This 10-Pound Electric Scooter Folds Up Small Enough To Fit Inside a Bag

For short commutes, an electric scooter is more convenient than finding a place to park a car, even if you'll still need to find a way to stash it when you get to your destination. The Arma Scooter promises to get rid of that stress. It collapses so small you don't even need to find somewhere to lock it up — you can just stick it in your backpack or laptop bag.

It's a familiar concept. In September, Honda tossed its hat back into the compact scooter ring with an updated version of its '80s-era gas-powered Motocompo. The modern version, the Motocompacto, instead uses an electric drivetrain, and has a design allowing it to fold down to the size of a suitcase.

In its current iteration, the Arma Scooter is somehow even smaller than Honda's Motocompacto, weighing in at around 10 pounds instead of 41, while still being structurally strong enough to support a standing rider weighing up to 220 pounds.

Its creators promise a top speed of close to 15 mph, and a range of seven to nine miles depending on the terrain and speed. However, part of the scooter's design allows its rechargeable battery to be easily swapped out, extending the range if users don't mind carrying a backup.

Using multiple articulation points, the Arma Scooter collapses into an incredibly compact package, making it easy to carry onto a bus, or up and down several flights of stairs (ah, the New York City subway). It's not really designed for those wanting to take a long Sunday afternoon ride, instead serving as an ideal last-mile solution for those dependent on public transit but who can't get dropped off exactly where they need to be.

The creators of the Arma Scooter have launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to help raise money to perfect its design, which is technically still a prototype — that could make it a tough sell for backers.

Currently the most affordable way to pre-order the Arma is with a $919 contribution to the Kickstarter campaign which is a 40% discount on the full retail pricing. Delivery is expected in July 2024, but it's important to keep in mind that since the scooter is still in the prototype stages, its design and promised specs could change dramatically when the production-ready and consumer-safe version is finalized.

There's always risk when contributing money to a crowdfunding campaign. Over the years, many products have been considerably delayed, failed to deliver promised features or never materialized at all, taking backers' money with them. Although heavily discounted for now, it might be worthwhile waiting to see what the finalized version of the Arma will eventually look like, and ensuring its creators can actually deliver everything they promise.