Fluid Horizon 2022 Review-Swiss Army Knife of Electric Scooters   

A comprehensive review of the Fluid Horizon 2022 electric scooter, covering everything from build quality to performance and ride quality.

Fluid Horizon 13Ah 2022 Electric Scooter Summary

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The Fluid Horizon has been around as long as the Ninebot MAX but has just been updated for 2022 with a new display, thumb throttle and a carrying handle that doubles as a footrest.

At its price, it’s incredibly difficult to find a scooter that will match the value delivered by the Fluid Horizon. It comes in two versions–the 10.4 Ah version that goes for $799, and you can expect about 17.4 miles of range. Then you have the big 13Ah, which is good for an ESG-certified 21.7 miles for $879.  

While it’s tempting to save a little money on the smaller one, we’ve never encountered anyone who bought the 13Ah and wished they bought the smaller one, but we have heard folks who got the 10Ah wishing they’d gone big from the start. Plus, with an $80 difference, this feels like an easy choice. 

What that amount gets you is decent acceleration and top speed, a comfortable ride experience, and a scooter that guarantees many miles of riding. It’s not the flashiest, but there’s a reason why it’s still Fluid Freeride’s best seller. And we’ll take you through why you should consider this as your next commuting partner.

But first–We have a giveaway. All you need to do is subscribe to our YouTube channel and register here for an entry. You could be one of the lucky subscribers that get to walk away with a brand-new scooter–so stay tuned.

Our Take:The OG, Value King, Gets an Update–Giving More of Everything, Except Price

Fluid Horizon Electric Scooter Alternatives and Competitors

While you’re researching, here are a couple alternative scooters with comparable price and performance.

$899

EMOVE Touring Review

$899

Segway Ninebot Max Review: The Best, Most Reliable Scooter Under $1000

$899

Fluid Mosquito Review: The NEW Ultraportable Pocket Rocket

EMOVE Touring Vs. Fluid Horizon

Higher rider weight capacity, is quicker on hills and has a significantly larger deck, but it has a lower top speed and shorter range.

Ninebot MAX Vs. Fluid Horizon

Has a much shorter stopping distance, and an IPX5 water resistance rating,, but is more expensive, heavier, and lacks suspension

Fluid Mosquito Vs. Fluid Horizon

Is the lightest on the list, is much faster, with better braking, but has a narrower deck, dual solid tires that make for a more jittery ride, and very low ground clearance.

Comparison Scooters Section

Model	Top Speed**	Range**	Weight**	Price
Segway Ninebot Max	18.4 mph	21.6 mi	43.0 lb	$899
EMOVE Touring	21.5 mph	18.7 mi	40.0 lb	$899
Fluid Mosquito	27.7 mph	16.6 mi	30.0 lb	$899
Fluid Horizon 2022 (13Ah)	21.8 mph	21.7 mi	41.0 lb	$879

Is It Good for Bigger, Heavier Riders?

For the small to the medium-sized rider, it’s a great commuter scooter. For a big and heavy rider, yes, but we have our reservations. Here’s why:

The Horizon e-scooter is only rated to carry a max load of 265 lbs, and that’s a lot. But there’s more to it than just the rider’s weight capacity. You have to consider the riding ergonomics–and we feel that the riding platform may be a little shorter and narrower if you have large feet. Also, while the handlebar height is adjustable, at a max height of 38.5 inches, this is slightly below what we consider as optimum, which is 40.0-inches. 

That said, it is not the poorest choice for heavier riders that are willing to grow into the riding ergonomics since the scooter is sufficiently powered to deliver an excellent ride experience. The 624 wh bat, coupled with the high-torque motor, will give a thrilling ride experience with adequate speed and range for riders of all weight classes. It also helps that the scooter has full damping, which makes the ride experience smooth under heavier loads. 

Therefore, it’s not a complete no if you know what you’re contending with. And the scooter is all-round great, so this is quite the steal for anyone.

Fluid Horizon Electric Scooter Review

Performance Summary

Acceleration (0 to 15 mph)	5.5 seconds
Acceleration (0 to 20 mph)	9.2 seconds
Top speed	21.8 mph
Braking distance (15 mph to 0 mph)	20.7 feet
Range	21.7 miles
Hill climb	17.3 seconds

Acceleration

Like most scooters in its class, it comes with a 500 W motor with a 20A controller that delivers peak power of over 800W. The motor set-up gives the Fluid Horizon electric scooter above-average acceleration.

Coming from a complete stop, the scooter gets to 15.0 mph in just 5.5 seconds, which is faster than the Ninebot Max’s 6.0 seconds. However, the other two comparison e-scooters are a bit faster, with the Fluid Mosquito reaching 15.0 mph in just 5.1 seconds and the EMOVE Touring getting there the quickest, in just 3.9 seconds. 

Top Speed

E-scooters in the Horizon’s class are conservative when it comes to speed–but not the Horizon. The top speed is outstanding relative to what you pay for. The scooter maxes out at 21.8 mph, which is much faster than the majority of commuters in its price class. It slightly beats the EMOVE Touring, which tops out at 21.5 mph.It leaves the Ninebot Max in the dust which only manages a max speed of 18.4 mph, and while doesn’t come close to the crazy fast 28.0 mph top speed of Fluid Mosquito, on average we still got where we were going faster riding the Fluid Horizon than the Mosquito and here’s why.

The Fluid  Horizon electric scooter has good stability, so you just tend to ride it faster all the time. So, in our range test, it ended up with a higher average speed than the Mosquito, the EMOVE Touring, or the Ninebot MAX. 

Hill Climb

When it came to our usual 10%, 200.0 ft hill test, the Fluid  Horizon electric scooter got to the top in 17.3 seconds, sustaining an average speed of 7.8 mph. While this is the slowest of the three competitors–that is, the EMOVE Touring at 12.4 seconds, the Ninebot Max at 17 seconds, and the Fluid Mosquito at 14.5 seconds; the performance is well above trend for its class. What’s more, it maintained a satisfying 20.0 mph speed as we rode through some of the steeper sections(4 to 6% grade hills ) of our range test course.

Range

We take all our scooters out on the same challenging test course. The Fluid  Horizon electric scooter was outstanding, giving us 21.7 miles of range against a manufacturer-cited 30.0 miles per charge. Now, this is plenty, given that a scooter like the $3000 Segway GT1 only goes an extra 0.2 miles of the Horizon. It has the longest range of its competitors–even defeating the Ninebot Max–a scooter that has set the range standard for a while now. The EMOVE Touring managed 18.7 miles; the Fluid Mosquito gave us 16.6 miles, and the Ninebot Max came very shy of the Fluid Horizon’s range, with 21.6 miles.

Braking

The rear drum brake and regen on this scooter bring it to a stop in 20.7 ft, braking from a speed of 15.0 mph. I won’t lie; we expect better, especially given that this is a fast scooter. So if you’re bombing along at top speed on a Horizon, we’d advise that you look far ahead to avoid braking at the very last minute.

In a year where we’ve had cheap and expensive scooters challenge the status quo on braking, we hope the Fluid Horizon electric scooter follows suit–should it get another upgrade in future. For perspective, the nearly similarly priced Ninebot Max stops from 15.0 mph in just 11.3 ft–close to half of what the Horizon did.

However the drum and regen braking, unlike disc brakes will probably last the lifetime of your scooter and are super low maintenance. If you do need to make an adjustment, it’s just this one knob.

Ride Quality

The ride quality is what really sells the Fluid Horizon and makes it a best seller on their website.

Whether you’re riding on nice, smooth pavements–or going through some of those nastier cracks on the road, the ride remains A1. It comes fitted with full suspension, which is incredibly rare at this price point. The front spring works with the front air-filled tire to minimize most of the jarring from uneven track, and the rear dual spring suspension compensates for the otherwise stiffer ride from the rear solid tire.

But wait. There’s a sound explanation for the rear solid tire. The vast majority of flats (like 90%) occur at the rear, which is why the Fluid Horizon electric scooter forgoes a rear pneumatic.They’ve also gone a step further, and made the rear tire wider to maximize contact patch for better traction–to help prevent it from skidding when braking. 

Next up is the deck. The deck is not the longest but is wide enough to allow you to adopt a very comfortable stance. The 2022 Horizon also features a rear grab handle that doubles as a footrest, meaning extra leg room. The deck features two runs of grip tape to guarantee riding stability.

Then there’s the adjustable handlebar height. Whatever your height, the Horizon will rise and fall to your preference. Now, if you’re of average height, or taller like Ramier, You’re going to want to keep them all the way up, but riders under 5’ 8” tall (that’s 173cm for the civilized people)  will appreciate being able to set them lower, at basically any height they want.The handlebars don’t exactly stay locked in place–but that’s a tradeoff we’ve come to expect from most scooters with folding handlebars–Still,  that’s not to say they can’t do better. They are however quite ergonomic—with the tapered ends and lovely-feeling rubber grips.

Fluid Horizon 2022 Electric Scooter Features

Portability

The Horizon is a portability boss. Not as much as the Mosquito, but it folds down so much smaller than the MAX or scooters like it. When folded, it measures 40.0 inches x 7.0 inches x 13.8 inches (LxWxH). The tinier Mosquito’s handlebars and overall width is smaller at 5.6 inches.

Folding bars are becoming a rarity these days. Yes, it takes longer to fully fold than it would the MAX–but stem folding is actually faster because the latch is quick to use, and you don’t have to hunt around for the stem-to-deck latch. However, keep in mind that just because you have the option to fold the bars doesn’t mean you have to, so we don’t think the Horizon should get a folding-time penalty. 

Another fun fact. For $49 on Freeride’s website, you can get trolley wheels to attach to the folded Horizon–making it much easier to move around with. Other scooters you may have seen with these include the Glion Dolly and the Inokim Mini. There’s also Segway’s Air T15 that uses its own wheels to roll when folded. 

Cockpit

The steering bar is a little on the minimalistic side. Probably the most important upgrade is the switch from the trigger style, QS-S4 throttle and display to what we have now–a waterproof QS-S4 display with a thumb throttle. This display is a little more advanced than the former, displaying more information as well as allowing for better customization of the ride. 

Besides that, you have your left-located brake lever. And like the older version of the Horizon, the cabling is wrapped and routed through the stem for riding safety. The handlebars are foldable–but you need to ensure that the cuffs locking them are tightly secured so as not to give you a jittery ride.

Lights

The Fluid  Horizon electric scooter comes with a low-mounted headlight, whose action is complemented by two button lights on the front of the deck. They are not the brightest–and you definitely need to get an aftermarket light if you plan on frequently riding at night.

The rear end of the deck also has two button lights. These serve as both the rear and the brake lights(they blink when you’re braking), making riding a little safer. You could also benefit from throwing a reflective sticker on the rear fender to improve visibility or along the sides of the scooter for enhanced safety.

Tires

The Fluid Horizon electric scooter has an 8.5-inch front air-filled tire and an 8.0-inch solid rear tire. As stated in the ride quality section, Freeride does this to evade the all-too-common rear tire flat to reduce the maintenance required on the Horizon. On the same note, the rear wheel is wider than the front, increasing its contact patch with the ground for improved traction (Solid wheels generally have less traction than their pneumatic counterparts).

Deck

The deck on the Horizon e-scooter is the shortest of the comparison scooters, measuring 18.3-inches in length–even the Mosquito’s is longer at 20.0-inches. However, it sort of makes up for it in width–and while it’s not the widest at 6.2-inches, it certainly does better than the Mosquito’s, which is only 5.6-inches. A scooter like the EMOVE Touring has one of the best platforms in this category–with 22.8 inch x 7.3-inch of standing space. 

Regardless, the scooter is equipped with two runs of grip tape along the margins, ensuring that riders get maximum stability. They also look cool sandwiching the Fluid logo upfront. The deck also sits 4.2-inches above ground, which is plenty to hop off curbs.

Down on the deck there’s a new carrying handle at the back. It’s handy for when you pick up the scooter without folding, and it makes a good footrest while riding

Build Quality

The Fluid  Horizon electric scooter is a super old design–that still works. I mean, nobody’s running to change the Coca-Cola formula either or calling to drop mac and cheese, for mac and…you get the picture.

Like with the Mosquito (and other E-TWOW variants), Horizon owners love to pile on the miles and are always showing off their high mile odometers. We take it as a sign of a well-built scooter.The Horizon is an absolute work-horse of a scooter. 

It’s not flashy to look at, but–its all-matte-black finish gives it a down-to-business classic scooter vibe. It’s basically the AK-47 of scooters. It has folding handlebars, that now come with a sleek, waterproof thumb throttle display, and neatly wrapped cabling that’s routed through the stem.  Then we have a low-mounted headlight at the bottom of the stem that could stand to be raised a little for better visibility. 

The kickstand is firm and easy to deploy, and gives the scooter just the right amount of lean, so it’s not prone to tipping over when parked. 

The fenders have good water protection, but! and this is a big but it’s important to know that the Horizon doesn’t have an IP-rating. A splash here or there probably won’t kill it, but this isn’t a scooter we’d recommend for rainy day commuting. 

Safety

The scooter is certifiably safe to ride, day or night–just not rain or shine. Stick to shine.

The low-mounted headlight and deck-embedded front lights illuminate part of the track while making you visible. But invest in an aftermarket light if you plan on frequently taking your scooter out at night. The rear button taillights also double as brake lights–notifying other road users of your intent. 

The brakes will serve you forever (in scooter years). And like we said, E-TWOW odometers speak for the durability and dependability of their scooters. Before riding, also ensure to tighten the tension cuffs that secure the handlebars just to avoid the jitteriness of loosened handlebars.

Warranty 

Fluid electric scooters are all covered under a 12-month warranty. That’s pretty standard in the industry. But where Fluid stands out is with the Lifetime Service Commitment, which guarantees the best prices on parts and labor. They have both service centers and service partner repair outlets, where you are guaranteed professional assistance should you experience an issue with your Horizon electric scooter.

Fluid Horizon Electric Scooter: Review Conclusion

Call it the Swiss Army Knife of scooters, Jack of all trades, or whatever you will–but the Horizon’s super power is being one of the best values when it comes to commuter scooters. For a scooter well below the $1000 mark, it’s impressive to see the full suspension, high top speed, long range, great portability, ease of use, and minimal maintenance.

The scooter is definitely on the utilitarian side: perfect for riders that need the basics plus a little more. It’s a scooter that can roll along *with* you to appointments. And you won’t put out your back if you need to carry it up a couple flights of stairs. Best of all–it has a proven track record for reliability, so if you’re using it to replace car miles, it’s going to be around long after it finishes paying for itself in gas money savings.

We have an ESG-Exclusive Coupon Code linked for you here, should you feel like the Fluid Horizon Electric Scooter is the scooter for you. We also encourage you to head on over to our YouTube channel and subscribe. We have a giveaway happening where you stand a chance to walk away with some amazing scooters. Plus, we drop some really cool reviews in there and talk about what is happening in micromobility–so it will be worth your while.

Fluid Horizon 13Ah 2022: Technical Specifications

Note: These specifications are provided by the manufacturer and may differ from our real-world testing.

Make	Fluid
Model	Horizon 2022 (13Ah)
Weight	42 lb
Folded dimensions	40 by 7 by 14 in
Motor power, continuous	500 W
Top speed	23.0 mph
Range	30.0 mi
Battery capacity	624 Wh
Battery recharge time	5-7 hrs
Max rider weight	270 lb
Brake type	Adjustable regen. braking + Rear Drum Brake
Tire type	8.5 Inch front Pneumatic (Inner Tube) +8.0 inch rear Solid
Built-in lights	Front + Rear
Water resistance	None