Friday, March 29, 2024

Sick of walking everywhere? Here are the best electric skateboards money can buy

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We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. Over the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, while batteries have become more power dense and accessible — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a renaissance in personal transportation devices. There are almost too many rideables to keep track of anymore, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month. So, to help you navigate the increasingly crowded marketplace, we’ve put together this list of the best electric skateboards you can buy right now. Enjoy!

Our pick

Inboard M1

Why you should buy this electric skateboard: The Inboard M1 is the best electric skateboard currently available.

Who it’s for? Avid skaters looking to incorporate a welcome electric assist to their daily grind.

How much will it cost? $1,400

Why we chose the Inboard M1:

Inboard claims that every detail of the M1 is based on the idea of uninhibited flow. This essentially translates to a fluid and responsive ride, one that utilizes two hub motors in the rear wheels instead of your stereotypical gear system or belt-drive. Because of this, you can utilize the M1 like a traditional skateboard without ever having to turn on the motor.

Other hallmarks include the board’s sleek, 14-pound figure and swappable battery system, a feature that means you can jump from one 90-minute session to the next within seconds. The board’s innate Bluetooth connectivity, 10-mile range, and regenerative braking feature — a convenient facet that feeds energy back to the battery for extended life — just help to further justify the lofty price tag. Read more here.

Buy one now from:

Inboard

Best commuter

ZBoard 2 Blue

Why you should buy this electric skateboard: This board has one of the greatest ranges per charge on the market.

Who it’s for? Anyone looking to use their board as a reliable and comfortable means of daily transportation.

How much will it cost? $1,300

Why we chose the ZBoard 2 Blue:

ZBoard is one of the few companies that could care less for a handheld remote — after all, most board sports don’t rely on a throttle for movement. As such, the weight-sensing ZBoard 2 Blue ditches the wireless remote for the company’s patented controls, one in which you lean on corresponding footpads located on the front and the back of the board in order to accelerate and decelerate.

It’s a fairly self-explanatory system that makes use of 1,000W motor and 16-mile range, along with integrated front and rear lighting designed to keep you visible and shed light where you need it most. It’s a bit heavier at 17 pounds, but fortunately, the built-in handles make it easy to lug around when you’re not cruising to and from the boardwalk at a healthy 20 mph. The wide build gives the ZBoard 2 Blue a casual cruiser feel and a pair of handles make towing the board a breeze between trips.

Buy one now from:

ZBoard

Best speed

Marbel 2.0

Why you should buy this electric skateboard: You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more powerful electric skateboard.

Who it’s for? Speed junkies and thrill-seekers.

How much will it cost? $1,600

Why we chose the Marbel 2.0:

At just 10 pounds, the latest Marbel 2.0 model is one of the lightest electric skateboards available, but it’s also no joke when it comes to speed. The slender board capitalizes on a carbon fiber build and a twin drive system (the Marbel 2.0 is also available with a single drive variant) along with a handheld controller that let’s you accelerate or activate the regenerative breaking when need be.

Said power and lightness mean the board can undertake hills (up to a 25 percent incline) and quickly hit the top speed 26 mph — or less, depending on how you set it up via the accompanying mobile app for Android and iOS devices. This latest Marbel iteration comes with a series of vivid LEDs along the front and rear for a little added safety and visibility during night rides. Those who fear the speed wobbles may want to stick with another model on this list, but the seasoned adrenaline junkies among us will certainly appreciate the Marbel 2.0.

Buy one now from:

Marbel

Best design

OneWheel+

Why you should buy this electric skateboard: The OneWheel+ is one of the most enjoyable electric rigs we’ve ever tested.

Who it’s for? Anyone looking for something different in a market brimming with traditional electric skateboards.

How much will it cost? $1,500

Why we chose the OneWheel+:

We checked out the original Onewheel a few years back, and recently got a chance to rip the new-and-improved version around PDX — and although it isn’t what you’d typically consider a traditional skateboard, it’s still one of our favorite rideable gizmos of all time. In fact, the futuristic device functions more like a snowboard or surfboard than it does its four-wheel counterpart. The 2-horsepower deck is essentially made up of up split platform and a lone all-terrain wheel, each of which utilize a slew of onboard motion sensors and dynamic stabilization to give better your balance and control.

Simply shifting your weight allows you to propel forward or back, and because of the ruggedness of the central tire, you can forge your own path just as easily on grass-lined hills as on sidewalks. The board’s 7-mile range and top speed of 15 mph merely comes second to the software, given the latter lets you to adjust how the sensors, gyros, and motor work in tangent with one another. Want to go faster? There’s an app for that.

Buy one now from:

OneWheel

Best budget board

Blink Lite

Why you should buy this electric skateboard: The Blink Lite is the best budget electric skateboards out there.

Who it’s for? Those looking to test the electric skateboard waters without going all in on a high-end model.

How much will it cost? $300

Why we chose the Blink Lite:

While frequent skaters may prefer to invest in a premium electric skateboard, individuals who use their board less often or primarily on the weekends may want to start with a budget option. That said, the Blink Lite, is a lot less expensive than many of the others on this list — which is perfect for someone looking for a more casual way to get around town. Weighing just 7.7 pounds, ACTON Global’s is one of the lightest electric skateboards out right now. It’s maximum power output is just over half of the regular Blink Board, but its range is just 1.5 miles short, standing at 5 miles.

One of the neater features is actually off the board — ACTON allows its Blink Board users to connect to the ACTON app, available in both the Apple app store and Google Play store, to log miles, record routes, and document adventures. You can even participate in challenges against other riders. The Leafboard is another worthy skateboard if you’re in the market for a solid economical model.

Buy one now from:

Acton

Smoothest Ride

Boosted 2 Dual+

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why you should buy this electric skateboard: Boosted’s flagship board offers one of the smoothest, most polished riding experiences in the biz.

Who it’s for? Anybody. Beginners and pros alike will enjoy this board

How much will it cost? $1,500

Why we chose the Boosted 2 Dual+:

In addition to Boosted’s fantastic handheld throttle mechanism, the board’s motors are exquisitely well-tuned — so much so that we dare say they offer the smoothest acceleration and deceleration of any electric board we’ve ever ridden. On most boards, you’ll experience a bit of a jarring effect when you hit the throttle or brakes, no matter how hard or soft you try to accelerate. This is especially pronounced when starting from a dead stop. More often than not, the average board will speed up too quickly for your muscles to adjust, thereby throwing you off balance — but we experienced no such effect with the Boosted 2 Dual+. Bringing yourself to a gentle stop doesn’t require an ultra-delicate touch on the decelerator. You can actually mash the brakes fairly hard without flying off the front of your board, because the motors slow you down in a gradual (but still strong) way.

As an added bonus, the board’s software can be tuned to suit different users. If you’re a beginner, you can limit the board to a top speed of 11 mph, and make acceleration/deceleration even more gradual than it usually is. If you want a bit more speed, but don’t want to eat up all your battery power, just put the board in Eco mode; it’ll top out at 16 mph, but leave you enough oomph to power up moderately-sized hills. And if you’re a real ripper, you can kick the board into either Pro or Expert modes — both of which will get you up to (or over) 20 miles per hour. Toggling between these modes is as easy as pressing a button on the controller.

Buy one now from:

Boosted Boards

Editor’s Recommendations

  • Don’t get stuck in traffic — get a Serpent Series electric skateboard instead
  • Genesis Tomahawk electric skateboard review
  • Boosted 2 Dual+ electric longboard review
  • Exway’s smart X1 skateboard will help riders of all levels beat the traffic
  • Genesis Tomahawk Electric Skateboard Hands-on Review




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