Varla Eagle One Pro Review: The Jeep of E

Rugged, high-performance e-scooter with a long-range and impressive power. Not the most portable, but it handles anything the city can throw at it.

The Varla Eagle One Pro has everything you need, with a side serving of adrenalin. It's rugged, fast, and can go anywhere.

If you're looking for a powerful, fast, and rugged e-scooter that can handle any terrain or easily keep up with motor traffic, the Varla Eagle One Pro might be just what you need. For its price, it offers some of the best features of any sub $2500 e-scooter, including a dual hub motor, each with a 1000W output, and a massive 60V / 27Ah lithium-ion battery.

Compared to its non-Pro variant, the scooter has improved range and an even more absurd top speed. When fully charged, you can achieve up to 45 miles of range and a top speed of up to 45 mph. The Eagle One Pro is worth considering for riders who prioritize power and versatility over portability. At a competitive price of $2,299, it's a great value for anyone looking for a fast and powerful e-scooter to handle any terrain.

Aside from its performance, the Eagle One Pro has a few nifty features to enhance your ride.

The Eagle One Pro uses a large 3.5-inch color LCD that is easy to read and shows a variety of information, including speed, battery level, riding mode, voltage output, and distance traveled. One downside is that the display can wash out in bright sunlight, making it harder to read, but that's not too surprising.

Integrated into the display is an NFC card reader. This feature is built to deter thieves, and it's very convenient. Instead of using a traditional key that can easily be lost among your other keys, you have to touch your card on the sensor to unlock the scooter. Once you turn on the scooter, tap the NFC card, and the display will come to life.

According to Varla, the Eagle One Pro boasts a potent 10W headlight that can light up to 500 meters of the road ahead. Nonetheless, its attachment to the main frame instead of the stem or handlebars could be an issue, as it does not always direct the light where you want it to. When you turn the handlebars, the light remains stationary.

Likewise, raising the lights to a higher position might also be beneficial for increasing your visibility to cars as they can easily be obstructed.

On the other hand, the taillight is sizable, bright, and flashes whenever you apply the brakes, which adds an extra layer of safety for low light and night riding.

Unfortunately, turn signals are not offered. Including turn signals on the Eagle One Pro would improve road safety and make it more convenient for riders to communicate their intentions to other road users. As more and more electric vehicles hit the road, turn signals are becoming a standard safety feature, and it would be great to see Varla incorporate them in future versions of the scooter.

The frame is made of 6061 aluminum alloy, making it durable and sturdy, with a maximum payload of 330 lbs (though it's recommended to stay below 250 lbs), and is suited for riders between 4'5"–6'11". You can choose between Red-hydraulic brakes or Blue-hydraulic brakes, which add a pop of color to an otherwise all-black design.

The Eagle One Pro has a water-resistance rating of IP54, which means it's protected against dust and can be ridden in light rain. However, you'll want to avoid riding through puddles or heavy downpours as you can easily damage the components.

When it comes to folding, the Eagle One Pro uses a combination of a locking turn knob and a safety pin to secure the stem and deck in place when upright. However, when folded, the stem can loosely roll from side to side as it doesn't latch to the deck, making it more challenging to carry around. This seems like an oversight.

Additionally, when folded, I worry that the display might get banged up as it can easily hit the kick plate. Likewise, the placement of the taillight underneath the kick plate adds another layer of difficulty when attempting to lift the scooter. It's easy to interfere with the light accidentally, and the positioning makes it challenging to get a good grip on the scooter.

The cockpit of the Varla Eagle One Pro electric scooter is well-designed for a comfortable and ergonomic ride. The handlebar is 25 inches in length and curves slightly inward, providing a comfortable grip for most riders. The angle of the handlebar can also be adjusted during installation for a more personalized feel. Additionally, the handlebar ends are covered in rubber to provide a better grip.

The dual brake levers are easy to reach and responsive. The thumb throttle is on the right. As we'll discuss, acceleration is rapid and with its very sensitive throttle, it is easy to get pulled back if you're not careful.

On the left, you'll find your power button, +/- for power modes, as well as controls for changing what's shown on your display. Unlike the rest of the scooter, this is one of the few areas where build quality isn't as impressive. The plastic buttons do not inspire confidence and there were a few times were my clicks weren't registered. I'd imagine this as being a potential area of failure in the future.

The Varla Eagle One Pro deck is relatively short for a scooter of this size, measuring about 19 x 8 inches. The silicone matting on the deck provides excellent grip; however, because of its smaller size, riders may need to adjust their stance when traveling at higher speeds for added stability.

It's not surprising that the EAGLE ONE PRO's power and durability come at the cost of portability. At times, the scooter can be a burden due to its folded size of 22x53" and weight of 90 lbs. Although it's not the largest or heaviest in this category of e-scooters, it will still limit its practicality for some users.

Similarly, stairs are the enemy of the EAGLE ONE PRO. Because of its awkward shape, weight, and lack of a proper way to carry it, it will likely require two people to carry it. Although it's incredible for commuting, it's not recommended for public transportation as it can be a struggle. Similarly, it limited some of the places I could practically take the scooter to. For example, one of my favorite spots to ride to, Bryant Park or the New York Public Library, has lots of steps, which makes it more trouble than it's worth to get there.

You can also forget about taking this with you in most stores or restaurants as its big and cumbersome to push around.

The last scooter I reviewed, the TurboAnt V8, had a top speed of 20 mph, which I felt was satisfactory for my usual commute, though my biggest complaint was how it struggled to maintain its speed with steeper inclines. I was blown away with the Eagle One Pro, which can go over twice as fast with a claimed top speed of 45 mph. That's insane!

The Eagle One Pro's acceleration is impressive, with an average of about 1.5 seconds from 0 to 10mph, 2 seconds from 0 to 15mph, and 3 seconds from 0 to 20mph. At 25mph, it takes approximately 4.5 seconds to reach that speed and 7 seconds to reach 30mph. However, it's important to note that the scooter's acceleration becomes noticeably slower after 25 mph, taking an extra 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach 30mph.

This never bothered me; acceleration at lower speeds is more important, especially for street riding, where you need to be able to maneuver and keep up with stop-and-go traffic quickly. Even with prior experience riding speedy scooters and mopeds, the Eagle One Pro's acceleration and speed took me a few hours to get used to. With most roads in NYC having a 25 mph speed limit, I never felt the need to go any faster, and honestly, I wouldn't want to.

While these speeds might sound crazy for an e-scooter, for those who want a more tame riding experience like myself, the Eagle One Pro's quick acceleration is most appealing. It allows you to easily keep up with motor traffic, merge or make turns more safely than less powerful e-scooters.

Similarly, with its robust dual motors rated at 1000W each, with a peak power of 2600W, Varla claims the Eagle One Pro delivers a whopping 36Nm of torque, which is enough to propel the scooter up gradients of up to 35 degrees. With this kind of power, it's no wonder the scooter can easily tackle even the steepest hills without losing much speed, as long as the rider isn't too heavy.

This is particularly useful for riders who live in hilly areas or need to navigate inclines during their commute. At about 165 pounds with all my gear, I was able to maintain speeds of 20mph and more with ease, whether crossing a bridge or climbing hills for several minutes at a time. Your range will take a noticeable dip (more on that in a bit), but the Eagle One Pro can keep you going.

The Eagle One Pro features dual hydraulic brakes and ABS, ensuring quick and responsive stopping power, while the 11-inch air tubeless tires provide excellent traction and stability. We found the EAGLE ONE PRO's large tires and suspension to be excellent for street riding. The scooter easily handled cracks, potholes, and speed bumps, providing riders with a smooth and very comfortable ride.

Additionally, the large tires and suspension make the scooter very capable off-road. However, some users may find the suspension to be too stiff and the tubeless tires to be less comfortable. The Eagle One Pro is an excellent choice for riders who primarily use the scooter for commuting and the occasional off-road adventure. However, if you plan to do a lot of off-roading, there are better options out there for you.

In addition to helping you traverse uneven terrain, curbs, and other obstacles, the scooter's 6.7-inch ground clearance also effectively increases your riding stance, which allows you to see over most cars and SUVs with ease. This adds to your safety and confidence when riding in traffic at higher speeds.

Even though it can easily handle bumps, above 20mph, the scooter starts to feel more unstable, and it's more noticeable the faster you go. At these higher speeds, even the slightest turns can cause the scooter to slide around, which can be unsettling. I found myself gripping tightly as I approached and passed 30 mph. I would only recommend going this fast on a straight and empty road without any cars or pedestrians around. If you plan on frequently riding at higher speeds, investing in solid body armor would be wise in case of a nasty fall.

The Eagle One Pro has dual hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors that provide strong stopping power. The braking system is responsive and smooth, making it easy to slow down and stop the scooter quickly. The brake levers are also adjustable, which helps you ensure they're easily reachable.

During my testing, I found that the Eagle One Pro had a decent braking distance. It took about 15–17 feet (~5m) to come to a complete stop when traveling at a speed of 15mph. This is a good braking distance for a scooter of this size and power. The braking distance can be affected by road conditions and rider weight.

With its massive 60V 27Ah battery, Varla claims the Eagle One Pro can travel up to 45 miles on a single charge. However, I found the real-world range to be closer to 35 miles, depending on rider weight, terrain, and speed. This is not a scooter that you can quickly top up. Using just one charger, it takes 13–14 hours to charge fully! Luckily, the Eagle One Pro supports using two chargers, which can cut charge time to just 7 hours.

However, the remaining battery life display was inconsistent, jumping around frequently, which caused range anxiety. During one ride, the battery level quickly dropped from 72% to 50% within a few minutes due to rapid acceleration but then returned to 66% once I slowed down.

The Varla Eagle One Pro is a powerful and feature-packed electric scooter that can be great for weaving through traffic and the occasional off-road adventure. With its dual motors and large 60V 27Ah battery, it has impressive acceleration and a ridiculous top speed.

Although its real-world range falls short of its claimed 45 miles on a single charge, 30–35 miles should still be enough for an entire day of riding. The 11-inch pneumatic tires and front and rear suspension make it fantastic for street riding, though some users may want to invest in better tires if they plan on using it on rougher terrain.

However, the Eagle One Pro is not without its limitations. It is heavy and bulky, and combined with its limited folding design, it is far from the most convenient e-scooter to carry around or store. We would love to see a future model with the same performance but a slighter better frame, a higher IP rating, and maybe the addition of turn signals and more reliable battery life readouts.

Overall, the Eagle One Pro is a great option for those looking for a rugged, high-performance e-scooter with long-range and impressive power. It may not be the most portable or practical option for every day commuting, especially if you need to take stairs or use other modes of transport, but it offers excellent value for its price and is sure to provide hours of thrilling adventures.

Paul is a seasoned tech writer with a focus on reviewing camera, audio recording, and smart home products. Since 2016, he has shared his love for practical yet innovative tech through his work, drawing on his experience as a professional videographer to provide a unique perspective on the latest gadgets.