looking and shaky kick scooter, but that isn’t the case, the scooter is slim, lightweight and seems solid. It also comes in three funky named colors which are suitable for a range of ages and genders: Mars Red, Nebula Black, Pulsar Pink.
Size and dimensions
It’s not much bigger than your ordinary kick scooter. Dimensions unfolded and standing on its kickstand are 100×92.2×36.7 cm (39.3×36.2×14.4 inches) and folded 100×36.7×15.9 cm (39.3×14.4×6.2 inches). Gotrax scooter company suggested height for riding this scooter is 130-200 cm (51.1-78.7) inches.
Is it foldable?
The Glider is foldable as well as being lightweight. It’s super easy to fold, just push the lever near the front wheel and fold down the mainframe, it shouldn’t take longer than a few seconds and it’s light enough to carry for reasonable distances.
What material is it made from?
The 5.5-inch front tire and 5-inch back tire are made from solid rubber. On one hand solid rubber gives you quite a good grip, but on the other hand, they wear off much faster than rubber tires with air. Adding to that, small wheels with no suspension won’t allow for much off-roading or rocky terrain.
Does it connect to your smartphone?
Being a cheaper electric scooter Gotrax Glider does not have Bluetooth and smartphone app connectivity. It’s hard to blame the company on that, you can’t expect to have everything for such a low price.
Is the handlebar comfortable?
The handlebar is similar in terms of comfortability as a regular kick scooter. It does however come with some cool features. The LED display on the handlebar will allow you to see current battery state, your speed (only in km/h), and switch between speed modes. There is also an electric front brake with the handle and also the manual back brake with your foot just as you would with a simple kick scooter.
Can it be used offroad?
Think twice before taking the Gotrax Glider offroad. There is no suspension and the small tires are hard rubber, that could result in a tooth shaking ride and most likely wear tires even faster if you try riding on rocky surfaces. If you want your electric scooter to last, stick to hard surfaces and sidewalks.
Build quality and ease of use
Despite being lightweight, the build quality feels solid and sturdy. The quick folding mechanism functions really well and needs just a few seconds to fold and you can easily store or carry the scooter. Adults and teenagers should not have any trouble with the 7.8 kg (17.1 lbs) weight if they need to carry it around town.
As mentioned before, the speed and distance specification can vary greatly depending on the rider weight. Children most likely will have a much better experience riding this electric scooter with fast acceleration, better hill climbing capacity and longer ride distance in general. While adult riders could have much worse results in mentioned categories. This makes Gotrax Glider a most suitable as an electric scooter for children.
Safety and usability on the road
Is the Gotrax scooter waterproof?
Make sure you don’t use Gotrax Glider during heavy rain or wash it with a strong stream of running water. It has an IP55 waterproof grade. In simpler terms, it means that the wiring and battery are protected from dust but are not dust tight and the enclosure can withstand splashing water from rain puddles and projected water from nozzle not wider than 6.3mm (.0248 inch). This is better than a lot of similarly price electric scooters on the market, some of which don’t have any kind of waterproof grade, but it’s just worth noting that it shouldn’t be used in heavy rain.
Gotrax Glider spare parts & accessories
Gotrax offer a huge number of spare parts and accessories for the Glider, alongside a huge number of their other models. These spare parts/accessories are the perfect way to enhance your repair your Gotrax Glider. Easily and cheaply source battery packs, spare tires, tubing, batteries, fenders, control consoles and much more. It’s always nice to know that should any faults arise, riders can repair them quickly and easily themselves, at minimal cost and to manufacturer specs. Discover the full range of Gotrax Glider spare parts & accessories.
Does it have lights?
Lights are an important safety feature to look out for whether the scooter is intended to be used by children or adults. The Gotrax Glider has a bright LED front light is and rear reflector to help other vehicles to see the scooter so you can drive more safely in darker situations.
Brakes
The Glider has an electric brake at the front and manual foot braking at the back. It doesn’t have fancy features like disc brakes or power regenerating brakes like the Xiaomi M365, but the brakes are good quality. Basically, you can stop when you need to!
Restrictions and availability
The Gotrax Glider, at the time this article is being published, is only being shipped to the Contiguous United States, that is all states except Alaska and Hawaii. Since Gotrax is based in the US they provide 5 days shipping for their customers. We do expect that in 2020, with increasing demand Gotrax should start shipping worldwide.
In the US most electric transportation vehicles like electric scooters with max speed under 20 m/h don’t require registration and are street legal. However, it is always important to remember that not all states or countries allow electric scooters on public roads and pavements. We always advise people who are looking to buy an electric scooter to know their local laws.
Gotrax Glider being such a small and lightweight electric scooter barely seems different from a regular kick scooter, so not many people will recognize it or bother you, as long as you abide by traffic rules and don’t cause havoc on your way.
However, we want to stress again, that it is your own responsibility to know your local laws!
Gotrax Glider Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2020 Deals
It’s no secret, this is a decent, affordable little scooter. However, many also wonder if there will be any Gotrax Glider Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this 2020. Judging from previous Gotrax Glider Black Friday and Cyber Monday scooter deals, we feel fairly confident that there will be some discounts. This is further suggested by Gotrax previously offering a number of Black Friday scooter deals last year. Whilst we can’t promise anything, this looks like a pretty good indicator of what to expect. Keep an eye on this scooter. Discover our list of possible Black Friday electric scooter deals this 2020!
Gotrax Glider Discount coupons & promo codes 2020
Looking for some of the best Gotrax Glider discount coupons & promo codes for 2020? Look no further, this section covers a number of deals, promos and coupon codes for the Gotrax Glider; alongside general Gotrax deals such as 5% off all scooters, 10% sitewide, etc. Stay up to date with this section, as these deals are always changing! Savings-conscious commuters and electric enthusiasts alike are always looking to get the best possible deals, and we’re here to help. Think we’ve missed something or found a deal too good to be true? Leave a comment and get in contact with us, and we’ll either add the deal or verify it. Discover a number of deals & promos for the Gotrax Glider below and ride safe. As always, thanks for reading our 2020 Gotrax Glider review; we hope we’ve answered all your questions about your potential dream scooter!
Feel free to discover our in-depth Gotrax Coupons page for 2020.
See more Gotrax Coupons now!Conclusion
Gotrax Glider is powerful, lightweight, easy to store and easy to carry. Without having any extra features that higher-priced electric scooters offer, Gotrax scooter company is able to offer you the Glider for a much lower price and makes it a great value electric scooter.
We think Gotrax Glider is one of the best electric scooters for children in 2020 and a great budget electric scooter for adults.
As a final note, we want to remind that the specifications like acceleration, distance, max speed and climbing capacity can vary greatly depending on the weight of the rider. A heavy adult could experience a much lower performance from the scooter than a light child would. Still, we believe it should be enough to ride along with your children or go for short commutes.
