Electric Scooter Vs Electric Unicycle: How They Compare & What Should You Choose?

A personal electric vehicle makes viable equipment for navigating the last mile of your journey. And on the same note, electric scooters and electric unicycles top the list. But choosing the better option between the two isn’t easy.

Therefore a comparison of an electric scooter Vs an electric unicycle can help you make up your mind on the best choice.

Electric Scooter

An electric scooter is just like the kick scooter except it’s battery-powered. Besides the rechargeable battery, it also has an electric motor and controller. So instead of the rider injecting effort to propel it forward, the battery provides the energy.

How to Ride an Electric Scooter

Riding an e-scooter is simple. First, you have to get hold of the handlebars and step on the deck with one foot. After that, kick the scooter with the help of the feet which isn’t on board.

Once you have started to roll, step on the deck with both feet and engage the engine. And since it has a handlebar, steering it is straightforward. When you need to stop, apply the brakes.

Electric Unicycle

Unlike the standard bicycle, the unicycle has a single wheel. And on either side of the wheel are the pedals. However, instead of pedaling, the cycle is electric-driven. So the pedals only help you to balance and hence stay onboard.

How to Ride an Electric Unicycle

To master the skill of riding an electric unicycle, you need to practice for a while. That’s especially true for learning how to hop onto the single wheel, balance, and steer.

So you have to practice self-balancing on the unicycle. Therefore, the upper body and shoulder have to maintain a straight posture. For beginners, you can first grab onto a fixed object before propelling the unicycle forward.

To steer the personal electric vehicle, you have to lean back and forth. Therefore when you shift your body weight to the left, the unicycle turns leftwards and vice versa.

Concentrating your weight on one side makes the wheel turn in the same direction. Thus the importance of the pedals. Most people find it challenging to master the skill at first. Accordingly, practice more to build on your expertise on the unicycle.

So having talked about the two personal electric vehicles, let’s compare them under different subheadings.

Comparison Between Electric Scooter and Electric Unicycle

Balance

There is a significant difference between how to balance an e-scooter and an electric unicycle. An electric scooter has a handlebar and deck. Thus you step on the deck, and your hands clasp on the handlebar.

And while in such a posture, it’s easy to balance. Furthermore, the e-scooter has a front and rear wheel. So that adds to its stability.

On the other hand, the e-unicycle has no handlebars. Besides, it employs a single wheel. Thus anyone attempting to ride the e-unicycle for the initial time has a steep learning curve.

Steering

Steering an electric scooter in one direction isn’t demanding. That’s because it has a handlebar. Besides making it easy to turn left or right, the handlebar gives easy control of the vehicle.

However, in an e-unicycle, steering depends on how you balance your body weight. Also learning to hop onto the electric unicycle without holding on to something takes time to master. Besides, going over bumps or making quick turns is easier with an electric scooter than a unicycle.

Mobility and Practicality

Both personal electric vehicles are small and portable. An average electric scooter weighs between 20 to 25lbs. On the other hand, an electric unicycle weighs about 15lbs. Therefore on average electric unicycles weigh slightly less than e-scooters.

Though an e-scooter is foldable, it can’t match the solid and compact shape of unicycles. The long handlebar, broad deck, and dual wheels make the e-scooter somehow bulky.

A unicycle needs no folding and occupies limited space. However, when put to the task, scooters display higher mobility than unicycles. That’s due to its high stability.

Safety

The structural design of the two personal vehicles significantly affects their safety level. It’s crucial to exercise caution when riding either a scooter or a unicycle.

However, the provision of double wheels, handlebar, deck, and quick brakes make scooters safer. You can rarely lose your balance when going over bumps or making a turn while on a scooter.

But when it comes to a unicycle, braking or going over a bend is challenging. Even the process of braking quickly isn’t easy to master.

Cost 

When it comes to cost, there is a moderate variation between the two. The power of the motor, battery type and capacity significantly affect the cost of personal electric vehicles.

For that reason, electric unicycles can cost more or less than an electric scooter, depending on the specification. But when we compare unicycles and scooters of similar power and battery capacity it seems that unicycles cost a bit more.

One way to explain this is that electric scooters are more popular so there are more brands and companies competing on the market which lowers the price.

Speed 

The speed of personal electric vehicles varies from engine to engine. Most unicycles and e-scooters have a speed limit of 15 to 20mph. But some brands exceed the limit.

So What Suits You Best? Electric Scooter or Electric Unicycle?

For a beginner, an e-scooter is easy to drive, stable, and trouble-free to control. And with some caution, it’s relatively safe.

But if you need utmost portability, then electric unicycles win hands down. However, you have a steep learning curve to go through. So you’ll have to invest a lot of time in learning its ropes.

That means when considering universal fitness and ease of riding, an e-scooter is the way to go.

Conclusion

In comparing electric scooter vs. electric unicycle, each has its strong and weak points. So only you know what suits you best, depending on your need. For a quick learning process, easy control, and riding over flat surfaces, an e-scooter is the better option.

But the portability and ease of going over the uneven topography of an e-unicycle beat that of an e-scooter. However, learning how to drive an electric unicycle can be challenging at first.