If a three-wheeler is on your radar, you probably want two things at once: the sure-footed feel of a trike and the option to ride faster than an afternoon stroll. BeeCool’s Bee Zipper tries to split that difference.
I’ll admit, BeeCool wasn’t a name I’d heard before. The first time I saw it, it reminded me of another trike I’d tested recently — the Mooncool TK1.
Visually, they’re not far apart: same fat tires, same upright ride stance, even similar folding setups. But on paper, the Bee Zipper brings a few key differences in motor output and battery size that made me curious to see how it actually performs. After unboxing, bolting it together, folding it, and riding it around my neighborhood on cracked pavement, a 6 percent grade, and a short gravel cut-through, I’ve got a clear picture of where it nails the brief and where it needs a little wrench time. Let’s get into it.
Pros
✅ Hydraulic disc brakes on all wheels, strong and balanced stopping power
✅ 750W rear hub motor, smooth acceleration with solid hill-climbing power
✅ Large rear cargo basket (100–120 lbs), practical for groceries or equipment
✅ Front suspension fork, reduces vibration from rough paths
✅ Simple step-through frame, easy to mount and dismount
Cons
❌ Limited folding benefit, doesn’t save much space
❌ Mechanical brakes need adjustment to perform at their best
❌ Standard saddle, could be more padded for longer rides
Assembly & First Look – Built Solid, No Surprises
The Zipper comes cocooned in foam and zip-ties, with every small part taped down so nothing rattles in transit. Cutting away the packaging took longer than bolting things together. From first slice to first pedal stroke I spent roughly forty minutes; handlebars, front wheel, pedals, fenders, headlight, and the rear basket all bolt on with the provided multi-tool. The only wrench time beyond the basics was re-centering the front brake caliper so the rotor wouldn’t rub—a 90-second fix if you’ve done it before.
Paint is a matte gray—neutral but sharp, and clean-looking under any light. Welds look purposeful rather than pretty, which is a compliment on something built to haul. Nothing flexed when I parked a foot on the deck and wiggled the bars, always a reassuring sign on a trike.
Design & Day-to-Day Practicality – Built Around Real Use
BeeCool didn’t chase an origami fold. Instead, one hinge in the main tube and a quick-release at the stem knock the trike’s height down so you can roll it into an SUV or lean it flatter against a garage wall. Width stays the same, so apartment dwellers with narrow doorways should measure first.
The welded rear rack feels like it grew out of the frame. It holds a large steel basket, and BeeCool ships an insulated, zip-top bag that actually drops straight in—no wadded plastic liner or saggy velcro straps. I loaded it with a full grocery run and not a single creak came from the welds.
Controls are refreshingly obvious. Large thumb buttons—assist up, assist down, horn, headlight, turn signals—sit under your right thumb. You never hunt for the horn or lights, and the turn signal beeper is loud enough that drivers notice. Up front, an LED headlight bolts to the fork crown so it tracks with steering instead of lighting up the bushes. Out back, an integrated light handles tail, brake, and turn duties in one tidy unit. Nothing fancy, just what you need.
The star of the chassis is the rear differential. Plenty of budget trikes drive only one rear wheel. Hit a corner, and the unloaded wheel drags or skips. BeeCool lets both wheels spin independently. In real riding that means you lean in, roll through, and the trike just tracks the line. No hop, no scrub, no squeal.
Motor & Riding Feel – Quick Enough to Forget You’re on Three Wheels
Twist the throttle and there’s a built-in half-second pause—BeeCool’s nod to first-time riders so accidental bumps don’t launch you into the street. Once the motor kicks, it builds speed smoothly. Flat-road runs consistently touched 24–25 mph on my GPS, and the frame never felt nervous at that pace. In fact, above 20 mph the Zipper still tracked arrow-straight with both hands light on the bars, something many cargo trikes can’t claim.
Pedal assist is well-stepped. PAS 2 hums along at neighborhood pace; PAS 3 feels like a tailwind; PAS 4 and 5 turn the Zipper into a legit commuter. On my usual 6 percent test hill, PAS 4 kept speed around 12 mph with gentle pedaling. Bump to PAS 5 and it held 14 mph to the top, no lugging or motor groan.
Out of curiosity I tried riding with assist off. Six gears are enough to keep momentum on flat ground without feeling like you’re towing an anchor. Useful if you drain the battery or want a midday leg stretch. Re-engaging assist is immediate and never bucks.
Battery & Range – Plenty of Juice, Honest Indicators
The 48 V 18 Ah pack sits under the frame, protected yet accessible. Turn the key, slide it out, carry it indoors—done. BeeCool doesn’t quote a pie-in-the-sky range and neither will I. Over three days of mixed riding—lots of stop signs, PAS 3 or 4, some full-throttle stretches, one hill loop—the battery dropped from full to a single blinking bar just shy of the 30-mile mark. Swap in lighter loads, fewer stop-and-go bursts, and you’ll see more. Either way, for daily runs it’s plenty.
Charging on the supplied 2 A brick took a hair under nine hours from near-empty. Voltage readouts on the display stayed believable right until the last bar, so you’re not guessing how much is left.
Brakes & Suspension – Dial Them In and Forget Them
Out of the box the front rotor rubbed and the rear lever felt mushy. Two turns of the barrel adjuster, a quick re-center of the caliper, and both problems vanished. Once bedded-in, the 180 mm mechanical discs stopped the trike from 20 mph in about 17 feet. Modulation feels predictable—good enough for city riding, though riders coming from hydraulics will notice the difference.
Up front, the steel spring fork carries about 60 mm of travel. It won’t butter potholes, but it’s enough to mute sidewalk seams and driveway lips, especially if you knock tire pressure down to 15 PSI. There’s a lockout dial if you’re on smooth asphalt and want a stiffer feel. Rear-end comfort relies on the fat tires and that big saddle. It’s not plush, but it never beat me up, even after a full hour of rolling over cracked pavement.
What It’s Like to Live With – Easy Confidence, No Extra Work
After a week of errands, hill repeats, and late-afternoon loops just because the weather was good, a few truths stood out. First, the Zipper never feels like a chore to ride. The differential keeps corners calm, the motor shrugs off hills, and the basket swallows daily cargo without changing the trike’s manners. Second, everything important is visible from the saddle. The color display is bright enough at noon, and once I corrected the wheel-diameter setting (the factory default was too large and made the speed read high), every number matched my GPS. Third, nothing creaked, rattled, or hinted at shortcut engineering. That matters when you’re carrying weight.
If you’re new to trikes, you’ll appreciate how planted it feels over 20 mph. There’s no front-end shimmy, no back-end twitch, and braking from those speeds stays straight even if you grab a fistful of lever.
Final Thoughts – Made for Riders Who Want Utility Without Giving Up Fun
A lot of electric trikes settle for “stable and slow.” BeeCool didn’t. The Bee Zipper keeps the stability, adds meaningful speed, and still behaves when you load it down. Yes, you’ll spend ten minutes dialing in the brakes, and no, it won’t slip into a compact trunk. But if you want a three-wheeler that does grocery duty on Tuesday and still feels lively on Saturday, this one’s worth a serious look.
For everyone who wrote off trikes as rolling garden carts: try the Bee Zipper. It won’t replace your sports car, but it might change what you expect from three wheels. And to the readers who’ve stuck with me this far, thanks for riding along—you’re exactly the audience that makes these long test weeks worth it.