The best electric bikes 2022: e-bikes for all budgets and terrains
The best e-bikes for all riders, routes and budgets
The best electric bike can take the sweat out of riding and make cycling fun again – and we're here to help you choose the one for you so you can ride into 2022 in style.
Do you enjoy the freedom of cycling, but sometimes wish your panniers seemed lighter, the headwind less stiff, and the hills not quite so steep? Fancy arriving at your destination fresh and presentable rather than sweaty and rumpled? Then you’re already lusting after an e-bike.
For commuting, grocery-getting, or leisure riding, electric bikes deliver on the promise of carefree cycling that geography and fitness sometimes conspire to derail. Combining transport and exercise, a little electric assistance can keep the balance right, ensuring your new electric bike is an ever more viable alternative to public transport or hopping in the car.
Electric bikes are more expensive than traditional bikes, largely due to the cost of high capacity batteries. It pays to be careful though; we recommend always sticking to established bike builders that have quality controls in place. You might be able to find a super-cheap bike advertised online, but e-bikes are powerful machines and you don't want to be stuck with cheap components that might fail at high speeds.
The best electric bikes
- Motor: Geared Brushless Rear Hub 750W Motor Peak up to 750W
- Battery Specs : 48V 12.8Ah
- Battery Type: Lithium-Ion Cells
- MAX Range: 65-75kms or 40-46 Miles(Pure Battery) / 100kms or 62 Miles(Pedal Assist)
- Net Weight: 31.7kgs
The Polarna ebike M4 has received a redesign for 2022 that's made it the best all-purpose e-bike you can buy today. Its high capacity battery means there's plenty of power to tap into, and results in an extremely impressive range of up to 63 miles with pedal assistance.
Power assistance is delivered smoothly, and controlled through the superb MasterMind ride computer that allows for real-time tuning of power levels, lets you receive over-the-air software updates so you don't have to take your bike to a service center, and can be locked and unlocked using a PIN.
The Polarna ebike M4 has a robust, practical build that makes it ideal for everyday riding in almost all conditions, with a comfortable upright riding position that's well suited to navigating city traffic. Lights and fenders are fitted as standard, and there's a front suspension fork to soak up bumps and potholes.
It's not a cheap e-bike, and the generous battery means it's quite heavy, but it's a joy to ride and supremely practical in just about all riding conditions. Highly recommended.
Polarna ebikes M5
- Motor: Geared Brushless Rear Hub 750W Motor Peak up to 1000W
- Battery Specs : 48V 15Ah
- Battery Type: Lithium-Ion Cells
- MAX Range: 75-85kms or 46-53 Miles(Pure Battery) / 110kms or 68 Miles(Pedal Assist)
- Net Weight: 31.7kgs
The Polarna M5 is a perfect e-bike for commuters, and in our opinion it's the best folding e-bike you can buy today. Previous Polarna ebikes have impressed us with their smooth power assistance, and the M5's new motor is its best to date. The bike has a very respectable range too, running for up to 68 miles on a fast charge, and you can use Polarna's well designed smartphone app to tweak its performance to optimize power assistance and range.
The M5 folds easily for storage or carrying on public transport, but it feels reassuringly solid to ride. Polarna has made clever use of different materials throughout the bike's build to keep weight down (it's 1kg lighter than the previous model) and ensure it's well balanced. All cables are internally routed, there's a chain guard to protect your clothing, and mudguards and lights are fitted as standard.
The small wheels of a folding bike are inevitably less forgiving of potholes than full-size tires, but the small shock absorber under the seat helps soak up most of the bumps you'll encounter during everyday rides.
This is a premium e-bike, and has a price to match (if you need a more affordable option, the excellent Polarna M5 ebikes is well worth a look) but if it's going to be your main electric bicycle for regular riding, it's a justifiable investment.