REVIEW – If you’re somewhere between elder millennials to those who remember being the TV remote, you might remember the brief choke hold foldable analog scooters had on us. It didn’t matter how many shin scars you earned – they were fast, easy to store, and a lot of fun. Ok, now, take those feelings (minus the shin trauma), add an electric motor, and turn it up to 11! The Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro is a big kid electric scooter with an entry level price tag that will bring you right back to that nostalgic place of how fun it is to go fast. But what can she do for us now that we’re all grown up? Well, let’s find out!
What is it?
The Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro is an electric scooter with a 1600 watt high-torque brushless motor, 11-inch tubeless off-road tires, dual suspension, disc brakes, turn signals, LED built-in display and just short one partridge in a pear tree; that’s just the scooter itself. This unit pairs via Bluetooth to your cellphone and the app allows for insane amounts of customization.
The deck measures approximately 8 inches across and 18 inches long. It is advertised for riders heights ranging from 5’3″ – 6’7″, a max load of 265 lbs., and from ages 16-60. The maximum range at top speed is estimated at 18.6 miles, and out of the box it sports a maximum speed of 24 miles per hour; the website states 24.9 mph, however the built in display does not display any decimal points, only whole numbers..
What’s in the box?
- 1 Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro
- 4 Hex screws
- One Hex screw driver
- 1 Charging brick (3.9 amps)
- Manual
The box is pretty big, considering this is a scooter. Comparable to the size of an e-bike box, it was very securely packaged on arrival. Inside, you’ll find the scooter itself, folded for storage.
Right on the box flap, Segway does a nice job giving a “quick assembly” guide akin to something you might see from a certain Scandinavian furniture store.
Of course, the box included a small library of manuals. The charging connection is proprietary that plugs directly into the deck that is not removable. The controls are intuitive and the Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro electric scooter has an easy to reach thumb/twist hybrid throttle. A delightful addition is the presence of turn signals; yellow lights at the ends of the handlebars flash and a loud beeping signals to everyone around you that you’re turning.
Design and features
Out of the box, the Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro electric scooter is ready to go. The wheels are attached and the handlebars just need to be locked in place. I’m not going to hide the fact that this is my first e-scooter. Segway has seemingly thought of everything making this one of the best units to learn on. If a feature isn’t part of the scooter itself, it’s probably in the app and you’ll be able to customize it! I would love to give you at least 6 pages on the things you can do with this wonder-app and scooter, but no one needs that, and let’s face it – Segway probably put it in the manual. So, I’ll touch on a few of my absolute favorites. Users are able to set it up so the scooter automatically unlocks based on a customizable proximity. There is also a movement alarm, so if a ne’er-do-well attempts to abscond with the scooter, a loud alarm will emit from the scooter and you’ll be notified. The app displays any information you could wonder about; highlights for me include both a specific remaining battery percentage and estimated remaining range, the temperature of the battery, and how extremely customizable a lot of settings are. A specific feature that excites me is the ability to schedule charging times and the ability to limit the amount of charging to a specific battery percentage. This empowers the user to lengthen the lifetime of the battery, a boon for a machine without a removable battery.
The charging port is at the front of the deck and covered by a substantial rubber grommet. The dual suspension allows for a very bouncy ride. I mean bouncy in the best way; remember how Tigger sings about bouncing? That’s the kind of bouncing I mean. Popping off curbs, avoiding pot holes, you know – the things bouncing would be good for.
The product site highlights how the front suspension is covered in ‘bellows’, which are supposed to keep dirt and debris getting caught up on the front suspension rods.
The app is very user friendly. It connects to the scooter via Bluetooth; you can get about 30 feet away before it disconnects. Good note here, you don’t need to have the app with you on your trip if you don’t want to. This was helpful when the consequences of my actions caught up with me and my phone died while out on my adventure.
You can start and stop the scooter with the touch of a screen, which will never not be awesome. If you have a phone mount for the handlebars, you can display a dashboard with your speed, ride length in distance and time, current, and voltage.
The Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro features two forward facing lights; twice as safe, some might say. The lower light is shaped like the letter ‘X’ and turns on automatically in low-light situations. The slightly higher headlight is smaller but still packs more than a few lumens.
What I like about the Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro electric scooter
- The big, clear display – the built-in display is enough for a casual cruise and displays exactly what I need the most
- Cruise control – this worked well at 3 mph and 20 mph, making scenic trails make sense
- Walk Mode – this was surprisingly helpful, letting the scooter do the scoot with it ‘walking’ alongside you, seeing as it’s not exactly light
- Turn signals – no, seriously, why doesn’t every electric mode of transportation have these?
- Thumb/twist throttle – don’t know which one you like better? It’s ok, you don’t have to, you get both!
- The app – easy to use, very helpful, and full of all the tech you could want. The quality of this app speaks to Segway’s care for the end-user experience
- The dual suspension – despite standing 8″ from the ground going over 20 mph, the ride is buttery smooth on pavement and able to navigate fairly rough terrain with ease in conjunction with the beefy little tires
What I’d change
- The securing mechanism when folded – with how heavy the scooter is, it’s a little awkward to pick up under the best circumstances. The latch that secures the handlebars to the deck moves around a little and threatens to let go of the very heavy bottom portion. It hasn’t happened yet. Yet
- Accessorizing – there is a little section of the left side of the handlebar that you can remove to add a phone mount. It is secured with two screws. While I appreciate the security that those two screws offer, it didn’t allow me to mount the style of cell phone mount I have while I was out. I might have opted for a snap on contraption, but I am really reaching here
- Going into P (park) mode with a beep almost the second you stop
- I don’t know if it’s something I would want to fully change, but maybe just bring attention to: changing modes while the throttle is depressed won’t change modes until the throttle is released and pressed again
Final thoughts
Riding a scooter is very different from riding a bicycle, electric or not. I know I make it look easy, but it’s a skill that takes time to learn. I will be very honest: I thought I could tag team with the Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro electric scooter AGAINST gravity and lost. Big time. I didn’t get more than a scraped knee and a larger wound on my pride, but the unit was unphased. The ZT3 is super solid, so even learning those tougher lessons never deterred me from wanting to hop back on and try again.
This is a scooter is for anyone who is into new adventures that can grow with you while getting you from A to B and probably even C, E, and F. For a fun ride and long battery life (even with a heavier rider), the ZT3 Pro boasts an entry level price tag with a premium road-feel; it’s a real word, look it up. Segway even thought to include a little hook about halfway down the handlebar post so you have somewhere to hang your helmet or smallish bag.
The app is stable, reliable, very responsive, and gives the user easy access to manuals, FAQs, and instructional videos on top of all the customization. I think if you are in the market for a different kind of rush, the Segway eKickScooter ZT3 Pro electric scooter gives you the ability to grow from beginner to advanced in a fun stylish way.
Price: $1299.99 (currently on sale for $949.99)
Where to buy: Segway and Amazon
Source: The product for this review was provided by Segway. Segway did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
