So this was the reason I got the Linky as even though the Boosted Mini is small, it still sucks having to carry it around sometimes. There are just so many times I don’t ride my board due to not being able to stash it somewhere for a few hours. The ability to put an electric skateboard in a backpack is game-changing. But be aware that it’s still quite a space hog as most backpacks will not be big enough to hold it. This is mainly due to most backpacks having multiple smaller slots rather than a single large one which is needed for the board. It is pretty cool to go walking around with just a backpack and no one noticing you are carrying around an electric skateboard. The ability to conceal the Linky board is really the main strengths of this board.

I will say though that when the Linky board is folded up it is quite annoying to carry, so you will be stuck carrying it around unfolded or having to put it in a backpack folded. This is also partly a design as the Linky has no on/off button but turns off when folded up. I think this was a wrong move as I’d rather have to manually turn it on/off and be able to carry it unfolded without wasting batteries. Also, want to note if you plan to get something like groceries then its hard when most of your backpack real estate is used for a board.

Shipping

tl:dr Seems to be a fundamental issue of industry, very inconsistent

So I will start with my Boosted Board, which I ordered back in late summer 2018. It took about a month to ship and seemed to be publicly known that it would take that long. This was during the launch of the board so I understand, kinda, but will say that I was turned off when I got a message Friday that it was going to ship and arrive Monday. This would be fine, but I was less than 10 miles from the shipping location and after calling both Boosted and FedEx I had to wait another prime summer weekend with no board. The kicker to all of this is my friend bought a board a few months later and got it in no time and with no hassles.

I was not aware of Linky until February 2019, but seems that many people have expressed their negative concerns of the delayed crowdfunding fulfillment of their boards. I can’t attest to that, but I got my board in 3 days, so I was pretty happy with this experience.

Basically, I am chalking this one up to be faults of both companies.

Service

tl:dr Both are great and respond fast

I have asked questions to Boosted in the past and got a response in 24 hours. For Linky, they actually sent me a European outlet with my board (luckily have an adapter), but emailed them and within 24 hours was sent a DHL express package from Italy. Both companies seem to care which is important. Both also have useful videos on YouTube how to do everything you will probably need to ask as well.

Quality

tl:dr You feel like you got a $1000 board and not a toy for each

Anyone who has ridden a $250 electric skateboard can probably contest to the fact they feel more like a toy. The Boosted Mini feels like the premium board that can take a few good hits before having a scratch. The board feels like a single piece and the deck is solid to ride on.

Linky had my doubts when viewing online when it came to quality. I bet people have thought “If I stand in the middle for a second will it just collapse” as I did. After about 3 days of riding it, I finally built the full confidence that the board will be able to handle anything. It doesn’t feel 100% as solid as the Boosted Mini, but it has a gap in the middle and it does a good job combating it with their design and material choices.

Weight

tl:dr Linky is only light if you are used to carrying a Boosted Board

So my co-worker first response to the Linky was how heavy it was. I agree at about 12lbs it is quite heavy and still worried that it's going to really wear at my backpack lugging it around. When unfolded it feels lighter carrying with the weight distributed better. But if you have ever had to haul the 17lb Boosted Board Mini you will feel that the Linky is super light. Honestly it all good workout for the forearms anyways, right?

Turning and Riding

Linky can curve way better, but kick turning is so nice on the Mini. Basically feels like typical “Skateboard vs Longboard” type comparison. One will also observe the Linky has a single front wheel motor which isn’t that noticeably different as you may think. Breaking is a major difference as the Boosted Boards spins the wheel in reverse while the Linky uses regenerated braking and just locks the wheels when braking.

Want to express that the Boosted Board is way nicer to ride due to being a single deck, but also to being concave. If you look at the picture above of the Linky upside down you notice it isn’t flat, ya that’s because the two foot sections are convex. My first week of riding this caused my calves to really cramp up from the different angle you have to place your foot on the board. It is not the worst but makes long trips unpleasant the first time.

Weather Riding

Would you want to put a wet and dirty Linky board in your backpack? To be fair I hate riding a board in the rain as is and feel neither board is actually designed to be carried and used in the rain. This also is a good time to mention that regardless of weather you will get your hands dirty trying to fold and unfold the Linky.

Remote

tl:dr Boosted remote is top notch, but Linky at least designed it for convenience.

I will just start out and say that every company should just steal Boosted’s remote design. It is slim, fits in my pockets, doesn’t need a manual to figure out, and just feels like a premium product.

Linky’s remote honestly feels cheap and hollow inside. It also annoying having to read a manual for all the many aspects of the remote. At first, I thought “this thing is never gonna fit in my pocket” but then you realize Linky designed their remote to be part of the folding experience. The remote actually quite nicely hooks into the side of the board so you can just keep the remote always with the board and not have to worry about it. I will like to mention it takes about a good 15 minutes to figure out how to put the remote on the side, but after a bit, it became pretty natural to tuck it there when folding the board up.

Also the “Full/Less Full/Almost Empty” LED status on the Linky remote is awful. I like knowing the actual battery percentage I have from the Boosted remote… maybe it shows it on the Linky app, but too bad there isn’t an Android app yet.

Accessories

tl:dr DO NOT BUY ANY ACCESSORIES FROM LINKY SITE!!!

US AC Adapter

Linky is an Italian company, so if in US you probably will need to grab one of these sadly unless they start just shipping the correct outlet adapter.

Charger

The Boosted Board charger does a good job and is way faster than the stock Linky charger. Linky does offer the ability to fast charge which is super nice, but besides the fact the power brick is massive, they will try to rip you off for a $160 power brick.

Size comparison of chargers

Here is the model of the fast charger brick they shipped me. If you plan to fast charge, just find a better solution for cheaper 29.4V — 7.0A brick (the issue is the random plug type they use on the board).

Belts

No matter what, after riding either board long enough you will shred a belt and have to replace it. Boosted didn’t include any extra belts, Linky included one. You also have twice the belts that can break on the Boosted Boards.

So pro-tip for both brand, don’t buy the belts from them, its more expensive and they aren’t making them, they are just reselling them

Chart for size of belt

Spare belt sent with Linky board

Wheels

Both boards come with what I feel are top notch wheels. They both get over anything I ride over and have a premium, long last feel to them. Linky actually packs two extra wheels with the board which is actually quite nice!

Skatetool

Each board comes with a skatetool but the Linky’s skatetool is the basically the Boosted version you have to pay extra for. I also want to point out the 3mm hex tool the Boosted Board package skatetool has is useless as it is not capable of making a full turn when trying to replace a belt, had to get my own 3mm hex tool.

Extra Batteries

I have not looked into this as I don’t have a use for expanding the ~10 mile range the boards offer on a single charge.

Headlight

Linky built a headlight into the board, so this is a nice touch indeed. For Boosted you can easily get the same thing with lights such as Shred Lights.

To anyone who has ridden their board at night with either of these options will contest that these definitely aren’t the most ideal solutions. Both headlights options are nothing more then the ability to see right in front of the board which is useless if you are riding 15+ MPH and you can’t react in time. For me, I usually ride in well lite areas when it is dark. But for times when I ride on a dark trail, something such as a powerful flashlight will be better.

Tail Guard

If you are getting the Boosted Board Mini you will 100% want a tail guard.

Backpack

Just wanted to spend this part to say the Daily Traveler backpack I dropped $120 for with Linky is something I am not proud of. The backpack holds the board, but that's about it. You get a single extra pocket when you put your laptop, but then there is barely any room to hold a charge. I ended up decided I need another backpack to properly carry the board.

(This next part is my rant on the ideal Linky backpack they should have given me for $120)

The idea for a perfect backpack is something I can take if traveling on an airplane with the Linky. The first thing to remember is the Linky has grip tape on it, so when looking for a backpack you first need to make sure it won’t tear up the internal material when it rubs up and down against it when taking it in and out. You will also want a quality backpack as you will be carrying a 12lb load at least. The back slot in the backpack needs to be big enough to hold the Linky board and preferably the charge on top if you want. The other pockets are where you plan to hold things such as a laptop, some clothes, and cables or extra stuff. Make sure your laptop with the case can fit in a slot and won’t get slammed from the board. Now that we are adding clothes, you probably realize that this is not going to be a slim/small backpack as you may hope. Water bottle side pocket would be huge. If you are smart and wear a helmet you will want to carry it on the backpack. Currently, I use clips on the side of my backpack I bought to just have it hang off the backpack, but this is super important as without one it becomes really easy to be tempted to not wear a helmet for convenience. I have not found the ideal backpack yet, but would be happy for people to give a recommendation on this one.

Conclusion

tl:dr Part cliche “what works best for you” but mainly there is a reason Boosted is the current premium name brand in the industry. Also, both companies overcharge for accessories.

I have enjoyed both boards and would have returned them if I didn’t plan to keep and use them often. The Boosted Board Mini X is still my favorite board to use and plan to use it as my first choice until I find a better electric skateboard. Something else to notice is this is Linky’s first generation board compared to a more matured Boosted company. Linky’s foldable tech is still, in my opinion, the best portable electric board option there is out there. Is it perfect, totally not, but I hope generation two is slimmer and better just as Boosted did with their 2nd round of boards.

If you already have a Boosted Board

I wouldn’t recommend buying Linky unless you are like me and have the desire to spend some extra potential car money on a more portable option.

If you don’t have a Boosted Board (or a decent electric board)

Linky could be the perfect option for you. If your goal is purely to have a board you can pack in a backpack then I see no better option out there in the market (Unless you think a penny board with a battery strapped to it isn’t a deathtrap). It is definitely more of an investment as the Linky is not cheap. The electric skateboard is a niche market and Linky is playing into a niche part of it, but for those who want to conceal their board next time they go out, use my offer code (just kidding)