Best Board for Commuting and City Travel

Boosted Plus

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$1,400 List Price See It



80 OVERALL

SCORE Speed 9

Range 7

Ride 7

Hills 8

Build 8

Braking 9

Best brakes Fast Comfortable The range is a little less than we would expect

: 22 mph |: 14.5 miles

Earning one of the top scores overall, the Boosted Board Plus is one of our all-time favorite electric skateboards. It's fast and comfortable to ride, with plenty of acceleration and some solid hill-climbing abilities. On top of that, the Boosted Board Plus has superior stopping power, making it an excellent choice for those that are commuting in areas with traffic and obstacles and want the ability to more easily regulate their descent speed.

However, this board did struggle a bit with the steepest hills struggling to go up the steepest hills in our test. It also doesn't have the longest range we have seen to date and can be a bit expensive for most people if you aren't planning on using this as a daily commuter. It is an all-around fantastic skateboard and one that we would readily recommend to most people that want the best.

Read Full Review: Boosted Board Plus

Best Bang for the Buck

Boosted Mini X

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$999.00 at Amazon See It



65 OVERALL

SCORE Speed 7

Range 5

Ride 6

Hills 7

Build 8

Braking 7

Fast Compact Excellent brakes So-so range Heavy for such a small board

: 18.49 mph |: 10.8 miles

If you are looking at the premium boards and thinking that they are just a bit too pricey for you, then you may want to consider the Boosted Mini X, which earned our Best Buy Award. While this board isn't an amazingly cheap option, it does a good job of balancing a top-notch performance that holds its own with the premium boards and keeping the price from climbing up too high. The Boosted Mini X is quite fast — for a miniature board — does a surprisingly good job at climbing hills, and has stellar stopping power.

Unfortunately, a few concessions had to be made to keep both the size and the price tag of this board on the smaller side. It has a somewhat lackluster range and isn't the most comfortable to ride for longer periods, due to the narrower stance you are forced to take with the shorter deck. This also means it isn't the most fun to ride this board over particularly rough or bumpy roads, but we still had tons of fun riding this little board around. If you are dreaming of a top-tier board but shopping on a budget, then the Boosted Mini X is a great option.

Read Full Review: Boosted Mini X

Best Value for Off-Road

Onewheel Pint

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$950 List Price See It



69 OVERALL

SCORE Speed 6

Range 5

Ride 7

Hills 9

Build 7

Braking 9

Fast Easily climbs all but the steepest hills Excellent brakes Moderate range Self-balancing isn't for everyone

: 14.16 mph |: 10.8 miles

If you are shopping on a budget and looking for a board that can handle poor quality pavement and off-road terrain better than the Boosted Mini X, then the Onewheel Pint is a great option. This pint-sized self-balancing skateboard is exceptionally fun to ride, with its massive monowheel easily cruising over obstacles and terrain that would stop other boards in their tracks. It's pretty comfortable to ride, cruises up solidly steep hills with ease, and has excellent braking abilities.

However, the Onewheel Pint can be off-putting if you aren't a fan of self-balancing boards. The board is essentially useless when its battery dies and it can be a little less comfortable than the standard boards to ride for long distances. It also can't go up the steepest hills without bottoming out. It's a fantastic choice if you are searching for the surfy feel of self-balancing monowheel board on a budget but isn't the best choice if you are looking for a more traditional feel to your E-skateboarding experience.

Read Full Review: Onewheel Pint

Overall Most Fun

Onewheel+ XR

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$1,800 List Price See It



76 OVERALL

SCORE Speed 7

Range 8

Ride 7

Hills 8

Build 7

Braking 9

Handles steep hills Drives over almost anything Fast charge time Expensive Heavy

: 17 mph |: 16.3 miles

The larger sibling of the Onewheel Pint, the Onewheel+ XR has consistently been one of our all-time favorite boards. This self-balancing monowheel can go quite a bit faster than the Onewheel Pint and has a significantly longer range. It's more comfortable to ride for extended periods as well, due to the larger deck, and can roll over plenty of obstacles and cover terrain that would be impossible with the vast majority of other skateboards.

While this board may not be the most practical for the serious skateboarder or the daily commuter, this board is by far the most fun to play around on and can provide hours of entertainment for everything from weddings to a day at the beach — we brought it to both! It's an absolute blast to cruise around on but this board can be quite a pricey purchase and hard to justify if you aren't using it regularly.

Read Full Review: Onewheel+ XR

A few of the top boards tested.

Why You Should Trust Us?

Austin Palmer and David Wise make up our E-skateboard testing and reviewing team. Austin is an avid skateboarder — both motorized and not — and has been riding for almost 2 decades, logging over a thousand miles. Since 2015, he has personally ridden and tested over 30 electric skateboards. Over these last four years, he has ridden over all sorts of terrain including sand, dirt, grass, rough mountain passes, trails, gravel, snow, and ice. David has formal training as a mechanical engineer and has significant experience with lithium battery and brushless motor systems, including building electric go-karts, race cars, scooters, and even a self-balancing skateboard. He lends his expertise when it comes to comparing and scoring the range and power of each board, as well as aiding in the creation of our test plans for these products.

We spent countless hours researching the specifications on these products, sorting through user reviews and experiences, and comparing different manufacturer's claims to first determine which boards good enough to cut it for our review, and then to determine a grueling series of challenges to crown the winners. We conducted over 15 comprehensive side-by-side tests, measuring and scoring everything from the maximum speed to the stopping distance on both flat ground and down a steep hill. We rode these boards hundreds of miles to see how they held up to sustained use — even taking them off-road! — and measured their maximum range head-to-head on flat ground.

Related: How We Tested Electric Skateboards

Analysis and Test Results

We broke our test into six different weighted metrics that encompassed the most important aspects of these products and pushed them to the limit. While your first impression of these products may be that they exist only as a novelty item, these boards can be a great daily commuter vehicle for the skateboard enthusiast. It's hard to argue with the ability to easily and quickly activate brakes or to zoom up a hill with ease. These products as a whole are quickly becoming more and more affordable, making them accessible to a wide variety of users.

Related: Buying Advice for Electric Skateboards

Safety First!

We always recommend that everyone wears the proper protective equipment, whether they are a new rider or an experienced one, and check local rules and regulations regarding the use of these products before they go ride — no one wants an injury, ticket, or citation!



Value

Unfortunately, you are going to have to pay for it if you want a high-performance electric skateboard. All the best boards easily cost over a grand — a hefty chunk of change, so it is worth considering how much you plan on using the board and how much utility it will give you if you are looking at the upper echelon of boards.

Feel the need for speed?

Speed

Do you feel the need…for speed? This metric accounts for 25% of the final score for each skateboard and is based on both the measured top speed and acceleration. We measured how long it took for each board to complete a known distance, giving it sufficient room to build up to maximum speed before entering the course, and then calculated its top speed. We then averaged the results of multiple trials to determine final scores.

To assess the acceleration of each electric skateboard, we timed how long it took each model to travel a 50' course, with a stationary start. We also took into account our various tester's intuition of the acceleration after they had logged significant time on each board.

The Plus is one of the speedier boards we have tested.

The Boosted Board Plus did exceptionally earning a 9 out of 10. It put up an average measured top speed of over 20 mph in our tests.

The Boosted Board Plus also gets off the starting line quite quickly. We liked that the Boosted Board Plus has plenty of torque to get you up and going in a hurry but still has a smooth acceleration curve.

This board is one of our first choices for quick trips around town.

The Onewheel+ XR, the Boosted Mini X, and the Riptide R1, followed, each earning a 7 out of 10. The Onewheel+ XR hit an average maximum speed of 17 mph in our test — slightly less than the 19 mph claimed by the manufacturer, but more than fast enough for our taste. This board also accelerates extremely quickly — matching the performance of the Boosted Board Plus.

The Onewheel+ XR is quick, but watch out for that pushback.

The Riptide R1 held its own in this test, matching the performance of some boards that are significantly more expensive. This board averaged a respectable 19.9 mph in our max speed test and fared decently well when it came to acceleration, finishing slightly above average.

The Boosted Mini X has a little more oomph than the Riptide R1 off the line in our tests, but it couldn't quite match its top speed in our tests, with the Boosted Mini X only able to achieve an average measured top speed of 18.49 mph.

Next up, the Boosted Mini S, the Onewheel Pint, and the Teamgee H5 all did slightly better than average with a score of 6 out of 10.

The miniature Boosted Mini S is comparable fast, clocking in with an average top speed of 17.13 mph. The manufacturer claims it can go 18 mph, but our best guess is they used a much smaller tester when coming up with that speed because we never managed to get there. Surprisingly, this little board has very good acceleration, finishing in the upper portion of the group and having an exceptionally smooth and easy to ride acceleration curve off the starting line. The Teamgee H5 is just a tiny bit faster than the Boosted Mini S, clocking in with an average maximum speed of 17.43 mph in our test.

The Onewheel Pint didn't have one of the fastest top speeds in our tests, clocking in at just over 14 mph, but it has phenomenal acceleration.

You can get some serious speed on the Pint.

It's extremely fast off the starting line and gets up to speed faster than almost every other board in the entire group.

The Metroboard had plenty of range to keep even our most dedicated skateboard testers satisfied.

Range

Our range tests came next in terms of importance, comprising 20% of the final score for each skateboard. We ran each board on relatively flat terrain until the battery died, keeping them in either an "Eco" mode if it was available, or in the riding mode most closely in the middle. We also timed how long it took for each board to recharge after it was completely drained.

Caught with a Dead Battery?

If your battery dies while you are out riding, you aren't totally out of luck — depending which board you are on at least. The self-balancing models, like the Onewheel Pint or Onewheel+ XR, can't be ridden at all once they run out of power, so you are going to want to pay particular attention to the range of these boards when planning rides. The hub motor boards are the exact opposite, as they can be ridden the same as a normal skateboard when the battery dies, with only a barely noticeable increase in rolling resistance. The belt-driven boards have a fairly noticeable amount of resistance compared to a normal skateboard when you are pushing them around manually but you can usually manage for short distances without too much suffering.



The Onewheel+ XR earned the highest score in this metric, earning an exceptionally good 8 out of 10.

The XR stands for extended range, and the Onewheel+ XR lived up to that moniker. This board traveled an impressive 16.3 miles before dying. On top of that, it also charges exceptionally quickly, only taking about two hours in our test.

The Boosted Board Plus followed, receiving a 7 out of 10 for its performance. It lasted for a respectable 14.5 miles in the range test, comparing quite favorably with the other boards of the bunch. On top of that, it also charges in less than two hours — one of the faster boards of the group.

Next, the Onewheel Pint and the Boosted Mini X both earned a 5 out of 10 for their middle-of-the-road range. The Boosted Mini X made it for 10.8 miles before dying but does charge decently fast, taking 111 minutes to fully recharge.

The Onewheel Pint called it quits about one mile before the Boosted Mini X, lasting for 10 miles but slowing down considerably for the last quarter of a mile or so. The Onewheel Pint did charge quite quickly, only taking a little under two hours to recharge completely in our test.

Following these standout performances, the Riptide R1 and the Boosted Mini S both earned a 4 out of 10 for their somewhat lackluster showing.

The Boosted Mini S made is a little farther, failing at just over 7 miles, but also charges quite quickly. The Riptide R1 made it the furthest of the group, totally stopping just shy of 9 miles, but it slowed down so much that its effective range feels closer to 6.5 miles. It takes a bit longer to charge as well, clocking in close to two hours.

Finishing at the back of the group, the Teamgee H5 earned a 3 out of 10. This board did make it a little further than the Riptide R1, traveling for 7 miles before quitting. Unfortunately, it did start slowing down quite a bit after 5.5 miles and it took around 170 minutes to recharge.

Chris McNamara testing the downhill braking of one of the Boosted Boards. The braking was great until the regenerative braking overcharged the battery causing the brakes to stop working. Make sure to drain the battery enough before a long downhill!

Ride

This metric encompassed how each board felt, in both ideal and difficult conditions. We evaluated the comfort of each board, as well as which models we were drawn to over and over again, that possessed that certain je ne sais quoi. We also assessed how each board fared in the face of adversity — how it handled traversing bumpy terrain and if it could successfully clear unexpected cracks in the road.

We had a tie for the top scoring position in this metric, with the Boosted Board Plus, the Onewheel Pint, and the Onewheel+ XR all earning a well-deserved 7 out of 10.

This board can even go in snow!

We found the Boosted Board Plus to be the most comfortable to ride of the bunch, and consequently, was one of the boards that we were drawn to over and over again if we needed to run a quick errand or just wanted to play around on.

The Onewheel+ XR and the Onewheel Pint aren't quite as comfortable to ride for longer periods as a traditional 4-wheel skateboard, but we found we were drawn to this pair over and over again — almost as much as the above board — simply because they are so much fun to ride.

Loose sand and dirt can be a rough start.

While the self-balancing models aren't as comfortable to ride as the Boosted Board Plus, their performance at traversing bumpy terrain and handling unexpected cracks is unparalleled. Unsurprising, as it's easy to see that boards designed for traveling over mud, grass, sand, and snow should easily handle some rough spots on the asphalt. Either of these boards would be our first choice if we knew we were going to be riding over less than perfect pavement.

Not all models can handle the slippery snow.

Following closely behind the top boards, the Boosted Mini X both received a 6 out of 10. The Boosted Mini X is hampered by its size, making it less comfortable to ride for extended periods, but it did surprisingly well with cracked and bumpy pavement — given its short wheelbase — but is a blast to ride.

The Mini X has a kick tail that you can do manuals with.

The Boosted Mini S and the Teamgee H5 all finished in the middle of the group, each meriting a 5 out of 10 for their efforts. The Boosted Mini S — like the Boosted Mini X — is only about average in comfort to ride, due to its smaller size and the forced narrower stance, but we were still decently drawn to it, mainly due to its extremely convenient operation and transportation. Unfortunately, its narrower wheelbase makes it a bit more jarring when going over rough pavement.

Boosted's Minis are small enough to ride around the skatepark.

The Teamgee H5 has a jarring and unpleasant ride when going over bad pavement, so we weren't particularly drawn to it unless we knew we were going to be going over smooth roads. However, it is comfortable enough that we didn't hate riding it for longer periods, provided the road was smooth.

The Riptide R1 was last in the lineup, both earning 4 out of 10. The Riptide R1 is a surprisingly fun and comfortable board to ride around, but we weren't fans of the remote and how the board responded to its commands.

The deck is a little stiff on this board and it isn't amazingly comfortable to ride.

It also has a stiffer deck, so you feel cracks and crevices a bit more --about the same as the Boosted Mini S.

The Mini X will get you up slopes over a 15% grade.

Hills

One of the best benefits of having an electric skateboard is the ability to zip up hills with ease. However, not all electric skateboards are created equal, and a hill that is easy for one model may prove an insurmountable obstacle to another. We put these products through their paces to find the maximum hill grade that they could climb and see if it matched the manufacturer's claim. Once again, our tester was an average-sized, adult male for these tests, and a smaller or larger rider might find slightly different hill climbing abilities than we did. However, the overall trend and order would remain the same.

The Onewheel Pint earned a 9 out of 10 for its phenomenal hill-climbing performance. This board has more than enough power for most hills but it can't make it up the steepest ones since the board will bottom out and start dragging if the incline is too great.

The Boosted Board Plus and Onewheel+ XR followed, both earning an 8 out of 10 for their solid performances. These boards shot up a 15% grade but struggled with the 23% grade. This hill just slightly exceeded the abilities of these boards, with the Boosted Board Plus lacking the power and the Onewheel+ XR's self-balancing circuitry beginning to push back to keep you upright. We would estimate that both of these boards could have handled a slightly less steep hill with ease and would have had no problem with a 20% grade hill — right in line with the manufacturers' specs. Both the Onewheel+ XR and the Onewheel Pint can make it up hills of the same steepness but the Onewheel Pint made it up the 15% grade hill just a bit faster than the Onewheel+ XR, earning it a higher hill score overall.

The Boosted Mini X and the Boosted Mini S are the last boards that excelled in this test, both meriting a 7 out of 10. The Boosted Mini X performs almost identically to the Boosted Mini S, but it did get up the 15% grade a tiny bit faster. Neither could handle the 23% grade though.

The Teamgee H5 came next, earning a 6 out of 10. This board ascended the 15% grade test hill without too much of an issue — something we found very surprising since the Teamgee H5 has hub motors. However, it did protest a bit at the start until it had some momentum built up. However, the 23% grade hill was too much for the Teamgee H5.

The R1 definitely struggled with the steeper hills.

The Riptide R1 did about average in our hill test, earning it a 5 out of 10. This board did make it up the 15% grade hill, but just barely. It crept up the hill, going slow enough where it was much faster to walk

Some of the different remote styles of the boards we tested.

Build

For this metric, we compared some of the non-riding aspects of these products. We looked at the ergonomics of the remote control (if there was one), how responsive each electric skateboard and remote felt, the level of customer support we received, and the weight of each unit.

Claiming the top spot, the Boosted Mini X, the Boosted Mini S, and the Boosted Board Plus each earned an 8 out of 10.

The Boosted Board Plus, Boosted Mini X, and the Boosted Mini S weigh in at 17.8 lbs, 17.5 lbs. and 15.9 lbs, respectively. This puts them roughly in the middle of the pack overall. We did find this to be a bit surprising in the case of the Boosted Mini S and the Boosted Mini X, as we would have expected these smaller boards to be quite a bit lighter.

The handheld remote for all three of these boards is sturdy, ergonomic and intuitive but we didn't find it to be flawless. There isn't a way to know which mode you are in without cycling through the different modes and counting the lights or beeps. We also hoped that Boosted would eventually update the charging port from mini-USB, given that it is slowly becoming obsolete and the ubiquity of Apple Lightning and micro-USB cables and the growing advent of USB-C. However, these are relatively trivial details.

The remote on the Mini S is one of our favorites.

These boards are highly responsive to remote commands, though the Boosted Mini S can get a little finicky right before the battery dies. Customer support is quite helpful and responded promptly and knowledgeably to some of our technical questions. However, we did have to pay for shipping to and from the repair facility to get a remote syncing issue fixed.

The Onewheel+ XR and the Onewheel Pint followed, both earning a 7 out of 10. This pair of monowheel boards both have regenerative braking and excellent customer support that matches the Boosted boards but are considerably heavier, dropping their score down. We found the self-balancing control input of these boards to be the most responsive — far superior to those that have remotes. Additionally, there is also a companion app to allow you to adjust settings on these boards through your phone.

The Onewheel+ XR is a solidly built board.

The Riptide R1 and the Teamgee H5 are about average in this category, each deserving 5 out of 10. The Riptide R1 is one of the lightest boards we have seen but being a little finicky and unreliable to the remote commands. However, the carrying handles are a nice feature and they have solid customer support. The Teamgee H5 is just a bit heavier than the Riptide R1, but it is much more responsive to inputs, with no noticeable lag at all. We also liked the remote about as much as the Riptide R1's, but we found its customer support to be lacking.

Braking

Last, but certainly not least, the stopping abilities of each board comprised this final metric, worth 10% of the total score. We tested how the brakes worked at allowing you to maintain a controlled descent down a steep hill, as well as how they did at completely stopping you on flat ground and how long the stopping distance was.

The Boosted Board Plus, the Onewheel Pint, and the Onewheel+ XR had the best brakes of the bunch in our opinion, tying for the top spot and earning a 9 out of 10 for this set of tests. The Onewheel+ XR does a great job of allowing you to control your speed down a steep hill and only took about 15' to come to a complete stop in our tests from a speed of approximately 12 mph.

The Onewheel Pint stopped even faster in our tests, only taking 14' to fully stop. It also makes it very easy to control your speed while going downhill, but you are limited if the hill gets too steep, as the back of the board will start dragging.

The Boosted Mini S and the Boosted Mini X tied, each receiving a 7 out of 10. The Boosted Mini S and the Boosted Mini X both have solid stopping capabilities. These little boards can also come to a complete stop on hills but aren't the fastest at stopping on flat ground, with the Boosted Mini X taking about 34' in our test and the Boosted Mini S around 40'.

Too Much Faith in the Brakes? Don't Push Your Limits.

While having brakes on a board is a fantastic addition, it's prudent to remember that these are not 100% reliable. Many of these boards all use the electrical properties of the motor to slow down and divert that energy to the battery, rather than a mechanical brake and can become disabled if the battery is too full or under other circumstances. Prudent inspection of the owner's manual will state the required precautions to take when using the brakes on each board.



The Teamgee H5 performed slightly above average in our stopping tests, meriting a 6 out of 10. The Teamgee H5 is alright at controlling your speed on descents but couldn't do too much to stop us if the hill was very steep or if we started with too much speed. However, it usually could at least slow us down enough to consider bailing if it was an emergency.

The Riptide R1 delivered a middle-of-the-road performance, earning it a 5 out of 10. It takes almost 70' to come to a complete stop from a moderate speed, but only about half of that to slow down enough to jump off and run it out, if you had to. It's about average at controlling your speed on steep descents, reducing your speed to somewhere between 6 and 10 mph.

Ready to ride off into the sunset after a long day of testing.

Conclusion

Picking out the perfect electric skateboard that matches your needs and budget can be a surprisingly difficult task given the enormous spread of costs and capabilities. Cheaper boards can save you initially but are more of a novelty toy than a high-end model that could even replace a vehicle and become a daily commuter. Hopefully, this review has helped you identify which boards are the best fit for you and help you make a purchase decision that will be content with for a long time.