Scooter riding is fun. And that’s not all. Especially in younger children, it trains the sense of balance, trains motor skills and prepares them for cycling. Scooters are a practical means of transport for older children and young people.
Stiftung Warentest tested 16 children’s scooters for little ones from the age of two and for kids from the age of five and six. There are good models for both age groups, including a price-performance winner. However, a scooter for small children was so wobbly that some fell over with it. Two scooters for school children failed the pollutant test and are defective.
Why the children’s scooter test is worthwhile for you
- test results. The table shows ratings for 16 scooters, 11 of which are models for school children and 5 for children aged two and over. The test included scooters from Decathlon, Hudora, Micro and Puky. The grades range from good to poor.
- The best scooter for your child. There are good scooters for both small and large children. The test winners from our scooter comparison are manoeuvrable, stable, robust and safe. One of the best children’s scooters is also a cheap model. You can filter the test results according to various criteria such as driving behavior, safety and the age of the child.
- Magazine article as PDF. After activation, you will receive the magazine article from test 01/22 for download.
Children’s scooters for the little ones from the age of two
The children’s scooters for little ones from the age of two have two wheels either at the front or at the back to give the youngest more safety. Some models can be controlled in the classic way with the handlebars. The others work by shifting their weight: in order to take a turn, the child has to lean to the left or right.
Tip: Children who are not yet familiar with a classic handlebar find it easier to steer by shifting their weight. However, the youngsters are often already used to the handlebars by riding a balance bike. However, we could only recommend a few of the wheels in the test.
Scooter for bigger kids from five years
Depending on the provider, the larger scooters are intended for children from the age of five or six. They are all two-wheeled and foldable for transport. The handlebars are height adjustable so they can grow with the child. One of the best children’s scooters is even suitable for people up to 1.80 meters tall.
The models with small wheels are better off on level paths, while those with large wheels and thick tires also managed unpaved roads well in the test. Many children’s scooters have also proven to be resilient and durable. Big and small kids ride safely with a good children’s bicycle helmet.
Tip: The picture gallery above shows all tested children’s scooters. Even before activation, you can see content from the table – and filter it by provider or price, for example.
Test results for 16 children’s scooters
Pollutants in the children’s scooter test
During our investigations, we checked the safety of the brakes and steering, among other things, and paid attention to the risk of injury. But when Stiftung Warentest tests products for children, they always check for harmful substances as well. The same goes for scooters. The good news: None of the models for small children were loaded. However, two of the scooters for school children contained critical substances.
In the handle of one scooter we detected a higher amount of short-chain chlorinated paraffins than the EU limit allows. Short-chain chlorinated paraffins can probably cause cancer in humans. In the second model, we found a higher amount of the critical PAH benzo(ghi)perylene in the running board than the GS mark for children’s products allows. We therefore rate both scooters as unsatisfactory.
