Note: There is an updated version on this topic, click here.
I think you’ll agree with me that there are tons of cheap electric skateboards with weird or no brand name. We saw them in electric skateboard Facebook groups, on Amazon, Craigslist, Aliexpress, and of course on Alibaba.
So what is the story behind these China Boards?
I have researched 8 of the most famous Chinese Electric Skateboards in the market right now, and I am going to tell you everything about them.
What exactly are the China Boards?
When we say “China Boards”, we don’t mean electric skateboards that are made in China.
If that is what we meant, China Board would have included Enertion Raptors 2, Walnutt Spectra, Actons and Louboards (although things can become a bit gray with some of them, more on that later.)
I also don’t consider the Meepo Board, which is gaining popularity by the days, as a China Board. Although Meepo was originated in China, it can be seen more as a DIY-crafted board than a mass produced “China Board”.( I really go more in-depth about Meepo and his founder Kieran in another post HERE.)
So as you can see, that’s not quite what were referring to.
What we mean by “China Boards” is:
Electric Skateboard made in China that are built with no investment on their brand and hence are often cloned, rebranded,or sold without brand at all; they are often poor in quality and with minimal or no customer service.
China boards are already amongst us.
If you are out of the loop, you might not know there are a few ‘scandals’ in the esk8 circle – companies are and have been rebranding China Boards to sell at Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
They claim they need funding for the development and innovation of a product, but what they did was just sending factory their logo to stamp on an existing China Board.
Disgusting!
And of course, there are also companies that simply rebrand Chinese Electric Skateboards and market them as their own creation.
I guess not every board’s origin story is considered cool.
Acton Blink Lites, Elwing-E1, Atom is E-Wheelin I4!
Acton has gotten itself a bad reputation by repeatedly lying about the shipping date. There are also people who accuse Acton of not designing its own board and being ‘just a middle man’.
Well, the accusation is not unfounded. Take a look at Acton’s ‘world lightest electric skateboard’ the Blink Lite and the E-Wheelin I4.
They are really similar, even using the same remote, aren’t they?
Even their specs are similar.
Well, Acton did add the LED to Blink Lite, I guess that’s what they mean when they claim that they engineered the board, right?
Bolt is I-Wonder SK-A
Bolt is another “world smallest electric skateboard”, that launched an Indiegogo campaign back in May 2015.
It received $211,950 in funding.
With a closer examination, we can see that Bolt is probably a rebranded I-Wonder SK-A.
Lorenzo claimed he created Bolt.
I think what he meant was, he created Bolt from I-Wonder SK-A.
And I wonder where Bolt gets its marketing photo ideas from. (See what I did there?)
Haloboard, Tinboard(dead) are WINboard GT-M6
Haloboard is a very well loved Electric Skateboard; it ranked no.2 in Slant’s most recommended Electric Skateboard List. (Which I think is a shit lis, as it ranked Mellow as no.1. I am not saying that Mellow is bad or anything, it is just that by the time that it ranked, Mellow wasn’t even available yet!)
However, I wonder if any of the buyers know that Haloboard is basically WINboard GT-M6 with 2 times the price.
Look,
It may not really matter that Haloboard is WINboard GT-M6; they are proven to be quality boards (‘China Boards’ are often but not always poor quality) and Halo Board provides customer service to their customer, in a way China based WINboard are unable to do, hence, this just might justify the premium.
But it does make me question the integrity of THIS statement:
By the way, the now dead Tinboard went to Indiegogo campaign with the exact WINboard GT-M6 too.
Tinboard is the worst example of how low a company can get when rebranding electric skateboard. They didn’t get consent from Winboard, lied about the spec of the board, and lied about the features of the board; they even made up a fake team.
I previously covered how Tinboard went about scamming people. It is quite amazing how much they lie.
Louboard is WINboard GT-M7
There is no WINboard GT-M7 on WINboard’s official site.
Did WINboard skip GT-M7 and go straight to GT-M8 from M6?
What is the real story?
Word in the street is, Louboard bought the exclusivity of WINboard GT-M7, added some design changes and went to Kickstarter with it.
I suppose we should give Lou the benefit of a doubt. They may very well have put in efforts and gave the board some upgrades.
Too bad, we will never know.
Enough for the rebranding,
who exactly are the China Boards?
Ah, where are my manners? I haven’t introduced the players that I’ve been rambling about.
Chinese Electric Skateboard scene is a messy place, but there are a few of major players that are more recognizable.
These are the names that you will come across again and again when navigating the China Board market.
Koowheel/ Genesis Hellfire/ Magneto
Koowheel is a brand under Shenzhen JOMO Technology Co., Ltd.
The company has been in the electric mobility business for quite some time now. Besides electric skateboard, Koowheel also sells Hoverboards and Electric Scooters.
It has branches around the world. (China, US, Europe, Singapore?)
Koowheel D3M Electric Longboard is one of the most known China Board in the market.
It has been rebranded multiple times and was sold as Genesis Hellfire & Magneto and other brands.
For a long long time, Koowheel D3M is the first choice when it comes to cheap and powerful electric skateboard that one can buy on Amazon.
And the reason is obvious:
Koowheel’s specs are incredible!
It has 2 hub motors to handle most hills.
It has more speed than most people need.
And although the marketed range (25miles) are HUGELY exaggerated (10miles are what most people get), most people are good with 10 miles.
Plus, it is somewhat water resistant and has SWAPPABLE BATTERY!
The downside of Koowheel is the quality of the board.
It is very hit-or-miss. You can ride your Koowheel to the office every day of a year with no problem, or the board can fail you the second week you get it.
Remote disconnection, loose trucks, locked up wheels, battery problem, and various other issues have been noted.
Koowheel was said to have fixed most of their quality issues early 2017, but problems continue to pop up here and there.
The same story goes with the customer services.
Some customers received good help from Koowheel but more complaints about poor after-sale service.
A number of customers have had their board vanish after they sent it back to Koowheel for repair.
Look,
Koowheel D3M might have been a good buy years-ago.
However, with the choices that we have today in the Eskate market, you shouldn’t have to buy a $600 Koowheel anymore.
Koowheel official site
Koowheel on Amazon
Koowheel on Aliexpress
Benchwheel
Benchwheel is produced by HangZhou Bench Technology Co.
It is a small company founded in 2013.
It claims to be in the market on e-transportation but for now, Benchwheel seems to be their only product.
Benchwheel has a strong presence in Amazon. Although the cheapest way for an international buyer to get it, is from their Alixpress shop.
Benchwheel is the typical “China Board”. Great price with quality issues.
It is the same stories: Bluetooth disconnections, weak trucks, poor built quality, and unreliable customer service.
There are Eskaters who got lucky and have had ZERO problems with their Benchwheel.
For them, the performance at that price point makes it an awesome purchase.
On the flip side, more than a few people have had problems with their boards; got it repaired and still have the board broken down immediately during the next ride.
That would suck.
Bottomline?
Benchwheel is more like a toy than a vehicle. Again, at this day and age, you don’t need to buy a Benchwheel.
I will advise against gambling on a Benchwheel.
Benchwheel official site
Benchwheel on Amazon
Benchwheel on Aliexpress
Backfire/Falcon/Luuov/Melon/Lectric
Backfire has been around for some time, since 2012 I suppose.
Backfire board is manufactured by Shanghai So-Fun or Helloskate.
Being one of the more successful China Boards, it has a lot of clones including Falcon, Luuov, Melon, Lectric, and those unbranded generic electric skateboard that we saw in Facebook groups.
The quality of the board is good enough, but the advertised range is super inflated.
As usual, don’t put too much expectation in the after sale service.
Backfire has been trying to get into the US market by setting up an office in Virginia.
It also has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its Backfire Gen2.
Which is again most likely to be a marketing trick to sell an already available board through “Kickstarter funding” as opposed to getting funding to develop a new board.
All that being said, the early impression of Backfire G2 has actually been very positive.
Good performing board, great specs, great riding feeling – all with a sub $500 price tag.
However, all this would mean nothing if the board has quality issues, something we will only know after the fact.
During my research on Backfire II, I noticed a lot of inconsistencies in the marketing copy throughout different sites. Not exactly helping my confidence in the board.
Backfire is a budget board with great specs. The downside is the unreliability of the customer service and the quality of the board.
It feels like I am repeating myself here.
Update: I have got in touched with a representative from Backfire team. I was informed that they have put on effort trying to upgrade their after-sale service.
They have set up a service center in Richmond, USA and Hamburger, Germany to take care of customer service in the US and Europe. Repairs and service do not need to be done in China anymore.
For international buyers, Backfire China will still be handling all the services.
This could really help, i’ll be watching.
Backfire official site
Backfire G2 on Kickstarter
Backfire on Amazon (as Falcon) (Third Party)Backfire on Aliexpress
Maxfind
Maxfind is a product of Shenzhen Maxfind Electronic Co, Ltd. One of the more famous Electric Skateboard brand that you can find in Alibaba.
They make a name for themselves with their first generation electric skateboard Max A and Max B.
It is a rather generic electric skateboard honestly.
Average in all aspect, speed, range,and weight.
It has 2 hub motors to provide enough torque and the inclusion of LED lights is a nice touch.
A sub $550 price tag makes Maxfind A&B the cheapest dual hub motors electric skateboard on the market for a long while, hence, the popularity.
But…
Let’s just say the cheap price comes at the expense of the boards quality and after-sale service.
Amazon may have given this board mixed review but forum reviews on this board are mostly negative.
In fact, this board seems to have the poorest quality among all China Boards.
What can be worse?
Maxfind is currently running an Indiegogo campaign for their Max-C.
Max-C… A product that is already available, which you can buy on Amazon.
Can someone tell me the difference between Kickstarter/Indiegogo campaign and Mass drop?
With all that being said, Max-C is an interesting board.
It is small, it is cheap, and it is IP65 waterproof. (If you can trust Maxfind).
I would expect quality issue from Max C too but for the price, Max C could be the electric skateboard toy that people buy, just to play around.
Maxfind official site
Maxfind on Amazon
Maxfind on Aliexpress
Maxfind on Indiegogo
ONAN
ONAN is a brand by a group of companies including Guangzhou ONAN Electronics Co., LTD.
People accuse ONAN of being a copy of Mellow Drive, and I would have to agree.
But Mellow is too expensive for most of us anyway…
So, what about this ONAN guy?
ONAN is probably the most bought electric skateboard drive train at this moment (as Mellow has just begun to ship).
It has been rebranded by a lot of resellers.
ONAN has been sold as Griffin Boards, Ivory Boards, Nuffboards, and Flight Mode.
Griffin Boards particularly have been doing a good job in communicating with customers – testing the ONANs before they commit into reselling, providing after-sale services, giving feedback to the manufacturer for issues and for improvements.
You can check out Griffin Board’s site if you are interested in the ONAN and are from the states.
Anyways, up to the time of this writing, ONAN has 3 different electric skateboard drive that you can buy.
ONAN X1, X2 and X3.
Basically,
Onan X1 (launched in April 2016) is the entry level, beginner level drive train; cheap but slow.
Reviews show that it has been reliable, yet unexciting. It has now been discontinued by Onan as they feel that the performance couldn’t satisfy the market.
Onan X2 (launched in Oct 2016) is the most powerful out of the three. It has been ridden with issues early after release but Onan seems to have fixed them, and now X2 wouldn’t just die within 1 week of riding anymore.
Onan X3 (launched in April 2017) performed somewhere in between X1 and X3. So far, not much quality complaints have been heard.
X1/X2/X3 battery pack have two option:
- X-BP10 battery pack with 90WH battery cell (making it flight compatible)
the marketed range is 7.5-9 miles (12-15km) - X-BP20 battery pack with 158.4WH,
the marketed range is 15.5-17 miles (25-28km)
While I wouldn’t say Onan is exemplary in the quality department, the after-sale service seems to be pretty good.
Onan has been doing a good job fulfilling their warranty promise and their reseller is doing an equally good, if not better. Good for them.
At the end of the day,
being $1000 cheaper than the Mellow Drive, while still having features such as swappable battery and being waterproof, Onan is undeniably attractive.
I especially like the fact that the drive train doesn’t need a big package box and can be shipped internationally easier and cheaper.
So, if you can find yourself a reliable reseller nearby and think that a drive train is a good idea, I wouldn’t deter you from getting an Onan.
Onan official site
Onan as Griffin Board
Onan on Amazon
Onan on Alibaba
Landwheel
Landwheel is produced by Shenzhen Landwheel Technology Co.,LTD.
I couldn’t get much information on the company as their website is broken – just like their product.
So let’s just be quick.
Have you ever thought about buying a $800 $600 drive train that is fast, waterproof that breaks down on the first use? No?
Then I guess Landwheel isn’t for you then.
The board has just been released this month (July) and there are already multiple complaints of broken motor.
And it is not uncommon for Landwheel to break down just after the first 10 minutes of riding.
Even if the motor survived, you will be dealing with broken screws, burnt battery, etc.
It’s just horrifying.
Landwheel is the worst example of Chinese electric skateboard- Not cheap yet not good!
Granted, Landwheel is still new at this point but I seriously don’t know how they should redeem themselves in the future.
Although the latest version of Landwheel V4 seems to bring more durability while actually being able to deliver the promised performance, there are still accounts of it breaking down here and there.
I would only start to consider Landwheel if most of them start lasting over 1 year without issues.
For now and in the near future, just do yourself a favor and stay away from Landwheel.
Landwheel official site
Landwheel on Alibaba
I-Wonder
I-Wonder is a brand by Ningbo Wonder Power Tech Co ., Ltd.
They are a manufacturer for electric skateboard providing ODM and OEM service.
As I mentioned, Bolt is very likely manufactured by I-Wonder based on its SK-A.
I-Wonder SK-B also has been rebranded to Slick Revolution and Pure Energy boards.
Although I-Wonder’s main customer would be the resellers, they do sell individual boards on Alibaba.
Their products don’t have names but serial numbers.
SK-A, SK-B, SK-C, SK-D and of course SK-E.
Unlike your typical Chinese Electric Skateboards, I-Wonder builds good quality boards.
There weren’t many complaints on the boards, except that they don’t actually go as fast as advertised.
You won’t get much after-sale support from I-Wonder.
However, US based Pure Energy which sells rebranded I-Wonder actually provides good after-sales support for their customers.
If one is buying an I-Wonder, I think it is worth it, to pay the premium to have that after-sale service from the reseller.
I-Wonder official site
I-Wonder SK B on Amazon as Pure Energy
Pure Energy Electric Skateboards (I-Wonder Reseller)
I-Wonder on Alibaba
WINboard
WINboard Intelligent Technology Company has been winning in Electric Skateboard business since 2015. They are mainly a manufacturer for hub motor electric skateboards.
WINboard uses quality parts.
As I mentioned, their WINboard GT-M6 has been rebranded into Haloboard and has been one of the best quality electric skateboards out there.
The upcoming Louboard was said to have bought the exclusive rights to produce WINboard GT-M7 as Lou boards, and from the marketing material it looks to be one hell of a board.
Too bad for us,
WINboard only sells to distributors and not individuals (so don’t expect after-sales service directly from them). So unless you are ordering in bulk, you probably couldn’t get a board directly from WINboard.
See, these are the products from WINboard and they all look good:
Let me know if you are making a bulk order on Winboard GT-M6, because Haloboard is seriously … too expensive.
WINboard official site
WINboard Alibaba
Haloboard Electric skateboards (WINboard GT-M6 rebrand)
Update Jan 2018: I’ve dropped the quality of Winboard from “Great” to “Fair” as some of the complaints on Winboard surfaced. The quality of Winboard seems to be inconsistent and it is usually up to the company using Winboard as OEM to ascertain the quality. Moreover, as they’re more focus on being an OEM, their customer service to individual buyers is quite bad.
So, Should I buy a China Board?
For those of us who are ‘international customer’, sometimes it is just easier to get a China Board than something like a Boosted board. Aliexpress, unlike Amazon, usually ships internationally.
If you actually find Chinese Electric Skateboard that calls to you, you still need to observe the first and here is the only principle for buying an electric skateboard:
Always go for a quality.
A poor quality board that breaks down after 1 week aren’t worth a dime.
Why does this matter?
The truth is, poor quality boards can’t be upgraded one piece at a time even if you are good at tinkering.
If the ESC blows, you may not find a good quality ESC that fits the space.
If the motor blows, you may have to stick with a small motor that will blow again because the motor mount wasn’t designed for larger motors.
(words from evoheyax)
You want a portable vehicle NOT a toy, right?
With that being said, I felt ONANs, I-Wonders, and WINboards are worth buying.
Where could I buy a China Board?
Amazon, Aliexpress, and from the Resellers of course.
Aliexpress is cheaper and often ships internationally.
Amazon is more familiar to most of us and has its own return policy to protect buyer.
The price is usually cheapest in Aliexpress, follow by from reseller’s site and the highest on Amazon.
Here is the summary list:
- Koowheel:
- Benchwheel
- Backfire
- Maxfind
- Onan
- Landwheel
- I-Wonder
- WINboard
Don’t agree with what I said? Feel free to argue in the comments.
Or you can see how most electric skateboards compares in one big bubble plot on my comparison page.
Hello from Genesis HQ, in New York City, where we’ve invested heavily in our product development — though our original design was unfortunately hijacked and re-branded (much like some up-market competitors, incidentally, who I never see mentioned in this type of context). Fortunately, we abandoned that model of board, and our boards now have nothing in common with any board on this list. They do have a lot in common with boards that cost $1,500 to $2,000 (speed, range, for starters)… although ours are 1/3 to 1/4 the price.
Given that I’m sitting here with our customer service team, working out the design of our next iteration of boards, then I would humbly contend that we do not meet this criteria:
“Electric Skateboard made in China that are built with no investment on their brand and hence are often cloned, rebranded or sold without brand at all, are often poor in quality and with minimal or no customer service.”
Please remove us from this list.
Kindest regards,
Bryan Harris
President
Genesis
Hello Mr. Harris,
Thanks for reaching out. It would be really helpful if you could be more specific with your claims.
It’s not a secret that Genesis Hellfire is Koowheel D3M.
Genesis does seem to have other boards besides Hellfire such as Tomahawk and Stinger, which I haven’t actually got to know very well.
I did mention in the post that Genesis Hellfire is a ‘China Board’ but never made the claim that Genesis the company is a China Board-Brand.
Nice to hear that Genesis is working on designing new boards too. If your future boards are original with good quality, rest assure the esk8 community will definitely know about it =)
Owner of Meepo Board in China ask for an oppotunity to talk.
I am Kieran from China. Founder of Meepo Board.
Its starting , and its a good board. You can check online what my customers are saying and check video reviews.
I am skater and builder and business owner. I would like to have a chance to get my board’s intorudecd here. Or other ways to get people know my boards.
Hello Kieran!
Thanks for reaching out! Heard lots of great things about Meepo Board, also checked out your Youtube Channel and love the down-to-earth no-bullshit style that you are rocking!
I actually tried reaching out to you yesterday (sent an email to you but the email service provider failed to deliver) =).
Can you hit me up with an email at [email protected] ? Love to know more about you and Meepo!
Hi Paxson,
I just wanted to say I liked this post very much, it’s very honest, straightforward and no sugar-coating.
I understand that some of the manufacturers from China might get offended that the “Chinese electric skateboard” became kinda synonymous to “low quality knock-off”, but I believe it’s mostly their fault. I mean, if you have invested so much in your brand and your product, but then people are finding the exact same board on Alibaba and Aliexpress, and giving you poor reviews, well, you must be doing something wrong!
Also, good customer service goes a long way, and most of these boards have horrible or non-existent customer service.
Thanks, Jacob! Appreciate the compliment!
The post has given me the opportunity to connect with some of the manufacturers and I have to say, those who contacted me has been really good sport about it. =)
I probably will have to update this post from time to time to cater new players and recent developments.
By the way, a cool looking site you have there! Wish I knew how to make my site as pretty as yours =)
Paxson,
As someone who is doing thorough research before buying my “last mile” board in SF, I want to let you know I appreciate your thorough research and unbiased reviews. There are a ton of boards out there, especially those that are rebranded for kickstarter/indiegogo with fancy marketing campaigns. Feels shady they can spend a few hundred dollars on a trendy hype video only to spike their markup their product to Boosted/Evolve pricing.
I ended up pulling the trigger on a Meepo board as it presented the best value and overall quality (pre and post sale). This was important to me and I found your site to be crucial in helping me choose. Thanks again and keep up the great work.
Best,
Patrick
Thanks Patrick.
Really appreciate your good words. It really means a lot to me that you find my work helpful.
I am sure that you made a good choice with the Meepo, especially since you are buying it as the last mile solution. No reason to pay more for faster speed or fancier feature when a sub $400 board can get the job done and done well.
Again, thank you for your kind word, really appreciate it!
I think the halo board may have different motors than the WINboard GT-M6. The specs say dual 3000 watt motors on the halo board website and the winboard GT-M6 claims dual 800 watt motors. Are they just lieing or did they make some alterations?
Alteration I believe.
Unlikely HaloBoard will outright lie about the specs while manufacturer like Winboard will happily make alteration according to the liking of their client.
Is it possible to make modifications to the winboard gt m6 and install off road pneumatic wheels?
Hey man,
Sorry I don’t know Winboard GT M6 enough to provide that answer…
Can you let me know too if you happens to find out?
Thanks bud..
Hey guy ,Landwheel is produced by Shenzhen landwheel Technology Co.,LTD.
Corrected, Thanks.
Great thread, and I have a few things to add. The Koolwheel 3 gen board is great out of the box, but junk after a short time. Between the board and the battery flexing independently of each other while riding, you end up with screws coming loose, and the battery conection terminal suffering physical damage getting bent. There are also intermittent connection issues, (Battery connection related?) that keep the board from being reliable. The Chinese customer service is WORTHLESS, I wouldn’t buy this board on this alone, and I DON’T recommend to anyone either, unless you can afford to flush $500 at a moments notice, especially with so many other options!
I’ll be looking into the Meepo and reporting my findings.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Koowheel touted their board to be awesome because it can flex, never thought that it Backfired ultimately.
Great review, thanks!
I own a Koowheel Onyx. I’m very satisfied with its quality and value for money, BUT, as mentioned above, the customer service is TERRIBLE. For that reason alone I will be buying my next board from another company.
Thanks for the compliment!
Can you share your experience with Koowheel’s customer service?
Yes, that sentiment about their terrible customer service is something I’ve heard from every owner of those boards, which, by the way, every person I know has sold their boards before they ultimately broke so that they weren’t stuck with a worthless $500 paperweight.
The flexing is the major killer of these boards, (Aside from the poor uphill performance compared to other boards out there).
Good luck to you, and keep a careful eye on your hardware and specifically the electrical connector, once it’s compromised, you’re pretty much done. It’s a significant design flaw.
Yikes.
What about this Lectric brand? I have a neighbor who bought the new LS, it looks cool as hell, and rides pretty good, but the battery life sucks, (And it’s the slowest speed offering-Not the 26mph one that costs over a hundred more for just 3 mph faster??!!), and it applies the brakes intermittently when you go over a bump or crack. Makes it really hard to ride fast/safely, anybody else have any experience? They say they are a US company, but the instruction manual is full of grammatical errors common with China company manuals, so it’s not really clear what’s going on. So many offerings, looking into the one that makes the most sense financially and long term reliability wise. Melon is also a local ish company here in Santa Barbara, supposedly, but they (Johannes) toutes more than they actually can deliver, so it appears they are not even a contender…?
Hey Paxsom,
Thanks for the in-depth coverage on CN boards. I ended up picking up a Winboard W3. Unfortunately the ESC ended up being rather flaky, so I was not able to provide a review of it. This was not a problem, since I had a pair of VESC ready to take over.
Anyways on reddit I hear someone mentioning that 60% of parts from CN esk8 companies are coming from diyeboard.com. Do you know if this is true? Just wondering who the major parts manufacturers are.
Ha,
Yes, that was me posting about diyeboard.com. And it is true. You can chat on the site and ask yourself. Jason, the rep that will chat is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic eskate fan. They had not been in the retail business at all but are testing the water, so to speak at the moment, with their website. But still their bread and butter is supplying parts to other retail brands. They design and manufacture the motors, ESC, remote, etc. And I can tell you the parts are quality. Not fancy spec sheet numbers, but the parts are reliable and delivers in spec. And they know all the minutest details about all the components. Jason will tell you everything if you ask. There are many companies that buy from them, and I personally have experienced two boards that are supplied with their parts: Acton Blink S2 and Meepo. And as I said, they are reliable and deliver in spec. Maytech also buys motors from them as well.
I don’t think you can compare DIYeboard to any companies on this list. It’s a pity they are not too focused on direct retail to US and the rest of the world. I know retail and customer service is headache in general so it’s understandable they prefer to be supplying mostly. It’s much better business for them. But, they are very enthusiastic about supporting the DIY eskate community, which shows they are not just here to make money.
See for yourself, check out their website (as I said their priority is wholesale supply so it’s not too polished and well maintained but still quite detailed) and products. I hope their retail side can get some traction, so reliable and inexpensive Chinese electric skateboards can be purchased by riders instead of too many questionable companies marring Chinese eboard reputation.
I too have been hearing a lot about DIYeboard recently.
How they basically are the supplier of Maytech, how they are the biggest supplier of Eskate.
I have currently no knowledge about them but your curiosity makes me curious as well … I could dig deeper .. hmm.
About your Winboard W3, may I know where you brought it from? did their customer service fail you?
Hi, what about Kuickwheel Serpent-C and Serpent-W? Can you review them?
One is the smallest (which may feel like a toy instead of the last mile board) and one is aluminium longboard (it’s aluminium… what do you think?)
Hey SJ, what makes you so interested in the Kuickwheel?
I took a peek on them and can’t decide if they are just another rebrand of China Boards or if that is something new.
The project also face with some delay as typical of Eskate crowdfunding project.
I am kinda in a tight schedule for this month so an in depth research on them before their delivery is…. well.. I couldn’t make it. Sorry.
Thank you Paxson, it’s okay, I can wait.
I was interested because I was on kickstarter when I noticed this campaign, and they did a great job convincing me to pledge and it was at a low price (compared to Boosted) so I did.
When the campaign was over, I started to feel a little skeptical so I did some research. I wish I saw this website before I did put my money in kuickwheel. All the reviews on this kuickwheel has been an okay or positive note — and any reviews that are negative are basically the lack of communication and the delay.
Now I’m worried that it might be a China board.
Being a “China Board” shouldn’t be a problem in of itself.
Most of the tech manufacturers are in Shen Zhen China regardless where the product was first designed anyways.
A quick glance, what I can be certain of is that the motor is definitely from a generic part. It is the same type of motor that Meepo is using. Kuickwheel probably just designed the deck and some other cosmetic stuff such as the LED lights.
I take it that you backed Serpent W for around 500 dollars, am I right?
Judging by the specs, if the final product can achieve what it said it could, then 500$ for it is a reasonable deal =)
Hello,
thank you for this reviews. this helped me alot to get into this great mess of electric boards.
I’m looking now for a couple of years to buy one. I watched the mellow boards for a long time. They are awesome, but too expensive for me, found the Onan stuff and ended up at Winboards.
I ordered a GT-M2 this month, but i canceled the order. I found this instead: http://alienpowersystem.com and the price and specs looks for me okay, since i only want a kit for using on every deck. The stuff looks really similar to other brands you shown up here. But my question is, when they buy some kopied stuff for their own brands, do they use also same hardware, like motors and electric parts? Do you know? My biggest fears are the batteries, i dont want to end up like a riding burning man. Mellow board says they have super safe battery from tesla, but what about the others? Samsung, LG or China Batteries?
Hi Paxson, thank for these write up, very informative and helpful. There is a a board I’d like for you to investigate on Kickstarter called the Serpent W, from Kuickwheel. They seem to have a great board, although very heavy at 20 lbs. But, the backers, me included, believe we might be getting scammed as there are few updates, and delivery dates that don’t amount to anything. Thanks again.
This is a best skateboards resources that you have included here properly. thanks a lot for this best idea
Thanks! Glad that you like it =)
Hello tell me please which of them will be more qualitatively done, top 5 electric boards value for money
Hey man, I don’t mean to be evasive but this kind of question is particularly difficult to answer without knowing who those boards are for.
You can see my post on Best Electric Skateboards where I attempted to answer that question according to everyone’s particular niche and needs.
https://electricskateboardhq.com/best-electric-skateboard-electricskateboardhqs-recommendations/
But I can give you my favorite budget eskate company, just for fun.
Meepo – Best option in the budget sector that has proven track record.
Backfire G2 – Best budget option if swappable PU wheels is a must for you.
Onan- If electric Booster is what you seek.
Ownboard- Another generic board that seems to be making some noise lately.
that’s pretty much it actually, in the budget sector at least.
Let me know if you have specific boards in your mind.
Great info!
Do you have a wiring diagram for the Onan X2? I am having an issue with one of my Motors and even though I labeled each wire is I took it off it seems as if the permanent Sharpie was not permanent. How to reattach the wires
Can you post a photo of your own? It shouldn’t be too complicated and I suppose the worst thing might happen is the motor spins the wrong way.
I have posted your question to Team Onan support site, hope that they can give you the solution.
Thank you for reaching out. I will post photos later today if I can.
I had an issue with a magnet in one hub and I believe I hooked the wires up incorrectly as my sharpie was a “dry erase” marker. I am recovering from neck surgery (Unrelated to e-boarding) and I think the pain/meds were a factor in my mistake.
I guess Landwheel section needs updating.
L3-X (v5 version) is a solid product. (plus its cheaper )
Yeah, I have heard about their latest gen Landwheel and words are they are quite good.
I am obviously very skeptical about them and would like to see if their product holds up with time.
But what’s for sure is that I will need to update this post .. sometime.. maybe later..
Any feedback / input on Pomelo? The have a P5 model in the market currently and looks like they are releasing a PomeloPro (seems like same thing w/ upgraded wheel motors).
Interested where you’d rank them in this area.
I have not looked deeply into the Pomelo Pro but I have my reservation.
1) They are launching through crowdfunding and you probably know where I stand on eskate crowdfunding.
2) The range they claim for an electricskateboard booster is abit..let’s just say that i dont believe it.
3) They appears as an US company but Pomelo P5 is available in Alibaba, so, is this another case of rebranding?
From what I have, I couldnt recommend the board. If they delivers successfully and prove to be good, then it will definitely be recorded on this site =)
Yup, I read your article on esk8 crowdfunding 2017 – very well researched.
And… let me say that I share your skepticism… (hence my reason for reaching out to experts like yourself).
In terms of the Pomelo Pro… I doubt it will actually reach that 23.6 mile range (or go 26 mph).
That said, even if it only gets half that range (12 miles) and keeps the performance of the P5 (which looks to be roughly on par at around 22mph), it could be a good deal. I’m interested in getting into esk8ing, but am new to it and having a tough time justifying shelling out the price of a Boosted Board.
Using the conclusion from your article… 1. Has the company/ team had done it successfully before – not sure about the crowdfunding piece, but they have launched the P5.
2. The founders are reputable in the Eskate community – that seems like a no at this point, but I did find several reviews on YouTube.
3. The product already somewhat exist. Yes – the P5.
4. It’s not Acton. Check.
The advantages I could see… 1. Is significantly better priced than something like a Boosted board (which would be my 1st choice, but is rather pricey). 2. Is Hub motor driven, which would mean less maintenance and is quieter. 3. Has really good ground clearance.
Here are the links to the YouTube reviews of the P5… interested if you feel like any of this holds water.
– Boosted Board ($1499) VS Pomelo P5 electric skateboard ($600) :
– BETTER THAN BOOSTED BOARD – HALF THE PRICE :
– $550 BOOSTED BOARD! – Pomelo P5 (The BEST One) :
– SCREAMING DEAL on an Electric Skateboard that I just reviewed! :
– Electric Skateboard Review – Pomelo P5 :
Idk man, all of the youtube reviewer looks to be genuinely enjoying the Pomelo P5, however, it is also quite obvious that they arent familiar with the variety of boards in the market. Whats more, most of the videos are more like first impression than reviews.
When considering if a board is good, there are about 5 things I think about.
1) Safety. Any disconnection, build quality etc.
2) ride feel. Acceleration, deceleration, vibration, carving etc.
3) post-sale service. When not if, the board need maintenance, do I have someone to count on?
4) performance. Range, top speed, torque, any voltage sag?
5) Finishing and design.
In Eskate world, the wisdom is always not to pre-order. Even reputable company such as raptor 2 have problem fulfilling orders in time. The only company that I am comfortable recommending pre-ordering are companies with good track record in delivering pre-orders.
A pre order means you have 2 things to worry. Worry if they can deliver and worry if the product will be good.
If you really like the Pomelo and its design, I recommend wait for the product to be available and let other people take the risk of backing the crowdfunding – the discount usually doesnt worth the trouble.
Really appreciate your responses and input on this.
Found 1 add’l YouTube review of the older (P5 board): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5TbirUv6lM
I’m going to risk it as a low cost entry to an eSk8 board.
Supposed to ship in July. Will let you know how it goes.
I’ve never ridden a Pomelo P5 before, so I can just tell you what I’ve observed. If the performance is vetted by Press Reset, then it should ride fine. Is it better than the Meepo V2P? or Wowgo 2s?
The reason why I always suggest established brand especially at the budget segment is the quality and post-sale service you can get. Meepo is leading on that, Wowgo has it’s quirk but is recommendable, Pomelo….? yet to prove itself.
What about these really really cheap boards? There’s a few on ebay that hit the sub £150 price tag: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2200mAh-Battery-Powered-Electric-Skateboard-Slide-Board-with-Remote-Controller/232705047517 for example
are these as bad as i’d imagine?
I can’t commit to buying a boosted or suchlike board as I don’t know if it will get as much use to be value for money but a cheap as chips one might just be fun enough.
I still don’t get why you left Meepo off this list. It’s interesting to know that they use the cheapest kit available (99$ kit from Shenzhen Jointech Electronic Co), yet it’s still a pretty good board!
Well Meepo wasnt originally categories as China Board as they were just almost a one man operation back then. It should be in here now but I’ve had a whole separate page just for Meepo itself.
Please update this section about Chinese boards!!
There are tons of new boards (off-road and on-road) on the market and choosing one from China is a minefield.
Any clarity would be appreciated!
Yeah, I think I need to update this =D.
The main player from China now would be
1) Meepo, Wowgo, Ownboard.
2) Backfire Ranger
3) Teamgee
Any other brands in yoru mind?
add verreal to the list also some slight differences to wowgo etc but all these brand seem to be using the same suppliers?
They are mostly using the same pool of suppliers.
Please update this Article. I found it extremely helpful and a great insight in to the Eboard world. I plan to buy two boards for my Son and I to ride around town and I am confused by the Large amount of choices and manufacturers out there.
Thank you for writing a great Article.
Working on it! Thanks!
When you use a genuine service, you will be able to provide instructions, share materials and choose the formatting style. OMC outdrive parts
*Reviews Chinese boards*
*Leaves the US contours and colours it to Chinese flag*
10/10 Geography
You got me! XDDD
How about the MaxFind Max4. I have been waiting so long to get this board and get nothing but the run around from MaxFind
I ordered it on the 11th of June and still havent got it. They tell me to be patient its worth the wait its superior board
Happy 4th to those that celebrate. Love your research, and thank you. Always been big supporter of made in USA and EU in newer times. I have no issues saving to get quality product, and will wait until I can afford it. Electric longbords is new hobby so spending $$$$ has to be done with research, thank you for helping with it. Bustin hybrid (NY based) and for most part always USA made is my choice for this time.
I love my my Ride1Up Bamboo Classic! Can you do more reviewing on that brand! You will not be let down it’s a great company. Highly recommend…