Swagtron T580 Review

The Swagtron T580 did not fare well in our rigorous evaluation process. It received below-average marks in every category except support. Unfortunately, this metric says more about the manufacturer than the product itself.

Performance Comparison

Fun Factor

Accountable for a whopping 50% of a board's total score, our fun factor metric is by far the most important of the evaluation categories. As the name implies, this metric evaluates the aspects of board performance that contribute to it being amusing and pleasurable. These aspects include the availability of aftermarket accessories, Bluetooth connectivity (including onboard speakers), weight, max speed, and agility in our built-to-purpose obstacle course. Unfortunately, the T580 is far from what we'd describe as fun.

While the T580 has some fun features, it doesn't have the motor power to deliver the speed and agility we want to see. It has Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to pair it with a smartphone and use its companion app so you can see your current speed and battery level, as well as a few other riding metrics and some basic mapping functions. Additionally, you can also play music through the built-in speaker.

Sadly, this board is much slower than the others in our lineup — significantly reducing the amount of fun we had while riding. It also lacks the power of other products, making it more sluggish and less responsive. It lacks the acceleration for quick turns and can't keep up if you change directions abruptly. Additionally, its max speed is 7.3 mph which is quite slow.

Outdoor Capabilities

This metric tested for a board's ability to traverse challenging terrain. We took each board up and down a 14% grade, as well as on grass, packed dirt, sand, cracked and bumpy roads, and over thresholds. The T580 delivered another poor performance, lacking the power to get up the hill. It moved at a snail's pace, was not stable, and would frequently stall and stop. It did reasonably well going down the hill, but this was an isolated bright spot.

The lack of power was again revealed when traversing off-road terrain. The T580 faltered on both grass and packed dirt. However, when it came to crossing a threshold or crossing a crack in the road, it did about the same as the other small hoverboard models in our lineup.

Support

This is the only group of tests in which the T580 delivered an above-average performance. While that's great, this is more of a measure of Swagtron's customer service than the T580 itself. This metric included an assessment of the board's warranty, ease of contact with the manufacturer, and the helpfulness of the manufacturer. Additionally, we evaluated the board's durability as exhibited by any damage after our testing.

It is straightforward to contact Swagtron, either by phone, email, or various social media accounts. To evaluate each customer support team, we sent in a common issue to each manufacturer and asked for assistance in troubleshooting. Swagtron responded within 48 hours to our technical inquiries and was clear and helpful in their response.

Additionally, this board seems quite durable. After our demanding array of tests, the T580 sustained only minor scrapes and scuffs. This is not the case for several other, burlier-seeming hoverboards.

Battery

To assess the battery on each board, we measured the maximum range, the runtime, and how long it took to recharge fully depleted power cells. Again, the T580 delivered a lackluster performance.

We ran a series of obstacles with each board to test runtime, requiring multiple starts, stops, turns in both directions, and rapid back and forth direction changes. We timed each board and scored them based on when the battery was drained to the point that it rendered the board inoperable. At 50 minutes, the T580 had one of the shortest runtimes of our tested boards.

For our range test, we ran each hoverboard on flat level ground, scoring based on the distance traveled. As expected based on the previous tests, the T580 also performed very poorly here. We made it just 2.6 miles which was one of the worst performances we've seen a hoverboard deliver.

The T580 does charge relatively quickly, taking a little over an hour to completely recharge. This outcome is good news because whoever buys one of these little underachievers will be plugging it in frequently.

Value

This board isn't a great value as similarly priced products perform much better. There are better options out there among the best hoverboards.

Conclusion