Aovo Pro Review – Upgrade, or Clone?

Last Updated on April 8, 2022 by Matt

In this comprehensive Aovo Pro review, we will see why this model came out of nowhere, started selling like crazy, and gained popularity so rapidly that today it’s so much more than “another Xiaomi clone”, and it has so many important upgrades that it’s actually the right choice in a lot of scenarios.

Aovo Pro summary

Let’s immediately address the elephant in the room here – Aovo is a Chinese company, and the Aovo Pro looks almost the same as the Xiaomi M365. Isn’t then the Aovo Pro just another case of a low-quality Chinese clone that doesn’t give you a single reason why you should choose it over the Xiaomi M365?

I say no. I think there are some strong use cases where the Aovo Pro might be a better choice than the Xiaomi M365. The Aovo Pro is a relative newcomer to the scooter stage, and while it rocks the familiar Xiaomi M365 look and feel, it comes with some very important differences, and that’s why it’s making some serious waves, both in the US and in Europe.

The biggest difference is in the wheels – the Aovo Pro comes with solid tires, which can be considered a big improvement, as we all know how infamous Xiaomi’s problem with flats has become (and solid tires can never go flat).

The range of the Aovo Pro is also slightly improved, and the scooter can go up to 22 mi / 35 km on a single battery charge.

Also, with an IP65 rating, this scooter has superior waterproofing, which is a welcome addition for lots of people living in rainy places.

While it’s easy to label the Aovo Pro as another Xiaomi M365 clone, I believe it provides a lot of unique advantages over its role model that it makes a strong case for itself.

Basically, if you’re looking for a proven commute scooter variant of the Xiaomi M365, that’s a great mix of quality and value, but also comes with some interesting upgrades and is of the latest generation, then the Aovo Pro might be a good pick for you (not to mention the fact that you will be saving between $50 and $100 compared to the Xiaomi M365).

Ordering and shipping

The only place to get the Aovo Pro from is the official Aovo online store.

Aovo pretty much has international coverage, as they have several different warehouse locations throughout the world (US, UK, Europe, and China), and the scooter will arrive at your doorstep in 2 to 7 days in the US or Europe, or 10 to 25 days for the rest of the world. Shipping in the US and Europe is free.

Customer support, warranty, returns

There’s a 30 day return period for the scooter starting from the day the scooter is shipped to you. If the scooter is faulty at arrival, the return shipping costs will be covered by Aovo. As usual, if you wish to simply return the scooter because of some other reason, you have to return it in the original condition, and the return shipping costs will be on your end.

The warranty period for the scooter is 2 years, which is the biggest return period I’ve ever seen so far. If you need to send the scooter to a repair shop, the shipping costs will be covered by Aovo.

As we can see from their policies, Aovo is strongly committed to providing a great customer experience, but also, their customer support team receives a lot of praise as well. You can reach them both through their contact form and through their support email.

Unboxing, assembly, user manual

The scooter’s box contains:

• scooter (almost fully assembled)
• charger
• Allen key and screws
• tire pump valve
• user manual
• warranty card

To assemble the scooter, you only need to install the handlebar into the stem. The process is straightforward and takes about a minute.

Before you start riding, make sure to charge the scooter fully. Also, check if the brakes are working, and that all the screws are tightly screwed.

I also recommend reading through the manual, at least quickly if nothing else, as it may contain details specific about the unit version that might not be available anywhere else (the manual is mostly illustrations anyway).

Aovo Pro basics

You need to connect the scooter with the app through bluetooth to use it. The process is usually very simple and quick.

The Aovo Pro has three speed modes – eco, regular, and sport, each with its own speed limit.

You can choose whether you like the scooter to require a kick to start it or not through the app (I always recommend starting with the kick, as it’s both safer and conserves the battery). There is also the cruise control feature, but usually, you will need to activate it through the app before you can use it (it engages after 5 seconds when activated).

The scooter folds at the stem (the handlebars don’t fold). The folding mechanism is pretty standard, with a latch that locks it when unfolded, and the small frame under the bell used to connect the handlebars to the rear fender when folded. Also, the folding mechanism is pretty secure, and the stem doesn’t shake while riding, even over a not very smooth terrain.

When not using the scooter, you can let it lean on its kickstand. Personally, I would prefer if the kickstand were a bit longer as that adds more stability, but this length gets the job done as well, so not a big deal really.

Dashboard, screen, cockpit, controls

The Aovo Pro goes with the tried-and-tested cockpit setup – thumb-throttle acceleration button on the right handlebar, brake lever and bell hammer on the left one, and the simple yet functional LCD screen in the middle. This setup has been proven to be so user-friendly by the Xiaomi M365, that a lot of popular scooters today just go with it, without trying to reinvent the wheel. The most important thing is – it’s a winning formula.

The screen is probably even better than the screen of the Xiaomi M365. It’s the same size, but it’s a bit brighter actually, and a little bit neater in the way it displays information. It still shows:

• current speed
• battery level
• speed mode
• bluetooth status
• light status
• cruise control
• lock status

Build quality and user experience

The overall build quality of the scooter exceeds its price, and may surprise you if you’ve had low expectations. Obviously, it will not be the same as the quality of a $3000 Dualtron scooter, but it will truly go a long way for just under $400.

The scooter is made mostly from aluminum, with the auxiliary parts and the tires made from rubber or silicone.

There’s no point denying the fact that the design, and probably most of the engineering, has been “borrowed” by the Xiaomi M365. I gues if you’re learning from someone, you might as well learn from the best.

You should be aware that while the scooter will provide a generally good experience and ride quality, it comes with solid rubber tires, and that brings some tradeoffs with it (more on that below in the tires section).

Speed and acceleration

The 350 Watt motor of the scooter is a hub BLDC motor, integrated into the front wheel of the scooter, which provides a finer control and turning.

Out of the box, the Aovo Pro comes with a speed limit of 15.5 mph / 25 kmh. However, that speed limit can be increased through the app, and it has gone up to 22 mph / 35 kmh in some instances (mostly with lighter riders, but even heavier riders can get at least 20 mph / 32 kmh on a flat road and with a full battery). The speed limits are confirmed in several independent speed tests.

Moreover, there’s a firmware customization for the scooter that may increase the top speed even more (more on this below in the app section).

The acceleration is also pretty good, which is not often the case for budget scooters. The scooter develops the top speed in a matter of seconds (around 6 seconds to reach the top speed), and that makes the scooter very fun (even beginners find slow scooters to be already boring after a few minutes).

Climbing

The official climb angle specified by Aovo for this scooter is 20°.

Owner tests only confirm that the scooter is very decent at climbing, but most don’t specify an angle.

Battery and charging

The battery of the Aovo Pro is rated at 10.5 Ah, with a voltage of 36 V, for a total battery capacity of 378 Wh, which is larger than the battery of the Xiaomi M365 by about a third, and that’s why the Aovo Pro has a bit more range. It comes with a smart battery management system, which provides protection from insufficient voltage, short circuits, auto sleep/wake up, overheating protection, and other common battery and charging issues. It’s still a bit too soon to tell, but initial testings of the battery in real-life scenarios show positive results, and you will likely get several years out of the battery before you have to consider replacing it because of aging.

The Aovo Pro takes up to 5 hours to fully charge.

Range and commuting

The official range of the scooter is between 20 mi / 32 km and 22 mi / 35 km. User reports largely confirm this range, with a few stating that the scooter provides less range in the real world (about 17 mi / 27 km), but a handful of owners stating the opposite as well (around 23 mi / 37 km).

As is the case with Aovo Pro’s mentor, the Xiaomi M365, this scooter is also made for the daily commuter, and the combination of good portability and useful range makes it a good scooter for the job.

Waterproofing and IP rating

The Aovo Pro comes with a water protection rating of IP65, and in my opinion, that’s one of the strongest sides of this scooter, and one of its biggest advantages, not just over the Xiaomi M365, but over any other scooter in the world (almost no scooters have this good of an IP rating!).

The scooter is popular everywhere, but especially so in the UK, so I’m sure this feature will be much welcome there.

An IP65 rating means that the scooter has protection against weak jets of water from any angle, and some ingress has no damaging effects. The scooter is clearly capable of handling any type of wet weather, and even though it’s usually best to avoid riding in the rain, you are almost certainly not going to have any issues with the Aovo Pro.

Brakes

The brake lever on the left handlebar engages the disk brake on the rear wheel. The scooter has a short stopping distance of about 6-7 meters (3 seconds) when stopping from full speed. It brakes quickly, although not too abruptly. The red brake cable goes from the handlebars, along the stem, then enters inside the deck and is only visible a bit near the brake itself, so overall it’s only half-exposed to the outside.

Tires and mudguards

The Aovo Pro comes with solid tires, and that’s the major point of differentiation between it and the Xiaomi M365. They have the standard diameter of 8.5 inches, but the big advantage is that they will never ever go flat. Since that was probably the biggest weakness of the Xiaomi M365, I think that the Aovo Pro team has made a clever, strategic decision – just by taking all the good and removing all the bad, they are taking a step in the right direction.

Of course, the ride quality will be the biggest tradeoff here. The Aovo Pro doesn’t have additional suspension, so unless you stick to well-maintained urban roads and streets, you will probably not get a very smooth ride. Also, while the tires are anti-skid and generally provide good traction, they will probably not have as good traction as regular pneumatic ones.

The mudguards are quite similar to the ones of the Xiaomi M365 as well, however it’s possible to get the bracket set for the rear fender as well, and that greatly improves the whole setup and completelly eliminates any sort of rattling or wobblines that can plague both this scooter and the Xiaomi M365.

Lights and riding at night

A long press of the power button turns on the main headlight, situated on the front of the handlebars and angled slightly downwards. The main light is fairly bright, and will do a good job at lighting the road ahead of you at night.

When the brake is active, the red light on the rear fender blinks quickly, and it’s almost impossible for other traffic participants to miss you at night.

Dimensions, weight, portability

The dimensions of the Aovo Pro are:

• length: 42 in / 107 cm
• width: 16.9 in / 43 cm
• height (folded): 20.8 in / 53 cm
• height (unfolded): 43.3 in / 110 cm

The scooter weighs 26.5 lbs / 12 kg, which makes it a very light scooter (most commuter scooters of this class weigh closer to 31 lbs / 14 kg).

When folded, the scooter is easy to carry, as it has a fairly natural center of gravity (almost at the middle of the stem), and doesn’t have too many weird parts sticking out of it that get caught in other objects while you carry it. The scooter will fit in pretty much every car trunk without an issue, even if you have a smaller car. Taking it on the bus or the subway will also not be too much of a problem, as it will fit under the seat easily, and you may only have an awkward moment or two if you try and carry it through tighter bus doors for example.

Weight limit and usage by heavier adults

The official weight limit of the Aovo Pro is 265 lbs / 120 kg. A handful of owners well over 220 lbs / 100 kg have reported that the scooter has almost no drops in performance for them, and the weight limit seems to be fairly acurate, so the scooter can support heavier adults.

App

The app for the Aovo Pro has a ton of information and features in it, and you can see and set pretty much any aspect of the scooter’s performance to your preference:

• current speed
• bluetooth status
• lock control
• light status
• speed mode
• cruise control
• unit system
• boot mode (zero start or kick start)
• speed limit
• acceleration response
• brake response
• language
• firmware updates

The app is quite good overall, and that’s reflected in its ratings and reviews. You can find the app available for both iOS and Android.

In addition to the official app, I recommend the EScooterNerds Universal Scooter App for some complementary features like some helpful checklists, calculators, resources, tools, hacks, etc. The app is also available for both iOS and Android.

Speed hack

The app lets you set your own speed limit, and many owners have full control over this setting through the app. Some, however, can’t seem to unlock the maximum top speed, and they need to install a certain firmware version and perform a set of steps to unlock it. You can see this helpful video on how to perform the steps exactly and unlock a top speed of up to 28 mph / 45 kmh, but keep in mind that this may result in some unexpected consequences, and may even void your warranty in some cases.

Lock and security

The scooter can be locked through the app, and doing so disables the motor from running completely. That’s an excellent security feature that I believe every serious scooter brand should offer.

Still, locking the scooter that way doesn’t prevent someone from simply lifting it up, putting it in the trunk of their vehicle, and driving off with it. If you plan on leaving your scooter outside, I recommend checking out a good electric scooter lock.

Accessories and gear

You probably already know this, but you should wear a proper scooter helmet at all times while riding the Aovo Pro. Aovo recommends the SMART4U to go along with this scooter, and as I’ve had this helmet before and I know it’s a good scooter helmet, I can agree with that choice.

The only after-market customization available specifically for the Aovo Pro is the rear mudguard set, which comes with a steel bracket to reinforce it and fixate it in place.

However, since the design and the dimensions of the Aovo Pro are practically the same as the ones of the Xiaomi M365, most of the accessories and customizations made for the Xiaomi M365 will almost certainly fit the Aovo Pro as well. So, you should be able to make good use of the many generic scooter accessories, chances are, they will fit the standard build of the Aovo Pro.

Parts and maintenance

Spare parts are available for cheap from Aovo, and if your scooter is still within the 2 year warranty period, they will ship them to you for free.

The maintenance required for the Aovo Pro is minimal, given that the tires are solid and require almost no attention at all, except occassionally inspecting them for wear-and-tear. Other than a simple cleaning routine with a soft, damp cloth, your only maintenance routine can be making sure the brakes are operational, and there are no loose screws.

Specifications

Issues and what to know

If you are considering getting the Aovo Pro, these are the most important points you should keep in mind.

The biggest tradeoffs with solid-tire scooters like the Aovo Pro is the ride smoothness. It will not be as smooth as the rides with a pneumatic-tire scooter. Now, if you mostly stay on urban roads and streets, you will almost not even feel the difference, but going over any uneven terrain will be much more shaky.

The rear mudguard of the scooter may cause some rattling in some units. There is an after-market bracket which you can get for cheap and install easily, but that’s still something you’ll have to do yourself if you run into this problem.

Finally, keep in mind that while you can install some custom firmware to unlock the maximum top speed this scooter is capable of, you will be risking some other firmware issues by doing so. Users have reported problems with the power button and the main headlights, and even though those are rare incidents, the risk is always there. If you want to play it safe, you will unlock only the speed limit that the app allows without trying to implement the hacks.

Customer satisfaction and reviews

The feedback from owners of the Aovo Pro is nothing short of amazing. The scooter has managed to somehow build a large following, and has been selling quite well over the last year, despite the insane competition in the budget scooter category. That would be impossible if the product weren’t good.

Since this is a relatively new scooter, it’s still too soon to know if will reach an evergreen status, but for the time being, reviews and ratings are very positive.

Aovo Pro vs Xiaomi M365

We have compared the Aovo Pro and the Xiaomi M365 several times throughout this article, but let’s sum up all of those comparisons.

The design, look, color patterns, brakes, deck, handlebars, throttle, dimensions, and weight, are all either identical or very similar between the two scooters.

The biggest diverging point is the tires. The Xiaomi M365 comes with the standard 8.5-inch pneumatic tires, while the Aovo Pro comes with 8.5-inch solid tires.

The speeds of the two scooters are comparable, and that’s the case even after unlocking the top speeds with firmware upgrades for both scooters. The Aovo Pro has a more powerful motor though, with 350 Watts, compared to the 250 Watts of the Xiaomi M365, and that’s probably the reason why it has better torque, acceleration, climbs better, and has a bigger weight limit.

Also, since the Aovo Pro comes with a bigger battery, it has a bit more range than the Xiaomi M365 (22 mi / 35 km for the Aovo Pro, 18.6 mi / 30 km for the Xiaomi M365).

So, performance is clearly on the side of the Aovo Pro.

There’s also better water protection, with the Aovo Pro implementing an IP65 standard, while the Xiaomi M365 has only IP54.

All in all, while it’s easy to dismiss the Aovo Pro as “another Xiaomi clone”, I truly don’t think that’s fair to it. The Aovo Pro actually has a lot of important improvements and upgrades, owners love it, and it even drives the price down a bit.

Should you buy the Aovo Pro?

The biggest question here is why should you pick the Aovo Pro over the Xiaomi M365?

Well, as we saw in the section above, even though the scooters look similar on the surface, the Aovo Pro is much more performant, and comes with better features. It’s also a newer model, and that always means it will come with fixes for some of the issues that older models have. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from owners for the Aovo Pro is also a very good sign, and can easily counter the pre-established status of the Xiaomi M365.

Plus, with the Aovo Pro, you will be saving between $50 and $100.

Still, in the end, I would say it should come down to the tire type. If you prefer a more comfortable ride, but you are also prepared for the risk of frequent flats, then you may want to go with the Xiaomi M365 (see the complete Xiaomi M365 review to find out more).

But if you just want to avoid all the headaches and worrying about the constant flats and the impossible repairs for them, then I see no reason why you shouldn’t go with the Aovo Pro. After all, many have done so, and have never looked back.

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