Apollo City 2022 vs Kaabo Skywalker 8S - Which "Goldilocks" Commuter Scooter Actually Delivers?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Apollo City 2022 is the more complete, mature commuter scooter overall: better weather protection, nicer integration, calmer handling and lower day-to-day hassle make it the safer long-term bet for most urban riders. The Kaabo Skywalker 8S hits harder on pure punch and price, but feels more like an older-school "tuned toy" than a truly modern, polished vehicle.

Choose the Apollo if you care about comfort, wet-weather resilience, low maintenance and a scooter that looks at home in front of an office. Choose the Skywalker 8S if your commute is steep, you're on a tighter budget, and you're willing to live with harsher ride quality and some compromises in refinement.

If you want to know which one will actually make your daily commute less annoying rather than just faster on paper, keep reading - the differences become very clear once the kilometres pile up.

Electric scooters have grown up. We're no longer choosing between flimsy rental clones and 40-kg monsters that look like they escaped from a motocross paddock. The Apollo City 2022 and the Kaabo Skywalker 8S both promise to be that sweet-spot "real vehicle" you can ride every day without needing a gym membership or a motorcycle licence.

I've put serious kilometres on both: early-morning commutes in drizzle, late-night runs on battered bike lanes, and more than one "just one more lap" blast around the block. On paper they overlap heavily. In reality, they come from very different schools of thought - one leans towards modern integration and low maintenance, the other towards old-school bang-for-buck punch.

If you're torn between them, you're in the right price bracket - now it's about picking the personality that will actually work for your life. Let's dig in.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters sit in that mid-range commuter segment: serious money, but not "sell a kidney" money. They're for riders who've outgrown rental scooters and supermarket specials, want real power and suspension, but still need to fold the thing and get it through a door without calling three friends to help.

The Apollo City 2022 is the office-friendly daily: modern design, strong weather rating, self-healing tyres, drum brakes and app integration. It's aimed at people who want a transport appliance that happens to be fun, rather than a toy they occasionally commute on.

The Kaabo Skywalker 8S is more old-school Kaabo: biggish motor, straightforward mechanics, compact folded size and a price that's noticeably lower. It's the "performance commuter" for riders who care more about torque and hill-climbing than slick integration and future-proofing.

Same broad use case - medium urban commutes - but very different takes on how a commuter scooter should feel and age.

Design & Build Quality

Stylistically, these two could not be further apart.

The Apollo City 2022 looks like a modern consumer product - smooth, sculpted frame, cables mostly hidden, lighting and display neatly integrated. In person it feels cohesive: rubberised deck, solid fenders that don't flap around, and a stem that locks with a reassuring clunk. You get the sense a designer and an engineer were allowed in the same room, which is rarer than it should be in this price class.

The Kaabo Skywalker 8S, by contrast, wears its hardware on the outside. Exposed cabling in looms, a very standard trigger-throttle display bolted to the bar, and a deck that looks like it belongs on a small stunt scooter. The frame itself is sturdy and the deck welds inspire confidence, but the overall impression is "functional workshop build" more than "polished product". It's not ugly, just clearly a generation behind in integration.

In the hands, the Apollo's controls feel more premium: ergonomic grips, tidy display, a clever dedicated regen throttle for braking. On the Kaabo the parts feel familiar if you've ever ridden other Chinese performance scooters - the usual trigger, basic LCD, and mechanical levers. They work, but nothing about them says "thought through for the long haul" in quite the same way.

Long-term, both frames are solid; the difference is in details. On the Skywalker you'll be tightening fenders and tweaking cables over time. On the Apollo you're more likely to complain about weight and the occasional folding hook annoyance than about things literally rattling loose.

Ride Comfort & Handling

If your city has rough bike lanes, this is where the gap starts to hurt for the Kaabo.

The Apollo City 2022 rides on larger, tubeless self-healing tyres with a proper multi-point spring suspension setup. The first time you roll over broken asphalt or cobblestones, the scooter just... deals with it. The deck stays surprisingly calm under your feet, the bars don't chatter, and your knees don't start negotiating for an early retirement after a few kilometres.

The Kaabo Skywalker 8S does have suspension at both ends, and for a scooter with smaller wheels it is impressively compliant on reasonably smooth tarmac. The front air tyre and spring fork take the sting out of cracks and expansion joints. Then the rear solid tyre reminds you you're on a cost-conscious design: hit a string of rough patches or cobbles and you feel every pattern in the paving through your back foot. It's not brutal, but you're more aware you're on a compact scooter.

In corners, the Apollo feels more planted and "big scooter"-like. The wide deck and large tyres give you confidence to lean, and the chassis doesn't twitch when you change direction quickly. The City Pro in particular feels like it wants to carve sweeping bends rather than be flicked around like a toy.

The Skywalker 8S feels more agile but also more nervous at higher speeds. The narrow 8-inch wheels turn in quickly; great for dodging pedestrians at moderate speeds, less great when you're unlocked and flying down a fast cycle lane. It's still controllable, but you need a bit more respect for bumps mid-corner, especially in the wet with that solid rear tyre.

Comfort on longer rides also comes down to stance and bar height. Apollo gives you a roomy deck and fixed, reasonably tall stem - good for most riders, slightly cramped only if you're very tall. Kaabo counters with a wide deck and an adjustable stem. Being able to set bar height is a real plus on the Skywalker, but its smaller wheels and firmer rear end mean that even perfectly adjusted, it never quite reaches the Apollo's relaxed "floating" feel.

Performance

Both scooters are plenty quick for city use, but they deliver that speed very differently.

The Apollo City Single is a brisk, civilised commuter: it pulls cleanly away from lights, keeps pace with fast cyclists and casual traffic, and doesn't feel breathless on mild hills. The City Pro with dual motors turns things up several notches - proper shove off the line, easy overtakes and the ability to sit at "this really doesn't look like a bicycle any more" speeds without feeling like it's on the ragged edge. The throttle mapping on both is smooth and predictable; you get this nice linear ramp of power rather than a sudden lurch.

The Kaabo Skywalker 8S, with its single but beefy rear motor, feels more eager out of the gate than the single-motor Apollo and can nip surprisingly close to the dual-motor vibe at city speeds. From a standstill, snap the trigger and it surges forward with that "didn't expect that from something this small" attitude. In the traffic-light drag race it absolutely holds its own, often feeling more urgent than the spec sheet suggests.

On steeper hills, both are capable - but in different ways. The dual-motor Apollo Pro is the hill-eater here, maintaining silly-for-a-scooter speeds up gradients that leave rental models gasping. The single-motor City will crest most urban climbs comfortably, just with less headroom. The Skywalker's strong single motor punches up hills better than most scooters in its price band; it doesn't crawl, but it will understandably slow more than the Apollo Pro when things get really steep or when you're a heavier rider.

Braking is one place where the Apollo clearly feels more grown-up. Twin drum brakes plus strong regenerative braking give you consistent, confidence-inspiring stops, wet or dry, with very little drama. Most of the time you ride it almost like an electric car: one thumb for go, one thumb for slow, hardly ever touching the mechanical brakes.

The Skywalker relies on a single rear disc plus electronic braking. When dialled in and dry, stopping distances are fine for its performance level. But it's rear-biased, needs periodic adjustment, and the sensation of all your stopping happening at the back wheel is never as reassuring as the Apollo's balanced, weather-sealed system - especially if you're descending in the rain with that solid rear tyre hunting for grip.

Battery & Range

Real-world, both scooters will get a typical commuter through the day. The Apollo simply does it with a bit more headroom and less anxiety, especially in the Pro trim.

The City 2022 offers two battery sizes; even the smaller pack will comfortably cover a medium return commute at normal riding speeds, while the Pro's larger battery handles longer or more enthusiastic riding without constantly watching the bars drop. With regen braking helping a little in stop-start city riding, you end most days with enough in reserve that "will I get home?" isn't a regular thought.

The Skywalker 8S has a similar claimed range on paper, but in practice its combination of punchy motor and smaller battery means that if you ride it like it begs to be ridden - full power, lots of hills - you land in that "decent but not generous" territory. Perfectly workable for average city distances, but if your commute stretches toward the upper end of its comfort zone, you start planning charging more consciously. It's fine, it's just not what I'd call relaxed.

Charging time is broadly similar for both - plug in at work or overnight and they're ready. The Apollo's faster stated charge for the Pro-sized battery is nice if you regularly need two full legs in one day. Neither has cutting-edge fast charging; both are sensibly conservative for battery health.

Portability & Practicality

Here's where the Kaabo starts arguing its case again - with a few asterisks.

The Skywalker 8S is noticeably lighter than the Apollo City Pro and a bit lighter than the City Single. Combined with a slimmer frame, smaller wheels and those folding handlebars, it becomes a surprisingly compact package when folded. Sliding it under a desk, into a car boot, or squeezing into a crowded train vestibule is genuinely easier. If your routine involves regular lifting and tight storage, this is a meaningful advantage.

The Apollo City 2022, on the other hand, is unapologetically chunky. The weight is very obvious the first time you carry it up a staircase - it feels more like a small moped than a "kick scooter with ideas". The stem folds quickly and locks to the deck, but the whole thing occupies more volume, and that hook can be fiddly when you actually try to carry it by the stem. For rolling into a lift or parking by your desk it's fine; for daily shoulder-hauling, it's borderline masochistic.

On the practicality side beyond weight, the Apollo fights back hard: sealed drum brakes, self-healing tyres, and a high water-resistance rating scream "ride me, don't wrench me". You don't stress every time you see a nail on the road or a puddle in front of you. The integrated app with its digital lock and tuning options is a nice bonus for daily use.

The Kaabo is more basic but still practical: sturdy kickstand, simple mechanics you or any decent bike tech can understand, and that no-flat rear tyre which, to its credit, does mean fewer roadside repairs. But the lower weather protection and more exposed components mean it's a little more "fair-weather friend" unless you're very disciplined about drying and maintaining it.

Safety

Safety is more than just brakes, but the brakes are a good place to start - and they strongly favour the Apollo.

The Apollo City's dual sealed drums plus robust regen are a commuter's dream: consistent braking in dry and wet, almost no maintenance, and a very intuitive control scheme. You quickly get used to modulating speed just with that left thumb. Add the larger tyres and more planted chassis, and emergency stops feel controlled rather than dramatic.

The Skywalker's single rear disc and E-ABS absolutely work, but they're old-school: cable stretch over time, exposed caliper to keep aligned, and all your bite coming from the back. Add in the less grippy, solid rear tyre and high-speed emergency braking on slippery surfaces demands more skill and more distance. It's acceptable, just not confidence-building in poor conditions.

Lighting and visibility go to the Apollo as well. The high-mounted headlight and integrated turn signals make you look more like a proper vehicle in traffic, even if the headlight itself could still be brighter for pitch-black lanes. The Skywalker's deck-level lighting looks cool and helps you be seen from the side, but the low-mounted headlight doesn't do you many favours when you're really moving; a bar-mounted auxiliary light feels less optional and more mandatory.

Weather protection is another big divider. The Apollo's strong water-resistance rating and sealed components mean riding in rain is something you can accept rather than avoid. The Skywalker can survive the odd shower if you're careful, but it's not a scooter I'd want to treat like an all-season workhorse without extra care and some DIY sealing.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

This is where the Kaabo makes its loudest argument: it's significantly cheaper.

The Skywalker 8S undercuts the Apollo City 2022 by a healthy margin while still giving you proper suspension, a strong motor and acceptable range. If your priority is maximum shove and speed per euro, it's undeniably attractive. You sacrifice refinement, some comfort, and long-term polish, but pure performance-per-currency looks good.

The Apollo charges more for less headline power (at least in the single-motor version), and if you only skim spec sheets you'd call it poor value. Once you factor in self-healing tyres, sealed brakes, better weather resistance and the general sense that it was actually designed for daily transport, the long-term cost makes more sense. Fewer flats, less brake servicing, and a scooter that survives foul weather all add up financially and mentally.

So: if you treat a scooter more like a fun gadget and less like your main vehicle, the Skywalker's value proposition is compelling. If this is meant to replace buses or short car trips, the Apollo's extra upfront outlay starts to look less indulgent and more like insurance.

Service & Parts Availability

Both brands are reasonably well supported in Europe, but the type of support differs.

Apollo has been pushing a more "Western brand" model: formal warranty channels, growing service networks, and decent documentation. They've had their growing pains - especially in busy seasons - but you can at least find official parts and clear instructions without falling into forum rabbit holes.

Kaabo, meanwhile, is very well represented via distributors and a strong enthusiast community. Finding generic parts like tyres, brake pads, and controllers is straightforward because the Skywalker uses many standard components. But support quality depends heavily on which reseller you bought from; some are excellent, others... less so. You're saved somewhat by the scooter's mechanical simplicity: any competent scooter or e-bike shop can usually keep it alive.

In practice, if you want something that just needs the occasional check and minimal involvement from you, the Apollo's design gives it the edge. If you're comfortable occasionally getting your hands dirty or using a friendly local workshop, the Kaabo is perfectly manageable - just a bit more old-fashioned in its support ecosystem.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If I had to live with one of these as my main urban transport, it would be the Apollo City 2022 Pro. Not because it's wildly exciting - it isn't - but because it behaves like a grown-up vehicle. It's calmer, more comfortable, more weatherproof and asks less from you in day-to-day fuss. The ride quality and braking alone make it a more relaxing partner for real commuting, and the low-maintenance hardware pays you back slowly, like a boring but reliable pension fund.

The Kaabo Skywalker 8S is the more tempting at first glance: cheaper, punchy, folds tiny, and cheerful about bombing up hills. If you're budget-conscious, often need to combine train and scooter, and don't ride much in the rain, it can absolutely be a fun and capable choice. Just go in knowing you're trading away some refinement, wet-weather safety margin and long-distance comfort to hit that price point.

In short: if your scooter is a serious daily tool that must behave itself in all weathers, the Apollo City 2022 is the safer, more future-proof bet. If it's more of an enthusiast toy that happens to do your commute and you're happy to live with its quirks, the Kaabo Skywalker 8S will make you grin every time you snap that trigger.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics strip out emotion and look purely at "how much do you get per unit" - money, weight, power or time. Lower cost per Wh or per kilometre favours budget efficiency; weight-based metrics highlight portability relative to performance; Wh per km shows how thirsty each scooter is; power-to-speed and weight-to-power expose how muscular the drivetrain is for the performance claimed; and average charging speed simply tells you how fast you can refill the tank.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the APOLLO City 2022 scores 5 points against the KAABO Skywalker 8S's 5. In the Author's Category Battle, the APOLLO City 2022 gets 32 ✅ versus 11 ✅ for KAABO Skywalker 8S (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: APOLLO City 2022 scores 37, KAABO Skywalker 8S scores 16.

Based on the scoring, the APOLLO City 2022 is our overall winner. When you step back from the spec sheets and look at lived experience, the Apollo City 2022 simply feels more like a transport tool you can trust every day and less like a project you need to manage. It's calmer, more comfortable and more forgiving when the weather or the road surface decides to misbehave. The Kaabo Skywalker 8S has its charms - that eager motor and compact fold will absolutely win some hearts - but as a complete package it never quite shakes the sense of compromise. If your goal is to enjoy your commute rather than constantly work around your scooter's limits, the Apollo is the one that quietly keeps you happier, ride after ride.

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.