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What is the Difference Between a Scooter and a Razor Scooter?

Erika Peterson
Erika Peterson

A scooter is a toy that is made for small children. It is often constructed from plastic, but it can be made from aluminum. The difference between a scooter and Razor® scooter is brand name. In fact, a scooter and a Razor® scooter can be similar in size, shape, material and use.

Razor®scooters are made by Razor USA. They are a type of kick scooter, or push scooter. Kick scooters are a small platform held up by between two and four small wheels. Non-brand name scooters as well as Razor® scooters are both available in this style.

Roller skates were attached to a board to create an early scooter.
Roller skates were attached to a board to create an early scooter.

Scooters have a rich history, and primitive scooters included a simple pair of roller skates attached to a board. By 1955, the style had evolved to one similar to what we have today, but the wheels were much larger and didn't glide as smoothly. Other four-wheeled scooters closely resembled skateboards with handles coming out the top. It was in the 1990s that the narrower, sleeker design we see today was created by Wim Ouboter of Micro Original Scooters in Switzerland.

The popularity of scooters and Razor® scooters took off in the 1990s. The Razor® company’s original design did not differ much from the Micro scooter; however, since that first design, Razor USA has released new versions with specified features to accommodate user preference, and that sets Razor® scooters apart from other brands of kick scooter manufacturers.

Scooter and Razor® scooter models are available in many designs, but the original Razor® scooter was the A model. It was released in 2000. With a high weight limit, it was a model that quickly became popular with young people of all ages.

While scooter and Razor® scooter styles can be one and the same, the Razor® brand offers a wide variety of models and styles. For example, the Razor® Cruiser Scooter is a laid-back, classic-style scooter. It has an extra-wide deck made of wood and fiberglass, and it has a rear fender brake. This model is for simple riding, not doing tricks.

Another popular Razor® model is the Razor® Carvr. It combines the features of a skateboard and scooter. It turns and carves like a skateboard, giving the user more control. Aluminum scooters are not original to the popular Razor® brand scooters, but their ever-developing features and specialized models set them apart from other scooter manufacturers.

Discussion Comments

PinkLady4

The first time I saw my granddaughter's Razor Scooter, I was amazed. It was so sturdy, streamlined, and easily maneuvered. She just loved whipping around on that scooter, making nifty little turns. I was glad to see that her parents insisted that she wear a helmet.

Their small size, small wheels and short platform make it so easy to pack up in the car.

It looked like so much fun, I decided to try it myself. I went a little slow, but it was fun. I'm surprised how many young teen-agers use them to get around.

B707

In the 1950s and 1960s, as I remember, the scooters of the day were pretty wobbly. But they were great fun since we didn't know any different. The base was wide enough that you could give a few big pushes and then glide with two feet on the base. They got some pretty harsh treatment from the kids. They would ride them until they almost fell apart.

During the 1970s - the 90s, scooters seem to lose favor until the the Razor Scooters came out.

nony

@NathanG - At least you had a real Razor. My son once received what he thought was a Razor scooter from his grandparents. To me, it was pretty much the same as far as I could tell.

He enjoyed it until he took a second look at the box and saw that it wasn’t a Razor, but an imitation scooter. Suddenly he felt sad.

I asked him, what’s in a brand name, really? The article even makes it clear that the difference between the Razor and the regular scooter is mainly the name.

If that’s really the case, the marketing people at Razor have done a very good job. Kids these days just have to have the real thing.

NathanG

My son owned a Razor scooter for about two years. He used it to race around the park where we live. I actually played with it for a little bit too, and I have to admit, I understand why some of these toys for young people can be so addictive.

It rides smoother than a typical skateboard, owing to its rubber wheels, and the sturdy metal frame. It was actually quite fun to ride.

Alas, this story has a sad ending. My daughter played with it too, and accidentally left it near the trash can on the front lawn overnight. You can guess what happened when the trash people came in the morning.

The moral is to keep your scooters tucked away indoors, where neither the garbage men nor the neighborhood kids can get to them.

BrickBack

My husband bought a motor scooter the other day and he had so much fun riding around with it while the kids rode their bikes.

I tried it and it was really fun, I have to admit. The only bad thing is that the scooter is battery charged and it takes about eight hours for it to be fully charged so if you forget to charge it after you ride around it can be a while before you can get out there and use it again.

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    • Roller skates were attached to a board to create an early scooter.
      By: Lusoimages
      Roller skates were attached to a board to create an early scooter.