By Jonathan Seal · Research-led guidance · Updated
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. About our affiliate links.
The short answer
There isn’t one best brand, because they’re solving different problems. Brompton makes the smallest fold. Tern and DAHON make the everyday 20-inch commuters most people picture. ZiZZO gets you in for the least money. Montague is the odd one out, with full-size wheels on a bike that still folds.
If you carry the bike onto trains or up stairs every day, the fold matters more than anything, and that’s worth paying for. If it mostly lives in a closet or a car trunk, a cheaper brand does the job. We haven’t ridden these bikes. This comes from the makers’ own pages, read on November 5, 2026, and independent test reports, and the prices change often.
| Brand | Best for | From (maker’s price) |
|---|---|---|
| Brompton | The smallest fold, for trains and tiny homes | $1,300 (A Line) |
| Tern | Daily commuting with a dealer nearby | $999 (Link D8, on sale) |
| DAHON | The most choice in the middle of the market | $599 (Dream D6) |
| ZiZZO | The lowest price with clear specs | $299.99 (Campo) |
| Montague | Riding like a regular bike | $1,240 (Navigator) |
How to choose a brand
Start with how you’ll use the fold, not with the logo. Four questions settle most of it.
How often will you carry it? Daily stairs or trains point to Brompton, or to a light bike like the ZiZZO Liberté Plus at 23 lb. Where will it live? Measure the space first, because folded sizes vary far more than the word “compact” suggests. Who will fix it? Tern and DAHON have dealers, while buying a value brand online usually means doing more yourself. And how long is your ride? Small wheels feel every bump, so a long or rough commute favors a 20-inch bike or bigger.
Brompton: the smallest fold, at a price
Brompton says its bikes are handmade in London, and it has been at it since 1975, when founder Andrew Ritchie started in a workshop under a railway arch. The folded package is what you’re paying for: 23 x 22.2 x 10.6 inches on the C Line, small enough to fit where a 20-inch folder won’t. In its group test, Cycling Weekly names the C Line its overall pick.
The range starts with the A Line at $1,300 and 24.9 lb, a simple entry model in steel. The C Line is the classic, starting at 26.12 lb, and its price depended on the page we read: $1,720 on its own page, $1,900 on the range page. The G Line has 20-inch wheels for mixed terrain, from $3,500. The P Line is from $3,550, and the titanium T Line is from $5,850 at 17.64 lb.
The catch is that you’re spending a lot on a bike with 16-inch wheels on most models. If you never carry it, you’re paying for something you won’t use.
Tern: the commuter’s choice
Tern was founded in 2011 by Florence Shen and Joshua Hon, the wife and son of DAHON’s founder, and it’s based in Taipei. It sells through dealers as well as its own store, which is worth a lot when something needs adjusting.
The Link D8 is the all-rounder: 20-inch wheels, eight speeds and 26.7 lb, for riders from 4’8" to 6’3". Tern listed it at $999 as a sale price, and it folds to about 15 x 31.1 x 28.3 inches. The Node D8 uses 24-inch wheels for taller riders and a ride closer to a regular bike, at 29.3 lb and $1,099, but the folded package is bigger. Tern also says its frame joint is built to exceed the ISO 4210 and EN 15194 test requirements, which is more than many brands publish.
The catch is that the folded shape is wider and taller than a Brompton’s, so it won’t tuck under a desk the same way.
DAHON: the most choice
DAHON has been making folding bikes since 1982, founded by Dr. David Hon, a physicist, and it moved its main production to Shenzhen in 2014. It listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2025 and says it ranked first in the world by retail sales volume in 2023, citing a consultancy report. Its other sales figures don’t agree with each other, so we wouldn’t lean on any of them.
The practical appeal is range and price. The Dream D6 at $599 has six speeds and is shown with a rack and fenders. The K3 at $699 is tiny, with 14-inch wheels and three speeds, and DAHON’s spec table says 19.4 lb. The Mariner D8 II at $949 is the classic commuter: eight speeds, 27.9 lb and a 231 lb limit. Cycling Weekly names the Mariner D8 its best budget folder. DAHON also says most parts besides the frame, fork and handle post are standard and can be replaced at any dealer.
The catch is that the Amazon listing we checked for the Dream D6 contradicts itself on weight, size and frame material, so trust DAHON’s own page over the listing.
ZiZZO: the low-priced option with clear specs
ZiZZO is a small California company selling mostly online. The four main folders run from $299.99 to $649.99 on its own site, all with 20-inch wheels, and from 31 lb for the steel Campo down to 23 lb for the Liberté Plus. It publishes clear numbers, which isn’t true of every bike at this price.
The Via, at $469.99 and 27 lb with fenders, is the one most commuters should look at first, though ZiZZO listed it as coming soon and Amazon showed it as unavailable on November 6, 2026. The Forté at $599.99 has a 300 lb limit, plus fenders and a rack.
The catch is that we didn’t find a dealer network, so expect to do your own setup and small repairs. Spending more within ZiZZO also won’t get you a smaller fold, because all four fold to about 31 x 13 x 27 inches.
Montague: full-size wheels that still fold
Montague takes the opposite approach to Brompton. The Navigator has 700c wheels, so it’s built to ride like a regular bike, and Montague says its design “doesn’t break any of the frame’s tubing”. It comes in three frame sizes for riders from 4’8" to 6’4", weighs about 29 lb, and costs $1,240 to $1,295. Montague covers the frame for the original owner’s lifetime.
The catch is the fold. At 36 x 28 x 12 inches, it suits a car trunk or a closet, not a train at rush hour, and one owner on Montague’s own page says they bag the front wheel separately because it’s awkward to keep attached.
ZiZZO vs DAHON
People often compare these two, and they overlap around $600. Pick ZiZZO if you want more bike for the money and you’re happy to look after it yourself. Pick DAHON if you’d rather have a known name, and a dealer who can get parts.
| Spec | ZiZZO Via | ZiZZO Forté | DAHON Dream D6 | DAHON Mariner D8 II |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maker’s price | $469.99 | $599.99 | $599 | $949 |
| Weight | 27 lb | 29 lb | 12.45 kg (27.4 lb) | 27.9 lb |
| Gears | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| Weight limit | 240 lb | 300 lb | 231 lb | 231 lb |
| Fenders and rack | Fenders | Both | Shown with both | Check the version |
| Where to get help | Mostly online | Mostly online | DAHON dealers | DAHON dealers |
From the makers’ own pages: ZiZZO’s on November 4, 2026, DAHON’s on November 5, 2026. Limits are as listed, so ask whether they include cargo.
DAHON vs Brompton
These aren’t really rivals. A Mariner D8 II at $949 is about half the price of a Brompton C Line, and its 20-inch wheels are bigger, which helps on rough roads. But it folds to 32.7 x 13.8 x 26.4 inches against the Brompton’s 23 x 22.2 x 10.6. If the bike has to fit under a train seat or a desk, the Brompton is doing something the DAHON can’t. If it’s going in a closet, the DAHON saves you a lot of money.
We’ll cover Tern vs DAHON in more depth in its own article, because those two really are direct competitors.
What we left out
Electric brands are a different decision, because battery weight and certification change everything, so see our electric guide for those. We also haven’t covered every low-priced bike sold under a department-store name yet. If you think a brand deserves a place here, tell us why.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask about folding bike brands.
What is the best folding bike brand?
It depends on the job. Brompton has the smallest fold, Tern and DAHON make the best-known everyday commuters, ZiZZO is the low-priced option, and Montague suits riders who want full-size wheels. Cycling Weekly names the Brompton C Line its overall pick.
Is a Brompton worth the money?
If you carry it every day, it can be, because nothing else we’ve looked at folds as small. If it mostly stays in one place, a bike at half the price will do the same job.
Are Tern and DAHON the same company?
No. Tern’s founders are the wife and son of DAHON’s founder, and it began as a separate company in 2011. DAHON sued the founders, and a settlement was reported in 2013.
Is ZiZZO a good brand?
It’s a value brand that publishes clear specifications. We haven’t ridden the bikes, and better-known names cost more and have wider dealer networks. It suits someone who wants a low price and doesn’t mind handling their own setup.
Which is better, ZiZZO or DAHON?
At about $600, the ZiZZO Forté gives you more gears and a higher weight limit than the DAHON Dream D6. DAHON gives you a longer history and dealers who can help. Choose by whether you’d rather have the specs or the support.
Where are folding bikes made?
It varies. Brompton says its bikes are handmade in London. DAHON moved its main production to Shenzhen in 2014. Check the maker’s page if it matters to you, because a brand’s home isn’t always where the bike is built.
How we researched this guide
This guide is based on the makers’ own pages and independent test reports, not on hands-on testing. We read the makers’ pages on November 4 and 5, 2026, and where a maker’s own pages disagree, we say so. Company history for Tern comes from Wikipedia and from Tern’s own pages. Makers can’t pay for a place on this page. We earn a commission on Amazon links, and that doesn’t change what we say about a brand. Prices and specifications change often, especially around Black Friday, so check them before you buy.