OMW seems to have a theme going with their naming — Cavalry, Hussar, Lancer… and now, the Gladius.
Yup, OMW is still raiding the medieval armory for product names. And fittingly, the Gladius — named after the ancient Roman short sword — is the shortest of the bunch.
At $769, the Gladius enters the midrange cruiser segment, and this is a crowded space. You’ve got the Acedeck Stella Blizzard at $699, the Meepo Flow at $649, and a handful of others all fighting for the same wallet. To survive here, a board needs standout features.
Read our review of the Meepo Flow here.
Read our review of the Acedeck Stella Blizzard here.
The other interesting thing about the Gladius is its size. At 33.5 inches, it’s not quite a mini board, and not quite a longboard — it’s that awkward in-between zone. So the real question is: does it ride more like a stretched-out mini, or more like a shrunken longboard?
Let’s find out.
Deck & Chassis
The Gladius measures 33.5 inches long. Noticeably longer than most mini boards, but still well short of a full longboard.
The deck itself is OMW’s signature move — a composite of carbon fiber, fiberglass, and epoxy resin. And like every other carbon fiber board OMW has made, it flexes. Actually flexes, unlike most boards in this size class. You’ll feel the difference the moment you ride it.
To let the deck do its thing, OMW uses a flexible battery enclosure underneath.
As for grip tape, there are a few graphic options to choose from. Honestly? I’m not in love with any of them. But it’s not a dealbreaker — you can always slap another sheet of grip tape over the top.
The kicktail is… there. Short, and with the board being on the heavier side, it’s not very usable on its own. The good news is, OMW includes a CNC carry handle with the board free of charge.
Screw it onto the tail, and it effectively extends the kicktail into something functional — just be ready for the handle to scrape the ground when you kick up.
Battery & ESC
Flip the board over and you’ll find a 14S2P battery pack using top-tier Samsung 50S cells — 504Wh in total.
This is where the Gladius starts to separate itself. Most boards in this size class run 10S or 12S. The Gladius runs 14S. That’s a deliberate choice — higher voltage means more torque headroom, and it tells you exactly what OMW was prioritizing when they built this thing.
504Wh at $769 is solid value. The marketed range is 35 miles (55 km). In real life, if you’re ripping around in mode 4 like we were, you’re looking closer to 20 miles (32 km). Still plenty for a cruiser.
For the brain, it’s the tried-and-true Hobbywing ESC, tuned for 14S. Smooth power-on, predictable braking, four ride modes from the remote, and the usual app support if you want to fine-tune things.
Motors & Drivetrain
Powering the Gladius is a dual belt-drive setup — 2914W combined, running a 2.9 gear ratio.
That gear ratio tells you the same story as the 14S battery: this board prioritizes torque. And here’s the thing — this is the same motor setup that drives full-sized longboards. So on a 33.5-inch board, it’s overbuilt. You’ve got more than enough power to swap in all-terrain wheels down the line, if you wanted to.
Top speed is 31 mph (50 km/h), which the board hits comfortably.
Trucks
The Gladius runs full CNC Reverse Kingpin Trucks.
CNC Reverse Kingpin Trucks on a sub-$1000 board is not a given — some boards have them, some don’t — so this is a nice touch from OMW. They’re more durable than cast trucks, and they feel really good to ride on. Precise, balanced, with a surprisingly narrow turning radius.
Wheels
The wheels are 105mm MAD wheels — the same ones used on many high-end boards.
These are some of our favorite urethane wheels on the market right now. Super soft, super grippy, and they roll over mild cracks and rougher asphalt without transmitting much harshness to your feet. A solid all-around choice for a cruiser.
Lights
The Gladius comes with integrated front, rear, and deck lighting as an optional add-on — same setup as the Lancer.
The headlights are bright enough to light up your path during night rides. The brake lights flash red the moment you apply brakes. And the ambient deck lights are a mix of cosmetic and functional — they help you be seen from the side, and one fun detail: the lights flow in the direction you accelerate, and flash red when you brake.
You can change the RGB colors by pulling the throttle wheel backward three times.
OMW prices these lights pretty reasonably, and honestly, they’re useful enough that everyone should probably just get them.
OMW Gladius Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $769 |
| Deck | 33.5″ Carbon Fiber + Fiberglass + Epoxy |
| Trucks | Full CNC Reverse Kingpin |
| Wheels | 105mm MAD Wheels |
| Motors | Dual belt, 2914W combined, 2.9 gear ratio |
| ESC | 14S Hobbywing |
| Battery | 14S2P Samsung 50S, 504Wh |
| Top Speed | 31 mph (50 km/h) |
| Range | 28–34 miles (45–55 km) marketed |
| Weight | 24.3 lbs (11 kg) |
Riding Experience
First impression? The Gladius is longer than we expected. It doesn’t ride like a stretched-out mini board. It rides like a longboard that got cut down to two-thirds of its size. The wheelbase is long, and that changes everything about how the board feels underfoot.
Stability is the first thing you notice. The Gladius feels planted. Glued to the road — in the best way. And yet, thanks to those CNC Reverse Kingpin Trucks, it still turns with a surprisingly narrow radius. It’s the kind of balanced setup where you don’t feel like you’re fighting the board to carve, but you also don’t feel twitchy at speed.
And that stability matters — because the Gladius has a lot of power to handle. This is where the 14S system really shines. Even in mode 3, the acceleration is genuinely aggressive. Mode 4? You’d better be holding on. The Hobbywing ESC keeps all that power smooth and intuitive, so it never feels out of control — but make no mistake, this board can be fast and aggressive.
The real standout, though, is vibration damping. The combination of deck flex and 105mm MAD wheels eliminates that harsh, jittery sensation you get on most stiff mini boards. It is, hands down, the most comfortable cruiser in our collection. And it happily rolls over mild off-road situations without complaint.
At 24.3 lbs (11 kg), it isn’t light — but for the size and what’s packed inside, it’s reasonable.
Verdict
The OMW Gladius is a versatile cruiser for riders who want power and comfort in equal measure.
Compared to other boards in this price range — many of which run double kingpin trucks, shorter wheelbases, lower 12S voltage, and gentler gear ratios — the Gladius is more stable and significantly more powerful.
But that also means the Gladius prefers to thrust forward in a straight line. It’s slightly less playful for tight carving than a dual kingpin cruiser board. Don’t get me wrong — it’s still a really fun board to carve on. The CNC Reverse Kingpin Trucks are excellent, and a flexible deck always makes carving more enjoyable. It’s just that what the Gladius is really good at is going fast, smoothly, and comfortably.
So here’s how I see it:
- If you want a playful, twitchy little mini that dances under your feet — there are other boards better suited to that.
- If you want something that cruises like a longboard, launches like a torque monster, and soaks up the road like memory foam — the Gladius is kind of perfect.
All in all, a comfortable, versatile, useful board. If we had any complaint, it’s just that we’re not feeling the grip tape graphics. Otherwise? This is a nice board from OMW.
If you are interested in buying the OMW, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use the code “ESKATEHQ” to receive $15 off during checkout.
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!
The Ember is the best color scheme.
Also mention OMW will etch your personalized signature on the kick tail.