5 best electric bikes for commuting and outdoorsy adventures, tested

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test thousands of products every year to find the very best on the market. We put each and every one through rigorous testing, both in real-world and lab conditions.

For this test, we recruited a panel of experienced electric bike users to try the bikes out on the roads and provide honest feedback on whether they're worth the investment.

Our former fitness testing manager, Yanar Alkayat, then analysed all the results and scored according to the key priorities, such as design, comfort and performance, to help you find the very best e-bike for your needs.

For a start, they’re great fun – there’s nothing quite like zipping up a hill on one to feel like you’re a Tour de France champion! They can also be a great way to enjoy cycling with a faster, fitter partner without worrying whether you’ll be able to keep up.

If you enjoy exploring, an e-bike will let you go further afield than your legs alone can take you. Many designs are as happy on tracks and trails as they are on tarmac. With a rear luggage rack or a basket up front, you could find your e-bike makes a great alternative to the car on shopping trips too.

Weight: There’s no getting away from it, motors and batteries include a lot of metal, so an e-bike will always be heavier than the equivalent non-electric model – some can be almost three times heavier than an ordinary hybrid.

If you need to take your bike up steps or want to stick it in the back of a car to take on holiday, it could be worth looking at a lighter folding model.

Some of the lightest racer-style e-bikes tip the scales around 12kg but can cost a fortune, while a “Dutch-style” step-through design can be a hefty 25kg or more. The average weight is around 20kg.

Battery: You’ll need to be able to charge up the battery from time to time, so make sure you can either remove it to top it up indoors or have a garage or outside charging point if the power pack is fixed to the frame.

To get the best performance out of the battery, make sure you use the bike regularly – batteries are expensive items and don’t take kindly to being left to run flat for weeks or months on end.

The size of the battery can dictate the range of the bike, so if you only need the bike for local journeys there’s not much point buying a bike with a huge power pack that will take you 100 miles.

Range: Around 30 to 50 miles of range will be ample for most riders, but bear in mind that if you zip around on the highest power setting you can burn through even a fully charged battery in as little as 20 miles – and we know from bitter experience, it’s not much fun trying to get a heavy e-bike home on leg power alone.

Costs: Even with today’s sky-high energy prices, it costs just pennies to charge the battery – less than it does to boil a kettle. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of a yearly service – you’ll find a heavy e-bike will go through things like brake pads and tyres quicker. But however many miles you rack up over a year, you’re still likely to be quids in over the cost of running a car.

Types of motor: Many designs have it built into the rear or front wheel where it is activated by a sensor that detects when you are pedalling; others have a mid-mounted motor down at the pedals.

Assistance levels: Most e-bikes offer a range of settings from power-sipping eco through to full-on max boost modes that will put a huge grin on your face. Whichever mode you choose, the assistance has to cut out at 15.5mph to stay legal.

Walk mode: It’s not available on every e-bike but walk mode can be a very handy feature – press a button or lever and the motor will push the bike along at low speed rather than you having to shove all that bulk on your own. It’s fantastic if you use the bike for shopping and must manoeuvre it through a busy area on foot.

As with ordinary bikes, there are a huge range of designs, so you can find one suited to your needs. Step-through models aren’t just for female riders but they are fantastic if you want to ride while wearing a dress or find it hard to lift your leg over the frame.

Folding e-bikes are perfect if your journey involves another form of transport such as a train or tram – plus you have the security benefits of being able to bring it into your home or workplace.

There are even e-bikes that look just like racing bikes, if you fancy giving the local peloton a run for their money on a Sunday morning!

Under UK law, the motor can only kick in while you're pedalling and it must switch off when you hit 15.5mph. Riders must be over the age of 14. As with a standard bike, you’ll need to use lights and reflectors if riding in the dark.

Third-party insurance isn’t a legal requirement but it can be a good idea to join an organisation such as Cycling UK to take advantage of their cover, just in case you are ever involved in an accident.