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We 9 hoverboard through rigorous hands-on testing and rated top speed, maneuverability, and ride time over a number of courses.
Our testers loved the Hover-1 Chrome 2.0 the most. It has a stable and comfortable ride and is great for both new and experienced riders. Our favorite budget option is the XPRIT Classic.
The Hover-1 Chrome 2.0 is a great deal for those looking to get a board for play instead of a vehicle for off-roading or commuting. It has some cool “fun features,” such as LED lights and Bluetooth speakers, and comes in various colors. More importantly, the board is stable at speed, reasonably maneuverable, and has large foot pads, making it more responsive and comfortable. The Chrome 2.0 is light, too, at just 15.2 pounds, so it won't be too difficult for a kid to handle despite its lack of a carry handle. Additionally, this board does pretty well on uneven terrain despite its smallish 6.5-inch diameter wheels.
Our critiques of the Chrome 2.0 are minimal and assume that potential buyers are not looking for a board for off-road cruising or commuting. This board is a little sluggish when accelerating and struggles with climbing hills. The battery life could be longer, too. As it is, the rider can travel at full speed for about 40 minutes (107 minutes for stop-and-go maneuvering). Additionally, the customer service we received wasn't great. Yet, all testers agreed that Chrome was a hoot on the obstacle course. All told, this is an easy-to-ride board at a good price.
The Hover-1 Chrome 2.0 impressed us as one of the most fun hoverboards to ride. It is stable, with large foot pads, making it comfortable and easy to maneuver. The price is relatively affordable too!
The Segway Ninebot S looks like the black sheep of the hoverboard family. But make no mistake, this machine is all business. The S is nimble, packs tons of power, has a stable platform, and can keep rolling mile after mile. Unlike other models, sporting big wheels and claiming off-road prowess, the S has 800 watts of motor power to carry the rider through uneven surfaces at any speed. Segway chose to forgo frills such as onboard speakers; this board is utility-oriented for the commuter with a futuristic bent.
Our test team has lots of experience testing Segway products, including the predecessor of the S. We are disappointed that the design team discontinued the adjustable steering column on the Ninebot S. This one decision was the source of all complaints, particularly from taller testers. We believe Segway should add more adjustability to this critical component, not limit it. If you want a great offroad model in a more traditional design, check out the Epikgo Classic. It has a higher list price than the Segway but usually sells for less.
The XPRIT Classic is a great value and ideal entry-level hoverboard. It's lightweight and among the easiest boards to carry. It is intended for smaller, lighter riders who won't mind the 165-pound weight limit. While the 75-minute measured run time is in the middle of the pack, it is impressive for a board this light.
This board is not a speed demon and will not go up steep hills. It is also not ideal on rough surfaces or off-road. We don't recommend maxing out its speed as it became unstable at the top end. All that said it comes at an incredible price, plays music, and is likely all a smaller entry-level rider will need. If you want to spend a little more money and get a little more offroad performance, we recommend the Swagtron Swagboard Twist T580.
All Onewheel models recently got a safety recall requiring an important software update.
The Onewheel Pint is our favorite Onewheel model from our best electric skateboard review. Technically, it is neither a skateboard nor a hoverboard; it is a self-balancing electric unicycle. It is much better offroad than any hoverboard and goes faster and up steeper hills. It has a long enough range to be used as a commuter vehicle and is an apt favorite among pint-sized riders.
The first big downside to the Pint is the sticker price. You can buy a budget hoverboard for much of your neighborhood for the same price as the Pint. In addition, with great performance comes great responsibility. Hoverboards are much harder to crash at high speeds, and when you do crash, you are low to the ground. Not so with the Pint. Even low-speed spills can be harmful, and the Pint allows you to crash at much higher speeds. It is our favorite Onewheel and “hovering board” to take on trails.
The Pint gave us no problems cruising over rough roads, debris, and even shallow puddles during our testing process. As for the ride inducing smiles, we consider those a bonus.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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All lined up and ready to get exploring.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Why Should You Trust Us?
We have been testing hoverboards for over five years. Our testing consists of practical use tests largely conducted on our built-to-purpose obstacle course and tests out in the wild, where surfaces are unpredictable and inconsistent. We also execute highly structured tests that measure hoverboard features such as battery life and hill-climbing capability.
Our tests are broken up into four metrics that collectively cover all aspects of a hoverboard's quality and performance. These are:
Fun Factor (50% of overall score weighting)
Outdoor Capabilities (20% weighting)
Support (20% weighting)
Battery (10% weighting)
Our Director of Testing Austin Palmer and Review Editors Genaveve Bradshaw and Nick Miley have extensive experience testing and analyzing electric vehicles. Having ridden over 850 miles (and counting) on hoverboards, electric skateboards, and scooters, Austin is an expert on how they handle and where to look for shortcomings in design or manufacturing. Nick has spent years in university laboratories posing research questions, designing experiments, refining protocols, and documenting results. He provides experimental design and data expertise when he isn't mounting a board and logging some miles. Finally, Genaveve has spent the last few years researching and testing a variety of specialized products, including the best air purifiers, electric toothbrushes, and top fitness trackers. Together this team combed through every detail, tested every feature, and had a lot of fun producing this review.
We perform practical tests in real-world environments.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Analysis and Test Results
While many hoverboards look similar, they can be divided into two fundamental categories: small and large. Small boards are more toy-like and work best on flat, firm surfaces. In contrast, big boards are designed for more serious riders who want to go cruising, perhaps with some off-roading. Small boards are highly maneuverable machines that can usually be identified by their small wheels, low clearance, and bright colors. Large boards have longer battery life, bigger wheels, higher clearance, and broader standing platforms. They are also usually heavier. Each sector has its trade-offs; large boards offer better all-terrain performance at the expense of maneuverability. The higher demands placed on larger boards require high-end components, especially motors and battery cells. As one might imagine, these upgrades are reflected in the price.
Will My Hoverboard Catch Fire?
Given the not-too-distant history of non-UL-certified hoverboards lighting on fire, you may be wondering whether these products are safe. We understand these concerns. However, the introduction of a safety testing standard for these products, UL 2272, should hopefully put those concerns to rest. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has also endorsed these standards. In keeping with these standards, we have not and will not review any boards that do not pass the UL certification safety test.
What's the Best Value?
In our reviews, we do not consider price when evaluating product performance. We remove cost from the equation because we want the best products to receive top scores regardless of their price tag. However, we recognize that price is an important consideration before making a purchase, and we grant value awards to the products that provide the best balance of cost and performance.
A value purchase does not equate to the cheapest product on the market. Instead, it is a product that supplies more performance than others for the same dollar amount or offers similar performance for less money. Case in point, the Hover-1 Chrome 2.0. This little filly earns average or above scores in our four evaluation metrics, yet it costs significantly less than several of its peers.
The Chrome 2.0 was quite fun to navigate through the obstacle course as it is stable and comfortable.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Fun Factor
Hoverboards are generally designed to be fun. However, as the market has grown, exceptions have arisen. One such board is the Segway Ninebot S, which is designed for commuting and utility. Although these practical models comprise a small portion of the market, they are still fun to ride.
Although the level of fun each model provides is subjective, products that perform well at specific tasks give the rider more versatility of movement and self-expression. Speed is a big part of our fun factor metric, so our hands-on testing included time trials to assess the top speed of each model. Then we gather a team of testers to ride each board through our obstacle course designed to evaluate maneuverability, stability, and acceleration.
Our lead tester putting the Ninebot S to the test.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The conclusions for the obstacle course accounted for a large portion of the fun factor score, but we also considered maximum speed, add-ons such as color options, Bluetooth connectivity, integrated speakers, compatibility with third-party accessories, and the weight of each board. Why weight? Well, eventually, you'll have to carry your board, and we think many will agree that carrying heavy things doesn't evoke joy.
To no surprise, the Chrome 2.0 does well in this category.This model was a favorite among our testers, scoring top marks in most of the fun factor evaluations.
Back-and-Forth Exercise:
You might be wondering why all this back-and-forth business in our obstacle course test matters to the average rider. The board's ability to power through rapid and repeated direction changes reveals whether there is sufficient pick-up in the motors to re-center the board underneath the rider when momentum is working against them. A more powerful and responsive motor allows the board to rebalance itself quicker and easier, which both beginners and advanced riders will appreciate.
Many of the boards in the fleet land in the middle of our fun factor ranking sheet. The Epikgo Classic and Hover-1 Helix offer comparable, albeit average, fun potential. The Segway Ninebot S is right on their heels, overlapping the previous cohort in several tests.
Our lead tester enjoying himself on the Epikgo Premier.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Epikgo has a wide, stable standing platform that makes it fun in corners. These same characteristics, however, reduce its agility. Additionally, its max speed is 8-10 miles per hour. Although these speeds are above average for the class, the stability decreases as the speed increases, seeming to fight the rider when trying to cruise near its max speed. Testers observed the standing platform rotating away from the direction of travel, causing their toes to point skyward, compromising their balance on the board. Testers dubbed this phenomenon “pushback” and described it as uncomfortable, even for short periods.
The performance pros and cons of the Epikgo are common to all the larger boards in our review. These boards are stable, powerful, and excel at doing quick back-and-forth circuits. However, they are significantly wider than the other boards and are less maneuverable. Our testers reported difficulties in our obstacle course's slalom and spin sections. The pushback from the board also negatively impacted the fun factor score.
Big wheels, like on the Epikgo, help a lot in smoothing out the bumps in the road.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Although the Segway Ninebot S shares the same pushback issue as some other large boards, it has a few unique features that set it apart. To start, the Ninebot employs a unique steering mechanism, a padded bar situated between the legs. Riders can change directions by pushing it toward one wheel or the other with the inside of the knees. This is in contrast to the foot-pivoting system utilized on every other board in our lineup. The Ninebot's steering mechanism makes it difficult to navigate sharp corners or make rapid changes in direction because the steering column is narrow and shifts out of place while the board is suffering pushback at speed. Steering issues aside, this board offers a capable and cushy ride with its pneumatic tires and ample footpads. As such, it's best suited to covering lots of ground as one would do during a commute.
The unique steering column is not adjustable, a change from the Ninebot S's predecessor that taller testers do not appreciate.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Outdoor Capabilities
We conduct most of our fun factor testing on ideal surfaces — smooth and flat, with no debris, bumps, or cracks. Unfortunately for hoverboard enthusiasts, the world isn't covered in perfect pavement. Accordingly, we also focused on the products' ability to perform on hills, push through cracks, thresholds, and other obstacles that users may encounter when riding.
During our testing, we ride over plenty of dirt, sand, and grass to gather data about the outdoor capability of each model. We also take into account each model's performance on inclines. We use a hill with a 14-percent steepness grade for 750 vertical feet for our ascending and descending tests. This test allows us to assess the hill-climbing power and the electronic motors' ability to control speed on steep descents. We then look at how stable they are when crossing cracks, bumps, and threshold weather strips. Only a few of the boards in our test suite are designed to handle these obstacles — they are easy to pick out as they all have large, knobby tires and generous standing platforms. The larger, all-terrain boards make up a small portion of the market, although they are increasing in popularity. Consequently, this metric makes up just 20 percent of the overall score of each product.
The Epikgo Premier handles packed dirt and sand like it was pavement.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The top performer in this category is the Segway Ninebot S with its pneumatic tires and the class's largest wheels (10.5 inches). The S crushed this metric by zipping over cracks and bumps and rallying over grass and dirt. This model also excels at steep inclines, so it is a great option if you live in an area with lots of hills.
Off-road riding is where these larger wheeled models really shine.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Up at the top with the Ninebot S is the Epikgo Classic, which also delivers impressive off-road performance, albeit far less than the Ninebot. It got to the top of our test hill without any noticeable signs of struggle, though the S was a little easier to pilot.
The remaining large-wheel board, the Epikgo Classic, doesn't perform as well as the S on cracks and thresholds. However, these two boards are nearly matched when it comes to steep hills and traveling over dirt and sand. But, while the Classic lags slightly behind the S in terms of performance, our testers find it to be a bit more fun.
The boards that feature small, solid tires and motors aren't appropriate for rough terrain. So, if your primary goal is to head off the beaten path on your board, be sure to look critically at the type of tires, wheel size, and motor specs.
Support
The support metric primarily evaluates hoverboard manufacturers rather than the products they produce. We wanted to know how easy it is to contact these companies, how long it takes for them to respond to inquiries, and how helpful they are in their responses. Moreover, we wanted to assess what their warranties would cover and the duration of coverage. For many people, these boards are not a trivial investment, and it can be disappointing to hand over your hard-earned cash to a company that will be difficult to contact if a problem were to occur — and problems do occur. During our testing, we broke one board and several other products required us to contact the manufacturer with questions and concerns.
To test the response time and the quality of the response, we sent a basic (though technical) question to each manufacturer. Segway, Swagtron, and Epikgo were all standouts in their timing or responses.
The Segway team responded quickly with detailed instructions on how to resolve our issue and included a statement about their warranty program. Swagtron's response time and helpfulness varied — there are a number of their products in this review, so we ran this test more than once. Sometimes they were prompt with their response but not particularly helpful. Other times, they took several days to get back to us, but the response was detailed and accurate. Although we only ran this test on Epikgo once, they provided the best customer support of the bunch. Their team replied to our inquiry in an hour and a half and had accurate, helpful advice to resolve our problem. The Epikgo Classic, however, incurred an inordinate amount of body damage throughout our testing. This damage knocked the Epikgo down to the middle tier of this metric.
The Epikgo is among the burliest boards in our lineup. Still, we test boards extensively and were able to crack the board.
Credit: Kat Elliott
Battery
Unlike an electric skateboard, scooter, or bicycle, these boards are unrideable when they run out of power. And, as discussed in the fun factor section, some models are pretty heavy and unpleasant to carry.
Riding these boards to the limits?
Be careful when your board's low battery indicator sounds an alarm. When the battery does die, these boards immediately stop self-balancing and tip over, which can buck a heedless rider.
We split this category into three sub-metrics to test the batteries: range, run time, and charge time. We fully charged each model's battery for the range test and then rode it on our flat ground test course until the batteries died. We then tallied the laps completed to determine the total distance traveled. This is a rough estimate of how many miles these boards can traverse in ideal conditions. With the batteries completely drained by this test, we then measured the time needed to recharge each unit completely. With full batteries, we proceed to the obstacle course. In this final test, each board had to start, stop, spin, and change directions frequently. These maneuvers are more practical representations of how most people will use their board out in the real world. We recorded the amount of time the boards could continue the obstacle course rather than the number of miles traversed. We refer to this sub-metric as run time.
The Epikgo Classic was at the top of this metric, lasting nearly for two hours in our obstacle course. Surprisingly, the dark horse Hover-1 Titan came in just 10 minutes after the Classic, which is remarkable considering that it's much more affordable.
The Titan impressively has both a long battery life and a very rapid charge time.
Credit: Laura Casner
A rankings pattern was not that similar to that of run time emerged in our range tests. The Ninebot S led the pack, cruising for 11.3 miles before the battery was finally drained. And once more, the budget-friendly Titan impressed us with an excellent range of 10.6 miles.
The final aspect we looked at in this metric was charging time. Experience has taught us that we can't regularly rely on the manufacturer's claims, and charging time is no exception. At 2 hours 20 minutes, our tests indicated the fastest charging board is the Jetson Spin. Several other models take slightly longer, such as the Hover-1 Helix at approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. On the other end of the spectrum is the Hover-1 Helix at 6 hours.
An on-board battery-life indicator, as seen here on the Ninebot S, is a real boon for those logging lots of miles on their board.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Conclusion
Given the number of hoverboards on the market, it can be challenging to pick one with confidence. That's where we come in. We bought all the best boards and took them to their limits with our testing regimen. Our analyses render an accurate comparative breakdown of the different types of boards on the market with details such as the terrain and activity each board is best suited to and the travel radius of each model. With this information, you can choose your board with confidence and know you're getting the best product for your needs and budget.
Just another day at the office.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
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Genaveve Bradshaw, Nick Miley, and Austin Palmer
