Best electric bike 2024: elevate your ride with eco-friendly efficiency

Looking to turn your commute from a soul-crushing slog into a joyride? The best electric bikes might just be the answer! Contrary to popular belief, these two-wheelers won't turn you into a couch potato. You've still got to pedal, but with a little electric oomph to help you along. It's like having a gentle breeze at your back instead of a headwind.

Buying your first electric bike can be an exciting but daunting experience. To make the right choice, consider your specific needs and riding habits. Pay attention to factors like motor type, battery life, and range. Look for a sturdy frame and quality components that offer both durability and comfort during your rides.

Additionally, it's essential to set a budget and compare prices across different brands while considering the overall value and warranty coverage. Prioritise safety features like lights and locks, and don't hesitate to seek recommendations and read reviews from experienced e-bike riders.

Our current top choice for the best electric bike is Honibike's Uni4. It's a lot of fun to ride and also looks pretty snazzy. Brompton's 12-speed Explorer is our favourite folding e-bike (would anyone disagree?). If you have all the cash to splash, check out the BMC 257 AMP AL TWO, a true premium option.

Best electric bikes to buy right now

Best overall

The Honbike Uni4 is a perfect daily rider, offering comfort and more than enough power to help you on your way. The quality of the design and build is excellent, which is even more impressive when you look at the cost of buying this bike, putting some rivals to shame. The quirky frame design might prove a little offputting to some people, but you get used to it, and the super smooth belt drive is fab.

Granted, the realistic range isn’t quite as good as the official Honbike figure, but if you take it easy, you’ll get something close to 62 miles/100km. Better still, those thicker tyres make this an e-bike you can take anywhere. Add in the fact that it comes with full mudguards, lights and a brilliant kickstand, and you’ve got an out-of-the-box e-bike solution that is up there with the best of ‘em. This is why we think the Honbike Uni4 is a resounding success and the best electric bike at the moment.

Read our full Honbike Uni4 review.

Best folding

The Brompton Electric P Line 12-speed, an addition to the renowned Brompton lineup, merges compactness, performance and foldability in the e-bike realm. With a sleek folding design and 12-speed derailleur setup, it's a compact powerhouse suitable for urban commutes and leisure rides alike.

The 250W hub motor, seamlessly integrated into the front wheel, delivers ample power, while the detachable battery ensures convenience in storage and recharging. We loved the bike's dynamic power delivery, balanced weight distribution, and roller frame for easy manoeuvrability that elevates the riding experience. Despite its compact form, the Brompton Electric P Line doesn't compromise on comfort or functionality.

Featuring premium components like a comfortable saddle, integral lighting, and a cargo rack, it offers versatility for various riding scenarios. With its lightweight yet robust build and versatile 12-speed gearing, this e-bike stands out as a practical, enjoyable, and well-rounded choice for riders seeking a compact yet capable urban commuting solution.

Read our full Brompton Electric P Line Explore 12-speed review.

Best premium

BMC have packed lots of lovely stuff into their AMP AL TWO e-bike, starting with a pleasingly tough and sturdy frame and powerful BOSCH battery and with an eye for detail all the way down to the integrated lights and back rack. We were impressed with this e-bike’s comfort, ease of use and long battery life. BMC’s offering does come with a hefty price tag, but if you want an e-bike you can effortlessly jet to work on during the week and then go exploring with on the weekends, this could be your perfect match.

Read our full BMC 257 AMP AL TWO review.

Best range

Both the commuter and the tourer versions of the WAU X Plus are full of charisma, and this is a very affordable machine compared to virtually every other e-bike on the market – certainly those with anywhere near the range that this steed offers.

Many riders will enjoy booting around city roads and suburban streets on the WAU X Plus, where its many funky features come into their own. If this is your preferred cycling environment, we’d suggest saving yourself a few quid and a whole lot of weight and going for the commuter model.

With a massive power-assisted riding range of up to 100 miles (in the more expensive touring model), a very reasonable price tag, and a whole collection of innovative features combined with good-quality componentry, the WAU X Plus is an exciting and eccentric e-bike that will suit riders looking for a city slicker that’s capable of facilitating adventures much further afield at the weekend.

Read our full WAU X Plus review.

Best commuter

The Himiway A7 Pro is designed for easy commuting, with features that make it perfect for beginners.

The bike's design borrows from mountain bikes, featuring front and rear shock absorbers and an air-adjustable seat post for quick height adjustments. Its step-through frame makes mounting easy, though taller riders might find the seat height slightly low. The bike's build quality is solid, with sturdy joints and a quality paint job. The Shimano groupset and hydraulic disc brakes add to its appeal, offering reliable performance out of the box.

Equipped with a 250W mid-drive motor and torque sensor, the A7 Pro provides smooth and responsive electronic assist. The 720Wh removable battery offers up to 50 miles of range, depending on assist level, rider weight, and terrain. The bike also includes built-in front and rear lights, a rear luggage rack, an ABUS lock, and a kickstand, enhancing its practicality for daily use.

In terms of performance, the A7 Pro excels in hill climbing and provides a comfortable ride thanks to adjustable shock absorbers. While not designed for high speed, it offers enough power for efficient commuting. The bike's weight, coupled with its suspension system, requires frequent gear adjustments, but the electronic assist compensates well.

The Himiway A7 Pro is a reliable, beginner-friendly e-bike, ideal for urban commuting. Its convenience features, robust build, and smooth assist make it a great choice for those looking to ease into electric biking.

Read our full Himiway A7 Pro review.

Also consider: The Volt Infinity is an excellent, versatile e-bike with high-quality components. Shimano’s Steps system and durable build make it a great value. Perfect for errands or countryside trips, it handles smooth paths and rough tracks with ease.

How to choose the best electric bike for you

In-depth: Should you buy an electric bike?

Whether you're new to cycling, or an old hand wh fancies something new, there are all sorts of reasons to go electric. Cycling is a great pastime. It's free (after the initial bicycle purchase), it's good for your health and in many cases, it can be faster than cars and public transport. 

Cycling with an electric bike is all these things, but with less sweat – what's not to love?

Different electric bike brands take different approaches to electric bike manufacture. Some choose to place an electric motor in the rear wheel hub, with a torque sensor in the cranks that tells the on-board batteries to send power to the wheels.

Others – notably Bosch and Yamaha – opt for a more high-powered approach, with the entire motor and sensor unit situated around the bike's cranks, meaning more visually appealing and aerodynamically advanced frame styles can be fashioned.

An increasing number of new, premium e-bikes place the motor in the front wheel hub, which seems to give a much more natural riding experience, if you're used to non-powered bikes.

Speaking of which, if you're used to non-electric cycles, be aware that e-bikes are heavy and capped at 25kph or 15.5mph. In many cases, that means the bike starts to feel like its actively fighting against you, if you try to push the speed higher than that by pedalling. That's especially true with heavier bikes, for obvious reasons, and can take a while to get used to.

However, if you're being realistic, 15mph is a very decent average speed when commuting in town or taking on hills. This is despite what all cyclists will tell you is their average speed – you're not fooling anyone, guys!

Again, some of the newer, more expensive e-bikes are starting to solve the 'fighting back' problem by applying power in a smoother curve, using algorithms that respond more accurately to the speed at which you pedal, and also by weighing less than a cow.

Even with cheaper or heavier bikes, once you accept that you are really meant to pedal gently and let the motor do the work, non-speed freaks will get into it. Hint: If you want to make it noticeable easier on the legs, you can improve rolling resistance – and therefore average speed – by keeping the tyres pumped up hard. Fully inflated tyres are also less likely to puncture because they ping away most road debris.

E-bikes are great for commuting and for places that aren't pancake flat. They'll pull you away from the lights quickly, iron out hills and stop you getting sweaty, so you can bin the Lycra and ride in jeans, a suit, or a winter coat.

However, don't think that riding an electric bike means you won't get any workout at all. Particularly if you want to push on past the legally mandated 15.5mph (20mph in the USA), they're much better for you than taking the bus.

How to we test the best electric bikes

Testing electric bikes involves a hands-on, detailed process to ensure we provide the best insights. First, we assemble the e-bike, noting the ease of setup and quality of included tools. We then take it for a series of rides, assessing its performance across various terrains, from smooth city streets to rugged countryside trails.

We evaluate the power assistance, checking how smoothly it kicks in and how it handles different inclines. Battery life is tested by measuring the range under different assist levels and rider weights. We also focus on comfort, considering the bike’s suspension, seat quality, and overall ergonomics during longer rides.

We also test the bike's braking system for responsiveness and safety. Features like built-in lights, display readability, and accessory integration are also scrutinised.

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