Apollo Air 2022 vs Hiboy KS4 Pro - Premium Commuter or Budget Brawler?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Apollo Air 2022 is the overall better scooter for most riders: it rides more comfortably, feels more solid, and inspires more confidence day after day. If you care about how your knees, wrists and nerves feel after a week of commuting, the Apollo is simply the more mature, "real vehicle" choice.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro, however, is brutally cheap for what it offers and makes sense if your budget ceiling is hard and low, your roads are reasonably smooth, and you value "never fix a puncture" above all else. It's a practical beater, not a pampered thoroughbred.

If you can stretch the budget, the Apollo Air 2022 is the one you'll want to keep riding in six months. If you can't, the KS4 Pro will still get the job done.

Stick around for the full breakdown before you put any money down-the differences only really show once you imagine living with each scooter every single day.

There's a strange sweet spot in the scooter world where commuters want more than a rental toy, but don't want to remortgage the flat for a dual-motor monster. The Apollo Air 2022 and the Hiboy KS4 Pro both sit right there, waving at your wallet and promising civilised, everyday transport.

I've put real kilometres on both: the Apollo as a "premium commuter that happens to fold", the Hiboy as a suspiciously affordable workhorse with solid tyres and big claims. On paper they look like cousins-similar motor rating, similar weight, similar stated range. On the road, they could not feel more different.

The Apollo Air 2022 suits the rider who wants their scooter to feel like a well-engineered little EV. The Hiboy KS4 Pro is for the rider who wants "a fast alternative to the bus that doesn't puncture, and I'll tolerate its quirks". Let's dig in and see which flavour of compromise matches your life.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters live in the mid-power, single-motor commuter class: fast enough to keep pace with city traffic in the bike lane, not fast enough to terrify you into buying armour. They share a similar nominal motor rating, broadly comparable real-world range, and a weight that is carry-able, but not without a small sigh.

The big difference is philosophy and price. The Apollo Air 2022 sits in the "premium commuter" bracket, costing several times what the KS4 Pro usually sells for. Apollo spends that extra budget on chassis design, suspension and refinement. Hiboy, meanwhile, goes full spreadsheet warrior: bigger-than-entry motor, solid tyres, rear suspension, lots of lights, shockingly low price.

They compete because many buyers are stuck exactly between them: "Do I spend more once and get the nicer scooter, or accept a few compromises and save a pile of cash?" That's the decision we're really unpacking here.

Design & Build Quality

Stand them side by side and you immediately see where the money went. The Apollo Air 2022 looks like a single, cohesive object: smooth cast frame, integrated cabling, clean cockpit. It's the sort of scooter you're happy to park in an office lobby without feeling like you've wheeled in power tools. The stem is chunky, the deck rubberised and neatly finished, and nothing rattles when you tap it.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro, in contrast, has that familiar "mass-produced but decent" look. Matte black, some red accents, a reasonably tidy loom but more external cabling and visible bolts. It's far from the worst in its price band, but it doesn't hide its budget roots. You can feel more play in the joints and the overall impression is "competent utility" rather than "nicely engineered vehicle".

Folding mechanisms are another tell. The Apollo's claw-style latch is overbuilt and stiff when new, but the payoff is a stem that feels welded solid while riding. The Hiboy's one-step fold is faster and handier for trains, but has more of that "don't abuse me" aura-you're aware you're dealing with thinner metal and simpler machining.

In the hands, the Apollo genuinely feels like a half-step up in class; the Hiboy feels like a very decent budget scooter making the best of cheaper parts.

Ride Comfort & Handling

This is where the two scooters part company decisively.

The Apollo Air 2022 combines a proper front fork suspension with large pneumatic tyres and a wide handlebar. On rough city asphalt it has that lovely, slightly floaty feel: sharp edges are rounded off, small potholes become non-events, and you can ride for several kilometres without your joints filing a formal complaint. The broad cockpit settles the steering; it tracks straight and feels planted in fast bends.

Take the same route on the Hiboy KS4 Pro and you immediately feel the difference in tyre philosophy. Those honeycomb solid tyres are brilliant at one thing-refusing to go flat. But the price you pay is vibration. On smooth tarmac, it's absolutely fine; on patchy city streets, the KS4 sends a constant stream of chatter up through the deck and bars. The little rear shock does its best to catch the big hits, but it can't magic away the buzz.

Handling wise, the Hiboy is nimble and easy to point, but it never has the unhurried stability of the Apollo. On the Air 2022 you lean into corners with quiet confidence. On the KS4 Pro you ride more defensively, picking your line to dodge the worst surfaces because you know your wrists will remember them.

If your daily paths are smooth bike lanes, the KS4 Pro is perfectly serviceable. If there are cobbles, broken pavements or frequent potholes, the Apollo starts to justify its price quickly.

Performance

Both scooters sit in that middle ground where acceleration is brisk enough for city use but not silly. The Apollo Air 2022's motor delivers a very predictable, linear push. It doesn't lurch off the line; it just winds up smoothly and gets you out ahead of pedal bikes without drama. Top speed is firmly in the commuter sweet spot-fast enough that the wind in your jacket tells you to pay attention, but not so quick that you're praying the brakes are up to it.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro feels a touch more eager in the low and mid-range, thanks to that higher peak power claim and slightly more aggressive tune. From a standing start it jumps a bit more energetically, which is fun but can surprise absolute beginners if they mash the throttle. At its top speed it feels reasonably composed, but the solid tyres and slightly lighter-feeling front end mean you're more aware of surface imperfections at pace.

On hills, both will handle typical city gradients with an average rider without forcing you to kick. The Apollo feels steadier but more modest; it climbs with a "let's just get this done" attitude. The Hiboy, when fresh off the charger, will push a bit harder up inclines before its enthusiasm tails off with the battery.

Braking is where I'd give a quiet nod to the Apollo. Its combination of mechanical drum and well-tuned regen gives controlled, progressive stops with little fade, and there's less to knock out of alignment. The Hiboy's rear disc plus front electronic brake can absolutely haul you down in a hurry, but the mechanical disc will need the usual budget-disc babysitting: occasional tweaks to stop rubbing, occasional squeaks, and the knowledge that one good knock can bend the rotor.

Battery & Range

On paper, the Apollo Air 2022 has the larger energy tank, and that does translate into more relaxed real-world range. Ridden like a normal commuter-mixed speeds, some full-throttle sections, a couple of hills-you can comfortably cover a decent there-and-back city commute without watching the battery readout like a hawk. Push hard in sport mode and you'll still get a respectable distance before it starts softening performance to protect itself.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro, with its slightly smaller battery, lands a bit shorter. For moderate urban distances it's fine: out to work, back home, maybe a quick detour to the shop. Start stacking long, fast rides and you'll find its limit sooner than the Apollo's. It's doable; you just plan your routes and charging a bit more consciously.

Efficiency-wise the solid tyres do the Hiboy no favours on rougher surfaces-energy lost to vibration is energy not moving you forwards. The Apollo rolls more freely and feels like it sips its electrons more politely, especially at steady cruising speeds.

Both charge in something approximating an overnight window. The Hiboy fills up a bit faster owing to its smaller pack and shorter stated charge time. In everyday life, you plug either of them in when you park for the evening and they'll be ready for your morning run; only heavy users will really care about the extra hour here or there.

Portability & Practicality

Neither of these is a featherweight toy; think "carryable" rather than "sling over your shoulder and forget it". They're in very similar territory weight-wise, so if stairs are your daily reality, you're going to feel it either way. A few steps up to the office? Fine. Repeated trips to a fourth-floor flat with no lift? That will build character.

The Apollo Air 2022 folds into a fairly compact length but retains its full handlebar width. That wide bar is glorious when riding and slightly annoying when trying to snake between chair legs under a café table. The folding latch is solid but mounted low, so you do need to bend down and give it a proper tug each time.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro's folding system is quicker and more convenient. Flip, fold, latch to the rear fender, done. The package is a bit neater to carry because of the integrated latch point, and it slots under desks or on train luggage racks without too much drama. In multi-modal use-scooter, train, scooter again-the Hiboy does feel more cooperative.

Weather-wise, both offer splash resistance rather than true all-weather duty. Light rain and wet roads are fine; monsoon conditions are not. Apollo's IP rating is marginally higher on paper, but in practice the rule is the same: if you wouldn't take your laptop out in it, don't take your scooter either.

Safety

In day-to-day riding, the Apollo Air 2022 simply feels more composed when things go wrong. Hit an unseen crack mid-corner and the front suspension plus pneumatic tyre soak it up instead of pinging you sideways. The wide bar gives you more leverage to correct little wobbles, and the chassis doesn't twist or squirm when you reef on the brake.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro fights back with redundancy and visibility. Dual braking, plus very bright lighting including side illumination, means you're harder to miss in the dark and have multiple ways to slow down. And solid tyres can't blow out-which removes one of the nastier failure modes of cheaper pneumatic scooters. It's a different interpretation of safety: less about comfort and grip, more about eliminating puncture risk and being seen.

In slick conditions-wet tiles, painted crossings-the Apollo's air tyres give you a more communicative, progressive grip limit. The Hiboy's solid rubber is more unforgiving; when it lets go, it does so with less warning. Not disastrous if you ride sensibly, but it's not the surface you want to be experimenting on.

Lighting: the Apollo's front light is adequate but not thrilling; for fast riding on unlit paths you'll want a helmet light or add-on beam. Hiboy's three-way lighting and side glow do a better job at pure conspicuity in traffic, even if the underlying chassis is less inherently confidence-inspiring.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

This is the awkward conversation. The Apollo Air 2022 costs firmly in "serious purchase" territory. For that money, you are not buying hero specs; you are buying refinement. It's the scooter that's more likely to still feel tight and pleasant after a couple of years, the one that doesn't constantly remind you where the corners were cut.

The Hiboy KS4 Pro, on the other hand, is startlingly cheap relative to what's bolted onto it. For a small fraction of the Apollo's price, you get similar headline power, good lighting, a usable app, and that "never change a tube" promise. On a purely financial level, cost per kilometre can end up extremely low-assuming you can live with the ride and long-term durability quirks.

If your priority is to minimise spend and you're ready to accept some compromises in comfort and finish, the Hiboy is defensible. If you see this as your main daily vehicle and care about how it rides as much as what it cost, the Apollo makes more sense in the long run.

Service & Parts Availability

Apollo has put effort into building a brand ecosystem-documentation, parts warehouses, and a reasonably active community. That means you're more likely to find a proper replacement fork or controller rather than gambling on generic bits from an auction site. Response times vary by region, but the intent to support the product is visible.

Hiboy lives more in the "big online marketplace" space. To their credit, they are better than many no-name sellers when it comes to sending out replacement parts under warranty and answering basic support tickets. But once you're out of warranty, you're more on your own, and the generic nature of the scooter means you may be dealing with pattern parts and DIY solutions. Not disastrous if you are handy-but don't expect boutique-level aftercare.

In Europe, both can be serviced by competent independent shops, but Apollo's more distinct design and stronger brand presence tends to come with slightly better documented servicing procedures and more predictable parts sourcing.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between these two is really choosing what kind of compromise you're willing to live with.

If comfort, composure and that "this feels like a proper vehicle" sensation matter to you, the Apollo Air 2022 is the clear pick. It's easier on your body, more confidence-inspiring at speed, and better sorted as a daily commuter. It costs a lot more than the Hiboy, and if you stare at the spec sheet too long you might wonder why-but you feel the answer within the first few kilometres of broken pavement.

If your budget simply will not stretch that far, the Hiboy KS4 Pro is the pragmatic alternative. It gets you moving quickly, doesn't suffer flats, folds easily and won't cry if you chain it to a lamp post all day. Just go in with realistic expectations: you're buying an honest budget scooter, not a miracle.

For the majority of riders who can afford it, the Apollo is the scooter you'll still be happy to ride six months, a year, two years down the line. The Hiboy is the one you get when you need something now, cheaply, and you're prepared to accept its rough edges as the price of that bargain.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics strip things down to pure maths. Price-per-energy and price-per-range show how cheap each kilometre and Wh really are. Weight-normalised figures tell you how much scooter you're lugging around for the performance and range you get. Efficiency (Wh/km) shows how gently each scooter sips its battery. Power-to-speed gives a sense of how strong the motor is relative to its top speed, while weight-to-power shows how much mass that motor has to push. Finally, average charging speed is a rough indicator of how quickly each scooter refills its battery relative to its size.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the APOLLO Air 2022 scores 3 points against the HIBOY KS4 Pro's 7. In the Author's Category Battle, the APOLLO Air 2022 gets 28 ✅ versus 11 ✅ for HIBOY KS4 Pro.

Totals: APOLLO Air 2022 scores 31, HIBOY KS4 Pro scores 18.

Based on the scoring, the APOLLO Air 2022 is our overall winner. Between these two, the Apollo Air 2022 is the scooter that actually makes you look forward to your commute. It rides better, feels more sorted, and behaves like a small, well-thought-out vehicle rather than a cheap gadget you happened to bolt wheels onto. The Hiboy KS4 Pro punches above its price and absolutely has its place, but you're reminded of its compromises more often. If you can afford the Apollo, it rewards you every day you roll over less-than-perfect tarmac; if you can't, the Hiboy will still faithfully drag you to work and back, just with a little less grace.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.