Swagtron Swagger 5 Electric Scooter Review 2023
$329.99
Get the latest price on the Swagtron Swagger 5
- 3 gears
- Good looking
- Cruise control
- 8.5-inch tires
- Rear disc brake
- Fast charge time
- Good quality-to-price ratio
- Smartphone app available
- Low distance per charge
- Easy to lose charging port cap
- Shipping only in USA excluding Alaska and Hawaii
Specification: Swagtron Swagger 5 Electric Scooter Review 2023
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Overview
Swagtron Swagger 5 Overview
Welcome to our Swagtron Swagger 5 review for 2023. This brand has been improving their game after their initial attempt to bring the lightest electric scooter to the market, which failed miserably and stopped production. The features were less than mediocre, and the only real positive word was the weight of the carbon fiber frame. Since then they upgraded the Swagger 1 to Swagger Pro which is a bit more powerful, but on the whole not much different.
Fortunately, they moved on from the old build and went for a totally new look with much better features. The Swagtron Swagger 5 is a great electric scooter that looks attractive, has great specs, and is affordable to anyone looking for a green electric transport.
We’ve seen a number of people calling the Swagger 5 a Xiaomi Mi365 rip-off, or a clone. We don’t really care if it’s a copy or not, nowadays a lot of electric transportation vehicles come from Chinese manufacturers and since the Mi 365 is probably the leading electric scooter, it makes sense that smaller companies are using inspiration from their design. This review will go into the main specification between Swagtron Swagger 5 VS Xiaomi Mi365, so you can see whether its worth your money.
Speed, Power & Distance
Speed, Power & Distance
How fast does it go?
Swagtrons Swagger 5 is able to reach 29 km/h (18 m/h), which is fairly good for a lightweight electric scooter. Most of the lighter electric scooters we reviewed had 20-30% lower top speeds.
Does it have more than one speed setting?
We really like electric vehicles that have multiple speeds or gears. Swagger 5 allows choosing from 3 speeds. With speed 1 you can reach 8 km/h (5 m/h), speed 2 16 km/h (10 m/h), and speed 3 maximum 29 km/h (18 m/h) speed.
We admire whenever a company makes an electric scooter or any other electric vehicle with different speed modes because it gives versatility and flexibility for different people to use it. Additionally, it allows the company to market its product to a wider range of customers.
For example, the Swagger 5 could be used for busy commuting in the city, by teenagers, or even more mature people who want a leisurely ride. But we have to admit that we found the first gear speed ridiculously slow and we could not figure out who would use it.
What age/weight is it suitable for?
As it happens with almost all lightweight electric scooters we were ready to smear the low weight capability of the scooter. To our surprise, Swagtron Swagger 5 astonished us with its 145 kg (320 lbs) max rider weight. This is by far the highest rider weight we have seen on similar sized lightweight electric scooters.
The hefty max rider weight was very intriguing and we anticipated that the riding experience with such weight would drop drastically. In order to verify that we invited a friend of ours who weighs ~110 kg ( 242 lbs) to test the scooter. To no one’s surprise our theory was validated, the rider couldn’t reach even 70% of max speed and the acceleration was poor.
We of course compliment Swagtron for making a light portable scooter that people weighing more than 100 kg (220 lbs) can ride, just keep in mind that the higher the weight the lower your speed, distance, and acceleration will be.
Swagtron does not give an age limit for the scooter, just states you should explain the content of the manual beforehand, so you will have to be the judge if it should be used by your child.
What is the range/distance?
As it is stated by the Swagtron company Swagger 5 can go for almost 18 km (11 miles) with a full charge. Considering the scooter is aimed toward casual rides and commutes we couldn’t justify the low distance. While riding on max speed with an average male rider we got just 14 km (9 miles) with a full charge. That is quite low compared to current market standards.
If you need to commute 8 km (5 miles) to your work and do not have the possibility to charge the scooter at work, the chances are your scooter battery will die and you’ll have to use it as a regular scooter for your ride back home.
The very low distance you get per charge is the biggest disadvantage of the scooter. We advise people to buy this scooter if you are going to use it for short rides, last mile commutes, or if you have the ability to often charge your electric vehicle.
Can it be used off-road?
Swagger 5 has 8.5-inch air-filled rubber tires meaning they do absorb some bumps from small rocks or rough pavements, however, it is not suited for off-roading. Wet surfaces like dirt or earth will make you slip really fast and sharper rocks can pierce your tires, which will result in a lot of hassle and unnecessary expenses to change them.
Battery Life & Charging
Battery Life & Charging
How long does it take to charge?
Since the distance you can travel is so short we hoped that the charge time is going to be quick, and it was. The 37V 4.4ah 158Wh Lithium-Ion battery from empty to a full charge takes just 3.5 hours.
Battery protection & safety
Swagtron Swagger 5 battery has most common battery protections:
- Overcharge
- Under-voltage
- Over-heating
- Automatic shutoff
One small flaw we spotted was that the cap to cover battery charging port is not attached to anything, making it very easy to lose. Without the cap, it will be very easy to get dirt and water into the charging port, which is never good.
How long will the battery last for?
As with most Lithium-Ion batteries, it should hold for at least 500-1000 charge cycles. If you are considering your battery lifespan you need to think how often will you use the electric scooter, is it going to be for casual few rides a week or a daily commute?
If you are going to commute daily with it, you will probably have to charge 1-2 times a day because of the short distance it can go with a full charge, meaning the battery will last 2-3 years. As you can see it all depends on your habits and travel needs.
Design & Ergonomics
Design and Ergonomics
Swagtron Swagger 5 looks really good with the matte black color and small red details add a nice touch as well. From a first look, it seems that the scooter is built quite well but when you step on it it feels even better, no squeaking or crunching, it stands solidly on the ground. Your hands and feet are comfortable on the rubber base and hard rubber handles, good grip is very important on these alternative transportation vehicles.
Overall, the Swagger 5 is a great improvement from its older brothers Swagger 1 and Swagger Pro in terms of design, looks, and ride comfortability.
We have seen a number of reviews comparing the Swagger 5 to Xiaomi M365 and even calling it an M365 cheap knock-off. We would like to disagree. Yes, it does look similar, but now every scooter is going for a similar look and design features. The Swagger 5 is definitely not a cheap knock-off, it is very well built. It should be commendable that Swagtron is improving their product quality and being competitive in the alternative transportation market.
Is it foldable?
It is now a standard for green scooters to be folded for transportation and of course Swagger 5 is easily folded by releasing mainframe latch and folding it down to lock on the rear mudguard. The dimensions of the folded scooter are 105,4 x 43,6 x 48 cm (41.5 x 17 x 19 inches) and unfolded 105,4 x 43,6 x 115 cm (41.5 x 17 x 45.3 inches).
Swagtron Swagger 5 spares & accessories
Whilst providing a variety of marvellous models, Swagtron also offer a number of spares & accessories for the Swagtron Swagger 5; alongside the majority of their other models.
These spare parts & accessories are a great way to enhance or repair your Swagtron Swagger 5; source bags, locks, batteries, helmets, chargers and much more. Check out the full range of Swagtron Swagger 5 spares and accessories.
What material is it made from?
Swagger 5 is made from aluminum making it sturdy, robust, and quite light. The handles are hard rubber and some of the parts that cover bolts and junctions are plastic. The whole scooter weighs 11.8 kg (26 lbs) which is the average for a lightweight class electric scooter. You will be able to carry it upstairs or between public and private transportation.
Handlebar
The handlebar is a big improvement from previous Swagtron e-scooters. No more cheap, plastic looking acceleration and brake levers. Swagger 5 has a bike-like hand-brake and a better acceleration lever.
Another very practical feature that Swagtron added is a phone-mount. It is amazing how this hasn’t been implemented on more electric scooters, it is not only more comfortable to have your phone mounted on the scooter but also much safer instead of using just one hand to drive and the other to check your phone.
In the middle of the handlebar, you will find a very aesthetic display screen that will show you live data like your current speed, battery life and if you have paired your phone to the scooter. Not many features, but at least the display looks good.
Does it connect to your smartphone via app or Bluetooth?
As mentioned above the Swagger 5 has the ability to connect to your smartphone iOS or Android device via Bluetooth.
The Swagger 5 app will allow you:
- Monitor current speed, average speed, and battery life
- Track distance traveled and time traveled
- Switch between gears
- Turn on/off cruise control
Does it have suspension?
As most electric scooters for commuting Swagger 5 has no suspension.
Build quality and ease of use
From our tests, we didn’t encounter any major quality issues. The scooter is comfortable and easy to ride. The simple controls allow the scooter to be used by children and people who are non-tech savvy. Just push the power button and press acceleration to start riding and the brake handle to stop.
Riding is easy but configuring your ride and special features to your preference gets a little bit tricky. For example, if you want to turn on cruise control you need to accelerate to your desired speed and hold the throttle with the speed for 5 seconds to turn on cruise control. We did need to practice a few times until we got used to that. If you want to switch between gears you can do it manually or use the smartphone app.
Taking all features and build quality into consideration Swagger 5 is a well built electric scooter for a great price. It does have some weaknesses like short travel distance and display lacking controls, still, well worth the money you pay.
Since the Swagger 5 has been massively compared and called Xiaomi M365 knock-off probably you want to know if the ‘copy’ is superior to its primus. In our honest opinion, it is not. For us, the Xiaomi M365 does not cost that much more but the much better distance traveled and better features are well worth it.
Safety & Usability on the road
Safety and usability on the road
Swagtron has paid attention to market demands and knows that safety these days is very important. In order to protect its users, the swagger 5 has front and rear lights to provide visibility at night or bad weather conditions.
Next safety feature is rear disc brake that allows stopping in 4-5 meters on a dry surface when going on max speed. We really commend electric scooter with disc brakes, because paired with the manual brake it provides a very secure and fast stop.
Swagger 5 is easy and comfortable to ride on smooth pavements, roads, or walkways. Some path inequalities and small bumps are absorbed by big air-filled tires but don’t expect a smooth ride on such surfaces.
Going on smaller hills the Swagger 5 didn’t have many problems, but on the bigger ones close to advertised max climbing angle of 20 degrees we have seen a drop in acceleration, but that is to be expected with most commuter scooters.
Is the Swagger 5 waterproof?
As with previous Swagtron e-scooters, they don’t have an IP waterproof rating, meaning it’s not waterproof. It might be water resistant from small splashes and light rain but for your own safety make sure to keep it from getting wet.
Does it have cruise control?
Yes, you can turn on cruise control on the smartphone app or holding the throttle for 5 seconds maintaining the speed you want to cruise on.
Manoeuvrability
Very smooth control and manoeuvrability. Good brakes and the ability to switch between speeds allow easy commute in the city traffic whether it will be people or cars.
Restrictions and availability
Swagtron currently ships only in the USA excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Seeing how they improve their products hopefully we will see international shipping soon.
In the USA most states rate electric powered vehicles that go under 20 m/h as street legal and require no registration. Nonetheless, knowing how fast the laws change and how different every state is, it is always important to check local laws before riding on public roads and pavements.
Coupons
Swagtron Swagger 5 discount coupons & promo codes 2023
In this Swagtron deals and discount section, you’ll discover a number of promo codes and coupons throughout the year for the Swagtron Swagger 5; alongside any other sitewide discounts and general Swagtron scooter promos.
These discounts & promos sections contain a variety of active and expired deals. This section does not cover Black Friday or Cyber Monday, please scroll up for more information on that. Continue reading and discover some juicy Swagtron Swagger promo codes & discount below. Lastly, please contact us if you think there are any codes, coupons, promos or deals we might have missed.
Alternatively, check out our in-depth Swagtron Coupons page for 2023. See more Swagtron Coupons now!
Swagtron Swagger 5 Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals 2023
Our team analyses prices using tracking software to try to give our readers the most up to date price information. We’ve noticed that there have already been some price movements for the Swagger 5; we’re expecting to see further Swagtron Swagger 5 Black Friday price reductions, and possibly Cyber Monday deals, too.
Taking a look at the Swagger 5 Black Friday price tracker below, you’ll see that at the time of writing, the scooter has around a 10% reduction in price:
We’re hoping to see further Swagtron Swagger 5 Black Friday discounts as we approach Thanksgiving, so if you’re looking to buy, our team thinks its worth waiting for deals week! In the mean time, discover some of the hottest Swagtron Swagger 5 discount coupons & promo codes this 2023 above.
$329.99
