The best folding bikes 2024: versatile, compact and lightweight models reviewed and rated

A folding bike can be a practical solution for many cyclists.

For commuters who rely on other modes of transport for part of their journey to work they are a handy alternative to a regular bicycle, even allowing users to hop on a New York City bus or a London Underground tube train with the bike.

The best folding bikes are just as useful for those who only use two-wheels to navigate the city, allowing them to store the bike easily at work and home.

However choosing the right folding bike for you isn’t necessarily straightforward. You’ll need to weigh up your priorities that might include budget, the weight of the bicycle and whether you might be best off with some electrical assistance.

Fortunately we’ve tested a number of models and have selected the best performers here, based on the quality of the ride as well as the bike's 'folding' functionality.

We've also compiled a guide, answering your questions about all things folding. If after reviewing the information you decide a folding bike isn’t quite right then we have an extensive guide to the best hybrid bikes, many of which make excellent commuters.

The quick list

The best folding bikes

The best folding bike overall

World-renowned, UK-based brand Brompton is the market leader in the best folding bikes. There's one frame size, with a whole range of customization options. Customers can choose everything from the handlebar shape, frame material (which obviously affects the weight), number of gears, finishing kit and, of course, colour. Brompton's feature a traditional 16in wheel size and are famously quick and easy to fold.

With six gears we found the C Line Explore, to be the ideal folding bike for tackling hilly terrain - we also appreciated the fenders that protected out clothing from mucky road spray. Furthering it's commuter credentials, there is a front luggage block that lets you clip on a Brompton specific bag, available at an additional cost, and a set of durable and puncture-resistant Schwalbe tires.

The C Line weighs just over 12kg, which means it's not the lightest object to carry when folded up, but there are other options in Brompton's line-up if this is an issue, notably the 'featherweight' T Line.

Read more: Brompton C Line Explore full review

The best electric folding bike overall

The Gocycle G4i neatly packages its motor and battery into a total weight from 17.6kg. Although that sounds a lot, the bike is easy to push around folded using its seatpost. It's also quick to fold, with a single hinge in its centre placing the wheels adjacent to one another.

The 20 inch wheels and long wheelbase for a folder give the bike more of the feel of a full size bike, while there's suspension at the rear for extra comfort. All the cabling and the drivetrain and Shimano Nexus gearing are fully enclosed and should be low maintenance.

There's a 250 watt front hub motor and 375Wh battery. Gocycle claims a range of up to 80km, although we didn't achieve more than 44km on our hilly commutes. We did find it delivered a smooth and comfortable ride, though.

Gocycle offers a wide range of accessories, such as fenders (mudguards), a front and rear pannier rack, integrated lights, lock holster and a travel case, making the G4i a good choice for e-bike commuting.

Read more: Gocycle G4i electric folding bike full review

The best lightweight folding bike

Brompton's P Line features a titanium rear triangle, which makes for lighter sub-10kg option to the original all steel Brompton, now called the C line, which will weigh in between 24.7 and 26.6lbs /11.2 and 12.1kg. During our testing we really noticed the difference, and while 22lbs / 10kg is still a fair amount to carry around for longer periods, the reduction in weight did make the P Line altogether easier to pick up and take with us.

Like all Bromptons it's nicely put together with umpteen clever little design hacks. We really liked the saddle up, roll-ability, not offered on previous P Lines, that allowed us to easily wheel it around a station concourse via the saddle and maneuver it around commuters during the rush to the train.

The four-speed gearing system is just as clever. It comes with an ingenious own brand two-piece derailleur which has been designed to fit inside the narrow fold. We did find however that the rear derailleur was a little fiddly to adjust and we'd have liked a smaller bottom gear, but both are relatively minor issues.

All told, we found the new P Line to be more practical, more 'pickupable', more maneuverable than before, which truly makes it one of the best folding bikes out there.

Read more: Brompton P Line full review

The best value folding bike

The Mariner D8 is on of US brand Dahon's most popular folding bikes, and with its all round performance, it's clear to see why.

The frame is made from the brand's Dalloy (an aluminium alloy) Sonus tubeset and it folds via Dahon's Lattice forged hinge with what it calls ViseGrip technology, which the brand says makes it a fast folder. It also helps keep the overall weight reasonably low. It's far from the lightest folding bike - that award goes to the Hummingbird folding bike - but at 27.69lb/12.56kg, it's far from portly.

The 20in wheels and V-brakes may be of no particular brand, but the Mariner D8 gets an eight-speed Shimano Altus drivetrain, a great reliable and durable component, and a great find at this price point.

Coming complete with a rear rack and full-coverage fenders/ mudguards, it's ready to commute or go shopping straight out the box, once you've undertaken the tricky task of assembling this website only purchase.

It's one of the best folding bikes on the market as it does tick all the boxes of what to look for in a folder, but they're just rather small ticks. In order to reach this competitive price point, you are making compromises all around, with none of the Dahon Mariner D8 features really excelling. It's not particularly exciting, thrilling or stand-out-from-the-crowd beautiful. It just does what it says, and sometimes that's all we really want.

Best for off-road use

Designed for off as well and on-road use, the G Line is built around a larger 20 inch wheel size, dressed in wide Schwalbe gravel tyres.

But the four inch increase in wheels isn’t the only difference. There are disc brakes, and hydraulic ones at that. Sensibly Brompton has also equipped the rugged G Line with Shimano’s Alfine eight-speed internal gear rear hub, which offers a 307% gear range and keeps all the drivetrain components out of harm’s way.

While still using the same folding mechanism that unites all Bromptons, the G Line has longer chain status and wheelbase, in part to accommodate the bigger wheels, but also to add more stability - a smart move given the intended use of the bike.

And, in general, it works. We found the bike was a remarkably stable place to be, with the twitchness found on the smaller-wheeled model replaced with a more assured ride. Off road the wide gear range coped with the hills, but the bike’s weight - some 15kg in the size large we tested - meant it was slow going.

We were impressed with how the wheels and tyres rolled over gravel tracks and paths, helping to absorb some of the ruts and potholes. On trickier descents the wider handlebars were greatly appreciated.

All told, it’s a clever bike that neatly bridges the urban-rural divide with aplomb.

Read more: Brompton G Line first ride review

The best value electric folding bike

We really rated the non-electric Tern Verge X11, so have complete confidence that the powered Tern Vektron will also be one of the best folding bikes on the market.

This time the Vektron has slightly smaller 20-inch wheels, although these are larger than some folding bike models, like the Brompton, which are teamed with Schwalbe Big Apple tyres, and should provide a really stable and comfortable ride feel.

The biggest deal with this electric folding bike is that it features a high-quality gold standard Bosch electric drivetrain, with a full charge that can last between 30 and 60 miles depending on the level of electric assist.

The rest of this impressive folding bike is, as expected with Tern, specced highly with Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes and a reliable Shimano 10-speed Deore drivetrain. The as standard Atlas rack can haul 27kg, and is also compatible with a child bike seat.

With the battery, motor rack, fenders/mudguards and integrated lights however does come a weight compromise. Weighing in at 48.72lb/22.1kg it's probably one of the heaviest folding bikes on the market, which can make off bike manoeuvrability tricky, especially if there are stairs involved.

Weight penalty aside, this is one of the best folding bikes money can buy, you'll just require rather a lot.

How to choose the best folding bike for you

• Ease of switching between cycling and public transport
• Stores easily in your home
• Peace of mind of not having to lock up the bike outside (it can sit under your desk!)
• Convenient to take on vacation - collapsible bikes are popular with RV road trippers and some can even be packed into airline luggage
• Most are built with durability and simple maintenance as the top priority
• No need to spend money on a bike rack for your car

Folding bike frame materials

As with any type of bike, there are multiple options when it comes to frame material.

Collapsible bike market leader Brompton specializes in steel – using its renowned high-quality brazing techniques to ensure that the frame welding provides the lightest yet strongest bond possible. Steel is resilient and comfortable – but it’s not the lightest and that's why Brompton started offering some titanium-tubed folders.

Aluminium is a very popular choice for its balance between weight and resilience - and also low price.

For those who really want to splash out, there are carbon-framed folding bikes such as Hummingbird's singlespeed, which comes in at 8kg. Although using carbon will make for a super-light folding bike, it's easier to damage than steel or aluminium, which is worth bearing in mind as many folders pick up a few knocks being hauled on and off trains.

Folding bike components: what to look out for

Because of what they do, folding bikes are popular among commuters who will opt for components that are easy to maintain and reliable.

Tough tires with good puncture protection are often high on the agenda. Fixing a flat is the last thing you want to do on your way to work. Schwalbe and Kenda are popular manufacturers of small diameter tires for folding bikes, and most will be 1.75-2 inches wide – offering a good level of grip thanks to a high volume and thus increased contact patch with the tarmac compared to traditional road tires.

Think carefully about the number of gears, too. For flat city streets, a singlespeed (just a single gear) will cut down on maintenance and overall weight. However, for riding hilly terrain there are folding bikes that come with triple cranksets and 11-32 wide-ratio cassettes. This will allow you to spin up gradients but will increase weight.

Many folding bikes feature hub gears – this means the shifting system is entirely sealed, cutting down on maintenance dramatically. Shifting on hub gears is often easier than using derailleurs for beginners, as there is no chain tension to worry about - you don't have to be pedalling to change gear. In addition, there's no derailleur to get bent or damaged, always a risk for a hard-working folding bike.

If you want a wide spread of gears, a derailleur system is better, but less practical in the folding bike world.

Disc brakes are also beginning to appear on folding bikes, offering greater stopping power and control – especially in wet weather. They'll add more to the weight than rim brakes, however.

If you expect to be cycling in your office clothes and want to stay as clean as possible, chainguards and fenders are essential, while a belt drive can help keep muck off you and makes for lower maintenance.

Pannier racks, a frame-mounted pump and integrated lights are all accessories that you can feel justified in expecting on higher-end models.

Electric folding bikes: the future?

The huge rise in popularity of e-bikes hasn't passed the folding family by. There's an increasing number of folding e-bikes and in the next few years we can expect to see that number grow even more.

Having an electric motor assisting your folding bike journey means you can commute without having to worry about getting sweaty in your work clothes.

Electric assist is also a perfect way of overcoming one of the drawbacks of e-bikes: their weight. They are relatively heavy for their size due to the extra rigidity that has to be built into their hinged parts. So although a folding electric bike will weigh more than a standard folding bike, you'll get a bit of help with your pedalling.

The lightest folding e-bike we’ve seen actually available to buy is the A-bike at 12kg, but most models are over 15kg and over 20kg isn’t an unreasonable mass.

As with any e-bike, have a good look at battery run times – most folding electric bikes can power you for about 50 miles. So if you're planning a mega commute remember to take a charger, or have one at both ends of your journey.

How we test

How we test

Where we've been able to link to a review, it means that we've put the bike through its paces. This means that we've ridden it over varying terrain and distances to assess it's performance across a range of factors. For folding bikes this means testing the folding mechanism for ease of use as well as the general suitability of the bike for commuting purposes - for example we consider how easy it is to carry and store.

Like regular bikes, we'll also consider the ride quality and the choice of components and how they impact key areas such as comfort, gear range and braking.

Where we haven't yet had the chance to review an item, we're still confident in recommending it as one of the best, because we either know the brand really well, and have probably tested another product or the previous version and can still happily recommend it as one of the best.