Levy Plus review: a city commuter that can handle rough roads

Levy Plus: Two-minute review

When you have an electric scooter like the Levy Plus that straddles the line between two worlds, you have to pay attention. To this day, the best electric scooter I’ve ever tested is the NIU KQi3 Pro, which trumps everything else in my opinion, including the fact that it's a chunky and hefty piece of kit, thanks to its thick tires and incredibly smooth performance. 

And this offering from Levy is giving it a good run for its money with a sleeker, more portable design.

Levy may have hit the sweet spot here. While the KQi3 Pro’s tires are slightly smaller and 2.5 inches fatter, the Levy Plus's are slightly bigger in diameter and a touch thinner, which may have allowed the company’s engineers to give it a slimmer body. So what you have is a sleek city commuter with tires that are thick and big enough to offer that level of traction and shock absorption you might expect from some off-road e-scooters. That alone is enough to recommend it.

And that isn’t the only sweet spot it hits. The Levy Plus is blissfully mid-range, but not in a mediocre sort of way. I wouldn’t call it one of the best budget electric scooters around, for example, but it certainly won’t burn a massive hole in your bank account, which makes it a great candidate for our best electric scooter for students list. It’s not the lightest, but it’s not bulky either. It’s also simple in its design but has trims of blue or green, depending on the colorway you pick, to keep it from looking too boring. And, while it doesn’t have many extra frills, it does have all the basic features covered.

If all that doesn’t give it a strong case to take over that coveted top spot, then I don’t know what will.

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Assembly is easy as well, and fairly intuitive if you've not put together an e-scooter before. I only had to install the LED display and the handlebars, then slot in the removable battery and charge it, as with many electric scooters these days. Thankfully I didn’t have to sweat over having to thread the brake cable, which I’ve had difficulty with in the past due to my lacking upper body strength. 

In fact, as long as everything is secure, and there’s some juice left in the battery, you can take this baby out for its first ride within 30 minutes of unboxing it.

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Taking the Levy Plus in and out of places like your home and your office – and in and out of your car – is also effortless. Because the battery is at the stem, it is a little front-heavy, and at 32lbs (14.5kg) it’s also heavier than those electric scooters who prioritize portability over everything else; but fold it up, and you can haul it up/down the stairs, pop it in the trunk of your car, or carry it onto buses and trains with one hand. If you are planning to take it on your bus/train commute, just be sure to leave yourself enough time to fold it up.

The folding mechanism, unfortunately, is a little cumbersome, and folding/unfolding the scooter is a three-step process. To fold it, you have to pull a latch, unlock, and secure the stem in place on the back bumper; to unfold it, you have to push the back bumper, pull the stem up, snap it in place, secure the lock, and finally replace the latch. 

I found the whole process to be inconvenient at first, but after using it for a week or so, it did become second nature, although whether or not that saved me more time is questionable.

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The Levy Plus feels sleek but rugged in a way, probably due to its big, fat tires and its mostly gray-on-black finish. I did like that it has trims of baby blue, as that just gives it a bit more personality. The handlebars also have a lot of texture on them for maximum grip, but let me tell you from experience that if you plan on making 20-minute or longer commutes on the Plus, you would be wise to invest in proper gloves, as your hands will hurt after a while.

The dash is simple – not to mention decently visible in full daylight – and there are only two buttons, the power button and the drive mode-slash-headlight button, both of which are within easy reach, meaning that changing speed modes and turning on your lights won’t put more strain on your hands and wrists.

The deck is also made for off-roading, offering a lot of grip that extends on the bumper. However, this is still a city commuter at the end of the day, and its sleek nature means the deck is not the most spacious. Also, bizarrely, the stem is prone to scratches, which was frustrating for me. At least the kickstand is nice and long and stable, so I won’t have to worry about my cat, Arrow, knocking it down whenever he boards it and daydreams about going vroom-vroom.

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Speaking of which, the Levy Plus may only have a 350W motor, but I found that it actually picks up the pace surprisingly quickly, whatever driving mode it’s on – like most e-scooters, it’s got beginner, eco, and sport. Adding to its performance appeal is the fact that it doesn’t require a kickstart.

Levy doesn’t highly publicize the Levy Plus’ hill-grade rating, and that’s probably because it’s on the low end. Taking it up a 15-degree hill grade, it did struggle to stay above 5mph, although I have found that its big, fat tires have enough traction on them to help it along, albeit only a little.

They’re really the highlight of this model, if I’m being honest. These 10-inch tires – my review unit has the tubed tires, but you can get it with solid ones if you don’t want to have to worry about flats – are simply terrific in terms of traction and shock absorption. I rode this over well-kept roads as well as gravel paths and pothole-riddled dirt paths, and it stayed smooth; it also handled loose soil like an off-road champ, and not once did I fear face-planting.

That’s thanks in large part to its rear disc and front e-brakes being so snappy, responsive and powerful, making them the second highlights on this e-scooter. I have found the back fender brake a bit wanting, but still, I loved riding fast knowing that I’m still riding it safely, despite my pathetic reflexes. The brakes on this are, again, something you’d expect from off-road electric scooters, as well as premium ones that will set you back a lot more than $750 / £560.

Levy Plus: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $749 / £560 / AU$1,095
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

That leads me to the price. The Levy Plus also sits in the mid-range in terms of pricing, retailing at $749 / £560 / AU$1,095, which isn’t bad. I’ve seen pricier electric scooters that deliver less than what it offers, although something like an anti-theft system would have been a nice extra to make it an even better value.

Putting that price in perspective, the NIU KQi3 Pro has a $799 (£699, ‎AU$1,279) price of entry, and that has anti-theft, a longer range of 31 miles, and a top speed of 20mph – not to mention a more powerful motor. But, again, it’s also bigger and heavier. What you’re paying instead for the Levy Plus is the privilege of portability.

Levy lists its UK and Australian pricing on its website, but it must be noted that it says in its FAQs that “international shipments will only be allowed for products crossing physical borders by ground transit, such as between the US and Canada.” If you live in Europe or the Asia-Pacific region, I would contact Levy before purchasing this. 

• Value: 4 / 5

Levy Plus: Specs

Should you buy the Levy Plus?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Levy Plus: Also consider

If our Levy Plus review has you considering other options, here are two more to consider...  

Riley Scooters RS3
The Riley Scooters RS3’s innovative folding design puts other electric scooters’ portability claims to shame. It also delivers a snappy and smooth performance.

Read our full Riley Scooters RS3 review

NIU KQi3 Pro
The NIU KQi3 Pro blew us away at first ride with its impressive shock absorption (due to those fat tires), spacious deck, and powerful performance.

Read our full NIU KQi3 Pro review

How I tested the Levy Plus

• Spent a few weeks testing the Levy Plus
• Rode it on paved paths as well as rougher trails and hilly roads
• Tested its performance and features in real-world scenarios

With LA being an e-scooter-friendly city, I was able to use the Levy Plus as my mode of travel for commutes to friends’ houses and for running errands. I rode it up and down a hill, testing its brakes in the process, and on gravel and loose dirt roads, seeing if its tires are able to offer enough traction and how good (or bad) its ability is to absorb shock. 

Of course, I tested its battery life as well. And, while there aren't a lot of features here, I made sure to test the basic ones that it does offer. 

I've been a regular electric scooter user for years and have tested and reviewed many of the top models on the market for different publications, including TechRadar and T3.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2023