Posted By Laura in Childrens, Featured, For the Family, Review, Toys | 2 comments

Scooters – we love ’em, right? But buying them can be a l-e-e-tle bit tricksy. Because your toddler wants something steady and sturdy and non-wobbly (and preferably a little bit shiny) for zooming in the park on. But your older kid wants a wicked looking scooter that does scary stuff that makes their Mum squeak while she’s trying to ignore them at the park. They’ll chatter excitedly about how they’ve mastered the Hops and Ollies, 180’s, Stalls and maybe even the Tail Whip. Uh huh.

You just can’t do that stuff on the scooter they zipped about on when they were 6.

But then again, those scooters are flippin hard work if they’re being used to get from point A to point B. You have to, y’know, scoot them. And they tend to be only as fast as the hill is steep. Downwards, obviously – going up you might as well just walk it. But don’t just take our word for it, check out these Electric Scooter Reviews to give you a proper idea of what you can expect.

10yr old Bear is not a fan of Ollies and Tail Whips. Just No. She has inherited two older brothers ‘mad good’ (battered) stunt scooters, and she barely rides them. Not Her Thing. But her eyes did light up when Halfords sent her the Zinc Volt XT 1 Electric Scooter from the Halfords Scooters range.

Here was a beauty she could learn to love. And did. fast.

Because with an electric scooter there’s all of the speed – but with none of the pushing. This is scooter cruising at its very finest. And funnest, apparently.
Set up is a breeze – clip in the stem, and bolt together the handlebar with four screws (it’s basically stripped just enough to allow it be packaged in a sensible-sized box) and you’re away.
First charge needs to be 12hrs though, so if you’re giving it to a child you need to either assemble and charge first, or make sure you manage expectations at the box stage!
Once charged you’re away – and as a parent you’ll need to get your running shoes on if you’re intending to keep up, because the twist-and-go motor gets up to 10mph – that doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s as fast as I want to be running for short periods.

Don’t worry about braking – there’s a rear footbrake which any scooter aficionado will be really familiar and comfortable with. And while the box declares battery can last ‘up to 1 hour’ of scooting, we found with almost-11yr old Bear being whizzed around that 40-45 minutes were more reasonable before it started to visibly slow. Recharge time is 5hrs too, so don’t get caught out too far from home, without the motor this is a heavy scooter to manually (footily?) scoot.

The wheels are big and soft – ideal for slightly more uneven and bumpy surfaces, though we did find the stony railway track more vexing than fun, and rapidly retreated to the smoother pavements again.

And do note – tempted though you may be, the maximum weight is 70kg; perfect for children and young teenagers, but really not for the grown ups to ‘have ago’, no matter how much they may want to… *cough*

Unlike other electric scooters we’ve seen, the Zinc Volt XT 1 doesn’t look hefty and bulky – in passing, it seems no different than a sturdily built ‘ordinary’ scooter. Right up until the rider zooms past you without their feet touching the ground, that is.

We love – and to be honest, I’ve added a grown-ups version to my Christmas list this year. When I was in Lille in the Spring I noticed a lot of people using scooters for their morning commute. It’s definitely the way to go – and why on earth wouldn’t you have an electric one? For any kid that’s just not into the half pipe, this is the ultimate in scootering joy.

The speed and ease causes the biggest smiles to crack across the grumpiest kids face – and that’s what toys are for, right?
Plus, I can see it being a total bonus on the school run, when instead of dragging them along complainingly by their rucksack, they’re hollering at you to keep up!

The  Zinc Volt XT 1 is available from Halfords, and right now is 50% off – reduced from £240 to just £120. yes, it’s now about the same price as one of those stunt scooters. Total no-brainer.

(while you;re there, Halfords Kids Zone hub actually has some great resources and tips for all things to do with getting your little ones outdoors.)