Usually, when a new brand launches, they’ll stick pretty close to the status quo. So it’s fun to see a new company step up and completely go their own direction with five unusual build features in one scooter. Let's check out the new stuff.

Acceleration is very smooth but also slightly faster than every one of its peers, arriving at 15 mph in just 5.9 seconds.

Being named ANYHILL, it was good to see that the hill climb performance was on point – with 7.5 mph up our 10% grade test hill, a fairly average value.

The UM-2’s RG certified top speed is 17.9 mph :about the same as the Ninebot Max.

On our range test, the UM-2 covered exactly 17 mi in Sport mode, which is also typical. 

However, when the scooter finally shut down, I didn’t do the typical long push back to the office because I brought a spare battery.

At only 5 lbs, it was barely noticeable in my backpack. So it wouldn’t be hard at all to carry two, which would stretch the actual, rideable range in Sport Mode to over 50 mi.

The unique braking system of the UM-2 lets anyone stop like an expert and beats absolutely every scooter in its class, including the former champion Ninebot Max. It even tied the Dualtron Storm, a scooter that costs four times more. Best of all, the UM-2 delivers maximum braking power without worrying about going over the handlebars. 

Part of what makes the UM-2 so fun to ride is that it’s a very confidence-inspiring scooter. This comes from little things like the grippy rubber deck and soft, spiral-patterned grips. And bigger things, like 10 in tubeless air-filled tires to soak up the bumps. But the biggest factor is the overall stability. Riding the UM-2, you can feel free to take a long look over your shoulder or take a hand off the bars to scratch your nose without worrying about going into a wobble. 

If you’re a new rider, stability makes it easy to learn.

If you’re an experienced rider, stability gives you the freedom to do dumb stuff like this,

or pull a U-Turn while holding the scooter at full throttle.

It weighs just 5 lbs, thanks to high-performance LG 21700 battery cells, a first for a sub $1000 scooter. It swaps out super fast and comes with an ultra-high IPX6 water resistance rating.

It also has a charge port right on the pack, so you can charge the battery at your desk.

The left handlebar has a regen brake lever that gives you strong, skid-proof braking at the rear wheel, and the right-side lever controls the front drum brake. They’re completely independent, so I used 100% regen for normal riding and both brakes when I needed to make a hard stop.

We’ve tested about 100 scooters, but this is the first one with a center stand. I wasn’t sure I’d like it. But it works just like a kickstand, except better. It also comes in handy when you air up tires.

I love the look and the solid feel of the unusual folding mechanism. Though, like many scooters, you need to nudge the stem forward as you pull the latch to make it easy to release.

The fifth unusual feature is the maximum rider weight. It’s almost unheard of at this price point to find a scooter rated for 300 lbs. Ramier our resident big dawg gave it the big dawg approval. Stating this was the first scooter in this class where the performance didn't let off because of his weight.

There’s also an app that lets you lock the scooter, control the headlight, and give detailed stats about the scooter itself.

Overall, build quality is excellent, and you can see examples everywhere, right down to the way the scooter covers the stem fasteners.

The color dashboard is also original and looks cool, though we wish it were a little brighter. It gives you three riding modes; cruise control, and a headlight indicator.

There’s also an app that lets you lock the scooter, control the headlight and gives detailed stats about the scooter itself. 

The UM-2 has the lightest removable battery we’ve ever seen. 

It doesn’t have a zero-start function, so you’ll always need to kick to get it going. ANYHILL probably omitted zero-start to prevent new riders from getting caught off guard.

The scooter comes with a pretty standard IP54 water resistance rating, and the fender protection is good, but gets even better if you install the included license plate holder. The rear fender has the look of a stomp-brake, but it’s not, it’s just a really strong fender.

At 45 lbs, with non-folding handlebars, portability is good. The stem is easy to fold and looks great; however, the shape of the stem with the flat back hurts the ergonomics for carrying. The UM-2 is also about 5 lbs heavier than its peers, but you can make it 5 lbs lighter by popping out the battery.

The UM-2’s ultra-stable ride and awesome brakes earn it an A for safety. If it had lights mounted up high for nighttime visibility, we would’ve given it an A+

In a world full of copycat scooters, finding so many original features in the ANYHILL UM-2 was a welcome surprise. While we wish it were 5 lbs lighter, we love that the UM-2 backs up its good looks with solid performance and outstanding ride quality. If you’re in the market for a commuter like the Ninebot Max, you should definitely add the ANYHILL UM-2 to your list.