Razor E100 Glow electric scooter review: Razor’s kid-size electric scooter rides easy and loud
The Razor E100 Glow, built for children, makes for easy electric riding on smooth surfaces, but offers only basic features.
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET’s Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
When I was growing up, older kids got to speed around on mini-bikes powered by lawnmower engines, while I pedaled furiously on my Big Wheel. Thanks to cheap electronics, children now have access to a wealth of motor-driven vehicles, such as the Razor E100 Glow electric scooter.
Razor E100 Glow electric scooter
The Good
The sturdy Razor E100 Glow electric scooter is inexpensive and offers a fun, stable riding experience.
The Bad
Lacking real safety lights or a lock, it’s best to keep child riders close to home. The ride is rather noisy and harsh on rough surfaces.
The Bottom Line
The Razor E100 Glow electric scooter comes up short on features and its ride can be harsh, but young riders will likely not care about these drawbacks when they’re tearing around the neighborhood.
Yes, Razor: the same company that made all those lightweight push scooters everyone seemed to be riding at the turn of this century. The company has since expanded its lineup, offering a range of electric scooters.
After unboxing the E100 Glow, Razor’s smallest scooter, I had it assembled in minutes using the included hex wrench. I snagged its charger from the box, found the port on the side of the E100, and plugged it in. While it sat there, I admired its black, tubular construction. I couldn’t wait to grab the handlebars and put my feet on the deck, covered with non-skid rubber. As a bit of decoration, Razor includes a strip of blue LED lights around the edge of the deck, hence the glow in its model name.
Razor E100 Glow lets kids ride electric (pictures)
Those LEDs are about it for extras. The E100 lacked much of anything beyond its brake, accelerator and kickstand. I looked in vain for a charge indicator or any kind of front or rear lights, which would make this scooter a little safer to ride in the evening.
The front brake was a simple caliper, similar to that on bicycles. Under the deck, the specifications noted that there were two lead-acid batteries. The E100’s motor turns the rear wheel with a chain drive. Lead-acid batteries, the same type used for decades to power starter motors in cars, seemed a little primitive to me in this era, when lithium-ion appears in most electronics.
Perusing the manual, drinking in specs such as its maximum 10 mph speed and 40 minute ride time on a full charge, I was dismayed to read that the maximum rider weight was 120 pounds (54 kg). I left that weight behind many decades ago.
Fortunately, CNET editors come in many sizes, so I pulled the rather more petite Lynn La from her usual smartphone beat to ride the E100 Glow and let me know what it felt like.
The E100 has a solid build quality and feels like a stable and sturdy ride, Lynn reported back. It did well to support me, and at no point did I feel that it was going to buckle under my weight. Its deck is also wide enough so that my feet could adjust freely while riding. The glowing LED lights, while not exactly up to safety regulation standards for riding at night, are a nice goodie to have as well.
But as stable as it felt, it’s definitely not a smooth ride. Though riding on carpet or smooth sidewalk didn’t seem like much of a problem, on slightly rougher concrete I could feel every crack and groove rumbling beneath my feet due to the hard rear wheel. I also found it difficult to keep the accelerator twisted back without my hand getting sore. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend the E100 for long rides, anything exceeding about 30 minutes. Lastly, the motor is quite loud. This may not bother a lot of people, but for long periods it became a little grating and irritating.
After Lynn’s test ride, I actually did get on the E100. It did not immediately crumble under my weight, but its electric drive system probably wouldn’t have performed at its full potential. I confirmed Lynn’s impressions that it was a noisy ride and not all that comfortable. In particular, the solid rear wheel, made from urethane, conveyed too much vibration from rough pavement to my legs.
Children, the target rider for the Razor E100 Glow, will likely overlook many of this scooter’s drawbacks when presented with its easy-riding fun. The lack of lighting could be remedied with bicycle lights, or parents may just want to make sunset the curfew for riding. As it doesn’t include any sort of lock, and the structure of the scooter doesn’t present any good holes or anchors for a bicycle lock, the E100 is best kept close to home.
At a price of about 130, £120 or AU259, the E100 may not be too expensive for a holiday gift, although a bicycle will likely last longer. The E100‘s main drawback are its batteries, which will require regular use and charging to maintain their power. Charge cycles for lead-acid batteries will likely limit the E100 to about five years, but a child will outgrow it in that amount of time.
Razor Electric Dirt Bike
Razor is well known in the scooter world. Chances are that your kids have either owned a Razor scooter or ridden one of their friends. In this post, we will talk about Razor Electric Dirt Bike.
This scooter really put Razor’s company on the map. Scooters are not the only thing that Razor makes. In fact, Razor has invested heavily in electric motorcycles. Razor decided that it wanted to make a fun electric dirt bike for kids and teenagers. At that time, there really weren’t many options for kids electric dirt bikes.
Razor now has a full lineup of different Razor dirt bikes that you can choose from.
This is great news…
Razor Electric dirt bike for Kids
Electric dirt bikes are a great way to introduce your kids to dirt biking. They are also quiet, which means that you can practice around the house without annoying yourself or the neighbors.
Also, electric dirt bikes are not hot. If they tip them over or get too close to a gas-powered dirt bike, they run the risk of burning their leg.
Also, there are NO gears on an electric dirt bike, making it easy for your kids to learn throttle control.
The Razor lineup of electric dirt bikes is built a bit lighter than the gas-powered 4-stroke dirt bikes that are the same size.
Normally with electric vehicles, the battery and the motor can be heavier than a petrol-powered dirt bike.
Most kids’ gasoline dirt bikes are 4 strokes with a semi-automatic transmission, adding a ton of bulk and weight.
The Razor Kids electric dirt bikes are typically lighter than the 4-stroke kids’ dirt bikes.
The Razor Electric Dirt Bike is great for learning
Learning how to dirt bike for a kid can be scary.
The goal is to keep your kids safe and also for them to have fun.
I found that when I got my kids the Razor electric dirt bike (Razor MX350)
They rode the Razor bike every day. This really helped with throttle control and braking.
Being able to ride in my backyard on the lawn really helped speed up their learning curve.
Razor Electric Dirt Bike Benefits
They can turn it on and go…. without the help of an adult. I also found that, for whatever reason, the sound of a gas-powered dirt bike seems intimidating to the kids.
When your kid tips over the razor dirt bike, they can easily pick it back up.
This is a great learning practice for real-world practicality when you are dirt biking with your kids out on the trails.
If you are like me and also ride dirt bikes with your kids, it’s easier if your kid can pick up their own bike.
That way, you don’t have to find a way to get off your bike to help them.
The whole goal is to have your child comfortable enough with the dirt bike that they can do most things themselves.
So, what models of electric dirt bikes does Razor offer?
There are a few different sizes of Razor e-bikes. Some of the Razor dirt bikes have full suspension, and a little longer run time.
The MX350 is the smallest of the Razor group. If your child is still young and just getting started, this might be the best one to go with.
The bigger models offer more run time and disc brakes for better stopping power.
Really they all are very similar but only differ in the size of the dirt bike.
This means that the seat height is taller the larger the dirt bike.
The list below is from smallest to largest
Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket
- Smallest Razor dirt bike
- 14 MPH
- Rear brake only
- 30 minute run time
- Lightweight
- No suspension
- Comes in Blue, Black or Red
Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket electric dirt bike price
CLICK HERE to see price
Razor SX350 Dirt Rocket McGrath – Green
- Jeremy McGrath edition
- Smallest Razor dirt bike
- 14 MPH
- Rear brake only
- 30 minute run time
- Lightweight
- No suspension
- Comes in Green only
Razor SX350 Dirt Rocket electric dirt bike price
CLICK HERE to see price
Razor SX500 Dirt Rocket McGrath – Green
- SX500 Jeremy McGrath edition
- 40 minutes of runtime
- Full suspension
- Front and rear disc brakes
Razor SX500 Dirt Rocket McGrath Green electric dirt bike price
CLICK HERE to see price
Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket
Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket electric dirt bike price
As you can see, Razor has a few different options depending on how old your kid is or where his skill level is.
I am sure that whichever Razor electric dirt bike you choose, your kids will have years of fun.
About Sam Oldham
My name is Sam Oldham. Growing up I tried to ride anything with 2 wheels that I could. I have spent the last decade or more riding motorcycles and dirt bikes. Even after all of these years I still feel the same excitement I felt when I first rode a dirt bike as a kid. I have been interested in Electric bikes for years. Please follow me as I try and learn everything I can from riding these electric bikes.
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The Razor Icon electric scooter is a tribute to the company’s first-ever push scooter
Tom’s Guide Verdict
The Razor Icon is a great-looking electric scooter that pays tribute to the company’s first-ever scooter. And, it’s a good mid-range model for those who can afford something more than a budget electric scooter, but don’t want to pay for a premium model.
Cons
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Size (unfolded): 43.4 x 18.6 x 43.7 Weight: 26.5 pounds Max carrying weight: 220 pounds Max speed: 18 MPH Max range: 18 miles Battery: 36V Motor: 300W rear hub Tires: 8.5-inch
Some 20 years ago, Razor invented the scooter craze with its simple, iconic aluminum scooter that quickly became an icon during the dot-com boom. While many of the companies from that era have gone bust, Razor is still around, and has revisited its original design for the electric scooter era.
The Razor Icon is its aptly named successor, adding a motor but keeping the same overall look. Beneath the exterior, though, is a great midrange scooter that’s affordably priced, with good range and a suitably strong motor. For this Razor Icon review, I took the scooter out for a number of rides to see how it would perform in the city and the burbs.
Among the best electric scooters, it’s definitely a standout compared to its peers.
Razor Icon: Price and availability
The Razor Icon went on sale in the late fall of 2022, and is available at a number of retailers, both online and in stores. The scooter sells for 549.99, and is available in five colors: orange, red, black, pink and blue. Not all retailers carry every color, but you can find them all at razor.com.
Razor Icon review: Design
This certainly is an iconic look. The all-aluminum Razor Icon is like the DeLorean of electric scooters. Its shininess and lack of paint really makes it stand out from competing models. Razor sent me a version with orange wheels, hand grips and a big orange Razor logo on the deck — and I can say, if you’re going to buy one of these scooters, pick the boldest color you can find. The orange really pops against the Icon’s aluminum frame. However, its pristine look quickly becomes marred with dirt, as I found out.
The Icon looks like a scaled-up version of its original scooter. The base is very angular, with sharp edges in the front and back that give it a raw, almost unfinished look, but it works. All of the Icon’s wires are routed through its frame, furthering the clean lines of the scooter.
A small red LED display on the right handlebar shows your speed and battery life, and it has two buttons to turn the scooter on and off, and to activate its head and tail lights.
Below this is a push-button throttle. On the left handlebar is a push-button electric brake; you can also step on the rear fender to slow the scooter down.
Just above the front wheel is a small triangular cutout through which you can conceivably thread a bike lock, but it’s a pretty small opening.
Razor’s mechanism for folding the Icon is pretty simple and foolproof. You loosen and then pull a small lever at the base of the downtube to unlock the handlebars, which then swing down and lock into the stored position. It feels a lot more secure than on scooters which require you to latch the handlebars to the rear fender.
At 26.5 pounds, the Razor Icon is the same weight as the Unagi Model One and GoTrax GXL V2. It’s about as light as you’re going to get without venturing into the best electric scooters for kids, but for smaller individuals. I was able to carry it up the steps of a train and through Penn Station without too much difficulty, though you’ll get an arm workout.
Razor Icon: Performance
In terms of power, the Icon’s 300-Watt motor falls in the middle of the pack; it’s a bit stronger than you’ll find on sub-500 budget models like the GoTrax GXL V2, which typically have 250W motors, but not as beefy as the dual motors found in the Unagi Model One.
The Icon got me around pretty easily, both in my neighborhood and up and down the avenues in New York City. It has a nice, smooth pickup, and its motor was strong enough to get me up my test hill (and its 6% grade) at around 5-6 MPH. That’s on the slow side, but typical for a motor with this output. On level terrain, I was able to easily hit the scooter’s max speed of 18 MPH.
The Icon’s front headlight is mounted pretty low to the ground — just above the front wheel — so it provides some, but not great, visibility in darker conditions. I did like the rear brake lights, which are nicely integrated into the rear of the Icon’s frame.
Razor Releases New Scooter Model as San Antonio Gears Up for E-Bikes
In a year that saw e-scooters take over the city – eventually multiplying to more than 8,000 vehicles – seated e-scooters have arrived, and about 2,000 dockless bicycles are set to enter the fray.
Razor USA quietly rolled out new scooters in recent days with a cushioned seat and front-mounted basket.
Meanwhile, Uber’s micro-mobility arm Jump is planning to launch 2,000 e-bikes this month, the City of San Antonio confirmed. On top of that, Jump is applying to bring 2,000 scooters to the city.
“People probably have more experience riding bikes than scooters,” said John Jacks, who heads the City’s Center City Development and Operations department. “To use an old cliché, it’s just like riding a bike. … That may increase opportunities for some that would be hesitant to try a scooter.”
Jacks added the new Razor scooter model provides an additional option for scooter-averse riders because it’s similar to a bike.
“We’ll see if they prove to be more popular,” he said.
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San Antonio’s dockless vehicle applicants
APPLICATIONS IN PROCESS
- Jump: 2,000 scooters, 2,000 e-bikes
- Lime: 4,000 scooters
- Blue Duck: 100 scooters
- Spin: 500 scooters
APPLICATIONS APPROVED
Lime and Blue Duck were in the city before it enacted its six-month pilot program for dockless vehicles in October and have current approval to operate in San Antonio.
Dubbed the EcoSmart scooter, Razor’s new scooter-share model can be found via the app. Similar to the other scooters available in San Antonio’s dockless market, its top speed is 15 mph. The larger-framed vehicles are outfitted with bigger wheels than their stand-up counterparts in a bid to offer dockless vehicle riders a safer option for commuting to work or other long-distance trips.
“Razor’s dockless EcoSmart scooter was built with the rider’s comfort in mind,” said Danny Simon, chief operating officer for Razor USA, in a blog post. “With the option of standing or sitting and a front-mounted basket, the EcoSmart scooter is great for all adult riders, especially on those longer rides or when you are running errands.”
But many cities, including San Antonio, have grappled with scooter-related safety issues.
About 52 scooter-related injuries have been documented in San Antonio since early October. These include only incidents to which emergency responders have been called.
The City of Austin recorded a total of 37 EMS calls and 68 scooter injuries through syndromic surveillance conducted at area hospitals from September to November. Those calls and injuries are the FOCUS of a forthcoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, the agency’s seminal look at dockless vehicle-involved injuries. The City of Austin has authorized 11,851 dockless scooters and bikes as of Thursday.
A City of San Antonio spokeswoman said the City will review the CDC study when it is released and monitor other cities’ approaches to scooter safety.
For now, its efforts to improve safety entail education. The City has launched a “Scoot Safely” public service announcement campaign to advocate for such practices as wearing a helmet and riding at a safe distance from pedestrians on sidewalks. After trip data collected during the pilot period has been analyzed, the City may recommend longer-term infrastructural improvements, such as new bike lanes and enhancing current lanes, Jacks said.
If and when Jump launches in San Antonio, the City’s dockless vehicle fleet would eclipse Austin’s total. With e-scooter company Spin’s impending arrival, the total number of operators would climb to six – including Bird, Lime, Razor, and Blue Duck – and its total fleet would rise to about 12,600 vehicles, according to data provided by the City.
The City will collect about 129,000 in permit and application fees from the vendors, who pay 500 to apply for a permit and 10 for every vehicle they expect to operate. With the funding, the City will hire four temporary parking officers whose primary purpose will be to correct parking violations and other compliance issues, Jacks said.
That includes beefing up enforcement in and around the River Walk and other restricted areas, he said.
As the number of dockless vehicles operating in San Antonio swells, there is still no indication of whether the City is inclined to cap the number of e-scooters and e-bikes it permits, according to Jacks.
“Right now it’s too early to say,” he said. “But that’s one of the reasons we did a pilot program.”
The City will review and make any needed amendments to its regulatory framework for dockless vehicles after the pilot program ends in May.