Apollo Air 2022 vs Hiboy S2 Pro - Comfort Cruiser Takes on the Budget Brawler

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Apollo Air 2022 is the overall winner here because it simply rides better, feels more grown-up, and inspires more confidence day after day. Its suspension, pneumatic tyres and more refined chassis make commuting calmer, safer and less fatiguing, even if the price stings a bit.

The Hiboy S2 Pro is for riders who care more about spending less and never fixing a puncture than about comfort or finesse. If your roads are fairly smooth, your budget is tighter, and you just want something that "does the job" with minimal fuss, the Hiboy can still make sense.

If you want your scooter to feel like a real vehicle rather than a powered toy, lean towards the Apollo. If your wallet is in charge of the decision, the Hiboy keeps the damage down.

Stick around for the full breakdown - the trade-offs between these two are bigger than the spec sheets suggest.

Electric scooters in this class are all about one thing: surviving the daily grind without ruining your back, your nerves, or your bank account. The Apollo Air 2022 and the Hiboy S2 Pro sit right in that sweet commuter tier where car keys start to gather dust and public transport cards mysteriously "go missing".

On paper, they look oddly similar: mid-power motors, mid-tier batteries, mid-teens weight. In reality, they represent two very different philosophies. The Apollo Air 2022 is your comfort-oriented "mini-vehicle", clearly designed by people who actually commute. The Hiboy S2 Pro is the budget street fighter, focused on low price, simple ownership and tyres that never, ever go flat - even if your knees might wish they did.

If you are wondering which one you'll still be happy with after a few hundred kilometres of real riding - not just a weekend of novelty - keep reading. This is where numbers stop being impressive and start having consequences.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters live in that mid-power, mid-weight commuter bracket that appeals to city riders who want more than a rental toy but don't want to jump into heavy, dual-motor monsters. They top out around typical city cycling speeds, promise enough range for a full day of errands, and weigh just light enough to be "liftable" rather than "call a friend" heavy.

The Apollo Air 2022 positions itself as a premium commuter - more money, but also more thought put into ride quality, stability and design. The Hiboy S2 Pro is the budget hero: roughly half the price, broadly similar motor power, and a spec sheet that looks very competitive if you stop reading at the numbers.

You would compare these two if you are deciding between stretching your budget for comfort and refinement (Apollo), or saving a few hundred euros and accepting some rough edges, both literal and figurative (Hiboy).

Design & Build Quality

Pick up the Apollo Air 2022 and it feels like a single, cohesive object. The frame casting is clean, cables are tucked away, and the whole scooter looks like it was drawn as one piece rather than assembled from a parts catalogue. The rubber deck, integrated display, and solid, chunky stem give off "small vehicle" vibes rather than "Amazon gadget". In the hands, there's very little flex or creak - it feels like something you'd trust at full speed on a pothole-riddled boulevard.

The Hiboy S2 Pro goes for a more utilitarian, industrial look. Matte black, some red accents, mostly clean cable routing. It's decent for the price, but you can tell where corners have been shaved: the welds are fine but not art, the plastics feel cheaper, and the overall impression is "mass-produced workhorse" rather than "carefully finished commuter tool". The added metal brace on the rear mudguard is a very Hiboy touch - fix the failure points with brackets and bolts rather than redesign the system.

Where you really feel the difference is in tolerances. The Apollo's stem and folding joint feel properly tight, with minimal play even after many kilometres. The Hiboy starts solid but tends to develop a bit of wobble at the folding joint over time unless you're disciplined about tightening things. Not catastrophic, but you're reminded you bought a budget scooter every time you feel that little clunk over a bump.

If build quality and "feel in the hand" matter to you, the Apollo is clearly the more mature product. The Hiboy is robust enough, but it doesn't hide its budget origins when you get close.

Ride Comfort & Handling

This is where the gap between these two really stops being theoretical.

The Apollo Air 2022 was built around comfort. Front fork suspension plus large pneumatic tyres means it actually floats over the kind of broken city surfaces that turn many scooters into percussion instruments. On rough asphalt and patched bike lanes, the Air feels composed; the bars stay surprisingly calm and your knees don't file HR complaints after a few kilometres. Long downhill sections with ripples and small cracks are handled with a sort of easy glide that makes you forget how bad the surface actually is.

The Hiboy S2 Pro has two words working against it: solid tyres. Yes, they are honeycomb-style, with holes to give a bit of flex, and yes, the rear dual springs do help. But physics is physics. On smooth tarmac it's absolutely fine - you get that connected, sporty feel. Hit expansion joints, cobblestones or cracked pavements, and the scooter starts transmitting much more of the road texture into your feet, ankles and hands. After several kilometres of broken sidewalks, you'll know exactly how your city's road budget has been doing in the last decade.

In corners, the Apollo's wider handlebars and plush front end give you more confidence to lean in slightly and hold a stable line, even across mid-corner bumps. The Hiboy, on decent surfaces, feels nimble and responsive too, but you're very aware that sudden bumps translate more harshly, so you naturally ride more cautiously.

If your daily route is smooth and short, you can live with the Hiboy's stiffness. If it includes broken bike lanes, imperfections, or just more than one bridge expansion joint, the Apollo is far kinder to your joints and your courage.

Performance

Both scooters use motors in the same league - enough power that you don't feel like a moving traffic cone, but not enough to get you into serious trouble by accident. Off the line, they're actually quite close. The Hiboy feels a touch eager - it has that budget-scooter enthusiasm where the controller is tuned to feel quick, which many riders enjoy. The Apollo's acceleration is more measured and linear, which makes it feel calmer but also easier to modulate in tight spaces.

At full tilt, the Apollo Air 2022 edges ahead slightly in top-speed sensation. It has just that tiny bit more breathing room once you're already moving. More importantly, at its top speed it feels calmer: the front suspension and larger, air-filled tyres absorb the little stuff, so you're not getting bounced around. The bars stay planted, and the chassis feels reassuringly solid.

The Hiboy S2 Pro's top speed is just a fraction lower and more than enough for urban use. But on rougher surfaces, you'll reach the point where the scooter still "can" go faster, but your hands, knees, and survival instinct politely decline. On smooth bike paths, though, it's brisk and enjoyable, and the cruise control makes long stints at steady speed surprisingly relaxing for the thumb, if not for the rest of the body.

On hills, both manage normal city gradients without drama. Heavier riders will feel both of them slow on steeper climbs, but neither rolls over and gives up unless the incline starts to resemble a bad ski run. The difference is more in how they feel doing it: the Apollo chugs up steadily and quietly; the Hiboy feels like it's working harder, but still gets the job done for typical urban hills.

Braking is another key part of performance. The Apollo's drum plus strong, well-tuned regenerative brake gives a very controlled, predictable deceleration. You can do almost all your slowing with regen in many situations, using the drum only when you really need to. It's smooth and confidence-inspiring. The Hiboy's rear disc plus front regen combo has decent overall stopping power, but the sensation is less refined - the regen can feel grabby when set high in the app and the disc sometimes squeaks or feels a bit "budget bike" until properly bedded in and adjusted.

Battery & Range

Range is where the Apollo quietly justifies a good chunk of its higher price. Its battery is noticeably larger, and you feel that in real-world use. Riding at a realistic commuter pace, with some stops, some hills and not babying the throttle, you can actually do a fairly serious day of riding before you're anxiously eyeing the battery icon. For many riders, that means charging once a day at most - often every other day for shorter commutes.

The Hiboy S2 Pro's battery is smaller but not tiny. On a typical mixed urban ride at full power, you can expect to comfortably cover one there-and-back commute for most city dwellers, maybe two if your distances are modest and your route is flat. Push it hard, and you'll find the lower end of its real range fairly quickly. It doesn't fall off a cliff early, but you'll notice that you plan your day a bit more carefully if you are stacking trips.

On the flip side, the Hiboy charges noticeably faster - useful if you can plug in at both ends of the day. The Apollo's larger pack naturally needs a longer nap. For many riders this just means "charge overnight and forget about it", but if you are the type who runs batteries down to blinking-red and then remembers you're going out again in two hours, the quicker top-up of the Hiboy is convenient.

In terms of range anxiety: with the Apollo, it's mostly something you read about. With the Hiboy, you'll occasionally be doing back-of-the-envelope maths on the way home if you've had an especially energetic morning.

Portability & Practicality

Despite the Apollo being slightly heavier on paper, in the hand they feel in the same weight class: liftable, but not "carry this for twenty minutes" pleasant. If you have to climb two or three flights of stairs, you'll manage with either. If you're doing that daily, you will definitely reconsider your life choices after a month.

The folding experience differs more. The Hiboy's lever at the base of the stem is quick to operate, and the hook-to-fender latch is simple and fast. Folded, it becomes a compact, easy-to-throw-in-a-boot shape. It's very much designed for quick fold-lift-go routines at stations and car parks.

The Apollo's folding mechanism is more robust but also fussier. You bend down lower, the action is stiffer, and while the end result is a rock-solid stem with very little play, it's not as quick or ergonomic as the Hiboy's. The Apollo's wide fixed handlebars also mean the folded scooter takes up more lateral space - under some desks or in narrow hallways you'll notice this. The Hiboy's narrower cockpit makes it easier to sneak between chair legs and office clutter.

Both scooters have mid-level water resistance, enough for light rain and wet streets. The Apollo's overall build and cable management make it feel more comfortable living outdoors in typical European drizzle. The Hiboy's rating is slightly lower, and combined with those solid tyres (more on wet grip later), it's not the machine I'd voluntarily take out on a really nasty, wet day unless I had no choice.

Safety

Safety is where the Apollo quietly - and sometimes not so quietly - pulls away.

The Apollo's braking package, with a sealed front drum and strong, smoothly tuned regen, offers very predictable, balanced stopping. It's hard to lock the wheel unintentionally, and the feel is progressive enough that even newer riders can get comfortable doing firm, controlled stops. Paired with big, air-filled tyres and front suspension, emergency braking over imperfect surfaces feels far less hairy than it does on many competitors.

The Hiboy's combination of rear disc and front regen has decent ultimate stopping power, but the sensation can be more abrupt. In higher regen settings, easing off the throttle or pulling the lever can produce a noticeable "drag" that catches some riders out at first. With practice you adapt, but it's not quite the same level of polish as on the Apollo. Squeaky discs and the occasional shudder under hard braking also remind you you're in the budget bracket.

Tyre grip is another big difference. The Apollo's pneumatic tyres simply have better mechanical grip, especially on wet surfaces, metal covers, or painted lines. You can feel them deform slightly and hang on when things get sketchy. The Hiboy's solid tyres are fine in the dry, but on wet pavements, zebra crossings or manhole covers, you have to dial your speed back and treat bends with respect. Many Hiboy riders learn this the hard way once - and then become extremely conservative whenever water is involved.

Lighting is a small win for the Hiboy: it has a more comprehensive lighting package out of the box, with side lighting that does improve visibility to others. The Apollo's lights are adequate to be seen, but for unlit paths at night you'll probably want an extra bar-mounted light either way. In terms of overall safety package though - grip, braking finesse, chassis stability - the Apollo feels the safer platform, particularly at the upper end of their speed range or in less-than-perfect conditions.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

This is the section where many people stop reading and grab the Hiboy - and to be fair, the raw price difference is huge. The S2 Pro costs in the ballpark of a mid-range bicycle, and for that money you get real speed, usable range, lights, suspension, app control and a motor that doesn't feel anemic. If your budget ceiling is firm, it's one of the strongest "first scooter" options around.

But value is not only numbers on a spec sheet; it's also what your body and brain go through every day. The Apollo Air 2022 costs roughly twice as much, but it's also roughly twice as civilised. The extra money buys you comfort, stability, better grip, nicer ergonomics and a clearly more polished riding experience. After a few hundred kilometres, that difference doesn't feel theoretical anymore; it shows up in how relaxed you arrive and how much you still trust the scooter when the surface or weather go sideways.

If you truly just need the cheapest thing that works reasonably well and you can live with more vibration and a bit of wobble maintenance, the Hiboy is defensible. If you're expecting to use the scooter as a genuine car-replacement for a couple of years, the Apollo starts to look less like a luxury and more like the safer, saner investment.

Service & Parts Availability

Apollo has built its brand partly on customer support and after-sales service. While not perfect, it offers proper parts logistics, documented procedures and a fairly engaged community across Europe and North America. Need a new drum, display or control board? You can usually source official parts without going on a detective mission through random webshops. There's also plenty of user-generated content - guides, tweaks, fixes - because owners tend to hang on to these scooters for a while.

Hiboy, as a high-volume budget brand, plays a different game. You often buy via big marketplaces, and while they will generally send you replacement parts under warranty, the experience can be hit or miss depending on where you are and who you reach. There are lots of spares online, but quality varies, and you're more likely to be doing your own troubleshooting with forum help. For tinkerers this is fine; for riders who want "bike shop style" support, it may be frustrating.

In Europe specifically, Apollo's partner network and clearer parts channels give it an edge. With the Hiboy you are more on your own once the parcel lands at your door.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

Between these two, the Apollo Air 2022 walks away as the more complete scooter. It rides better, feels safer, and behaves more like a thoughtfully designed vehicle than a cost-optimised gadget. If you care about how your body feels after a commute, how confident you are braking hard on sketchy surfaces, and how solid your scooter feels bombing down imperfect bike lanes, the Apollo earns its place in your life - even if the upfront price is harder to swallow.

The Hiboy S2 Pro is the scooter you buy when budget simply overrides everything else. It's quick enough, ranges far enough, folds neatly and shrugs off punctures like they never existed. For shorter, mostly smooth commutes and for riders who just want something functional without raiding their savings, it can still be a rational choice. But you are always aware of the compromises: harsher ride, weaker wet grip, and a general sense that the scooter is doing its best with what it was given, rather than being truly sorted.

If you're in this for the long haul - daily commuting, year-round use, or you simply value a calmer, safer-feeling ride - stretch to the Apollo Air 2022 if you possibly can. If your budget is firmly capped and your expectations are realistic, the Hiboy S2 Pro will still get you around town with a decent amount of speed and surprisingly little drama, as long as the roads play nice.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics look purely at efficiency and cost relationships. Price per Wh and per km/h show how much you pay for each unit of battery or speed. Weight-related metrics indicate how "dense" or portable the performance is. Wh per km reflects energy efficiency on the road. Power-to-speed and weight-to-power give a feel for how strongly the motor is specified relative to speed and mass. Average charging speed tells you how quickly the battery fills back up per hour plugged in.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the APOLLO Air 2022 scores 3 points against the HIBOY S2 Pro's 7. In the Author's Category Battle, the APOLLO Air 2022 gets 33 ✅ versus 11 ✅ for HIBOY S2 Pro (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: APOLLO Air 2022 scores 36, HIBOY S2 Pro scores 18.

Based on the scoring, the APOLLO Air 2022 is our overall winner. When all the spreadsheets and tables are put away, the Apollo Air 2022 simply feels like the scooter you trust more and enjoy more, day in, day out. It smooths out bad roads, makes sketchy moments less dramatic, and generally behaves like a small, well-sorted vehicle rather than a lucky bargain. The Hiboy S2 Pro fights hard on price and will absolutely get many riders hooked on electric commuting, but it can't quite hide its compromises once the kilometres stack up. If you can stretch to it, the Apollo is the scooter you'll still be quietly pleased with a year from now - not just because it moves you, but because of how it makes every ride feel.

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.