I get asked all the time which e-bike I'd actually buy for myself. It's a fair question — I spend my days surrounded by them, and after a while you stop being dazzled by spec sheets and start noticing which bikes you genuinely want to ride.
Two keep pulling me back: the ENGWE O20 Boost (in that gorgeous purple, which I'll admit is part of the appeal) and the ADO Air 28 Pro. They're both brilliant. They're also completely different machines, and choosing between them says a lot about how you ride.
So here's my honest take — what I love about each, where each one wins, and which I'd put in my own hallway.
Table of Contents
- Why These Two?
- The O20 Boost: The Do-Everything Folder
- The Air 28 Pro: The Effortless City Glider
- Head to Head: The Key Differences
- Where the O20 Boost Wins
- Where the Air 28 Pro Wins
- Which One Would I Buy?
- FAQs
Why These Two?
I've picked these two because they represent the two philosophies I find most compelling in e-bikes right now.
The O20 Boost is the bike that refuses to compromise: it folds, but it also has serious power, a huge battery, front suspension, and a built-in tracker. It's the Swiss Army knife.
The Air 28 Pro is the opposite approach: strip away the friction. Automatic gears, a carbon belt instead of a chain, big 28-inch wheels, and a torque sensor so smooth you forget the motor is there. It's the bike that gets out of your way.
One maximises capability. The other maximises elegance. Both, in their own way, are exceptional.
The O20 Boost: The Do-Everything Folder
Let me start with what genuinely impresses me here, because on paper the O20 Boost shouldn't exist at this price.
You get a 720Wh LG battery — that's a big battery by any standard, let alone in a folding bike — giving a claimed up to 140km of range. It's paired with a 250W hub motor pushed to 75Nm of torque with a Boost function, which is a lot of pull for a UK-legal bike. Independent reviewers have pointed out that even premium motor brands don't typically offer that kind of torque from a hub motor at this level.
Then there's everything else: a hydraulic front fork with 50mm travel and adjustable lockout, dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors front and rear, a Shimano Altus 8-speed, K-Mark certified road-legal lights with a 40 lux headlight, a 3.5" colour LCD with Bluetooth and app connectivity, and — my favourite detail — a hidden anti-theft compartment with an Apple Find My-compatible tracker included in the box. Plus a rear rack rated to 15kg and a low step-through frame.
That's a lot of bike. And it folds.
The honest caveat: all that capability comes with weight — around 26.5kg. That's not a bike you're carrying up three flights of stairs every day. It folds for storage and car boots brilliantly; it's less of a "lift it onto the train" proposition. And real-world range, as always, lands below the headline claim — reviewers report closer to 90–110km in mixed city riding, which is still genuinely excellent.
The Air 28 Pro: The Effortless City Glider
The Air 28 Pro wins me over in a completely different way — not by having more, but by making everything feel easier.
The headline feature is the BAFANG H700 auto-shift motor. It changes gear for you, automatically, based on your speed and effort. There are no shifters, no thinking, no getting caught in the wrong gear at a junction. Combined with a dual-sided torque sensor, the assistance mirrors your effort so precisely that it stops feeling like a motor and starts feeling like you've simply got stronger legs.
Then there's the carbon belt drive — rated for up to 30,000km maintenance-free. No oil, no rust, no black marks on your trousers, no chain to clean in winter. If you've ever had a chain seize up after a wet January, you'll understand why I rate this so highly.
The rest is quietly excellent: a Samsung battery giving up to 100km, cleverly integrated into the seatpost and removable for indoor charging; hydraulic disc brakes; an adjustable lockout suspension fork; 28-inch Kevlar puncture-resistant tyres; an IPX5 frame with IPX7-rated display; a 3.5" colour display with ADO Smart App and AirTag support; and a comfortable Dutch-style step-through frame. It's rated for riders from roughly 160cm to 210cm, with a 120–125kg max load.
At around 21.5kg, it's meaningfully lighter than the O20 Boost too.
The honest caveat: 40Nm of torque is noticeably less than the O20 Boost's 75Nm. On flat and rolling terrain it's plenty and feels beautifully judged — but on genuinely steep hills, you'll feel the difference. It also doesn't fold, so if storage space is tight or you need to combine with trains, that matters.
Head to Head: The Key Differences
| ENGWE O20 Boost | ADO Air 28 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | Do-everything folder | Effortless city glider |
| Motor | 250W hub, 75Nm + Boost | 250W BAFANG H700, 40Nm, auto-shift |
| Gears | Shimano Altus 8-speed (manual) | Automatic 2-speed |
| Drivetrain | Chain | Carbon belt (~30,000km) |
| Battery | 720Wh LG | Samsung, seatpost-integrated |
| Claimed range | Up to 140km (real ~90–110km) | Up to 100km |
| Wheels | 20" × 2.125" | 28" × 1.8" Kevlar |
| Suspension | Hydraulic fork, 50mm, lockout | Adjustable lockout fork |
| Brakes | Hydraulic disc, dual-piston 160mm | Hydraulic disc |
| Folds? | Yes | No |
| Weight | ~26.5kg | ~21.5kg |
| Security | Hidden tracker included | AirTag support |
| Sensor | Torque + Boost | Dual-sided torque sensor |
Both are UK-legal 250W EAPCs — no licence, tax, or insurance needed.
Where the O20 Boost Wins
Being honest about it, the O20 Boost is the better bike if:
- You have hills. 75Nm versus 40Nm is not a subtle difference. On steep climbs, the O20 Boost simply shrugs where the Air 28 Pro works.
- You need range. 720Wh is a genuinely large battery, and even at real-world figures it goes a long way between charges.
- Storage is tight, or you drive to rides. Folding into a car boot or a cupboard is a real, practical advantage.
- You want the security built in. A hidden compartment with a Find My-compatible tracker included is thoughtful, and it's something I'd otherwise be buying separately.
- You want maximum spec per pound. The value here is, frankly, hard to argue with.
Where the Air 28 Pro Wins
Equally honestly, the Air 28 Pro is the better bike if:
- You want the nicest ride. The dual-sided torque sensor and auto-shift combination is the smoothest, most natural-feeling setup I've ridden at this price. It's genuinely lovely.
- You hate maintenance. The carbon belt is the single best real-world feature here. Thirty thousand kilometres of no oiling, no rust, no mess.
- You ride mostly flat or rolling ground. Where hills aren't the daily challenge, 40Nm is perfectly judged, and the big 28" wheels carry speed beautifully.
- You want a lighter bike. Five kilos is a lot when you're moving it around.
- You want to arrive looking sharp. No oily chain marks, an elegant step-through frame — it's just a more refined object.
Which One Would I Buy?
Here's my honest answer: it depends on the day you ask me — which is exactly why they're both my favourites.
If I'm being practical about where I actually live and ride, the O20 Boost wins. London has more hills than people admit, storage space is always tight, and the ability to fold it into a boot and take it somewhere for the weekend is genuinely useful. The included tracker matters in a city too. It's the bike that solves the most problems.
But if I'm being honest about which one I enjoy riding more, it's the Air 28 Pro. There's something about not thinking — no gears to change, no chain to maintain, just smooth, silent, effortless assistance on big wheels. It's the bike I'd pick for a sunny commute along the river. It makes cycling feel like gliding.
My actual recommendation, if you're choosing:
- Hills, range, storage, or value your priority? → O20 Boost.
- Ride quality, low maintenance, and refinement your priority? → Air 28 Pro.
And if you can, ride them both. Specs tell you a lot, but they don't tell you how a bike feels underneath you — and these two feel completely different. That five minutes on each will decide it faster than any article I could write.
▶ See the ENGWE O20 Boost · Explore ADO · Find your nearest store for a test ride.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the ENGWE O20 Boost or the ADO Air 28 Pro?
Neither is universally better. The O20 Boost wins on torque (75Nm vs 40Nm), range (720Wh battery), folding, and included security. The Air 28 Pro wins on ride refinement (auto-shift + dual-sided torque sensor), maintenance (carbon belt), and weight (~21.5kg vs ~26.5kg).
Which is better for hills?
The O20 Boost, comfortably. Its 75Nm of torque plus Boost function makes a real difference on steep climbs compared with the Air 28 Pro's 40Nm.
Which has better range?
The O20 Boost, with its 720Wh LG battery and claimed 140km (realistically 90–110km in mixed riding). The Air 28 Pro claims up to 100km.
Which is easier to live with day to day?
The Air 28 Pro, in my view — automatic gears and a maintenance-free carbon belt remove most of the small frictions of bike ownership. But the O20 Boost folds, which is its own kind of practicality.
Are both road-legal in the UK?
Yes — both are 250W UK-legal EAPCs with a 15.5mph assist limit, so no licence, tax, or insurance is required.
Which would you recommend for a London commute?
If it involves hills, storage constraints, or combining with a car, the O20 Boost. If it's a flatter route and you want the smoothest, cleanest ride, the Air 28 Pro. Both are excellent city bikes.
The Bottom Line
These are two of my favourite e-bikes for genuinely different reasons. The O20 Boost is the problem-solver — powerful, long-legged, folding, and astonishing value for what you get. The Air 28 Pro is the pleasure — smooth, silent, clean, and the closest thing to effortless cycling I've found at this price.
You won't regret either. Work out whether your priority is capability or refinement, and the choice makes itself.
Come and try them both — I'd genuinely love to know which one you'd pick.
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Article keywords
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