Best folding electric bikes 2026: compact e-bikes tried and tested

Folding electric bikes can be stored compactly in your home, motorhome or caravan. If they're light enough to carry on and off buses and trains, they'll take the strain out of your commute, too.

We tested popular folding e-bikes from Apollo, Brompton, Carrera, Cube, Halfords and more, to find the best bikes from £700 upwards. Two impressed us enough to get a Best Buy recommendation.

We checked to see how quickly you can pack them away and how compact and secure they are when folded. We also pushed the motors to their limits up a steep 25% gradient.

The folding electric bikes we tested

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All the folding electric bikes we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best folding electric bikes from our tests

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Apollo Transport electric folding bike (2023)

Available from Halfords (£849)

Most recently tested April 2023

Manufacturer's claimed range 10-15 miles

Weight 20kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 120kg

Motor Shengyi, front hub

Battery size/claimed charging time 209Wh/4-5 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 46 x 46 x 81cm

Need to know Kingmeter LED display, speed sensor, three assistance levels, Shimano six-speed gears with twist shifter, v-brakes, 20-inch wheels, kickstand, rear luggage carrier (25kg max load)

Basis Osprey folding low step electric bike (2022)

Available from E-bikes Direct (£799-£899)

Most recently tested September 2022

Manufacturer's claimed range Up to 30 miles (317Wh), 50 miles (504Wh)

Weight 20kg

Max load (rider) 120kg

Motor Basis, rear hub

Battery size/claimed charging time 317Wh/4-6 hours, also available in 504Wh size

Size when folded HxWxD 66 x 89 x 48cm

Need to know LED display, cadence sensor, three assistance levels, Shimano six-speed gears with trigger shifter, v-brakes, 20-inch wheels, front suspension, kickstand, rear luggage carrier (25kg max load)

Brompton Electric C Line with SuperRoll+ 4-speed (2025)

Available from Brompton (£3,079)

Most recently tested April 2026

Manufacturer's claimed range Up to 60 miles

Weight 17.9kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 110kg

Motor Brompton e-Motiq system, rear hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 345Wh/5 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 57 x 59 x 27cm

Need to know LCD display, torque and cadence sensor, three assistance levels, Brompton 4-speed gears with trigger shifter, calliper brakes, 16" wheels, can stand unaided when you fold away the wheel, front and rear lights, rear luggage carrier (10kg max load), compatible with Brompton Electric iOS and Android app, other colours available 

Brompton Electric G Line 4-speed (2024)

Available from Brompton (£3,499)

Most recently tested April 2025

Manufacturer's claimed range 20-45 miles

Weight 20.7kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 130kg

Motor Brompton e-Motiq system, rear hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 345Wh/5 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 67 x 72 x 41cm

Need to know LED display, torque and cadence sensors, four assistance levels, Brompton 4-speed gears with trigger shifter, hydraulic brakes, 20-inch wheels, can stand unaided when you fold away the wheel, front and rear lights, rear luggage carrier (10kg max load), other colours available

Carrera Crosscity (2020)

Available from Halfords (£949) 

Most recently tested September 2022

Manufacturer's claimed range 25-30 miles

Weight 18kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 100kg

Motor Shengyi, rear hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 313Wh/6 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 60 x 92 x 72cm

Need to know LED display, cadence sensor, three assistance levels, Shimano 8-speed gears with trigger shifter, v-brakes, 20-inch wheels, kickstand, rear luggage carrier (25kg max load)

Charged F1 Hub Comfort (2024)

Available from Decathlon (£1,599)

Most recently tested April 2026

Manufacturer's claimed range Up to 45 miles

Weight 18kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 135kg

Motor Bafang, rear hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 375Wh/3-7 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 72 x 45 x 87cm

Need to know LCD display, cadence sensor, five assistance levels, Shimano 7-speed gears with trigger shifter, hydraulic disc brakes, 20-inch wheels, kickstand, rear luggage carrier (30kg max load), other colours available

Considering an electric mountain bike or city e-bike instead? Read our reviews of the best electric bikes

Cube Fold Hybrid 545 (2026)

Available from E-bikeshop (£2,999), The Electric Bike Shop (£2,999)

Most recently tested April 2026

Manufacturer's claimed range 30-120 miles

Weight 25.6kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 145kg

Motor Bosch performance line, mid-hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 545Wh/4.5 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 90 x 60 x 75cm

Need to know Bosch Purion 200 LCD display, torque and cadence sensors, four assistance levels, Shimano Nexus 9-speed gears with trigger shifter, hydraulic disc brake, 20-inch wheels, kickstand, front and rear lights, rear luggage carrier (15kg max load), other colours available

E-go Max+ (2022)

Available from E-go Bike (£1,304.91), Ecobike Company (£1,304.91)

Most recently tested September 2022

Manufacturer's claimed range/charging time Up to 55 miles

Weight 25kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 150kg

Motor E-go, rear hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 504Wh/not stated

Size when folded HxWxD 70 x 93 x 48cm

Need to know LCD display, cadence sensor, four assistance levels, Shimano seven-speed gears with trigger shifter, disc brakes, 20-inch wheels, front light, kickstand, rear luggage carrier (25kg max load), other colours available

MiRider 20 (2024)

Available from MiRider (£1,795)

Most recently tested April 2026

Manufacturer's claimed range Up to 45 miles

Weight 20kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 120kg

Motor MiRider, rear-hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 252Wh/2.5-3 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 92 x 72 x 52cm

Need to know MiRider LCD display, torque sensor, five assistance levels, thumb throttle for boost, one gear setting, hydraulic disc brakes, 20-inch wheels, front light, kickstand, rear suspension, other colours available

UTO Morning Pro16 Electric Folding Bike (2026)

Available from Halfords (£2,799), The Electric Bike Shop (£2,799)

Most recently tested April 2026

Manufacturer's claimed range Up to 31 miles

Weight 18.5kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 105kg

Motor Bafang, rear-hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 250Wh/5 hours

Size when folded HxWxD 74 x 70 x 46cm

Need to know LCD display, torque sensor, five assistance levels, Bafang 2-speed automatic hub motor system, hydraulic disc brakes, 16-inch wheels, front and rear lights, kickstand, rear luggage carrier (25kg max load), other colours available

Wisper Tailwind 806 Encore Folding Electric Bike (2025)

Available from Wisper (£1,799)

Most recently tested April 2026

Manufacturer's claimed range 45-90 miles

Weight 22kg

Max load (rider + luggage) 130kg

Motor AKM, rear-hub

Battery sizes/claimed charging time 320Wh/2.5-5 hours, also available with 720Wh battery

Size when folded HxWxD 73 x 85 x 43cm

Need to know Velofox LCD display, torque and cadence sensors, five assistance levels, thumb throttle for boost, Shimano Sora Rapidfire 9-speed gears with trigger shifter, hydraulic disc brakes, 20-inch wheels, front and rear lights, kickstand, quick release front wheel, rear luggage carrier, other colours available

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How we test folding electric bikes

We test the most popular folding e-bikes from key UK retailers and top brands such as Brompton, Carrera and Halfords.

Every folding e-bike is ridden and assessed by a diverse panel of cyclists, ensuring our reviews are not just the view of one person.

After surveying the general public about the most important factors when choosing a folding e-bike, we now place greater emphasis on how comfortable and easy to manoeuvre each e-bike is. 

Brands can't buy their way onto our testing programme. We pay for every folding e-bike we test, and regularly revisit the folding e-bikes on sale to see if there are more popular models that need testing. When we find them, we test them.

• Comfort Our panel of testers assesses how comfortable and shock-absorbant each bike is on a variety of terrain, from smooth tarmac to off-road woody trails. The best are comfy to ride on, no matter the surface or height of the rider.
• Manoeuvrability Each bike is ridden through a course of tight turns and slaloms to assess how easy each bike is to steer and corner, including on tight turns while pedalling.
• Motor Our panel rates how rapidly and smoothly each e-bike accelerates, how quickly it responds to changes in speed and pedal stroke, and how smoothly the power tapers off when you reach 15.5mph (the legal limit in the UK).
• Hill climbs We take each folding e-bike up Brooklands Museum's test hill – which has fixed gradients – to see how they handle shallow and steep inclines. The best can climb very steep 25% gradients, and some are even able to hill-start on them.
• Folding We fold and unfold each e-bike multiple times, with the best being quick and simple to pack down, with high-quality hinges that are easy to use. 
• Portability We see whether it can fit in a small 252-litre city-car boot when folded.
• Gears and brakes Our panel assesses how good the brakes and gears are. The best help you to get up steep slopes and stop in good time.
• Build quality We rate how neat the electrical cable management is, how premium and comfortable the material of handles is, the neatness of welding on the frames and more.
• Ease of use Our panel assesses how easy each bike is to lift and carry short distances, and how easy the battery is to insert and remove.

Why we don't test the range of folding electric bikes

Factors such as rider weight, motor assistance level, weather, wind speed and road conditions all affect how much you'll get out of your e-bike on any given day.

As such, it's very difficult to test the range of a folding e-bike in a way that gives any useful results.

Our reviews list the battery capacity (measured in watt-hours) and the manufacturers' claimed ranges:

• As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the battery capacity, the further you'll go on a single charge.
• Some manufacturers only give an 'up to X miles' estimate. These are usually based on ideal cycling conditions, so treat these as an absolute maximum. 
• Some give an 'X to Y miles' estimate. The shorter distance is closer to what you can expect from the bike if you cycle in hilly areas, in less-than-ideal conditions and/or have the motor assistance set to maximum.

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

How to charge an electric bike battery

Folding e-bikes mainly use lithium-ion batteries to power the motor. It's important to charge these large batteries safely to reduce fire risks.

Always use the manufacturer-approved charger and battery; never use third-party ones.

It's best to unplug the battery when it's fully charged, although some smart chargers can stop charging once they detect the battery's full. Don't leave the battery charging overnight.

For more tips on safe charging, read our full guide: How do you charge an electric bike battery?

How to choose a folding electric bike

When it comes to picking the best folding electric bike for you, the key considerations are similar to when buying a regular electric bike. Read our advice on how to buy the best electric bike for more.

However, there are a few extra things to consider with folding e-bikes.

How much space do you have to store the bike?

A folding e-bike is a good option if storage is tight or you'll be transporting your bike in cars and caravans. But some are much more compact than others.

Short on space? Log in to instantly reveal our recommendations.

Will you be moving the e-bike around when folded?

If you're going to commute on your folding e-bike, you may need to take it on a train, put it in your car or carry it up and down stairs.

Most folding e-bikes fold in the same way, but we found that some scuffed the paintwork when the handlebars folded down, required pedals to be in certain positions for (un)folding, or struggled to stand upright when folded.

One e-bike bucked this trend, though. Log in to instantly reveal.

Is there a disadvantage to folding e-bikes?

Over the years of testing regular and folding e-bikes, we've found that you often get more for your money with a regular e-bike, such as a better motor and higher-quality components.

So if you have space to store a standard bike and folding isn't a deciding factor, we'd recommend a regular e-bike over a folding one. 

See our round-up of the best electric bikes