NIU - KQi Air

It has 9.5 inch tubeless tires...not the crappy solid tires. The thing weighs 26 pounds and goes 20mph. This is the final boss of last mile scooters. Its not a parts bin though so it costs a little more...Black Friday deals are coming though.

I just got the NIU Air from Best Buy. I would highly recommend going this route based on what you have described as your use case. Should get 15 - 20 miles for an avg sized individual. I really like it. Had a few issues getting it set up but chatgpt walked me through getting my Bluetooth set up. No issues in my first week and am very impressed with how light it is. Don't wait, you can always test it out and return. I don't think you'll find anything as good for 600. I looked but all other options had more compromises (mainly solid tires which I am not a fan of).

The problems people have with it ( and apparently Niu scooters in general) with regards to the Anti Theft system being something you CANNOT disable, and constantly causing annoyances when you move it, are what stopped me from buying. Like, holy shit, who makes a scooter you can take with you, but you have to constantly keep it on or else it puts on a light show even when the alarm is muted when you nudge it funny? Did nobody actually use one IRL? The numbers SOUND great, but someone on their managerial team who said "YEP THATS FINE SHIP IT" needs to be slapped with reality.

I would assume the ratings are low because it’s $1000 and it has the same specs as a $450 scooter. It’s not a bad scooter, I owned a KQi3 Pro for 1000 miles and it was great. I didn’t need the extra light weight because it was just kept in my garage and didn’t need to be lifted almost ever. If you are looking for something specifically to be carried then the KQi Air is a great choice, at 26lbs I don’t think there is a single other scooter than even competes with its performance at that weight. If you aren’t concerned with price to get what you want, then get the Air. Gotrax is a trash company so I would avoid them at all cost.

Yes, but as far as I’m concerned, **weight is a spec**. You might not care about it, but it’s still a spec. If you buy a bike, you can easily pay twice as much just to save 1 kg, so I don’t see why it should be any different for a scooter. That’s why, in my opinion, it really deserves a super positive rating. Of course, someone else might prefer speed, power or other specs—but those can also be irrelevant depending on the use case. For example, what’s the point of extra power if you live in a country where the law limits you to 20 km/h, and in a flat city where there aren’t even any hills? The only Air real drawback, in my view, is that people who look for light weight usually also care about portability—for instance, if they take the train/metro and bring the scooter along. The Air is easy to carry, but in a crowded train it’s still bulky. Same thing if you go on holiday by car: it takes up a lot of space in the trunk. The situation could already improve a lot if they made a version with a foldable handlebar (that is very large). Let’s see what happens in version 2.

I actually own both the Air and an E-Twow. In every respect I find the Air better: comfort, safety, braking; plus it has a much stronger light which is really useful for riding at night, and the turn signals are a big help too. The E-Twow, however, has one huge drawback: the solid tires. Sure, they protect you from flats, but they slip on wet asphalt like a bar of soap. That said, the E-Twow does keep one real advantage: it’s much smaller (deck, wheels, but especially the foldable handlebar). Both are light enough to carry up to a third floor, so that’s not really an issue. But you really notice the size difference if you plan to use the train (or subway): you can put the E-Twow under a seat or in the luggage rack, while with the Air on a crowded subway… good luck. Same thing if you go to a restaurant – the E-Twow fits discreetly under a table. I’ve even taken it into places where scooters aren’t usually allowed, just by using its folding carrying bag: it looks like a sports bag, and nobody complains. Same story when traveling by car – the Air takes up the whole trunk. That’s why, after buying the Air, I didn’t sell the E-Twow. I use the Air 95% of the time, but that remaining 5% (when I need to take a train) I prefer the E-Twow… just hoping it doesn’t rain.

Just unboxed a Niu KQI air and it’s a beautiful carbon fiber model that weighs just 26 lbs. so far so good it’s a sweet ride for sure 👍🏼

I just bought an Niu KQI air for $599 at Best Buy wish me luck 🍀 when I first saw this carbon fiber model that weighs 26 lbs it was $1499. Arrived today ….

Best Buy had it as a clearance item and that’s why it’s less. On the niu website it’s $900 so I took a chance it’s my first e scooter and I’m an older (don’t ask) first time rider so I better be damn careful. 🤞

I’m enjoying the air very much. I’m a casual rider so suspension not a deal breaker but it’s a good first scooter for me I almost went Segway but I wanted the 26 lbs weight

I’ve been liking my kqi air from niu and it comes recommended by some in this sub, thats where I got my inspiration. I got mine for similiar reasons, it is 27 lbs due to carbon fiber and manageable for me to carry in the supermarket while grabbing a few things, though I could lock it outside with a bike lock for a short time. I should note this is a good 10-15 lbs lighter than most similiarly specced scooters, and I can still fairly easily manage it as a someome with less upper body strength. It is not ultracompact though, it is closer to full size, but i guess the idea is you are ridiing it to/from the bus or train it is seems pretty manageable. I can’t speak for long term maint as I am a new user.

I’ve logged seat time on most of the 2025 releases—Apollo City, NIU KQi Air, Vsett 10+, etc.—and the pattern is the same as last year: the lighter you go, the more you sacrifice ride comfort after the first five miles. For pure fun I’d still grab the Vsett (suspension wins), but if weight matters the KQi Air is the one you can haul up apartment stairs without regret. Source: [https://thetoyz.com/kids-electric-scooters/](https://thetoyz.com/kids-electric-scooters/)

I’m looking to replace my Niu Air and was hoping for suggestions for something comparable. The selling point on the air to me was the weight (27lbs) because I have to carry it, and then also the durability/smooth ride. I don’t need anything over 20mph and don’t need anything crazy for range. I don’t like all the tech shortcomings with the Air and there seems to constantly be random issues with it. All that said, does someone have a comparable option roughly in the same price ballpark?

Okay think I’ll just go back and get another air thanks

It depends what you’re looking for. It’s a high quality material and extremely lightweight. It rides very sturdy (you can basically ride with one hand) given the wide handlebars. It has decent range. To the downside, the suspension is poor for tough terrain/bumps which you get from any scooter without suspension shocks. And then also the technology sucks. The Bluetooth feature and other tech creates more problems than helpful. So really depends what you’re looking for. I have to carry my scooter up to my third floor walk up apartment everyday so this is the scooter for me

https://preview.redd.it/enr2tplestlf1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da10d6af0163eb8f1fb6994b780967d9211b5e72 Assuming this is what you are talking about? 451WH battery. At your weight we can assume 20WH per mile. (Speculative, but achievable at your light weight, driving moderately accelerating and braking responsibly) 451WH/20WHM= 22.55miles Yeah this scooter will fit your needs. Some caveats: 1. 22.55 miles is a thin margin for error. So drive conservatively, the biggest thing is if you have to brake a lot, your range will be reduced as this is basically converting kinetic energy to heat. It’s wasted. So don’t accelerate hard just to brake a few seconds later. 2. IP55 is a significant water resistance, but it’s not an IP66 or 67. I would highly advise AGAINST, prolonged exposure to the rain. IE: don’t park it in the rain, don’t ride it through deep puddles. Some light rain should be ok provided it’s locked up in a dry spot.

Oh it’s also got Regen braking that will help. When breaking try to break slow and let the electronic brake suck up that juice. Could add as much as 10% range if you get good at it.