update 4th May 2019: Winboard Panther is out, Backfire G2T is in. Updated Budget Longboard Section.
update 21st August: WINboard Panther and Lynx. Backfire G2s and Ranger X1. Exway X1. update 1st June 18: Added Boosted Mini. Updated Gen 2 Meepo. Update Arc Aileron V2. Update 2nd April 18: Removed Spectra Series from portable board recommendation after reviewing them myself. Most Anticipated Penny/Nickel Board list is empty for now. update 24th February 18: Add in UnikBoards, Kaly.NYC and DIYeboards AT kits are valid choices in for the all-terrain needs. update 9th January 18: Mentions Metroboard Micro Slim in place of Metroboard shortboard as consensus is Micro Slim> Shortboard. Winboard & community feedback -Winboard GT-M8 2.0 not for sale anymore. Backfire G2 back on the menu as feedbacks are their customer service doesn't suck anymore.
There are a lot of “Best Electric Skateboard” posts out there, most of them, however, are more sensational than helpful to someone who is looking to purchase an Electric Skateboard.
Sure, Enertion Raptor 2 might be the best electric skateboard in consensus right now, but it would be insane for me to simply recommend it to anyone who emails me, without first understanding what they want out of their Eskate.
“Hey, I great blog! I just want to ask…”
“Enertion Raptor 2. Say no more.”
Among the hundreds of electric skateboard that I’ve researched/ tried on, there is often one or a few electric skateboards that fit best for certain people.
This is that list.
And of course, the list will be updated when a better option comes around and old boards fell out of favors.
So let’s get to it. The best board for those who are looking for the …
1) Best Penny/ Nickel board
To a lot of people, an electric skateboard is mainly a means to commute, and among these people, some value portability above everything else. There is no use to ride to a mall and ends up carrying a 20lbs longboard for the next 2 hours you are there.
There are portable options for both longboard and shortboard too, but for those who are looking for penny/nickel size board, these are the boards that are best in their categories.
Best in general:
Arc Board (899 SGD ≈ $699 + $80 FedEx international shipping.)
Arc Board is simply the best electric penny board you can get on the market right now.
It is penny board size with a 22 inch(55.9cm) deck and only weighs 7.7lbs(3.5kg).
The range and speed is nothing to write home about but it gets the job done.
With the help of the VESC, the acceleration and deceleration of Arc Board are very comfortable.
70mm wheels, however, means good roads and sidewalk only.
With that being said, electric penny board is best to be considered by those who are experienced, as balancing on such a narrow wheelbase is not going to be comfortable for beginners.
Every Arc Board is manually assembled by the Arc team in Singapore and hence the quality is assured. They also come with a 6 months warranty.
Best budget option:
With 28″ Meepo Campus discontinued and being replaced by 32″ Meepo Campus 2, there isn’t really any small budget electric skateboard that I can recommend on the market.
If there is any board that you feel fit this category, please let me know in the comment section so I can check it out!
These are the other boards that were considered but weren’t picked:
Bolt, Louboard, Winboard GT M8 Mini, Maxfind C
Acton Blink Lite is now known as Blink Go, it is a small, cheap, single hub motor Eskate. There was simply no reason to pick Acton Blink Lite over Meepo Campus as, for the similar price, the Campus has better performance and Meepo are way more reliable than Acton.
However, now that the Campus is discontinued, it left the $200 Acton Blink Go the only board
I still wouldn’t dare to recommend an Acton because of their poor reputation on how they take care of their customers.
Acton Affiliate Link, if you wants to go against my advice and buy it anyways.
Bolt -899EUR ≈ $950 USD
At its price, there is little to pick Bolt over Arc Board. Arc Board has more range and bolt has a slight edge in speed.
But at the end of the day, I would choose Arc Board which has proved to have good product quality and customer service. Saving extra 200 bucks is just the icing on the cake.
LouBoards –$449, $790, $990
Turns out, Louboard is not the sure thing.
After months of delay, the backers of Lou board was disappointed by the actual product.
Quality, customer service aside, the main complaint is the board doesn’t perform as it boasted.
Outside of Kickstarter campaign, Lous don’t have that attractive of a price anyways.
I don’t think anyone is looking for a highspeed penny board but Lou 3.0 is basically the penny board with highest top-speed if you are into that kind of things… …
Maxfind C
Reviews had shown that Maxfind C is weak, has poor quality and breaks easily. It is more like a toy than an Eskate.
WinBoard GT-M8 mini – not for sale anymore.
2) Best Shortboards
Shortboard lovers are in luck.
There was a time when there is not much option in the electric shortboards market.
Not anymore, there are a lot of new players joining the shortboards niche and it is a red ocean out there.
Best in general:
There are so many good shortboards in the market that it is difficult to pick a best in general.
So I will cheat a bit by subcategories them into different motor drive – Belt, Geared, and Hub and pick the best amongst them.
WINboard Lynx ($699-829) -Hub drive
At this point in time, still relatively unknown, Lynx is a treasure to be discovered.
One of the first product put out by Eskate manufacturing giant WINboard, it has all the benefit of a China Board – Great price for performance; while not suffering from the lack of finesse in control, build and design that is characteristic of Chinese electric skateboard aggregator company.
And that unibody carbon fiber design that is shared by the Predator Banshee? Gorgeous.
Light, powerful, refined, there isn’t much of the Lynx that I can pick on.
Well, perhaps the lack-of kick tail might be the deal breaker for some.
With their customer support now properly set up, I wouldn’t hold back to say Lynxes are the best electric shortboard available right now.
Check out our review on the Lynx Challenge
Boosted Mini X ($999) -Belt drive
Boosted Mini X is the exception from the high price, high polish but low-performance stereotype that we know Boosted for.
At 20mph(32kmh) top speed and 14miles(22.5km) range, the Boosted are just slightly behind its competitor in specs, something that the quality, polish and brand name definitely more than made up for.
Comparing to it’s weaker brother Mini S($749), Mini X has better value/dollar ratio as it has 2 times the range for just $250 extra and should be the first consideration.
The only downside of the Boosted Mini X would be the weight. At 16.8 lbs(7.6kg), it was really heavy, especially for a shortboard.
If weight is not an issue for you, (then why not buy a longboard?!), Boosted Mini X should be among your first consideration when shopping for an electric shortboard.
Check out my summary on the Boosted 3rd Gens
Arc Aileron V2 ($1249 + $80 FedEx international shipping)
– Geared Drive
Arc Aileron V2 is one of my favorite electric shortboards!
The board from reliable Arc team nailed almost every aspect that makes a good electric skateboard from quality to performance. The big 90mm wheels (which is compatible to 107mm wheels upgrade!), a light 12.1lbs(5.5kg) weight, and geared motor that free-rolls like dream, Arc Aileron is the perfect board for a lot of people.
Its only weakness should be the torque. As always, a single drive has its limitation.
Check out my review for Arc Aileron V2
Best Budget Option:
Meepo Campus 2 ($299 US only)
For those who are in the US, Meepo Campus 2 at $299 is a no-brainer for anyone looking for a budget electric shortboard.
Besides the limitation in torque, the Meepo Campus 2 has an all-rounded spec, making it a fine choice for anyone who doesn’t care about speedy acceleration and crazy top speed.
The polished that came with the 2nd Gen Meepo’s also is something rarely seen at this price range.
My 2nd favorite boards of all time, I would recommend the Meepo Campus 2 to anyone who is not looking for torque.
Check out my full review of Meepo Campus 2.
For those who need more torque or if Meepo Campus 2 is yet to available in your area, my budget recommendation would be the 30″ Meepo V2P, or the Wowgo Mini 28″depending on which deck suits you best.
(Wowgo remote seems to have finer control than that of Meepo, but with some sacrifices in features. Meepo has the better track record in post-sales service, that’s why I always suggest Meepo first.)
These are the other boards that were considered but weren’t picked:
Pulse Echo, Predator Banshee, Arc Aileron V1, Riptide R1 and R1 Elite, Metro Micro Slim, DIYelectric Torque Speedster, Acton Blink S1, S2, Yuneec Ego-2, Huger Classic, Huger Travel.
Pulse Echo ($999) – Hub Motors
At one point, Pulse Echo was considered best shortboard on the market right. It is fast (25mph/40kmh), it has a decent range (12mil/ 19km) and has all the important features such as VESC, swappable battery, swappable PU sleeves and water resistance.
However, it seems like the board was never ready for purchase. Early reviews have been positive for this boards, but it is still undergoing refinement and improvement. The lack of availability really makes it a difficult board to recommend.
Pulse founder is from the Eskate community so there is a lot of faith in the product and company.
Predator Banshee ($1099)
Predator Banshee has a problem- Winboard Lynx exists now.
Q’s Predator Banshee has a different philosophy than the Winboard Lynx.
Catering more to speed demons and thrill seekers.
Similar looks aside, both of them are only sharing deck and battery.
With Winboard Lynx undercutting Predator Banshee in price while also being equal in performance…
Riptide R1 and R1 Elite – ($599, $729)
Eric Birkemeier’s Riptide R1 and R1 Elite are dual belt-motors electric shortboard.
They are powerful, fast and light in weight.
It rides pretty well too.
However, priced @ $599 and $729, the Riptide R1 are the victims of a new Boosted Mini series.
It’s hard to see anyone pick the R1 over Boosted for $150 and a few pounds lighter. The quality, customer service, and comfort of the Boosted brand make going the Boosted way a more logical and common choice.
The long-standing concern of battery quality and recent woes of quality concern wasn’t helping too.
Check out our Riptide R1 Elite Review
29″ Metroboard Micro Slim – $1099
Metroboard has been around for a long time and is known to build quality belt motor boards.
Unless you are in love with the design, there is little reason to go with the heavy 29″ Metroboard Micro Slim today. The other boards I mentioned were either faster, lighter or cheaper or in some case just better overall.
Check out 29″ Metroboard Micro Slim
Acton Blink S1, S2 – $449, $999
Ughh, Acton…
When I first came to the eskate scene, Acton’s board is a company I like. They have boards in every tier and always edge out the competition in pricing.
As more and more good budget eskate came to the market, Acton no longer has the edge in pricing.
On top of that, the bad reputation of Acton for their customer services and board quality makes me uncomfortable in recommending any of their board.
While there are a lot of “this is the best board I have ever ridden” video, there is, even more, posts of “My Blink S2 broke…”
Would not recommend.
However, if you want to buy at your own risk: Here is the Affiliate link & discount code<— XD
DIYelectric Torque Speedster -$774
At one time, DIYelectric Torque Speedster is my go-to recommendation for a budget electric skateboard.
A year back, it was the best performing budget board.
Nowadays, there is a lot more budget and better boards, leaving Torque Speedster without a niche.
And as mentioned, Diyelectricskateboard are putting the production on hold for now so you couldn’t buy it anyways…
Huger Classic -$449
Only a few have received Huger Classic after a 2 months delay in their Indiegogo shipping.
So being a new brand (that I have no confidence in), I would not start recommending it before the review comes in.
Even if it is all it promised, at $449, Riptide R1 would still be an all-around better purchase.
Huger Travel– $799
Poor riding experience due to the short wheelbase. Preview and early review are all negatives.
Just avoid it.
Yuneec Ego-2 ≈$340
Yuneec Ego and Ego-2 have been the staple of the budget electric skateboard for a long long time.
There are quite outdated at this age.
In comparison with the new budget boards, it is slow with unreliable quality and customer service. There is no reason to recommend Yuneec Ego-2 to anyone anymore.
Check out Yuneec Ego-2 on Amazon
3) Best Longboards
Too many grounds to cover here, we will go down the price list:
Cost: A Kidney
La Croix ($2299)
You know what’s costing 2 grand yet sells like a hot cake? La Croix.
Range: 37.5 mile/60km
Speed: 18mph-22mph (30km/h to 35km/h)
All terrain wheels, very flexy deck, carbon fiber enclosure.
And a waiting list.
Check out La Croix official page
Custom Trampa Build ($2200 Onwards)
You can build a powerful beast with Trampa deck, and the most known way to do it right now is to go to Kaly.nyc for it.
Premium Tier:
Enertion Raptor 2.1 ($1785)
I have to agree with the consensus that Enertion Raptor 2 is the overall best electric skateboard on the market right now.
Fast, Powerful with great range, Enertion Raptor 2 is the complete package.
The ability to switch between 90mm, 98mm or 100mm wheels is just icing on the cake.
Early reviews of the Raptor 2 are overwhelmingly positive.
I think the best on-hand review of the Raptor 2 is done by Michael Gatti.
All in all, a great performing board that is made of quality parts by a reputable company.
Raptor 2 is an easy recommendation.
Affiliated discount link for Raptor 2.
Boosted Stealth ($1600)
As long as the Boosted Stealth’s rather limited range can get you where you need, it should be among the first consideration when shopping for a premium board.
Going Boosted is about putting all your money in to ride comfort, board quality and … well… brand name.
My buddy Samuel James has a very good article written about his rationale on getting a Boosted Stealth, take a read to see if that resonate with you.
Boosted Stealth – The Decision (by Samuel James)
Best middle high-end:
Exway X1 ($900)
Exway X1 has been around for a while, and it has largely flown under the radar.
In a world that China Boards are frown upon for being raw, unrefined with poor customer care.
Exway X1 is none of that.
With the performance, ride feel, control, quality and service that rivals that of the Boosted, while asking only for two-thirds of the price. Is EXWAY X1 THE BOOSTED KILLER? (Oh my gawd what did I just said, I sound like the rest of them now!)
Check out our Review on the Exway X1
Best mid-tier:
Backfire G2T ($599)
Backfire G2T has made alot of noises this year, and rightfully so.
It has a perfectly smooth control thanks to the Hobbywing ESC.
It has a powerful torque when the Turbo mode is activated.
It uses great Samsung 30Q batteries which provide range while eliminating voltage sag.
It uses Caliber II trucks that delivers stable and comfortable rides.
It comes with both 83mm and 96mm wheels which allows the board to be versatile in any road type.
It’s hands down, the best board at $599.
Check out our Review on the Backfire G2T
Best Budget Option:
I define a budget board as a board that are asking for less than $500. With the rise of Chinese brands, we are spoiled with choices and for that, I have made a separate list introducing and comparing boards in this price range.
You can click here to read about it.
But my personal favorite in this segment goes to Meepo Classic ($399)
Click to read the review of Meepo Classic here.
Best for portability:
Linky (999USD)
*Marketed as a longboard, the Linky is only 31.4inch(80cm) in length, it is more like a shortboard actually.*
*credit to Armin from Discord community who spotted this*
I think it goes without saying that the only electric skateboard that can be folded and put into a backpack is the most portable electric longboard.
After few months of delays, Linky was finally delivered to fellow Indiegogo backer in December 2017. Too bad there wasn’t review out to know how well the board rides.
It is 12.1lbs(5.5kg) in weight only, and can be folded into a 15.8inch(40cm) package that can be easily stored in backpacks.
Linky is also packed with features – phone app, swappable battery, LED lights and is waterproof.
It is the most special electric skateboard I have researched on so far.
For your information, there are a lot of fold-able decks in the China Market, an attempt to copy Linky’s design. A friend who tried out those board reported that those counterfeits were very very heavy, definitely not on par with Linky in the portability sense.
Best off-road:
1) Evolve Carbon and Bamboo series
If you are looking for doing any real off-roading, Evolve Bamboo and Carbon AT series is about your only choice.
Unless you are planning to break the bank and go for a custom build Trampa. Or the La Croix.
The Evolves are great performing board made by a great company. (With a known case of remote connectivity issue and notorious problem with voltage sag on battery.. well.)
Check out Evolve Boards
Buy it from Amazon Here.
2) Backfire Ranger X1 ($699)
Early reviews of the Ranger X1 has all been positive, making it the most affordable option for All Terrain.
3) One Wheel
Is one-wheel an electric skateboard? Well …it is electric and we skate on it so.. yes?
Check out our review on OneWheel here.
Note: In the more DIY side, many Eskate makers offers custom all-terrain builts, famously with Trampa boards. You can check out UnikBoards or get in touch with Kaly.nyc for that.
These makers tend to provide top of the line service and quality.
On the other hand, although I am not particularly a fan of www.diyeboard.com, their 6″ Wheels All-terrain Electric Skateboard DIY Kits 10S2p @ $599 is probably the cheapest AT setup available. I have strong opinions against how they conduct their marketing campaigns, but consensus is that their products and customers services are solid.
Most anticipated longboards:
1) JED Dual wheel drives & All-Wheel-Drives ($1199, $1599)
JED Board was founded by Jeremy Bogan and incorporated in Singapore.
JED Boards are designed to be outstanding.
JED boards have a lot going for it.
- Minimalistic design
- It uses a self-designed direct drive which enables it to
- Allow the use of standard longboard wheels (=thicker PU in motor wheels)
- Eliminate the use of belt
- More efficient power delivery
- Better Free-rolling
- Using very good parts for Trucks, Bushing, Bearings, Remotes.
- Very light.
- 2-year warranty.
- Good specs with good price.
With the downside of being very loud.
JED board is due for early 2018 delivery.
2) Carvon Evo and REVO 4WD ($1999, $2999)
Carvon Evo and Revo 4WD have booked their place as the champions of high-speed electric skateboards.
After months of delay in their Kickstarter delivery date, they are estimated to ship in February 2018.
The Carvon Evo and REVO 4WD are too rocking a different kind of direct drives and have most of the same benefit such as power efficient and allow the use of standard longboard wheel.
Best on-hand review for Carvon Evo from an early backer can be found here.
(This time, I am not going to list down all the electric longboard that were considered because there is just too many of them!)
Final words:
If there are any boards that you felt should be the better for any section, please let your opinion be heard in the comment section.
Again, this post will be updated from time to time as new boards releases.
I did not mention most of the electric skateboard from the China market, you can read about them in my piece on China Board where I tried to cover all the big name electric skateboard brand from China.
Wanna see how all electric skateboards spec charts and how they stack up against each other in a big top speed vs range chart? It’s on the Comparison Chart and the infographic page.
