Best folding electric bikes 2024 | Tom's Guide

The ideal ebikes for when you're tight on space

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The best foldable electric bikes are a great way to get outdoors, even when you're tight on space. If you don't have a lot of room to store a full-size bike or need to tuck it away once you reach the office, these portable bikes collapse into a neat package.

And like the best electric bikes, folding ebikes come equipped with a motor and battery to assist as you cycle. The folding design means that they have a slightly lower range, but the best foldable electric bike is one you'll actually use, so it needs to fit into your requirements and lifestyle.

But with so many models out there with similar specifications, it can be hard to know how they fare until you ride them. That's why we've taken the best folding electric bikes for a ride to see how they fare in the real world.

We found that the Aventon Sinch.2 is the best folding electric bike for most people as its versatile and easy to use. But if you're after a more budget-friendly option, the Ride1Up Portola is an excellent choice. And we've rounded up all our favorite foldable e-bikes across a range of styles, budgets and uses.

Best overall

The Aventon Sinch.2 is our top foldable ebike, thanks to its easy-to-use folding mechanism, powerful motor, and impressive stability. The suspension is a little soft, but you can always switch in a harder fork later on if you want. Read more below

Best budget

The Ride1Up Portola is a budget-friendly foldable bike, with great performance. It has a sleek design, excellent ride, and you can choose one of two battery sizes. It's great, but the hinge lever could be quieter. Read more below

Best for comfort

If comfort is a top priority, then consider the Lectric XP 3.0. The bike is comfortable, even on longer rides, and it can handle steep inclines and hill starts with relative ease. Plus, you can upgrade the experience with accessory packs. Read more below

Best lightweight

Brompton's C-Line Explore has the company's classic minimalist design, but with a removable battery and foldable design. It only weighs 32 lbs, so its ideal if you need to carry it on and off transport or up and down stairs at the office or home. Read more below

Best for rough terrain

The Heybike Mars 2.0 is a fat-tired foldable ebike design for rougher terrains. It's fun to ride and has a large storage rack for carrying cargo around. There's a lag between pedaling and the assist, but you get used to it after a while. Read more below

Best compact

The RadExpand 5 has fewer features than most of Rad Power's range, but it's a powerful option for city commutes and suburban rides. It has a small footprint when folded, and the motor kicks in quickly when you need an assist. Read more below

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Our expert review:

The Aventon Sinch.2 is a durable, stable, quick-folding electric bike that'll suit quick commutes and longer rides. We were particularly impressed with its stability, especially for a foldable bike, and the build quality.

The rear-mounted motor can assist you up to 20mph, while the 20-inch wheels and 4-inch tires mean that the Aventon Sinch.2 can handle most everyday terrains with relative ease.

Aventon focuses on the essentials, so the bike can do the basics well, but if you want to carry larger loads, you can pick up additional accessories to expand the bike's storage.

However, the base bike is pretty expensive as it is, so these extras quickly add up. But if you're looking for a solid folding bike that can handle the majority of your daily routine, the Sinch.2 is an excellent option.

Our only complaint is that we found the suspension fork was a bit too soft for our liking. But, you can easily switch this out for a more rigid fork if you're inclined, though this will, of course, add to the overall cost.

Our expert review:

If you're looking for a more budget-friendly foldable ebike, then the Ride1Up Portola is a great option. It combines an excellent ride with a sleek and versatile design, which is impressive for the almost $1,000 price tag.

You get a choice of two battery options; 10.4Ah and 13.4Ah, although you pay an extra $100 for the larger size. The bike folds at the center, and it gets pretty compact — just 36 inches long and 16 inches wide. Plus, the handlebars collapse at the touch of a lever too.

Like with many of these foldable ebikes, we found that the front suspension was unscary, didn't add much to the ride, and just added weight to the bike. But that was our only major complaint, as the bike offered plenty of power, even on hill starts.

For such a small bike, the motor packs a powerful punch, and was able to tackle almost any situation we put it to. If we had one small criticism, it's that Ride1Up could make the hinge level quieter, but that doesn't stop it being a fantastic budget-conscious folding electric bike.

Our expert review:

If you're after comfort without compromising on power, it's worth considering the Lectric XP 3.0. It's not quite as fun to ride as the Ride1Up Portula, but it comes close. It can handle hill starts and speedy commutes with ease using the right settings.

We found that the ride was incredibly responsive, which did take some getting used to, but once you're out of any swooping corners, the motor kicks back in as soon as you start pedaling again, though it was tough to get the bike to actually hit the 20mph max assist speed.

The bike was comfortable, even on extended rides, but we did feel that the seat was too large and ended up getting in the way, even when folded. The folding mechanism was intuitive, but the hinge was on the stiff side, making it difficult to engage with cold hands in winter.

You can upgrade the base model with accessory packs, like the Comfort kit, which includes a larger seat. However, even without the extras, the Lectric XP 3.0 is a speedy, long-lasting, and comfortable option for rides around the city and to the office and back.

Our expert review:

The C-Line Explore looks a lot like Brompton's other bikes, but if you're a fan of the company's minimal aesthetic, then you'll find plenty to like with this folding electric bike. It's a breeze to ride, has good range, and folds into a nicely compact package for storage.

Plus, we liked the attention to detail in the design, like adding a USB port for charging your phone. And, if you want to reduce the weight and take a manual cycle, you can quickly remove the battery for unassisted rides. It's a great package if you're looking for a commuting bike, but there are some trade-offs.

The C-Line Explore easily folds to make it compact for storage, with small wheels designed to reduce its footprint. But these smaller wheels make it harder to stay in control across uneven roads, so you may be better with the larger wheels of the Aventon Sinch.2 on rougher terrain.

However, it excels as a lightweight commuter bike for city rides. We were impressed with the battery's almost 50-mile range, and how neatly the bike folds away to make it easy to store beside your desk at work or discreetly placed behind the couch at home.

Our expert review:

The Heybike Mars 2.0 isn't the most elegant ebike around, but the fat-tired wheels make it an ideal option for uneven ground or rougher terrain. Plus, there's a large rear rack for carrying cargo and it comes in four colors if you want to add some personality to your bike.

It's the follow-up to the company's first folding bike, the Mars, and the upgrades here are relatively modest, as you get a bit more power and a slightly longer-lasting battery. And it retains the first-generation's center-folding lever-based mechanism for quick storage.

However, we found that, while the motor is powerful enough to see you through most situations (even steep hills), there's a noticeable lag between when you start to pedal and when the motor kicks in, which we didn't experience on the other folding electric bikes in this guide.

But once you've adjusted to this delay, the Mars 2.0 is an extremely fun bike to ride, even on rough or snow-covered roads. So, if you're after a durable, solid folding ebike for your next adventure, it's worth adding to your shortlist.

Our expert review:

Rad Power makes some of the best electric bikes, but many are packed with premium features and a price tag to match. The RadExpand 5 takes a more back-to-basics approach in the best possible way and adds a quick, easy-to-use folding mechanism for storage.

It feels like a foldable electric bike, rather than an electric bike you can fold with fewer unnecessary features like a suspension fork, which adds weight for minimal performance gain on these compact ebikes. It might be smaller than RadPower's other models but it still has plenty of power.

We also quite liked that the pedals don't fold. This sounds counterintuitive, but folding pedals make the process more complicated for very minimal space savings, and it's more time consuming to unfold when all you want to do is hop and your bike and get riding.

However, it's also significantly more expensive than the other folding electric bikes we've included, and it feels like it's missing several features at this price, like a handlebar-mounted cycling computer, for example. Still, it's extremely versatile, powerful, and fun to ride.

Start your search for the best electric folding bike by examining the basic specs and comparing them against how you intend to use the bike. For example, if you have a long commute, you’ll want to make sure you choose a bike with a long advertised range so you can make it to work and back with battery life to spare.

And consider the terrain on which you’re most likely to ride. While many folding ebikes today come stock with wide tires that can handle dirt roads and rough pavement, others come with narrower tires that might not be suitable for rougher terrain.

But, narrower tires also mean more compact folding. And those skinnier tires save weight, so if you’ll be stowing your ebike in an overhead space, pay close attention to the bike’s overall weight and err toward skinny tires. And if your priority is space savings, skinnier tires help a ton.

We rode each bike in this guide extensively to gauge ride quality, usability, versatility, battery life, and motor power. For some of the bikes that claim a wide rider height range, we asked a much taller friend (over 6 feet tall) to test the bikes for their handling capabilities and size accommodations.

Since folding ebikes tend to be compact, the bike’s handling can be affected. During testing, we paid particular attention to how the bike responds to different steering situations — from tight corners to high-speed sweeping curves. The best folding ebikes handle both with ease or at least limit any steering unsteadiness to the least common steering scenarios.

While all of those factors are important in any ebike, folding ebikes must also be critiqued on their foldability. How small does it fold up? How light is it? Can the rider easily carry it in the folded position? How quick and easy is it to fold, and to unfold for riding use?

Build quality matters, too. Since folding ebikes have hinges, those hinged locations must remain solid and stable while you’re riding the bike. Quick-release levers should engage tightly, and there should be little to no play in any part that releases for folding.

The bulk of the testing took place on rolling terrain in Colorado. Almost all of it was on paved surfaces, or through patches of dirt and grass for brief periods. Temperatures ranged from 25 degrees Fahrenheit to 65 degrees Fahrenheit; colder temperatures can have an adverse effect on battery life.

Each bike was tested for motor response (how long it takes for the assist to kick in once you start pedaling); throttle response; starting from a dead stop on a hill; battery life under heavy use; foldability and storability; and basic functionality.

Folding bikes, whether motorized or not, feature hinges placed strategically to allow you to fold the bike up to a compact size. There’s usually a large hinge on the main tube of the frame. The hinge is locked in place with a lever that can be released to allow the folding movement.

Most folding ebikes also include a hinge or hinges placed on the stem, which is usually a very long structural piece that allows for a comfortable riding position. Levers once again lock the hinge in place, and when disengaged, allow for the folding movement that makes the bike compact.

The best folding ebikes feature some sort of locking mechanism to keep the halves of the bike secured to each other when folded. This makes it much easier to move the bike in the folded position.

Folding electric bikes aren’t harder to ride than any other type of bicycle, but there is a learning curve when you ride one for the first time. Because the wheelbase of a folding ebike tends to be quite short, the bike’s handling may feel odd to some riders.

This is especially the case for taller riders who may find themselves feeling cramped on these compact bikes. But once you get a feel for the reactivity of the steering, a folding ebike is no more challenging to ride than any other bicycle.

While folding electric bikes can be a convenient and space-saving way to get around, they won't be right for everyone. The folding mechanism, and the materials needed to ensure its stability and durability, means that folding bikes are generally heavier than their non-folding counterparts.

This is more of an issue on non-electric bikes though. All electric bikes are heavier than push bikes as they have batteries and motors, so the additional weight from the folding mechanism is less noticeable.

Similarly, the weight of a regular bike is more important as a heavier bike requires more power to move. The motors on electric bikes are designed to alleviate this, but it does mean that you could see a reduction in battery life on a foldable vs non-foldable bike.

And because the bike needs to be able to fold, there's less space for a large battery. So some folding e-bikes have lower battery life than non-foldable models to begin with. But, if you want to use the bike for fixed-distance commutes or trips into town, you should be able to plan around this.

Some folding ebikes come with rear racks onto which you can mount baskets and other accessories. And many come with mounting points for a front rack as well.

This makes the folding electric bike more useful if you have items you want to carry, but adding these accessories makes the bike larger and bulkier, and, ultimately, more difficult to store in the folded position.

If you're considering an electric bike and are trying to work out if you need a foldable ebike, it depends on how and where you want to travel.

As they collapse to save space, foldable bikes are a great option if you live in an apartment or are tight on space. But outside of home, folding ebikes are a good choice if you need to get on another form of transport like a bus, train or subway.

But if you want to cycle to the store and pick up groceries, you'll be better off with a larger cargo bike. And folding electric bikes are generally less comfortable for taller riders.

Generally, a folding ebike will be heavier than a non-motorized folding bike. That can limit how and where you use your bike, and how and where you store it. Many of the bikes in this test weigh upwards of 50 pounds or more, which limits overhead storage for most users.

If that’s a concern, consider something like Brompton’s C-Line, which is much lighter and smaller than every bike in the test. Removing the battery also makes it even lighter. It can be ridden as a non-motorized bike too. Of course, for the lightest option, go with a non-motorized folding bike.

All the folding ebikes in our test use batteries and motors with a similar size and power profile as full-size ebikes. Since folding ebikes generally fold at the center point on the frame, that limits the type of motors they can use. For instance, a folding ebike probably can’t incorporate a mid-drive motor; instead, it will use a rear-hub or front-hub motor.

There are three electric bike classifications in the U.S. — Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. The main difference between the levels is the top assisted speed and if you need to pedal to get the motor to kick in.

Class 1 ebikes only assist when you pedal and reach a top speed of 20mph. Meanwhile, Class 2 electric bikes have the same 20mph top speed, but have a throttle to power the bike without pedaling.

Class 3 bikes are allowed to reach a maximum speed of 28mph, but can only assist when you're pedaling.

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Dan Cavallari is the former technical editor for VeloNews Magazine, who currently reviews electric bikes, bike lights, and other bike accessories for Tom's Guide. In addition to VeloNews, his work has appeared in Triathlete Magazine, Rouleur Magazine, CyclingTips.com, Road Bike Action, Mountain Bike Action, CycleVolta.com, Tomsguide.com, and much more. Dan also hosts two podcasts on his site, Slow Guy on the Fast Ride: One is about cycling and other outdoor activities, while the other looks at mental health issues. Most recently, Dan also covered the 2022 Tour de France. Dan lives outside of Denver, Colorado with his family.

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