Last Updated on October 16, 2022 by Matt
In this complete Ninebot KickScooter Air T15 review, we will find out why the premium, beautiful, futuristic model is the most portable electric scooter for adults ever made, and how its brave design makes it one of the most unique and fun scooters ever made.
Who is the Ninebot Air T15 for?
The Ninebot Air T15 is the most portable adult electric scooter today, and it will be perfect for commuters with short to medium commutes, students, casual riders, and anyone looking for a scooter that’s very easy to carry around, like people with a last-mile type scenario.
It is also an excellent choice for people looking for a classy, charming travel companion, that stands out with its rich and premium look, emanating a vibe of luxury and elegance.
This scooter innovates in many areas, and it’s probably the most unique scooter released in the last few years, with the most daring engineering and the boldest design choices.
Where to buy the Ninebot Air T15 from?
Background
The Ninebot Air T15 comes from the proud Ninebot line, which is the brand behind some of the most popular and best-adopted electric scooters ever made, like the Ninebot ES2, Ninebot ES4, and the Ninebot Max. Some of their models are the main scooters in the fleets of the biggest ride-sharing companies like Lime and Bird.
The Ninebot Air T15 specifically was started as a fundraising project at Kickstarter and Indiegogo, and it successfully raised almost one million dollars there, with more than 1400 early adopters supporting the brave new design.
Ordering and shipping
The Ninebot Air T15 is available on Amazon, and that’s usually the best place to order it from, as Amazon often provides the fastest shipping times.
The scooter is also available on the official Segway store, but for some reason, it’s often a lot more expensive there.
Check both listings to compare the prices, but chances are, Amazon will provide a better price and a better deal overall. Both methods include free shipping.
If you’re in Europe, it is very likely that PureElectric will provide a better deal in terms of shipping time and fees.
Warranty and returns
The warranty for the Ninebot Air T15 includes one year on the majority of the critical components, and 6 months on the battery and charger. These warranty periods are standard for all Ninebot scooters, and in fact, are the gold standard for scooter warranties in general.
If the scooter arrives damaged, it will be possible to replace it or get a refund after 30 days of purchasing.
Unboxing and assembly
The scooter arrives in a small, relatively lightweight package.
The package contains:
- Ninebot Air T15 scooter
- charger
- user manual
- quickstart guide
- warranty card
- stand for the scooter
- spare fenders
There is no assembly required for this scooter. You only need to make sure there’s enough battery juice for you to start riding, and connect the scooter to the Ninebot app (more on that below).
Among the many innovations of this scooter is the frame, or the stand, that comes with the scooter. The stand also serves as a protective cover to prevent shipping damage, which is a very environmentally-friendly move by Ninebot.
The scooter can be placed inside the stand if you want it to occupy less space, or you simply want to store it or charge it in your living room and not have the dirty wheels mess up your floor. You can set the stand both vertically or horizontally, whichever way works better for your space. Great win for user-friendliness in my opinion.
User manual
Every Ninebot Air T15 scooter comes with a detailed and illustrated user manual, with a fairly standard set of instructions as you would often find with other popular scooters. However, the Ninebot Air T15 also comes with a quickstart guide, which is shorter and more easily digestible. I know reading manuals is boring, but I still recommend skimming through it for possible differences between releases, and if nothing else checking out the short quickstart guide.
How to use the Ninebot KickScooter Air T15?
In the back of the scooter, the rear fender acts as both a foot brake and a control center for the scooter.
I believe this is the first scooter of its kind. Ninebot has made a very interesting choice to transfer the control from the traditional handlebar dashboard and buttons to the rear fender. Yes, you read that right – you control the scooter with the rear fender pedal!
A long press on the rear fender pedal powers the scooter on.
A short press when the scooter is on will toggle the headlight.
Pressing the fender pedal twice will change the speed mode.
Acceleration is still done with a thumb throttle on the right handlebar (I guess one gamechanger is enough). The left handlebar has another thumb throttle for the electronic brake.
Pressing both buttons at the same time activates the horn. Honestly, this may be my biggest objection in the new way the Ninebot Air T15 envisions scooter rides, as I can already picture myself mixing up some of the controls or accidentally pressing just one button. A separate horn button would be simpler in my opinion.
The Ninebot KickScooter Air T15 is, as the name suggests, a true kick scooter, which means you start it with a kick. I always prefer that to zero-start scooters, as it can prevent unintentionally pressing the button while pushing it, or have the wheels start spinning, causing an accident.
The scooter comes with the cruise control feature, which is engaged after a few seconds of acceleration, and disengaged by using any of the brakes.
The scooter arrives with its own stand, which acts as the scooter’s home and is another great engineering win.
Folding and unfolding
The folding mechanism of the Ninebot Air T15 is the future. This is how electric scooters will look like and how they will fold a few years down the road.
The Ninebot Air T15 has one of the best ideated, simplest-to-use folding mechanisms. It takes just one click to fold and unfold the scooter, all you need to do is press the folding lever and fold the stem down. When folded, the scooter will power off.
The scooter folds both at the stem and at the handlebars.
The handlebars fold under a 45-degree angle alongside the stem, and practically unfold themselves when you pull up the small lever in the middle of the handlebar. That is pure magic, and I truly believe a lot of copycats will now emerge and follow the innovation of this scooter.
When folded, the scooter can easily be dragged like a trolley.
Use cases and scenarios
The Ninebot Air T15 is arguably the most portable electric scooter for adults, which means it will be perfect for a certain subset of scooterists. Anyone looking for a super-portable scooter for short commutes, that’s easy to carry and fits everywhere, will find the Ninebot Air T15 to be perfect.
With solid wheels and no suspension, this is strictly an urban scooter and will not handle riding outside the city streets or other smooth surfaces. Still, when used properly, the scooter is tons of fun, and is probably the best electric scooter for short to medium rides.
Lifespan and build quality
The Ninebot Air T15 is a true premium scooter of the highest quality. It is obvious that a lot of thought, craftsmanship, and attention to detail has gone into its design and manufacturing, and the result is one tough, durable, compact scooter.
It may be too soon to talk about lifespan for this scooter, as it has been around for barely a year, but initial reports and owner reviews are very positive. The defect rate is very low, especially the major defect rate (in fact, there is just two reports of a faulty unit). With early results looking promising, it’s very likely that the scooter will last for years.
Design and engineering
The scooter looks amazing. It has the most original design that the scooter world has seen in decades, and is arguably the most elegant-looking model today. It looks very slick, with contemporary lines and color choices, and super-smooth elements with no weird parts sticking out.
It features several parts and components that are only found in this scooter, like the space-age foldable handlebars, the very stylish stem, and simply the way the scooter looks when folded and charging in its stand.
It is even an object that you wouldn’t mind displaying proudly in your living room, because it looks like a modern smart device and it will contribute to a place that already looks cool.
Turning, control, and balance
The scooter has a low turning radius, and cornering is not all that it can be. Plus, the handlebars are not very wide, which further increases turning difficulty.
Also, since the tires have a pretty small profile, this scooter doesn’t provide the best balance.
Overall, I’d say control is somewhat sacrificed for portability in this scooter. It’s still very easy to use and provides great and safe rides, but refined movements and subtle control of the scooter may be a bit harder to do.
Speed and climb angle
The official top speed of the Ninebot Air T15 is 12.4 mph / 20 kmh. Interestingly, there are several user reports that state they’ve managed to achieve top speeds of 15.5 mph / 25 kmh.
The scooter has 4 speed modes:
- pedestrian – 3.7 mph / 6 kmh
- energy saving – 6.2 mph / 10 kmh
- standard – 9.3 mph / 15 kmh
- sport – 12.4 mph / 20 kmh
The climb angle of the Ninebot Air T15 is 8.5° / 15%.
Power and motor
The brushless DC hub motor is integrated into the rear wheel, and has a power of 250 Watts. The motor is made out of magnetic and silicon steel, and employs vectoring-control and temperature-control technologies that improve its lifespan and overall performance.
Battery and charging
The 21700 lithium-ion battery is automotive-grade, which means it’s the same type of battery that electric cars use. It has a smart battery management system, that prevents overheating, overcharging, short circuits, charging faults, and prolongs the battery’s lifespan. The battery is placed in the deck of the scooter.
The battery has a voltage of 36 Volts, and a capacity of 4 Amp-hours.
Charging the scooter fully takes 4 hours. Because of the scooter’s small battery, charging the scooter is very cheap, costing less than 1 cent in the US during off-peak hours, and around 2 cents during peak hours. In the UK, the charging cost is 5 pence during off-peak hours, and around 6 pence during peak hours.
The charging port is protected from the elements by the kickstand, which is pure engineering brilliance in my opinion. You often charge your scooter while it’s leaning on the kickstand, and this is a very clever way to kill two birds with one stone.
Range and commuting
The Ninebot Air T15 has an official range of 7.5 mi / 12 km, and that range has been tested and confirmed in several independent user tests. Riders closer to the weight limit may have a difficult time obtaining that range.
The range of the Ninebot Air T15 is not spectacular, as the scooter’s main focus is portability. As such, the scooter is perfect for short urban commutes, especially if you need to take the scooter in and out of public transport, but it will not be a good choice if you want super-long rides.
Tires
The radial-hollow solid tires of the Ninebot Air T15 are filled with polyurethane foam and can never go flat. The tread pattern increases the grip and improves control. The front tire has a diameter of 7.5 inches, and the rear tire is even smaller.
Brakes and safety
The Ninebot Air T15 rocks a redundant braking system with two separate braking mechanisms.
The electronic brake in the rear motor is engaged by the left thumb throttle. It’s a regenerative brake, and it refills the battery a little every time it’s used.
The rear fender foot brake will typically be used as an emergency brake.
If using both brakes at the same time, the scooter will come to a stop fairly quickly.
Since the scooter is not capable of insane speeds, and it has two brakes, it can be considered a very safe scooter.
Lights and riding at night
The Ninebot Air T15 comes with very elegant, fairly strong LED lights.
The front has a main dual 2.5-Watt headlight near the top of the stem, pointing slightly downwards. The front of the stem also features a multi-colored LED strip.
The rear fender has a horizontal brake light that turns red when any of the brakes are used. Since the brake light is very wide, it will be visible for other traffic participants even from afar, and as such, is one of the very few rear lights on a scooter that’s actually useful.
Waterproofing, IP rating, riding in the rain
Officially, the Ninebot Air T15 has an IPX4 ingress protection rating. That means it is water-resistant, but not fully waterproof, and it can sustain water splashes from all angles without suffering any damage.
Now, the interesting thing here is that compared to other scooters with an IPX4 rating, the Ninebot Air T15 looks much more waterproof. There are no cables sticking out, very few open holes and screws and nuts and bolts that can easily rust or corrode, and both the screen and the charging port are well-protected against water damage. In my experience, this scooter will prove to be much more resistant to water damage than a ton of other scooters that claim to have the same IP rating.
Can you ride the Ninebot Air T15 in the rain or snow?
While it’s not recommended to ride the Ninebot Air T15 in the rain or snow, it is very likely that nothing will happen to the scooter if you do so. The scooter not only has the official IPX4 rating that suggests strong water resistance, but also looks tightly sealed. Still, it’s best to avoid riding in the rain unless you absolutely have to.
Weight, dimensions, portability
The Ninebot Air T15 is one of the most portable electric scooters for adults ever made. The design and engineering of the scooter enable owners to fold it in a small, super-compact, lightweight package, that’s very easy to carry, and has no weird protruding parts that can get stuck in other things.
This little miracle scooter weighs just 23 lbs / 10.5 kg, which makes it one of the lightest electric scooters for adults.
When folded, the scooter is tiny. The folded dimensions are 40.3 x 8 x 8.8 in / 102.4 × 20.2 × 22.3 cm, which also makes it one of the most compact scooters for adults as well.
Those two achievements, the foldable handlebars, the super-simple folding mechanism, and the ability to pull the scooter like a trolley, make the Ninebot Air T15 arguably the most portable electric scooter for adults. You can carry this thing with just one hand!
Weight limit and performance for heavier adults
The official weight limit of the Ninebot Air T15 is 220 lbs / 100 kg. The fact that the scooter can easily handle that much load (and this has been proven), while being so small and light, is a feat to be admired.
Adults heavier than 220 lbs / 100 kg will notice a significant drop in performance, and they may want to take a look at other scooters for heavy adults.
Also, the handlebar height is made to work for the average person, and its height is not adjustable. Taller people may find the handlebar height to be a bit short, and they will probably want to look at the best scooters for tall adults.
Deck, stem, and frame
The scooter is made from aluminum-magnesium alloy for the most part, including aluminum covers for the wheels. That makes the scooter resistant to corrosion and rust.
The wheels themselves, of course, are made out of solid rubber, and some other parts of the scooter are also made out of rubber, like the deck and the handlebar covers.
The deck is quite spacious, given how compact the scooter is, and provides a comfortable standing platform.
Screen
The bezel-less screen (which is a fancy word for a screen without a frame) will show the most important stats of the scooter:
- current speed
- battery level
- speed mode
- light status
- bluetooth status
- cruise control status
- error codes
The screen may not be the brightest one out there, and you may have some trouble reading it on a sunny day.
Security
This is such a lightweight and portable scooter, that it rarely makes sense to leave it outside. I really can’t picture that many scenarios where you simply can’t take it with you, no matter where you go, which means security for this scooter will be at a maximum level, and theft will be very unlikely.
Accessories
The Ninebot Air T15 doesn’t have any known accessories or customizations available for it. The good thing here is that the scooter is feature-complete and doesn’t lack any critical or safety features. The scooter will also be too small for pretty much any type of seat.
You may want to take a look at some of the generic electric scooter accessories, but I really doubt that many of them will fit the scooter’s unique design.
Probably the only thing you will have to buy after-market will be a good electric scooter helmet.
Maintenance
The scooter requires minimal maintenance.
The tires are solid, which means you don’t have to do anything in that department, except for doing a quick visual check every now and then to make sure they are not completely worn out, and even that takes years to happen.
The same goes for the brakes, as both of them are without any screws or bolts you need to tighten.
The only maintenance required on your part could be a simple cleaning routine. Optionally, you can see if some of the very few visible screws may need some tightening every now and then.
Apps
The Ninebot Air T15 connects to the official Ninebot app through bluetooth. The app is available for both iOS and Android.
You must use the app to unlock the scooter for the first time, otherwise, you won’t be able to ride it. If you don’t have an account, you will have to create one using your email address.
Once you connect your scooter to the app, you can control pretty much every setting and parameter and set them to your preference.
Among the many features, you can monitor and control:
- locking and unlocking the scooter
- monitoring the current speed
- checking your average speed
- monitoring your current riding time
- check battery life
- total mileage, remaining mileage, and current mileage
- vehicle temperature
- setting the cruise control preferences
- setting the energy recovery level (regenerative brake level)
- setting the speed mode
- tail light always on
- front LED strip color and effects
While the scooter can be locked through the app, that will not be enough to fully protect your scooter against theft. You should consider getting the correct lock for your scooter if you plan on leaving it outside. In general, the price of the lock should correspond to the price of the scooter, and for the Ninebot Air T15 that might suggest you should get a cheap or medium-priced lock, but I would still suggest getting a stronger and more expensive lock, as the scooter simply looks much better than its price and a thief might easily mistake it for a very expensive scooter and be extra determined to succeed in stealing it.
Even though both the apps have mediocre reviews, they are still very useful.
You should also take a look at the Universal Scooter App by EScooterNerds. It works great in tandem with the Ninebot app, and it’s not meant to replace it but to complement it. It comes with over 30 helpful features, resources, guides, tools, calculators, hacks, etc. You can find it for both iOS and Android.
Specifications
Ninebot Kickscooter Air T15 Specifications
| Top speed | 20 kmh |
| Top speed | 12.5 mph |
| Range | 12 km |
| Range | 7 mi |
| Motors | rear-drive hub BLDC |
| Power | 250 W |
| Climb angle | 8.5 ° |
| Battery | 167 Wh, 36 V |
| Battery type | 21700 lithium-ion |
| Charging time | 4 h |
| Ingress protection (IP) | IPX4 |
| Weight | 10.5 kg |
| Weight | 23 lbs |
| Weight limit | 100 kg |
| Weight limit | 220 lbs |
| Tire size | 7.5 front + 6 rear in |
| Tire type | solid |
| Foldable | yes |
| Foldable handlebars | yes |
| Seat | no |
| Build material | aluminum-magnesium alloy |
| Terrains | urban |
| Brakes | two independent brakes + regenerative brake |
| Shock absorbers | no |
| Lights | front LED + front LED strip + rear brake |
| Control | bezel-less digital |
| Speed modes | 4 |
| Cruise control | yes |
| Keys | no |
| App | yes |
| Warranty | 12 months, 6 on battery |
| Rider age | 14+ |
| Folded dimensions (L * W * H) | 102.4 cm * 20.2 cm * 22.3 cm |
| Folded dimensions (L * W * H) | 40 in * 8 in * 9 in |
| Unfolded dimensions (L * W * H) | 93.6 cm * 39.8 cm * 101.5 cm |
| Unfolded dimensions (L * W * H) | 37 in * 16 in * 40 in |
| Rider height | 130-200 cm |
| Rider height | 51 – 79 in |
| Adjustable handlebar | no |
What you need to know before buying the Ninebot Air T15?
If you are thinking of buying the Ninebot Air T15, you should be aware of a few things first.
This is a scooter that specializes and excels in some areas. That excellence comes with some tradeoffs, and the scooter will not be a good choice for certain scooter categories.
The performance will not be a strong side of the Ninebot Air T15, neither in terms of speed nor of range. Beginners and commuters that need to travel short or medium distances will not be bothered by this too much, but if you happen to be looking for a more powerful scooter, check either the most powerful scooters for the craziest scooters, the best 2000 W scooters, or maybe the best 1000 W scooters for models that are more powerful than the Ninebot Air T15 but nothing too crazy.
The weight limit of 220 lbs / 100 kg will be enough for most adults, but if you need a scooter capable of carrying more weight, you should check out the best electric scooters for heavy adults.
Also, the Ninebot Air T15 is usually priced around $599 on Amazon, which is not too expensive for a scooter, especially for a scooter this good, but that still might be too much for someone. If you are on a more limited budget, you will probably want to see the best electric scooters under $500, or maybe even the best electric scooters under $300.
User satisfaction and reviews
The Ninebot Air T15 still isn’t selling like its older relatives, the other Ninebot models, as it still hasn’t been around for that long and the public hasn’t gotten to know it that well.
However, the scooter was born out of user love, and the enthusiasm of early adopters is what has brought this scooter to life, as it was primarily a fundraising project that managed to raise the funds necessary to start the prototype within days of launching the campaigns.
So far, the vast majority of the owners love their Ninebot Air T15s, and are extremely satisfied with their purchase. The 1400+ initial backers of the fundraising campaigns are also happy campers, proud that they have helped bring such an innovative and useful product to life.
Final thoughts
You will immediately know if the Ninebot Air T15 is the right scooter for you.
If you value portability, ease of use, refined design, impeccable engineering, flawless execution, and elegance to the point of almost looking luxurious, you will love the Ninebot Air T15.
Where to buy the Ninebot Air T15 from?
