Decent One Max electric scooter review

There's a new mode of transport on the block that every one is talking about – electric scooter – and as people return to offices and city centres they're only going to get more popular.

That's great news for the makers of the Decent One Max electric scooter, which we've been reviewing recently, as it demand for e-scooters is expected to go through the roof.

The UK government is now conducting trials of these environmentally-friendly icons of modern mobility with the aim of helping to keep people off public transport. Are electric scooters legal in the UK? 

Despite being illegal to use on public land, it is not illegal to buy or own an e-scooter, and wherever you use it, you’ll want a cycle helmet (and a driving licence). 

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When government policy catches up with reality is anyone’s guess – it’s all being debated right now – but regardless, the daily commute is on the cusp of massive change around the world.

Cue the Decent One Max, an affordable, lightweight and foldable e-scooter that’s widely available in the UK.

Decent One Max electric scooter review: Design

Matte black and crafted from aluminium, the Decent One Max’s otherwise chunky but plain look is cleverly accented by a bright white logo on its steering column and model name on the footboard. 

Whereas some other brands might choose to add a little colour on the handlebar and braking cable, the Decent keeps it understated with an all-black look.

It's IP54-rated, so waterproof unless it gets submerged, and can easily take riders (and any bags you might be carrying) weighing up to 100kg.

Out of the box not much needs doing to the Decent One Max; it’s simple fixing ring and folding lever makes it a 10-second job to set up and collapse it for storage under a desk or on a train, though you will need a small hex key/Allen wrench to tighten the brake and you'll need to screw on the handlebars. 

It can be carried up the stairs/through a train station, though at 15kg don’t plan on doing that without any effort at all. That weight is on par with other electric scooters that offer a similar range and performance, but as most of the weight is in the handle, we find it easier to carry.

Given its weight, the folding nature is just as likely to come in handy for storing it in the boot of a car. 

When folded the Decent One Max is 108 x 42 x 46cm, extending to 108 x 42 x 118cm when upright.

If you think the Decent One Max looks familiar it's because it is. You'll find identical models badged as Elka, Turboant, Euphoria, and Riley, to name a few. We're not too bothered by that, as it we've tested a few varients of these e-scooters now and they've all been reasonably solid. It just means Decent hasn't spent time designed this like Pure Electric has done with the Pure Air Pro.

Decent One Max electric scooter review: Performance

The Decent One Max is really, really easy to use. You just switch it on using the standby button on the wraparound on the right-hand handlebar and nudge the accelerator, though you do need to kick-off manually. 

All the while an LED display between the handlebars lets you know exactly what’s going on; your speed in either mph or kmh, your battery level in 20% increments (though an idea of the remaining maximum distance possible would be better), your speed setting, and whether there’s a fault. 

The Decent One Max’s brushless front hub motor reaches a top speed of 18.6mph / 29.9 km/h.

A short press on the function button – just above the throttle – toggles between three gears; beginner, normal and sports, which control what your top speed can reach. In reality, you're going to want to be in Sport the entire ride.

The indicator on the LED display that lets you know what gear you are in is very small and hard to see in direct sunlight. It’s also represented as a tiny ‘D’ in white or red, which is pretty unintuitive.

Instead of keeping your finger wavering on the throttle the whole time the Decent One Max has a novel cruise control option. It kicks-in automatically once you’ve been going at top speed for a few seconds, and is disengaged by any kind of touch to the throttle. You can also force it to cruise at a slower speed. Either way, cruise control is useful when gliding in a straight line.

The brake on the Decent One Max is a disc brake rather than the more common rim brake found on street bikes, though there’s little difference in how it looks or feels to use. Situated on the left-hand handlebar when squeezed it applies force on a rotor towards the middle of the rear wheel. It works well, with plenty of braking power to bring the scooter to a halt over a short distance. It’s actually part of a clever energy recycling system; when used it puts extra kinetic energy back into the battery. 

The Decent One Max feels stable going at speed. Its 10-inch vacuum-sealed tires prove sturdy enough to go over kerbs and other small obstacles without any clunks, though bad or dirt roads significantly reduce its top speed. They still perform much better than the smaller 8-inch tyres found on some rivals.

Decent One Max electric scooter review: Battery life

The Decent One Max’s standard battery, located in the column, is rated at 10Ah and is enough to fuel journeys of around 20 miles / 32 km. 

It takes about six hours to recharge the battery – either in-scooter or slid out of its hatch – using a bulky power supply box, which uses a kettle lead to attach to the mains and an old laptop-style attachment to power up the battery. 

We had a few problems removing the replacing the battery; it’s slightly tricky to line it up and click it into place, though, on the identical Turboant we've never had an issue, so this may just be a quality control issue.

Decent One Max electric scooter review: Other features

A double-tap of the function button switches-on a six-metre ultra-beam LED headlight, which is positioned just below the handlebars. It’s also got always-on taillights for being seen from behind. They flash when the brake is applied.  

Unlike the more affordable Pure Air Go, the Decent One Max doesn't have a companion app. This isn't a deal-breaker for us, as we find these apps aren't all that useful, but it's something to note.

Of course, the big plus point here is the removable battery. In practice is a removable battery that useful? For convenience, it’s definitely handy to have a removable battery for easily recharging it at, say, a workstation in an office – instead of having to bring the Decent One Max physically into the office (ditto at home). It’s also far more environmentally friendly to replace the battery when it’s spent – or, more likely, to fit a newer, larger-capacity version – rather than junk the entire scooter. 

Decent One Max electric scooter review: Verdict

The Decent One Max is a, well, decent option for those looking for an electric scooter. It offers a long range of 20 miles and a high top speed of 18.6mph. It's also pretty reasonably priced. The killer feature here is the removable battery, which makes recharging a dream.

If you're looking for something slightly more robust, however, we'd suggest looking at the models from Pure and Xiaomi, which currently sit it T3's best electric scooter guide.

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