> Our review guidelines
If you need a fun foldable bike you can ride on any surface, a fat tire folding electric bike is the answer. It’s a bike you can fit into a trunk or store in tight spaces.
This type of bike is good for commutes, vacations, daily chores, or leisure rides.
In this article, we’ll review several folding fat tire e-bikes, including the top-rated RadExpand 5. This bike has great foldability and is loaded with handy features. It’s backed up with first-rate customer service.
We’ll also tell you what features to look out for when choosing a folding fat e-bike.
Top Picks:
- RadExpand 5 20” Folding Fat Tire 750W E-Bike (Best Overall)
- Heybike Ranger 20” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike (Runner-Up)
- Wooken TotGuard 26” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike (Best All-Rounder)
- Wildeway FW11 20” Folding Fat Tire 750W E-Bike (Best For Women)
- Ecotric Cheetah 20” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike (Best Budget)
Top 7 Best Fat Tire Folding Electric Bikes
Below are our top seven fat tire folding e-bike picks, categorized for convenience.
1. RadExpand 5 20” Folding Fat Tire 750W E-Bike (best overall)
CHECK PRICE AT RAD POWER BIKES
- Frame Material: 6061 Aluminum
- Motor Power: 750W geared motor
- Battery Capacity: 48V 14 Ah (672 Wh)
- Weight: 62.5 lbs (28.3 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 275 lbs (125 kg)
Rad Power Bikes makes some of the best e-bikes on the market, and the RadExpand 5 upholds that tradition. It’s competitively priced, too. This bike has a powerful 750W brushless geared hub motor and a Microshift 7-speed drivetrain.
The RadExpand 5’s 48V 14 Ah battery and 672 Wh of capacity deliver a range of up to 45 miles. That’s enough for most riders and will cover several typical commutes.
This bike has a 20-mph top speed in either throttle or pedal assist (PAS) modes. Mechanical disc brakes bring you to a halt.
There is no suspension on this bike. But the 4” CST tires do an excellent job of soaking up bumps and vibration on and off the road.
The RadExpand 5 is easy to mount with its step-through frame and it’s great to ride. An LED display gives you the battery level, pedal-assist level (there are 4), and headlight/taillight indicators. There’s no speedometer or odometer.
This bike’s unsuitability for taller riders is a little disappointing. Your inseam shouldn’t be much greater than 32.25”.
An excellent feature of this bike is the ability to collapse the handlebar without tools. That means you can stand the bike flat against a wall or behind a sofa. Or you can fold it down to its compact 29” x 25” x 41” size.
This bike made it into our overall best folding bike list.
What We Like
- Motor – powerful 750W geared motor.
- Range – 672 Wh battery capacity for up to 45 miles of range.
- Ride feel – smooth ride despite lack of suspension.
- Foldability – useful ability to fold the handlebar flat while standing.
What We Don’t Like
- Info – no odometer or speedometer.
- Height limit – not suitable for long-legged riders.
2. Heybike Ranger 20” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike (runner-up)
- Frame Material: Aluminum
- Motor Power: 500W brushless geared motor
- Battery Capacity: 48V 15 Ah (720 Wh)
- Weight: 70.5 lbs (32 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 330 lbs (150 kg)
A decent alternative to the RadExpand 5 is the Heybike Ranger 500W Electric Bike. Despite the smaller motor, this bike has slightly more battery capacity. You can squeeze up to 55 miles of range from it in the lowest of 3 pedal assist levels.
In pure electric mode only (throttle), you get up to 40 miles per charge. The top speed on this Class 3 e-bike is 25 mph.
This bike has a useful 330 lbs load capacity. A bit less desirable is its own 70.5 lbs weight. This is heavy even for a fat-tire electric bike. It does fold down to a compact 39.4” x 23.6” x 31.5” size, though.
On the Heybike Ranger’s bar-mounted LCD, you’ll see useful info such as mode, battery capacity, speed, distance, and motor output. Like most e-bikes, you have manual, pedal assist, and throttle modes.
To help you up hills and give you a choice of pedaling resistance and cadence, the Ranger includes a Shimano 7-speed drivetrain. Other features include disc brakes, a rear rack, front suspension, a kickstand, an electric horn, and a front headlight.
What We Like
- Range – 720 Wh battery capacity enables up to 55 miles of range.
- LCD – the multifunction display gives you all the detail you need.
- Extras – a well kitted out bike.
- Mounting – a step-through frame makes mounting and dismounting easy.
What We Don’t Like
- Weight – a heavy bike even in this category.
3. Wooken TotGuard 26” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike (best all-rounder)
- Frame Material: Aluminum
- Motor Power: 500W brushless geared motor
- Battery Capacity: 48V 10 Ah (480 Wh)
- Weight: 66 lbs (29.9 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 300 lbs (136 kg)
All else being equal, a bike with bigger wheels rolls over obstacles with greater ease than one with smaller wheels. Thus, a bike like the Wooken TotGuard 26” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike is ideal for varied off-road terrain.
Aside from its 26” wheels, another benefit of this folding MTB is its 21-speed Shimano gears (3 x 7 Shimano Tourney). Considering this is a full-sized, dual-suspension mountain bike with a 500W motor, its 66 lbs weight isn’t too bad.
Of course, the significant downside to this bike is its folded size. You can stick it in the trunk of most cars, but it’s less suitable for storing in small living spaces.
This bike is claimed to have a max range of 60 miles in PAS mode. Given its modest 480 Wh battery capacity, you should be a bit skeptical about this. But larger wheels hold inertia well and may give a bit more range than expected in pedal assist mode.
The top speed of this bike is 21.6 mph.
Useful features included with the Wooken TotGuard include front and rear shock absorbers, 3 pedal assist levels, throttle mode, multi-function LCD, disc brakes, and an LED headlight. The battery is removable and fully recharges in 5 hours.
One thing you surely get with this bike is value for money. It gives you a lot for the price.
What We Like
- Comfort & speed – bigger wheels roll over obstacles with more ease.
- Suspension – front and rear shock absorbers.
- Extras – lots of bits and pieces added.
- Battery – concealed and removable.
What We Don’t Like
- Folded Size – less compact because owing to bigger wheels.
4. Wildeway FW11 20” Folding Fat Tire 750W E-Bike (best for women)
- Frame Material: Aluminum
- Motor Power: 750W
- Battery Capacity: 48V 13 Ah (624 Wh)
- Weight: 62 lbs (28.12 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 330 lbs (150 kg)
You can easily mount or dismount the Wildeway FW11 Folding Fat Tire E-Bike regardless of attire. But it has more going for it than a step-through frame. Its powerful 750W motor has a max output of 1000W and delivers up to 80 Nm of torque.
This bike is good at climbing hills, though you may need to pedal occasionally depending on load. One reason the load may be heavy is because of the rear seat, which can take a child up to 110 lbs.
You get manual mode, 5 pedal-assist levels, and electric mode on this e-bike. Speed is controlled with a thumb throttle. Holding that down for 8 seconds gives you cruise control.
The FW11 comes with a 48V 13 Ah battery with a 624 Wh capacity. Its claimed range of 30-45 miles is plenty for most purposes, from commuting to leisure rides.
A 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain keeps your pedaling comfortable on the Wildeway FW11. Also keeping you comfortable is the front suspension fork and spring-loaded seatpost.
Another cool feature of this bike is a taillight that comes on when you’re braking. This complements the LED headlight at the front. Everything you’re doing on the bike is visible on a color bar-mounted LCD.
One downside of the bike is its externally routed cables, which make the bike look a little untidy in places. Some e-bikes have internal routing.
What We Like
- Power – a capable and efficient 750W motor with ample torque.
- Comfort – front and rear suspension.
- Passenger – potential to carry a child on the rear seat.
- Capacity – decent battery capacity and range.
What We Don’t Like
- Cables – external routing looks a bit untidy.
5. Engwe Engine Pro 20” Folding Fat Tire 750W E-Bike (best for big guys)
- Frame Material: Aluminum
- Motor Power: 750W (850-900W peak)
- Battery Capacity: 48V 16 Ah (768 Wh)
- Weight: 70 lbs (31.6 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 330 lbs (150 kg)
For big riders who have trouble finding strong-enough bikes, fat-tired bikes are a good bet. An example is the Engwe Engine Pro Folding Fat Tire 750W E-Bike. This bike can take a load of up to 330 lbs and accepts riders up to 6’5” tall.
A top feature of the Engwe Engine Pro, aside from its powerful motor, is the 48V 16 Ah battery. This gives it a 768 Wh capacity that can carry you up to 75 miles in the lowest pedal assist mode. You can travel up to 43 miles in throttle mode (no pedaling).
Rider weight affects range, so the more battery capacity you can get as a large rider, the better. The same applies to motor power.
This bike is on the heavy side at 70 lbs, but it has some nice specs to compensate. Among them are the hydraulic disc brakes for potent stopping power. There is front and rear suspension, too, and an 8-speed drivetrain with a thumb shifter.
Commuter-friendly features like fenders, a rack, front and rear lights, and a horn also adorn the Engine Pro. All this comes on a bike that folds to a compact 40.9” x 21.7” x 33.1” size.
Another cool feature of this bike is its E-PAS technology, which regenerates energy as you ride and extends the bike’s range.
What We Like
- Motor – a powerful motor that will help carry larger riders over hills.
- Gears – 8 gears for optimum riding on various terrains.
- Capacity – large capacity battery & long range up to 75 miles.
- Tech – E-PAS technology extends range by regenerating energy.
What We Don’t Like
- Weight – breaks the 70 lbs barrier for heftiness.
6. Gosen Q7 20” Dual Battery Folding Fat Tire 1000W E-Bike (for longer rides)
- Frame Material: Aluminum
- Motor Power: 1000W (1500W peak)
- Battery Capacity: 48V 13 Ah + 48V 18 Ah (1488 Wh)
- Weight: 80.5 lbs (36.5 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 350 lbs (159 kg)
Another bike that’s ideal for heavy riders but even better for long rides is the Gosen Q7 Folding E-Bike. This bike has an incredible range of 100 miles or more in the lowest pedal assist mode. It achieves this by unashamedly cheating with two batteries!
The Q7 carries two large capacity 48V batteries for a total capacity of 1488 Wh. It also delivers a mighty 85 Nm of torque, though you can preserve that great range by helping the bike out up hills. The power is there if you need it.
This is a comfortable bike to ride, too, and not only because of the cushy 4” tires. It has dual suspension, with lockout available on the fork for extra efficiency on flat roads.
The downsides to this bike are its price and weight. Of course, two batteries take a toll on the latter, which exceeds 80 lbs. On the plus side, you get hydraulic disc brakes and a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain to help you out with comfortable pedaling.
Anyone needing more assurance than Amazon provides can check out the bike here. The range varies depending on where you look, but it’s possible to get 1 mile per 10 Wh on some e-bikes. Over 100 miles is realistic.
What We Like
- Range – a long-distance range of 100 miles or more, thanks to twin batteries.
- Capacity – accepts a maximum load of 350 lbs.
- Comfort – dual suspension + fat tires = comfort.
- Motor – potent 1000W motor & 85 Nm torque help flatten hills.
What We Don’t Like
- Weight – 50% heavier than a large sack of potatoes.
- Price – top features come at a cost.
7. Ecotric Cheetah 20” Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike (best budget)
- Frame Material: Aluminum
- Motor Power: 500W
- Battery Capacity: 36V 12.5 Ah (450 Wh)
- Weight: 56 lbs (25 kg)
- Weight Capacity: 200 lbs (91 kg)
A bike that’s ideal for all-terrain commuting is the Ecotric Cheetah Folding Fat Tire 500W E-Bike. You can squeeze up to 36 miles from the 450 Wh of battery capacity this bike offers, and it’s relatively lightweight at 56 lbs.
For maximum range, you need to ride in the lowest of 3 pedal-assist levels on this Class 2 e-bike. The maximum speed is 20 mph.
You can also ride up to 21 miles in throttle mode on the Cheetah. That’s ideal if you want to arrive at work in pristine condition or fancy an easy commute. The bike also comes with fenders and disc brakes, which are good all-weather features.
Other specs include a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain, battery lock and power lock functions, and a booster mode that helps you push the bike at slow speeds. Of course, you can also ride it as a normal bike on flat terrain.
With the motor’s assistance, you can expect to conquer 15% hills without problems on this bike. There’s no suspension, but the fat tires help iron out moderate bumpiness. Squidgy surfaces like snow, sand, and mud are all fair game.
A decided downside to the Ecotric Cheetah is its modest 200 lbs load capacity. That’s unexpected in a bike of this type, but it is at least honest. It may be conservative.
What We Like
- Price – an appealing price for a folding “fat bike”.
- Range – still a useful range for everyday purposes.
- Commute – the specs are ideal for on and off-road commuting.
- Gears – Shimano gears to help with pedaling.
What We Don’t Like
- Capacity – a 200 lb load capacity is low for a bike of this nature.
Folding Fat Ebikes: Who Are They For?
More than anything, fat bikes are fun. They’re fun because you can ride over almost any terrain on them, especially if they also have suspension. But any fat bike will glide over mud, snow, or sand with relative ease.
If you can get all the above in a bike that also folds, you have a great bike for days out or vacations. You can stick one (or two) in the corner of an RV or trailer. Or carry one on a boat. They fit into car trunks without needing the seats down.
Ride along the beach on your folding fat e-bike during vacations! As long as you’re not weaving through sunbathers, it’s all good.
You could also use a folding fat e-bike for commutes. They ride okay on roads, but they’re especially suited for off-road or mixed terrain commutes. If you live in an area that snows a lot, you’re also onto a winner with these bikes.
Fat 4” tires (minimum “fat” specification) are great for their grip and traction on uneven or soft surfaces. On smooth pavement, this produces extra rolling resistance, but a powerful motor doesn’t care about that.
Folding fat e-bikes aren’t for everybody. For a start, they can be absurdly heavy. If you envisage having to lift or carry the bike a lot, consider a folding e-bike with narrower tires. (Ignore that if 70 lbs is lightweight to you.)
Fat tire bikes are also different from regular MTBs. The handling isn’t as agile and they’re heavier, even without a motor. So, they’re not so good for technical trails and incredibly good for challenging surfaces. You’ll enjoy the comfort they offer.
Features Of Fat Tire Folding Electric Bikes To Keep An Eye On
Tire Width Is Key
Though it seems an arbitrary thing, a fat tire folding bike isn’t a fat tire bike if it has 3” or 3.25” tires. These are often accidentally on purpose described as fat tires, but they’re strictly called “plus-size tires”.
Plus-size tires offer some of the benefits of fat tires, but they’re less capable over soft terrain (e.g., mud, sand, snow). If you want a true fat tire bike, double-check the tire width, and don’t necessarily trust the product title.
Read more: Choosing tires for folding bikes
Motor Power & Torque
On a regular e-bike, a 250W or 350W motor will often suffice for the average rider. But a fat-bike motor has a lot of extra weight to push before the rider even gets on it. That’s why they tend to be a minimum 500W.
If you’re a heavy rider who needs to get over hills or rough terrain, a bigger 750W or 1000W motor will be better still. A 500W motor is usually ample on flat or mildly undulating surfaces.
These power numbers should refer to the constant power a motor delivers. Another specification to look for is peak power. This is the power a motor can produce briefly without overheating, so a big number is handy for rapid riding up steep hills.
Peak power is calculated by multiplying the e-bike’s voltage by the amps of the motor controller. The latter is often omitted from published specs.
The amount of torque a motor delivers is also a figure to keep an eye on. Lots of torque gets you up hills with less effort, but a bike that makes you do more leg work may also have greater range.
Read more: Best folding electric bikes under $1000
Battery Capacity & Range
The range of many e-bikes is overstated. A modest figure might indicate a more accountable manufacturer or vendor. How do you know when an e-bike’s range is far-fetched?
It’s battery capacity that largely defines the range. Some aspects of the range are decided by unknowable factors, like the rider’s weight, nature of the terrain, and weather. So, you can only take an educated guess at the nominal range.
Battery capacity is measured in watt hours (Wh), which you calculate by multiplying its amp hours by the voltage. For instance, a 36V 10 Ah battery has a 360 Wh capacity.
E-bikes usually achieve around 1 mile of range for every 10 to 20 Wh of capacity in pedal assist mode. Thus, if you saw a bike with a 360 Wh capacity and a 60-mile range, you’d be right to doubt it. On a heavy fat bike, this economy is unlikely.
Many times, the provided range will fit loosely into the mathematics described above. But it’s safe to assume the figure is based on a best-case scenario.
A “good” range is one that easily exceeds what you’re likely to need. With a 60-70 lbs fat-tire electric bike, the last thing you want is to run out of battery, especially among hills.
Video: How Much Battery Does Your E-Bike Need?
Suspension
Many fat bikes will have either front suspension or dual suspension. In that regard, they’re like regular MTBs. Sometimes, the rear suspension will be installed in the seatpost rather than the frame. But it’s still useful.
While fat tires help you to ride over unstable, soft surfaces, they won’t always prevent a jolt when hitting obstacles. That’s even truer if the wheels are small, as they often are on folding bikes.
Suspension is a good thing to have on a fat tire folding bike. It does add weight, though.
A useful feature on suspension forks is lockout. When you’re riding on flat surfaces, it stops you from losing too much energy to needless travel in the fork. Thus, it makes the bike more efficient on pavement or smooth trails.
It’s also true that fat tires provide a kind of suspension of their own. This varies according to the quality of the tire. The large air volume and low pressure in fat tires absorb vibration from the riding surface.
Gears
Gears may seem pointless on an e-bike, but they’re not. You still need to find a cadence and resistance you’re comfortable with, even when the motor is helping you. Most e-bikes also have a manual pedaling mode, so gears are handy for that.
Many folding fat tire e-bikes will have 7 or 8 gears. If they’re full-sized 26” or 27.5” bikes, you’ll probably get more gears. More often than not, more gears mean greater choice at both ends of the range. So, you get easier and “faster” gears.
Read more: Single speed folding bikes
Wheel Diameters
In any foldable bike, the folded size is limited by the wheel diameter. So, while it’s true that bigger wheels roll more easily over obstacles, you’ll also be more limited in the places where you can store and transport a foldable bike with large wheels.
With fat tires, the ability of bigger wheels to roll effortlessly over sticks, stones, and potholes is muted in importance. A 20” fat tire still contains a large volume of air. You won’t feel these obstacles quite as much, especially with low tire pressure.
Our review bikes all have 20” or 26” wheels. The former is a conventional size for a compact folding bike. The latter is classic MTB size.
Wheels with a bigger diameter tend to flex more, so a 26” wheel (or bigger) may feel smoother to ride, all else being equal.
Small 16” or 20” wheels are absurdly strong and unlikely to go out of true. But it’s still worth checking the spokes regularly if you’re a heavy rider. You may even be able to exceed the load capacity slightly if you’re vigilant with wheels.
Brakes
Folding e-bikes usually have disc brakes, so one thing to decide is whether you want hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes. Hydraulic disc brakes are regarded as superior in performance and require less maintenance.
However, hydraulic disc brakes are trickier to maintain when you do need to service them. Some people favor mechanical disc brakes for that reason. Hydraulic disc brakes always cost more, so you won’t usually find them on budget bikes.
Another thing to note here is that larger disc brake rotors provide superior braking. This is valuable in an e-bike with fat tires because of its unusual weight. Always glance at the rotor sizes when comparing brake specs.
You’re unlikely to find a fat tire e-bike with rim brakes because the extra weight makes braking power doubly important.
Load Capacity
Fat tire bikes are usually a good choice for heavy folding bike riders because they’re stout and solidly built.
A typical fat bike load capacity is 300 to 330 lbs, whereas road bikes often have a 250 lbs limit. Of course, there are always exceptions.
Folding Fat Tire E-Bike FAQs
Are There Downsides To Riding Folding Fat Tire Bikes?
They’re less agile off-road than normal MTBs, so you can’t ride technical trails on them. On smooth pavement they create a lot of rolling resistance, so they’re less efficient as e-bikes on roads and slower in manual mode.
How Far Do Fat Tire Folding E-Bikes Go?
You can travel long distances on folding fat tire e-bikes as they tend to have batteries of medium to large capacity. A range of 45 to 60 miles is common.
Can You Ride A Fat Folding E-Bike When The Battery Dies?
Yes, but the bike is so heavy that you need it to be on flat terrain. Riding a 70 lbs bike up a steep hill without assistance would be impossible or torturous, even with gears.
Are Fat Tire Folding Bikes Worth It?
Fat tire folding bikes are great fun as long as you exploit their strengths. They’re arguably not worth it if you only ride pavement. If you’re an Alaskan commuter, buy two.
Wrapping It All Up
It’s time to revisit our reviews. We put the RadExpand 5 in top place for its versatile foldability, refined performance, and reassuring customer service. It offers a believable and useful 45-mile range from the lowest of 4 pedal assist levels.
Runner-up spot goes to the Heybike Ranger 500W Electric Bike. This bike has a big battery capacity and a 55-mile max range. It’s a well-equipped bike with a clean look. This is a Class 3 e-bike, whereas the RadExpand 5 is rated a Class 2.
The third-placed Wooken TotGuard Folding Fat Tire E-Bike is a completely different offering. Its 26” wheels roll easily over any terrain. Extra comfort comes from the bike’s dual suspension. This is a good machine for tall riders, too, with its 6’10” limit.
We hope this article guides you toward your ideal folding fat tire e-bike. It’s hard not to have fun on these roly-poly machines!
