NIU - KQi Air

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).

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'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've got a [NIU KQi Air](https://youtu.be/vdpU3ElzLLM?si=9Bbwjrz3Ijf-EFpv) on order. I've tried some other e-scooters in the past but they were either way too heavy or way too flimsy and unstable with not enough range. This one is the first of its kind and comes in at 11.9 kg/26 lbs while allegedly retaining a solid build with a solid ride feel. Has a real/practical range equivalent to that of an AT wheel eskate with a battery twice the size, or ~800 Wh. And manages to do that at a weight at least 3 kg/6.6 lbs under that of its range equivalent AT wheel e-skate. Tons of nifty stuff like an alarm and a headlight strong enough to light up a small city. Guessing this will become standard pretty soon. If it pans out, I wont be using e-skates as commuters anymore. The compromises just aren't worth it. AT wheels, even though they absolutely suck and dilute road feel, are more less a necessary safety and comfort feature on European roads, which almost comes standard with cobblestone and stuff. And I'm guessing also US roads which are less than pedestrian friendly with poorly maintained bike paths and sidewalks. Plus speed is really limited if you're not in motocross gear, so you're not getting any of the benefits of a higher top speed, if anything you will be riding the e-scooter safely at higher speeds than the e-skate. So as commuters I think e-skates are pretty much doomed in large parts of the world with these new gen ultralight scooters. Ironically though, it makes your boards far more viable to me personally. It doesn't make sense to ride a heavy board with a stiff set-up and AT wheels if I'm using it purely for recreation. At 8 kgs I can throw an Aero X on my back and use the scooter to ride over the cobblestone and other stuff I have to navigate in order to get down to the smooth bike path at the beach. And then I can just enjoy a comfortable cruise without having to worry about saving range to get back home, or how the 80 mm PU wheels will cope with the not so smooth road. So you kind of built the perfect non-commuter board for that purpose. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯

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.

RS6 ultra 2900. What I bought. Upgrading from a Nui Kqi

I had generally good experience with NIU scooters: NIU KQi2 Pro - 2700km - no major problems since 500km+, few initial issues (full journey https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb3q9WiQZ0LOACttdyEq-Enat4eUqCLnt ) https://www.reddit.com/user/Lantea1/comments/146vxrr/niu_kqi2_pro_electric_kick_scooter_review_guides/ NIU KQi Air - 2000km - no major problems with scooter (few issues with NIU app, did not affect riding of scooter) (full details https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb3q9WiQZ0LMzbsGNUlC_IfgipEF-M7rr ) As with any big scooter manufacturer there is room to improve for NIU especially in the areas of spare parts availability and after sales support; the NIU app also needs some improvements, especially ride tracking feature that not always works correctly; or the tutorial not loading sometimes. Overall I think NIU makes very good scooters that are well built, but needs to improve in some areas to make it an overall great experience, especially when issues arise it can take longer to get things resolved.

I've got a [NIU KQi Air](https://youtu.be/vdpU3ElzLLM?si=9Bbwjrz3Ijf-EFpv) on order. I've tried some other e-scooters in the past but they were either way too heavy or way too flimsy and unstable with not enough range. This one is the first of its kind and comes in at 11.9 kg/26 lbs while allegedly retaining a solid build with a solid ride feel. Has a real/practical range equivalent to that of an AT wheel eskate with a battery twice the size, or ~800 Wh. And manages to do that at a weight at least 3 kg/6.6 lbs under that of its range equivalent AT wheel e-skate. Tons of nifty stuff like an alarm and a headlight strong enough to light up a small city. Guessing this will become standard pretty soon. If it pans out, I wont be using e-skates as commuters anymore. The compromises just aren't worth it. AT wheels, even though they absolutely suck and dilute road feel, are more less a necessary safety and comfort feature on European roads, which almost comes standard with cobblestone and stuff. And I'm guessing also US roads which are less than pedestrian friendly with poorly maintained bike paths and sidewalks. Plus speed is really limited if you're not in motocross gear, so you're not getting any of the benefits of a higher top speed, if anything you will be riding the e-scooter safely at higher speeds than the e-skate. So as commuters I think e-skates are pretty much doomed in large parts of the world with these new gen ultralight scooters. Ironically though, it makes your boards far more viable to me personally. It doesn't make sense to ride a heavy board with a stiff set-up and AT wheels if I'm using it purely for recreation. At 8 kgs I can throw an Aero X on my back and use the scooter to ride over the cobblestone and other stuff I have to navigate in order to get down to the smooth bike path at the beach. And then I can just enjoy a comfortable cruise without having to worry about saving range to get back home, or how the 80 mm PU wheels will cope with the not so smooth road. So you kind of built the perfect non-commuter board for that purpose. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯

And for the record it is fairly criminal in this market space that there is nothing else that is really like it. Seriously, give me the upgrade to that Air with: \- light carbon fiber frame \- full suspension \- 10+ in tubeless times \- Under 35lbs ..and you have me and my splurge money at hello lol

This was actually my first electric scooter, so I don't know if this power management behavior is typical. Somebody from NIU did comment in this thread, so maybe they have some insight into whether these scooters could ever be updated to go into full shut-down mode. Though given that I've seen this issue come up in these discussions before, I think any changes would be reflected in a newer model instead of one that has already been out for some time. $599 is a great deal on this particular scooter. I paid above $1k for mine initially, but then got reimbursed a bit when it went on sale shortly after. Its light weight is its main selling point - I'll literally hang it off my shoulder while grocery shopping. Of course, the light weight means its built-in security features (alarm and locked wheel) are somewhat useless since someone could just pick it up and toss it in the back of their car. I tend to not carry a lock, but the businesses in my area don't seem to mind when I park it inside - it's not as massive or intimidating as some of the other scooters out there.

I'd strongly recommend against the NIU KQI Air as mine failed after only 140km with a controller error. It was returned to NIU over a month ago. Zero communication from NIU about my return status was simoly received bu NIU service centre. NIU dont have the parts in stock until later this month. NIU had to be prodded to explain the complete lack of progress with return. By EU law, I must be provided with a replacement or a full refund. NIU ignore the EU legislation. They seem to think their warranty trumps EU law. Aside from shocking support for faulty scooters, wait until you discover the real range. I'm 140lbs/67kgs, I was riding on flat roads, ambient temp was 22'C, normal acceleration and tyres were correctly inflated. I got 17km from a full charge in "Sports mode" aka 25kmph limit. Sports mode reduces range by 40% so I theoretically I should have had north of 30km given my weight and ideal conditions with a new escooter but no, I got 17km and I had to push it home. Avoid any NIU products at all costs. I'm having to get legal with NIU as they refuse to meet their EU obligations to consumers.

I was debating getting it when I saw the price drop too (the day or two before yesterday, it was listed at 750. Weight is my big concern for brief parts of my commute. I saw a comment above regarding it not shutting down completely - what have you experienced so far since just getting it?

Sound like it's time to learn how to replace a tire. Is the overheating happening while you ride it or charge it? My charger would always get warm, but I've never felt my scooter itself get warm. Maybe upgrade to a better charger and see if that resolves the heat issue if it's happening during charging, just be careful to get the right charger tho. I was actually able to upgrade to a fast charger, which helps compensate for the battery range. Double check the specifications tho, and I babysat the charger and watched it charge for the first time just to be sure it was safe. Tbh, I still have no idea what a hall sensor is or does or even what kind of problems a broken hall sensor would cause. You're on your own with that one. My advice is that it's better to beat up your cheap scooter while you're learning than having all these issues on a scooter that costs twice as much. Obviously, don't keep using it if it's unsafe or anything, but riding a janky scooter will help you get a better idea of what you want in your next scooter. I know that if I had to carry the thing up several flights of stairs, I'd be looking at lightweights like Niu Air.

I had good experience with NIU and Segway scooters, specifically: Segway Ninebot Max G30LP - 10,000km - no problems (at around 9800km the back fender broke, but it got crashed by elevator doors, so does not really count :D ) NIU KQi2 Pro - 2700km - no major problems since 500km+, few initial issues (full journey https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb3q9WiQZ0LOACttdyEq-Enat4eUqCLnt ) NIU KQi Air - 2000km - no problems with scooter (few issues with NIU app, did not affect riding of scooter) (full details https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW9nK3h6FKY ) VDM-10 - around 3000km - zoom brakes had to be replaced, DIY fenders added to keep suspension clean; otherwise still going strong;

I have this scooter. That's an amazing price. The only thing I don't like about this scooter is the twist throttle, but that's subjective. It's mostly the same as the KQI3 Pro except way lighter and newer tech... and it's cheaper? buy it now! You can always return it if you change your mind.

I don't know if they fixed the issue of false alarm triggers. But, I have made it a non-issue by turning off audible alarm in the app settings. That setting has been there from Day 1 for me. Perhaps that didn't exist in older versions of the app? Anyway, when audible alarm is turned off, the lights blink, but there is no sound.

I'm your size but 20lbs heavier, also in Germany, and I like the Niu KQi Air I got a month ago. Important thing to remember is that no German-legal scooter will go fast, so as long as the range is adequate it's all about weight. The KQi Air is lightweight and easy to fold up and carry on trains, and even less-crowded busses. (Make sure your city allows this, not all do)

I ordered a NIU KQi Air on amazon just now and possibly lucked out with pricing. Perhaps my experience will help others shopping around. I have a personal amazon Prime login, but also a separate business login (same Prime account, but a separate login for Business that Amazon allows just to keep personal and business purchases separately). On my personal amazon login, the price for 2024 Air/Grey is $1,399, although Best Buy has it at $1,149 and NIU's official store has it at $1,049. It seems like everyone has a random number generator for price! Anyway, then I get on my amazon business login and it shows $899 for price! And on top of that, it says I can "Save 18% at checkout". I went ahead and ordered it for a final price of $737.18 before California sales tax. It is supposed to be here in 2 days. I hope it all works out. The price seems so random. I haven't really shopped around for this or any scooter before. I was looking for one for my adult son to ride about 1.5 miles to the bus stop and carry it on the bus easily. The review by u/RasmusHax was really helpful in picking this NIU KQi Air. Thank you.

I got one a month ago too, we aren't allowed to bring them on any public transport here in Ireland but the extended range means I don't have to bother with our shitty bus service here. I absolutely love it so far, I did a little adjust to rotate the controls for the indicators up a bit so you can see what your pressing and it makes such a difference.

Those scooters you mention are super junky. Maybe try the Honda motocompacto or Niu kqi Air. Only other scooters i know of that are very easy to carry onto crowded busses or trains are the segway ES series, but even those scooters have their pitfalls