E-Bikes are now being seen as a viable alternative to using the car for shorter journeys or commuting but what kind is best suited to this purpose? In this article I will be looking at 9 of the best folding electric bikes currently available for under £1000.
Why are Folding E-Bikes so popular?
In a nutshell – convenience! Folding e-bikes are the ultimate in personal transport. Apart from the heavier weight, these foldable electric bikes can be taken anywhere. If you want to park and ride, but have a smaller car it’s not a problem. Want to take the train but your end destination is a few miles from the nearest station – no more worrying whether there’ll be space on the train. You can even take one of these on a coach as it will fit inside the luggage compartment without taking up too much space.
Don’t be fooled by their size!
Despite their diminutive size, folding e-bikes will produce as much power as their normal-sized counterparts. The law allows for up to 250w and all the foldable electric bikes below have 250w hub motors fitted. The only compromise will be on battery size/range which will be fine as long as you’re not planning on riding more than 20 miles.
Despite their small size, folding e-bikes are fun to ride
Another unexpected thing about these e-bikes is comfort. You would think that such a small bike would be uncomfortable but you’d be surprised at how comfy these actually are.
I’m just over 6 foot tall and I have test ridden many folding e-bikes and for the shorter journeys they’re intended for they are fine to ride. If you’re a shorter rider you will find there’s more than enough adjustment in the saddle to fit just right.
What are the Best Folding Electric Bikes for under £1000
Below I have shortlisted 9 of the best folding electric bikes currently available for under £1000 – all of the e-bikes listed below are shipped from within the UK, although some of the prices are displayed in US dollars. These bikes can also be shipped to all EU countries from warehouses in Poland and Germany. At the time of writing, all the foldable e-bikes listed below are in stock.
Ado A16 Foldable E-Bike
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”Great little budget commuter e-bike” description=”The Ado A16 is really great little package for the price. It has everything you’d ever need on a commuter electric bike, including lights, mudguards, kickstand. There’s even front suspension forks and mechanical disc brakes. Power is provided by a punchy 350w hub motor and 36v 7.6Ah battery which will be more than enough to help tackle steeper hills. For such a cheap bike, it’s well put together and is finished in a nice and stealthy matt black paintwork. The Ado 16 will be perfect for shorter commutes or leisure rides, with a realistic battery range of 20-30 miles on a charge.” criterias=”Value for Money: 9.5;Performance: 8.5;Battery Range: 6;Accessories: 9;” pros=”Very reasonably priced;Powerful motor;Mudguards and front headlight;Mechanical disc brakes;6-speed gearing;Front and rear suspension;” cons=”None;” ]
Fiido D2s Folding Electric Bicycle
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”Excellent city bike for shorter commutes” description=”The Fiido D2s is another popular folding electric bike that has been a consistently good seller throughout the UK and Europe. For such a small bike it manages to pack in a lot of features including front and rear suspension, mudguards, headlight and disc brakes. There’s also Shimano 6-speed gearing and the 250w motor produces plenty of power to help with hills. The 7.8Ah 36v battery should give a range of around 20 miles. At its current price of under £600 it is excellent value for money.” criterias=”Value for Money: 8.8;Performance: 7.8;Battery Range: 6;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Very good value for money;Reasonable battery range;Mudguards and front headlight;Mechanical disc brakes;6-speed gearing;Smooth and quiet rear hub motor;Front and rear suspension;” cons=”The rear suspension bottoms out quite easily with a heavier rider;” ]
Ado A20F Fat Tyre Folding E-Bike
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”Best fun you can have on a folding electric bike!” description=”What can I say about the Ado A20F? For starters it’s intended for off-road (private land) use only due to its powerful 500w rear hub motor. That aside, it’s great fun to ride and pulls like a train. It really is a shame these aren’t legal in the UK, but if you’re fortunate enough to have some land or know someone with a bit of land, these e-bikes are great fun for riding off-road. Thanks to the 4 inch wide tyres you can ride through snow, sand and mud to your hearts content! The 36v 10.4Ah battery has a decent range and should give you around 25 miles.” criterias=”Value for Money: 8.3;Performance: 8.6;Battery Range: 8;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Great fun to ride;Very powerful ;4 inch Wide tyres ;Decent battery range;Comfortable;Disc brakes;Good value for money;;” cons=”Very heavy;Not road legal in the UK;” ]
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This e-bike should not be used on the road or in public spaces as it doesn’t conform to UK e-bike laws and produces in excess of 500w
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Himo Z20 Folding Electric Bike
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”The Himo Z20 is a high quality folding e-bike at an affordable price” description=”I have test ridden the Himo Z20 before and it never ceases to amaze me with its performance and robust build quality. The Z20 feels more like a folding electric bike costing hundreds of pounds more. Everything about this e-bike has an air of quality about it from the paint finish to the punchy hub motor and the attention to detail. The Himo Z20 has been around for a couple of years now and it’s still one of the best folding e-bikes available for under £1000 – highly recommended!” criterias=”Value for Money: 9.5;Performance: 8;Battery Range: 8;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Looks and feels much more expensive;Excellent build quality – sturdy;Comfortable;6-speed Shimano gearing;Good range from the 36v 10Ah battery;Neat display;” cons=”As with all these e-bikes it’s quite weighty;” ]
[wpsm_button color=”btncolor” size=”medium” link=”https://ebikechoices.com/xiaomi-himo-z20-folding-electric-bike-review/” icon=”link” class=””]Read the full Himo Z20 review on ebikechoices.com[/wpsm_button]
Fiido M1 Folding E-Bike
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”Fiido M1 – Road legal folding fat tyre e-bike” description=”Unlike the Ado A20F featured above, the Fiido M1 is a fully UK compliant 250w folding fat tyre electric bike. You can ride this on the road safe in the knowledge you’re not going to be risking your licence. Although it doesn’t have the outright power of the Ado, it still feels quite gutsy and the rear hub motor doesn’t struggle too much with steeper hills. The Fiido M1 also benefits from a very good 36v 12.5Ah battery, so you can venture a little further on this bike without worrying about running out of power. I feel the claimed range of 100km (62 miles) is a little optimistic and would say 30-40 miles is much more realistic. You can ride this cross country, on the beach and in thick snow thanks to the 4 inch tyres, there’s also front and rear suspension to further cushion the lumps and bumps. At less than £900 it represents excellent value.” criterias=”Value for Money: 8;Performance: 8;Battery Range: 8.8;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Fully road legal in the UK;4 inch tyres;Front and rear suspension;Great fun off-road;Punchy 250w rear hub motor;7-speed Shimano gears;Mechanical disc brakes;Very good battery range for the price;” cons=”A bit too heavy to be carting around places!;” ]
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Onebot S6
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”The Onebot S6 is a great city runabout!” description=”The Onebot S6 is designed to be taken anywhere and will fold up small enough to fit on the back seat of your car. Available in a range of stylish colours, the Onebot S6 is designed to negotiate city streets in comfort thanks to its wide tyres and small rear suspension shock absorber. The design is simplistic and the bike only has one gear making it perfect for nipping across town on fairly flat or gently undulating terrain. Front and rear disc brakes provide adequate braking and there’s also a front headlight for evening riding. The 36v 6.4Ah battery should still give the rider a range of 15-20 miles.” criterias=”Value for Money: 9;Performance: 8;Battery Range: 6;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Fully road legal in the UK;Available in a range of stylish colours;Rear suspension;Sturdy one-piece frame design;Punchy 250w rear hub motor;Folds up small with magnetic catches;Mechanical disc brakes;Great value at under £600;Not too heavy at 18kg;” cons=”Single gear will limit hill climbing potential;” ]
Fiido D4s Folding Electric Bike
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”The Fiido D4s is another excellent folding e-bike for under £600″ description=”Fiido currently have several different models of foldable electric bike available and the D4s is one of their best sellers. Considering the sub-£600 price it has a 360Wh battery and decent 250w rear hub motor with Shimano 6-speed gearing. The D4s folds down quickly and benefits from a headlight and mechanical disc brakes. It’s quite light at 18.5kg, so it’s fine to put into the back of your car or take on the train or bus. A truly versatile little e-bike and great value!” criterias=”Value for Money: 9;Performance: 8;Battery Range: 8;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Fully road legal in the UK;Excellent value for money;Folds down quickly and easily;Good battery range (25-30 miles);Comfy;Decent brakes;Relatively light for a folding e-bike;6-speed gearing;” cons=”None ;” ]
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AmazeFan DYU D3F Folding Electric Bike
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”AmazeFan DYU D3F is a sub £500 bargain e-bike for shorter journeys” description=”If you’re after a folding e-bike that costs less than £500, the AmazeFan DYU D3F is a cracking little bike. It’s not fully folding but the handlebars fold down and there’s a space in the middle of the frame to carry the bike. This is very similar to the Kugoo B2 pictured at the beginning of this article and I have ridden the Kugoo for about 10 miles in one go and considering my height at just over 6 foot, it’s surprisingly comfortable. The AmazeFan has a 240w rear hub motor with 36v 6Ah battery which will give a range of around 15 miles – perfect for shorter commutes / journeys.” criterias=”Value for Money: 9;Performance: 7;Battery Range: 6;Accessories: 7;” pros=”Road legal in the UK;Under £500;Quite comfortable;Not too heavy;Decent performance;Integrated headlight;” cons=”Single speed will limit hill climbing ability;Only suitable for shorter distances;” ]
Fiido D21 Folding E-Bike 🏆
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[wpsm_reviewbox title=”Sleek looks with excellent quality from Fiido” description=”The Fiido D21 is one of the best folding e-bikes on this list. It has sleek, modern looks and is fairly lightweight as well. The battery is a very respectable 417Wh which should give a realistic range of 50-60km on a charge. The D21 has a robust alloy frame construction with a decent 250w brushless, geared rear hub motor, making it ideal for hillier commutes. I’d have no hesitation in recommending a Fiido D21, it’s a great e-bike for the price. ” criterias=”Value for Money: 9;Performance: 8;Battery Range: 8;Accessories: 6;” pros=”Sleek looks;Robust construction;Fairly lightweight;Good battery;Decent performance;” cons=”None at this price;” ]
Conclusion
When searching for the best folding electric bikes that are available for under £1000, we’re currently spoilt for choice. With major retailers constantly selling out of more expensive models it’s great to see these lesser-known Chinese brands are still available in abundance.
I’ve been involved in the e-bike industry for over 5 years now and in that time I have tested many Chinese brand electric bikes including some of the foldable e-bikes listed above. I can say with confidence that for the price, these bikes do exactly as they’re supposed to and that’s to offer cheap and affordable access to electric bikes for everyone. They may not use sophisticated mid-drive motors or have powerful batteries or fancy components, but the majority of day to day e-bike riders just want cheap and cheerful transport – and these bikes do just that!
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If you have any questions or require any advice regarding the folding e-bikes listed above, please use the comments section below. I usually respond within 24hrs. Thanks for reading!
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