What are the best budget electric skateboards that are priced under $500?
This page was updated on: 27 March 2022
So, you are looking to buy an electric longboard and don’t want to spend more than $500 on it.
Right, you’ve come to the right place, as we have reviewed (almost) all of them, know which to recommend, and have the data to back it up.
You can check out the data table of everything available to the market on this page.
A few things to square out of the way before we start,
- All of the boards found here are Chinese brands.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the market for electric skateboards under $500, or even under $1000 is currently dominated by Chinese brands, as only they can offer the value to price ratio while bundling in with decent after-sale service. (BTW, at this price, western brands weren’t doing any better in after-sale service.) - The random brand you found on Amazon might not be included.
Generally speaking, brands that mainly sell on Amazon are not competitive to major budget brands that are included in this list. They don’t have the same production volume as the front-running brand, and hence often use more dated and less refined parts. Some had pretty shaky quality too.
- We think post-sale service is important.
Let’s face it, shit happens. Boards were dead-on-arrival, one motor not spinning, spotty connection, etc. When this happens, you want brands that are willing to take responsibility and refund/ troubleshoot with you. This is quite a lot to ask for electric skateboards under $500, and that’s why you should only choose your board from a handful of brands that have at least an acceptable track record.
- No single hub boards.
We would not recommend any boards with single hub motors. One should never go for single-hub electric longboards as they not only lack power for uphill, the braking and acceleration are uneven (not always felt, but unpleasant when it is). So, unless you are buying it as a toy for your kids or are in for some really conservative riding, board with a single hub is almost always never worth it.
With all those squared out of the way, here’s the list:
Best Budget Electric Skateboard under $500:
1. Wowgo 3 – $399
The former best mid-tier electric longboards have seen a price cut. (It’s a steal!)
- Price: $399
- Battery: 180wh, 10s2p- above average amongst affordable boards
- Range: 11miles/17km – average
- Top speed: 24mph/ 39kmh – average
- Motors: 2 x 500W (hub) – above average
- ESC: 10s Hobbywing ESC
- Deck profile: Flexible
The only reason Wowgo 3 is not mentioned a lot in the discussions of best budget electric skateboard, is that nobody realized it is $399 right now. Wowgo 3 is being discontinued replaced by the newer Wowgo 2s Max, and Wowgo is clearing the remaining stock with a huge price cut.
For those who don’t know, Wowgo 3 was one of the best electric skateboard at mid-tier price ($519) when it was released in 2019.
The board was and still is amazing. Great flexible deck, genuine Paris truck and Hobbywing ESC means that both the board control and speed control are silky smooth. The 180Wh battery and 500W hubs might be considered weak compared to other mid-tier boards but for $399, it’s crazy value. For heaven sake, the Paris Truck and the nice flexible deck would have been worth the asking price already.
If you want an entry-level electric skateboard, get this one while stock lasts.
Go to Wowgo 3 product page here, or read our full article review by clicking here.
If you are interested in buying the Wowgo, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive 5% off during check out.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
2. Wowgo 2s Max – $479
Wowgo 2s Max is the most well-rounded and the safest bet under $500.
- Price: $479
- Battery: 216wh, 12s2p – above average amongst affordable boards
- Range: 14.3miles/ 23km – above average
- Top speed: 28mph/ 45kmh –Above average
- Motors: 2 x 550W (hub) – top tier
- ESC: 12s Hobbywing ESC with smart-turn on
- Deck profile: Stiff, Subtle concave
If you are looking for a board that’s comfortable and intuitive to ride, Wowgo 2s Max is the one for you. When it comes to specs, Wowgo 2s Max is either top tier (power, top speed) or on par with its competitors (battery/range).
The trucks are good quality geared towards stability, and the speed control is amazingly smooth and intuitive thanks to the 12s Hobbywing ESC (Electronic Speed Controller).
However, what place Wowgo 2s Max at the top is the details. Wowgo 2s Max is amongst if not THE most polished board under $500. From the foam grip-tape to graphic underneath the board; to better-looking remotes, nothing from the looks will give away the affordable price tag.
Oh, and Wowgo has an above-average track record in after-sale service too.
Go to Wowgo 2s Max product page here, or read our full article review by clicking here.
If you are interested in buying the Wowgo, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive 5% off during check out.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
3. Meepo V4 Shuffle – $399
The most thrilling amongst budget electric skateboards.
- Price: $399
- Battery: 144wh, 10s2p – average amongst affordable boards
- Range: 11 miles/ 18km – average
- Top speed: 29mph /46kmh – top tier
- Motors: 2 x 640W (hub) – best in class
- ESC: LingYi (LY-FOC 1.0) with push to start
- Deck profile: Stiff, rocker deck, aggressive W-concave
Screw “best overall”, you want something that packs punches.
Or perhaps you are higher in weight class and are concerned that an affordable electric skateboard is not going to push you.
In that case, Meepo V4 Shuffle is the board you should get instead.
Meepo has traditionally been the one that packs the most punches, perhaps thanks to its founder Kieran’s obsession with torque. Meepo V4 has a pair of 640W that tops everyone else in under $500 range (and maybe even most hub-boards <$1000).
And obviously, torque is not the only thing that Meepo V4 does well. The rest of the specs kept up well with its peers too. Riding experience wise, Meepo V4 goes with the newest iteration of LingYi ESC (Meepo, being the biggest budget brand, always gets the newest version), which is completely smooth and intuitive to control, with tad bit more punch than the best Hobbywing ESC (and can completely stop on an incline, which Hobbywing ESC so far can not.)
Ride profile-wise, the Meepo V4 chose to be unique instead of going with the safe-comfortable-boring route. It’s aggressive concave, and a shorter deck gives the board a more responsive control (hence the name Shuffle), but some might find it less comfortable and do less to reduce vibration.
When it comes to building polish and parts quality, Meepo V4 is above average at that too. (The look of the board though, is pretty subjective, personally, I am not a fan).
On after-sale service, I would say it is satisfactory to above average.
Go to Meepo V4 Shuffle product page here, or read our full article review by clicking here.
4. Tyneeboard Classic 8.7AH -$479
Bigger battery, flexible deck.
- Price: $479
- Battery: 313wh, 10s3p – best in class amongst affordable boards
- Range: 22 miles/ 35km – top tier
- Top speed: – 23mph/ 38kmh – average
- Motors: 2 x 350W – below average
- ESC: 10s Hobbywing ESC with smart power on
- Deck profile: Flexible
Tyneeboard is a young company that might have flown under many radars. The brand is created by an industry veteran who left another top brand to venture out on his own, and as the result, Tynee is ready in day one, making good electric skateboards that have competitive specs and high-quality polish while also keeping up with after-sale service.
Tynee Board Classic is not a particularly exciting board. It’s a board that went with all the tried and true formulas. Hobbywing ESC for smooth and intuitive control, average Dual 350W Hubs, a pair of good propriety trucks that are geared towards stability, and a flexible deck with subtle concave. 5AH battery for $449 is pretty standard, or you could consider paying $60 extra to get the significantly larger 8.7AH variant.
Not a particularly memorable board, but Tynee Board Classic is one of the top choices especially if you prefer its flexible deck over Wowgo 2s Max’s stiff deck.
Go to Tyneeboard Classic product page here, or read our full article review by clicking here.
If you are interested in buying a Tyneeboard, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $10 off during check out.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
5. Meepo Mini 2 – $449
All you need at an affordable price.
- Price: $449
- Battery: 144wh, 10s2p – average amongst affordable boards
- Range: 11 miles/ 18km – average
- Top speed: 29mph /46kmh – top tier
- Motors: 2 x 540W (hub) – top tier
- ESC: LingYi (LY-FOC 1.0) with push to start
- Deck profile: Dish-like concave
Meepo Mini 2 is old news, it has been the best budget shortboard of our pick for the last few years, ever since it was released. While there are new and better boards released since then, they are also pricier. At the same time, Meepo Mini 2 has also been getting updates after updates (Updated ESC, refined build, better-looking remote) to keep it on top of the competition.
Riding experience-wise, Meepo Mini 2 has perfect speed control as it was updated to the latest iteration of LingYi ESC (the same one found on Meepo V4). Board controls are great too, thanks to above-average skate parts. However, it is important to point out that Meepo Mini 2 is geared towards stability more so than agility, and is not as light as it looks (16 lbs / 7.27 kg).
Spec-wise, Meepo Mini 2’s 144wh battery is pretty standard for a budget electric skateboard; what’s top tier is the 540 watts motors which allow higher than peer’s top speed. While top speed is not usually a factor when shopping for a shortboard, torque definitely is. For those who might be concerned that an affordable shortboard might be too weak to push them around (eg, heavier rider), the Meepo Mini 2 will definitely be good enough.
For most people, the $449 board is everything they would need from a shortboard.
[List of Recommended Shortboard, coming soon]
Go to Meepo Mini 2 product page here, or read our full article review by clicking here.
6. Verreal Mini – $339
Unbeatable price for a good shortboard.
- Price: $339
- Battery: 144wh, 10s2p – average amongst affordable boards
- Range: 11 miles/ 18km – average
- Top speed: 23mph/ 38kmh – average
- Motors: 2 x 350W (hub) – below average
- ESC: 10s Hobbywing ESC
Verreal Mini is not a very interesting board, from the looks to the specs, there’s nothing worth writing home about. However, with a price tag of only $339, the board is surprisingly decent.
For $300, we expect a single-hub underpowered toy, but Verreal Mini still sports a decent pair of 350W motors.
For $300, we mostly see boards that use outdated LingYi ESC with jerky speed control; instead, the Verreal Mini uses Hobbywing ESC which provides silky smooth speed control.
On top of everything, Verreal is a known brand with a fair reputation.
So, for anyone who is looking for a shortboard and wants to save as much as possible, our recommendation would be Verreal Mini.
Go to Verreal Mini product page here.
[List of Recommended Shortboard, coming soon]
7. Lycaon GR 2021 – $459
Good affordable board with a lot of range.
*Tynee Board Classic 8.7AH is preferable for using better parts.
- Price: $459
- Battery: 280.8wh, 10s3p –top tier amongst affordable boards
- Range: 15 miles/ 24km – top tier
- Top speed: 24mph/ 38kmh – average
- Motors: 2 x 480W– above average
- ESC: 10s Hobbywing ESC
- Deck profile: Stiff
Lycaon GR 2021 saw two major improvements – 1, a significant price drop and 2, switching to Hobbywing ESC for its perfectly smooth and intuitive speed control.
With that said, the main selling point of Lycaon GR was and still is it’s very big battery pack. The 10s3p 280.8Wh battery pack it uses is one of the biggest amongst boards <$500.
The board ain’t one trick pony either, perfect speed control, good polish and fair riding experience — [talk about truck less good, brand is okay]
Go to Lycaon GR product page here.
Not recommended: and the reason why
X. Teamgee H20 / H5
Quality and post-sale service concern.]
There’s no question that Teamgee boards look good. The H20 has a 7.5AH battery, which is one of the biggest packs amongst its affordable peers. The H5 has a beautiful stealth design (means: no electronic enclosure) which usually inflates the price by $100-$200, but it didn’t.
One setback with Teamgee is that the LingYi ESC it uses is of an older generation, and isn’t perfectly smooth like the Hobbywing or the latest iterations (it’s 90% as good, to quantify it.) And if you look closely, you’ll notice they use cheaper Li-Po battery which have lesser longevity, amongst other drawbacks, than the industry standard Li-ion battery.
However, the dealbreaker for Teamgee would be it’s reputation in both after-sales care and quality control. Until that changed, we would suggest holding off from Teamgee for now.
Go to Teamgee’s official page here.
X. Backfire G2 Black
Backfire G2 Black is a decent entry-level board by a trusted brand.
However, the 2020 board is 2 years behind its competitor.
Newer entry-level boards from other brands now use better decks, better trucks, more powerful motors, and better ESC for more refined speed control.
For instance, Wowgo 2s Max and Tynee Classic share a similar profile but are much better in everything.
Go to Backfire G2 Black product page here.
Best budget electric skateboards under $500 for You
Obviously, there isn’t a single best electric skateboard for everyone. Hopefully, this list can help you make an informed purchasing decision, or at least be a good place to start your own research.
If there is a good candidate you would like to suggest to us, please leave a message below.
If you are interested in boards north of the $500, please head over to the best electric skateboard page, that we will be updating next.
I was looking Electric Skateboard for me when I Came Across on your post, Awesome you’ve reviewed all the Best Budget Electric Skateboard in details and your post helped me a lot. Thanks keep it
So, for someone who is searching for e skate under $500, it’s a good review explaining everything you need to know before buying. One thing I will is that choose the right electric skateboard because it will go a long way and you will not regret buying it.
Absolutely Right
can I have a skateboard please
Your detailed reviews and pros/cons for each skateboard are incredibly helpful. I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to consider different budgets and riding styles. It’s not just about finding an affordable option but also finding the right fit for your needs.
meepo v2 is another option that i see
This comprehensive guide to the best budget electric skateboards under $500 is incredibly informative and helpful for anyone looking to make a purchase in this price range. The detailed breakdown of each skateboard’s specs, features, and performance gives potential buyers a clear understanding of what to expect. I appreciate the emphasis on after-sale service and the thorough analysis of why certain brands or models are recommended or not. It’s evident that a lot of research and testing has gone into compiling this list, making it a valuable resource for electric skateboard enthusiasts. Thanks for providing such a thorough and insightful guide!