Boosted Rev Review

The Boosted Rev heralds a new era for electric scooters — the transition from being disposable electronic gadgets to legitimate micro-mobility vehicles. Everything from the design to the execution of the Rev is superb. From its gnarled throttle wheel to its super-grippy tires to its dual 750-watt hub motors — the Rev simply oozes quality, safety, and durability.

It also happens to be a blast to ride.

Simply put: if you have the budget and want a quality, durable, micro-mobility vehicle, the Boosted Rev is not a luxury, but it is a good investment.

It is an absolute blast to ride, and you won't lack power or have to worry about repairs. It will reliably transport you wherever you need to go — fast and in style. You won't get less than 10 miles of range on a single charge and can likely stretch this significantly further if you run it energy-conserving modes.

If you are less committed to using an electric scooter for transportation or can't possibly imagine dropping $1600 on one, a less robust budget scooter might be more your speed.

The Boosted Rev is Boosted's first foray into the electric scooter market. Boosted was founded in 2011 to build some of the first electric skateboards and grew quickly after a successful Kickstarter campaign. By 2014, Boosted was delivering its first skateboards to backers. Since that time, Boosted has established itself as a premier micro-mobility company and dominates the electric skateboard market with its premium products.

The Boosted Rev was released to the consumers in 2019. It clearly draws on the expertise that Boosted has developed over nearly a decade.

In terms of acceleration, the Boosted Rev delivers mightily.

First, the throttle is supremely linear and incredibly responsive. An aggressive press of the throttle wheel brings to bear its full 1500 watts of electric power — capable of spinning the tires when launched from a standstill.

During our acceleration tests, the Rev hit 15 mph in a blistering 2.7 seconds. It provided great acceleration all the way up to its max speed of 24.0 mph — scoring a 0 to 20 mph time of 4.5 seconds along the way. To 20 mph, it is faster than the beloved WideWheel and about as fast to 15 mph as the 72.0 lb powerhouse Zero 10X; though at higher speeds, the Zero 10X easily drops the Rev.

Suffice it to say, for a 46.6 lb scooter, the Rev has impressive acceleration performance.

Notable was how quiet the electric motors were — even during maximum acceleration. The only sound was a noticeable clank emanating from the electric motors when first starting the throttle or engaging the brake.

The Boosted is also an admirable hill climber.

It blasted up our 200 feet, 10% grade hill climb test in 10.0 seconds with an average speed of 13.6 mph. We test all scooters on the same hill with a 165 lb rider.

For reference, this is only 1 mph and 0.5 seconds slower than the 71.8 lb Zero 8X. A typical ride-sharing scooter would take around 20 seconds and have an average speed of 6 mph.

The Boosted Rev has a very solid, though not extreme, top speed of 24.0 mph. This is plenty fast for an urban commute where acceleration is typically more important than top speed.

The range just might be the Achilles' Heel of an otherwise invulnerable scooter — it's a bit of a Minuteman when it comes to range. This isn't terribly surprising given the impressive performance of the scooter, massive 1500 watt motors, and a relatively small 370 watt-hour lithium-ion battery.

The Rev made it just 10.3 mi when we range tested it in the fastest mode on our urban test track. The track simulates a challenging urban commute involving frequent stops, hills, rapid acceleration, and riding at top speed where safe. We test all scooters on this same track with a 165 lb rider.

Compare this with other scooters we've tested on our performance page.

Though we certainly would have gotten greater range in the lower modes — what is the point of owning a fast scooter if you aren't going to ride it in the fastest setting?

Though small, the battery charges in a quick three hours. If this is your ride to work, then that potentially doubles your daily range as you can be charged up in time for a lunch trip or the afternoon ride home.

The Rev has a triple-redundant braking system consisting of dual regenerative brakes, a rear disc brake, and a rear foot brake. Boosted intended that the electronic brake would be the primary braking system and that the disc and foot brake were merely for backup. Despite our typical hesitations about regenerative brakes, it works surprisingly well. Braking and acceleration are both controlled by a single gnarled thumb control (more on that later).

The regenerative braking is surprisingly strong — especially when running in Mode 3. In our braking tests, we were able to bring the Rev to a halt in 29 feet using the electronic brake alone. When we added in the lever-controlled rear disc brake, the Rev stopped in a mere 17.6 feet.

While this braking performance is by no means record-setting — it is very good. We commend Boosted for building in mechanical redundancy in the event that the electronic system malfunctions — a failure mode that has affected rival scooters.

The Rev has super-plush ride quality and excellent stability due to wide pneumatic tires, low center of gravity, and scooter steering geometry.

The extremely low 2.3 inch deck height puts your center-of-gravity just about as low as physically possible. That, combined with the super grippy pneumatic tires, makes the Rev uniquely suited for aggressive and confidence-inspiring carving. During our test rides, we found ourselves slowing into sharp turns just so we could blast out of the apex at maximum throttle.

The Rev excels in the turns but is also very stable on the straights and at speed. The relatively rake angle, steering axis, spacious deck, and wide tires make the Rev intrinsically stable. We were even able to comfortably ride one-handed at slow speeds — a challenging task on most electric scooters.

The Rev does well on all but the worst roads, owing to the large-diameter pneumatic tires. Most small cracks and bumps are easily soaked up by the tires, but large potholes might give you a bit of a bounce. Another thing you have to be careful with — as we discovered — is the low ground clearance. It is fairly easy to bottom out on the Rev while dropping off a curb, for example.

Overall, the thoughtfully designed Rev sets a new standard for ride quality, stability, and safety. We've noted other reviews of the Rev bemoan the lack of a suspension. However, we've universally found that large diameter pneumatic tires outperform nearly all but the most massive suspension systems on an electric scooter. This was a smart and informed design decision made by Boosted and is not, in our opinion, a missing feature.

The Boosted Rev is not an ultra-portable scooter, but it's not terribly hard to move around either. During our review, we didn't have any problems carrying it upstairs or loading it into a car.

Weighing in at 46.6 lb, it teeters on the edge of being too heavy for most to carry for prolonged periods. Yet it folds into a fairly compact 44 inches by 24 inches by 20 inches package –just a hair longer and roughly 7 inches wider than a typical small budget scooter. You'll definitely notice the extra width if you decide to bring the Rev onto a crowded BART train.

However, when folded, it is compact enough to fit into most spaces — under your desk at work, at the coffee shop, or into the trunk of your car — where you would want to bring it.

A stand out portability feature is the folding mechanism. Simply put, it is superb — consisting of a metal tab used to take down or lock the stem upright.

When unfolded, there is a safety catch to ensure the scooter remains locked while riding. Once locked into place, the stem is supremely solid. Unlike other scooters, you won't notice play or wobble in the hinge when pushing or pulling hard on the handlebars.

When folding, the handlebars fit into a track on the rear fender with a satisfying click. This locks the stem into place, enabling one-handed carrying. We found carrying the scooter more challenging than other scooters of comparable weight due to the slick finish and large diameter of the stem. The slick finish tends to slip out of your hand, requiring you to grip hard to keep a hold on it. The angle that the stem folds at is also relatively steep, which doesn't help. Due to these factors, the Rev is harder to carry than scooters of comparable weight.

The Rev has very solid, 24 inch wide handlebars that put your hands in an excellent riding position. Adorning the handlebars are textured grips, a brake lever, a small bell, and the signature throttle wheel.

The gnarled rubber grips are firm, ooze quality, and have a sharp enough texture that they actually bite into your hands — keeping them firmly secured to the scooter. Whether wet, cold, hot, damp — any condition really — you feel a rooted connection to the scooter.

The brake lever, which we didn't end up using all that much, has a smooth action and doesn't require immense effort.

Finally, attached to the brake lever is a small mechanical bell that seems to be a bit of an afterthought and that you probably won't end up using much.

At the center of the handlebars are the LED display and a single button. The display tracks battery power, mode, and speed; it is very bright and can easily be seen in full sunlight.

The single button allows you to power the scooter on and off, toggle between modes, and power the lights on and off.

The Boosted Rev is also Bluetooth-enabled. It has an app that allows you to update firmware, adjust some settings, and even has a range estimator.

The range estimator is surprisingly accurate — it predicted 12.3 miles based on the test rider's weight, hills, and riding style. This isn't too far from the 10.3 mi that we got — it's also possible we were shredding way harder than we told the app.

The throttle wheel is a marquee feature of the Rev and one that is completely unique to this scooter. This wheel controls both acceleration and braking; rolling it inward accelerates the scooter, and rolling it outward activates the regenerative brakes.

The wheel itself is solid, and its gnarled texture really has a good feel to it. The throttle is very precise: push it a little, and you get a little acceleration, slightly back off, and the scooter responds in kind.

The throttle wheel is mounted in a titled horizontal orientation and is designed to keep your hand in a comfortable, neutral position. For the most part, it succeeds. Yet, for very long rides, like our continuous range test, controlling the throttle can be fatiguing.

In terms of comfort, it is certainly a huge step up over trigger-style throttles. It is also infinitely more precise than thumb-actuated throttles found on a typical budget scooter.

However, the Boosted throttle wheel is not without drawbacks. For instance, we found it nearly impossible to keep steady throttle control while going over bumps. Coupled with the instant acceleration, this makes for a bit jerky ride.

Yet, despite some of the imperfections of the wheel — the design and execution are brilliant. On many other scooters, this is an overlooked aspect, while one the Rev, it's clear that immense thought and design went into producing and executing it. It is hands down the best system we've seen on any electric scooter and raises the bar for safety.

The Rev has some of the best built-in lights we've seen on any electric scooter, save the blindingly-bright Kaabo Wolf Warrior with its massive rally lights.

The headlight is serious bright — emitting 400 lumens of light — similarly bright to the favorite light we always recommend. The light is mounted high on the stem in a pod of sorts that can be swiveled vertically. This configuration is perfect for projecting the light onto the road — enabling you to both see further ahead and to be seen from further away.

The tail light is also fairly bright and is activated when using either the electronic brake or disc brake, but not the foot brake.

For extra safety, we always recommend using additional lights. Check out our guide for staying visible while riding at night.

The Rev features front and rear 9 inch Boosted-branded pneumatic tires. These tires are one of the unsung heroes of the Rev that confer its amazing ride quality.

First of all, they are super wide — approximately 3 inch and very supple. This gives them a big contact patch to help you keep the scooter pinned to the pavement. Their large diameter means rolling over road imperfections takes less force, and their width keeps you rolling straight when you do.

Second, their rounded profile has a huge impact on their performance. Leaning into a hard turn causes you to roll up onto the edge of the tire. The rounded profile and stiff sidewalls help maintain a constant contact patch. This results in smooth, predictable turning and enables aggressive carving.

Numerous other ultra-wide wheel scooters (including the favorite WideWheel) don't have a rounded profile — this gives them very wobbly and vague turning characteristics.

The Boosted's deck has the least ground clearance we've seen in an electric scooter -- just 2.3 inches. This drops your center-of-gravity and makes the scooter feel ultra-nimble.

The deck also has ample space -- it's sloped shaped helps give you more standing room while keeping the size of the scooter down. The textured finish of the deck is also nice and provides good traction against your shoes.

Build quality of the Rev is simply amazing. It's probably one of the highest quality, best-designed, best-manufactured scooters you can buy right now. This isn't surprising, given that Boosted has been at this for nearly a decade.

There are no wobbles or creaks. The test scooter arrived dialed in and ready to ride. The folding stem is rock solid when locked into place.

This is one of the few scooters that required no adjustments out of the box and no repairs (whether small or large) during testing.

We did manage to crack a kickplate — a plastic runner on the underside of the scooter — when dropping off a particularly bad curb, but the scooter was otherwise unharmed.

The Boosted Rev is simply an incredible scooter and a successful foray into the electric scooter market by the world's top electric skateboard brand.

We love the Rev — but honestly weren't expecting to. Like many others, we thought it seemed like an overpriced hype machine.

However, after our rigorous testing, we can say the Rev is legit.

It's simply a premium product with design and construction that are second to none. The $1600. price-point might seem steep if you've been looking at models like the sub-$400 Xiaomi M365.

Yet, if you've ridden (or like use extensively tested and reviewed) numerous scooters above the $2000 price point — it's easy to see that in terms of quality, innovation, design, safety, and features — the Boosted Rev is head and shoulders above the rest.

It is pricey, but you get a ton of value for your dollar.

The Boosted isn't for everyone — if you don't have the money or you don't need a serious micro-mobility, look at our suggested alternatives. You can also check out our Editor's pick of best electric scooters.