This is the question we get asked more than any other, and it is almost always asked the wrong way round. People ask "how much does it weigh?" when the number that matters is how heavy is the heaviest piece.
Why total weight is the wrong number
A boot scooter is designed to come apart. A 46 kg scooter that splits into five pieces might have a heaviest part of just 13 kg — and 13 kg is what you actually lift. Meanwhile a 40 kg folding scooter that does not come apart is a 40 kg lift, every time.
So when you look at a product page, find the heaviest piece figure. On our scooter pages it sits right at the top with range and speed, because it is a decision-maker, not a footnote.
Three kinds of "portable"
Dismantling scooters
Come apart into four or five pieces — seat, battery, front section, rear section. Lightest individual lift, but it is several trips to the boot and back. Best if you have limited strength but reasonable mobility.
Folding scooters
Fold in one movement, sometimes by remote control. One lift instead of five, but that one lift is the whole machine. Best if you can manage the weight in a single go, or if someone is usually with you.
Automatic folding scooters
Fold themselves at the press of a button, then wheel along like a suitcase. Still a single lift into the boot.
Be honest about the lift
A boot lip is high, and you are lifting at arm's length with your back bent — which is not the same as lifting a 15 kg suitcase off the floor. Our rough guide:
- Up to 13 kg — manageable for most people who can lift at all
- 13–18 kg — fine for many, but try it before you commit
- 18–25 kg — realistically a two-person lift, or one fit person
- Over 25 kg — think about a hoist, or a scooter that stays at home
Filter our scooters by heaviest piece on the boot and portable scooters page.
It is not only weight — it is shape
A scooter can be light and still not fit. Things to check before you buy:
- Boot opening, not boot volume. A deep boot with a narrow mouth defeats a wide folded scooter.
- Load lip height. Estates and hatchbacks are usually kinder than saloons.
- Parcel shelf. Often has to come out, which means somewhere to put it.
- What else lives in there — if the shopping has to fit too, measure with the shopping in.
Going on holiday?
If you want to fly with it, look for scooters described as airline friendly. That normally means a lithium battery within airline limits, and it is worth confirming with your airline in advance — each carrier has its own rules about battery watt-hours and how the scooter must be presented at the gate.
The easiest way to be sure
Ring us free on 0800 593 0400 and tell us what car you drive. We will tell you which scooters go in it and which do not. We have done this a lot, and we would far rather have that conversation before you buy than after.
Or answer a few quick questions and we will shortlist the ones that fit.