Chilli Base Scooter Review

Chilli Pro Base Scooter Review

Chilli gave us the Chilli Base scooter in exchange for our review. My son and I had fun taking it to the skate park and testing it out.

The Chilli Pro Base scooter is designed for beginners at the skate park aged around 8 and above. My 9 year old son, Callum is a complete beginner, making him the perfect tester. I was impressed at how solid and high quality the scooter was out of the box, especially at the competitive price point. But how would Callum fare with this scooter on the ramps for the first time?

On the Ramps

Callum's competent on a two-wheel kick scooter but I was still apprehensive about letting him down the ramps. I needn't have worried. He took to it like a duck to water and I think the design of the scooter helped.

The bars are wide and this gave him lots of control. The scooter was perfectly sized for him, with the bars around waist height. The wheels rolled smoothly and quickly and the long and wide deck gave him plenty of foot space.

Scooter Size

Callum is 4'4" (132cm) in height and the scooter is the ideal height for him. The total scooter height is 79cm from the floor to the top of the handlebars.

In terms of bar height the general rule says that they should sit somewhere between the waist and hip when the user is standing on the deck. Some stunt scooter riders prefer their bars to sit lower, as there is more freedom of movement around the scooter for tricks and jumps. Other riders prefer the bars to be around their waistline but it often comes down to rider preference. However, it's important the bars don't come up higher than waist height as it will make the scooter difficult to control.

The Chilli Base's bars came up to around waist height on Callum giving him optimum control. The waist size bars make it easy for him to use and manoeuvre and there is also plenty of growing room. As kids grow and improve, they may prefer their bars to sit lower - so this would work well as he gets taller. Stunt scooters like the Chilli Base are always a fixed height and are never foldable. This is because a foldable and height-adjustable scooter will have weak points which could snap under the impact of jumps and tricks.

It's also worth noting how light this scooter is. At 3.5kg it's very light, making it easier for kids to control and manipulate. As you can imagine, the heavier the stunt scooter, the more difficult it is to perform jumps and other tricks. And you want it to be light so they can easily lift it up to the top of the ramps!

Wheels and Flex Brake

Callum loved the blue colour of the wheels which look pretty cool. The wheels are 110mm, which is a nice size for beginners offering a smooth and speedy ride. Budget scooters often have wheels of 100mm but these bigger 110mm wheels are much better. They're going to last longer, there is more urethane so they will wear down less quickly. If you do need to replace the wheels, you can pick up replacements on the Chilli website.

The scooter also features a robust flex brake made of steel. Being under the 100kg weight limit, I jumped on and tried out the brake. I'm happy to report it worked very well.

Although I didn't try the scooter out on the ramps, I loved whizzing around on the paths and was impressed by how smoothly it rode. Two other kids came onto the skate park and their scooters rattled as they rode. You just don't get this at all with the Chilli Base scooter. It is a quiet, fast and smooth ride.

Deck

The deck measure 50cm by 11.5cm (19.6" by 4.5") which is comparable with other scooters aimed at the 8 plus age group. There's plenty of foot space for children. Most school-aged kids use their stunt scooter to get from a to b as well as on the ramps. The deck gives lots of space for resting feet when they are scooting along the paths which contributes to a comfortable ride.

The grip tape is high quality and durable and passed its first outing with me, my teenager and my 9 year old having a go.

Bars

The scooter bar is made from 4310 Chromoly steel which gives a light but super strong bar. What I really like about the Chill Base scooter is the bars are super wide. They measure 58cm in width and seem much more comfortable for Callum than narrower options. He had lots of control. Super-wide bars also mean you can whip them around faster, which is great for kids who are looking to improve their A game at the skate park.

Grips

Grips are an often overlooked but important part of a stunt scooter. The rubber grips on the Chilli Base are both durable and comfortable, giving kid's confidence and proper control of the scooter. We loved the blue colour which matched the wheels and makes the scooter look amazing.

Aesthetics

We all loved the blue and black colourway of the Chilli Base scooter but if you prefer the scooter also comes in neochrome, black and white and black and pink.

Overall Verdict

When we were approached to give the Chilli Pro Base a review, I didn't know what to expect. I'd heard of Chilli scooters but not had any experience of them. However, I was impressed. It's obviously a well designed, engineered and constructed stunt scooter. It's light and strong. The wheels are high quality, smooth and fast. The deck offers plenty of foot space but what really stands out for me are the wide handlebars. They offer control and comfort, which are two qualities riders want when they're just starting out on the ramps. If you're looking for a scooter for a beginner, I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

 

You can buy the Chilli Pro Base scooter and discover more scooters from Chilli at their website: chilli-scooters.co.uk