By Jonathan Seal · Research-led guidance · Updated
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The short answer
If you want a Brompton's small fold for less money, start with DAHON's small-wheeled K3 and K9. The K3 costs $699, weighs 19.4 lb by DAHON's spec table and folds to 25.6 x 11 x 20.9 inches, close to the space a Brompton takes. The K9 rolls on the same 16-inch wheel size a Brompton uses, has nine gears, and was $899 in DAHON's Black Friday sale.
If a bigger fold is fine, a 20-inch folding bike costs less again and rides more like a regular bike. The ZiZZO Liberté Plus is $649.99 and weighs 23 lb, a little less than Brompton's cheapest bike.
And if it has to be a Brompton, the A Line is the cheapest new one at $1,300, and Brompton sells display and used bikes of its own for 10 to 20 percent off.
We read each maker's own pages on November 14, 2026. We haven't ridden these bikes, so this guide compares the makers' figures, not how the bikes feel on the road.
| Bike | Price | Folded (inches) | Weight | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brompton A Line | $1,300 | 23 x 22.2 x 10.6 | 24.91 lb | 16 in |
| DAHON K3 | $699 | 25.6 x 20.9 x 11 | 19.4 lb | 14 in |
| DAHON K9 | $899 sale | 28 x 20 x 16 | 22.9 lb | 16 in |
| ZiZZO Liberté Plus | $649.99 | 31 x 27 x 14 | 23 lb | 20 in |
| DAHON Dream D6 | $399 sale | About 32 x 26 x 13 | 27.4 lb | 20 in |
| Tern Link D8 | $999 sale | 31.1 x 28.3 x 15 | 26.7 lb | 20 in |
Makers' own figures, read November 14, 2026. Sale prices were DAHON's Black Friday prices (normally $999 for the K9 and $599 for the D6) and Tern's listed sale price. Folded sizes list the longest side first.
What a Brompton gives you for the money
The fold is the reason people pay Brompton's prices. Its city bikes fold in three parts into a compact block, and Brompton lists the A Line at 23 x 22.2 x 10.6 inches folded. Nothing else we looked at folds smaller.
Brompton says its bikes are handbuilt in London, and it backs the frame for seven years. Its city bikes roll on 16-inch wheels, which keep the fold small. Bigger wheels roll over cracks and potholes more easily, which is the main thing you give up.
The prices climb quickly. The A Line, with three hub gears and one size meant to fit riders from 1.4 to 1.9 meters (about 4'7" to 6'3"), costs $1,300. The C Line with four gears and a roller rack starts at $1,950, and the titanium T Line starts at $5,850. Brompton's own range runs from $1,300 to $7,550.
The closest folds for less: DAHON's K3 and K9
The DAHON K3 is the smallest and lightest bike in this guide. It rolls on 14-inch wheels, has three gears and an aluminum frame, and weighs 19.4 lb in DAHON's spec table, though the same page's headline says 17 lb. DAHON lists it at 25.6 x 11 x 20.9 inches folded. By the two makers' figures, that's only about 9 percent more space than a folded Brompton A Line, at a bit more than half the price: $699.
The trade-offs are the very small wheels, only three gears, and a narrower fit. DAHON rates the K3 for riders from 4'7" to 6'0" and up to 231 lb. Fenders and a rack are listed as optional.
The DAHON K9 sits between the K3 and a Brompton. It uses 16-inch wheels in the same 349 size Brompton uses, nine gears from a Shimano cassette, and disc brakes. DAHON lists it at 22.9 lb and 28 x 16 x 20 inches folded, which is about two-thirds more space than the A Line. It was $899 in DAHON's Black Friday sale on November 14, down from $999, and it has the same 4'7" to 6'0" rider range and 231 lb limit as the K3.
A bigger fold for a lower price: 20-inch folders
Most folding bikes use 20-inch wheels and fold in half instead of in three. Folded, they take two to two and a half times the space of a Brompton by the makers' figures, so they suit a closet, a car trunk or the end of a train car better than the space under a desk. In return they cost less, fit taller riders, and ride more like a regular bike.
The ZiZZO Liberté Plus costs $649.99 at ZiZZO. It weighs 23 lb, has eight speeds with Shimano Altus, folds to 31 x 14 x 27 inches, and fits riders from 4'8" to 6'3" and up to 240 lb. It's lighter than the A Line at half the price; you give up the small fold.
The DAHON Dream D6 is the cheapest bike here. DAHON had it at $399 in its Black Friday sale on November 14, down from $599. It has six speeds, weighs 27.4 lb by DAHON's figure and folds to about 32 x 13 x 26 inches, so it's the heaviest of the alternatives.
The Tern Link D8 was $999 on Tern's US site, listed as a sale price. It has eight speeds, Schwalbe Big Apple tires with puncture protection and magnets that hold it folded. Tern lists it at 26.7 lb and 15 x 31.1 x 28.3 inches folded, says it folds in about 10 seconds, and rates it for riders from 4'8" to 6'3" and up to 231.5 lb.
Cheaper ways into a real Brompton
If the fold is the whole point, two routes cost less than a new C Line.
The A Line is Brompton's entry bike: $1,300, three hub gears, 24.91 lb and the same three-part fold, with plain pedals that don't fold. Brompton says it's built to take Brompton parts and fittings, so you can add to it as you go.
Brompton Renewed is Brompton's own program for display, demo, ex-fleet and archive bikes, graded by condition. Bikes with no signs of use are 10 percent off, bikes with up to four small marks are 15 percent off, and bikes with more marks are 20 percent off. Brompton says each one gets a 27-point safety inspection and the same 7-year registered frame warranty, and delivery is free in the lower 48 states. All sales are final, though. On November 14, for example, a 12-speed C Line with a roller rack was $1,935 in the top grade, against $2,150 new.
A used Brompton from a private seller can cost less again, but it comes with no inspection or warranty, so a check at a bike shop is worth paying for before you hand over the money.
Which one fits you?
The DAHON K3 fits if a small fold matters most, you're 6 feet or shorter, and your rides are short and fairly smooth.
The DAHON K9 fits if you want more gears, disc brakes and a Brompton-size wheel, and can live with a fold about two-thirds bigger.
A 20-inch bike fits if you're taller, ride rougher streets or longer distances, or the bike mostly lives in a closet or a car trunk. The ZiZZO Liberté Plus is the lightest of the three here, the Dream D6 the cheapest.
Saving for an A Line or a Renewed Brompton makes sense if you'll fold it onto a crowded train every day and want the smallest fold made, with a seven-year frame warranty.
If you go with a 20-inch bike, the ZiZZO Liberté Plus is the lightest one we list: 23 lb, eight speeds and $649.99, in stock in silver and red at ZiZZO on November 14.
Common questions
Quick answers on cheaper alternatives to a Brompton.
What is the cheapest Brompton?
The A Line, at $1,300 new on Brompton's US site on November 14, 2026. Brompton Renewed also sells display and used Bromptons for 10 to 20 percent off, depending on their condition.
Which folding bike folds as small as a Brompton?
Of the bikes we compared, the DAHON K3 comes closest. DAHON lists it at 25.6 x 11 x 20.9 inches folded, about 9 percent more space than Brompton's figure for the A Line. It has smaller 14-inch wheels and costs $699.
Are cheaper folding bikes heavier than a Brompton?
Not always. By the makers' figures, the DAHON K3 (19.4 lb), DAHON K9 (22.9 lb) and ZiZZO Liberté Plus (23 lb) all weigh less than the 24.91 lb Brompton A Line. Some of the cheapest bikes, like the 27.4 lb DAHON Dream D6, weigh more.
Do the DAHON K3 and K9 fit tall riders?
DAHON rates both for riders from 4'7" to 6'0". Brompton says the A Line fits riders from 1.4 to 1.9 meters, about 4'7" to 6'3", and the 20-inch bikes in this guide go up to 6'3" as well.
How we researched this guide
We read each bike's page on its maker's US site on November 14, 2026, and took prices, weights, folded sizes and rider limits from there. The sale prices were DAHON's and Tern's that day and will change. Folded sizes are the makers' own, and makers don't all measure the same way, so treat the size comparisons as close, not exact. We haven't ridden these bikes.