ELECTRIC SKATEBOARDS: WHICH ONE DO YOU NEED?

You’ve probably noticed the hundreds of electric skaters skating “up” hills and thought that you might like to join the eco friendly electric skateboard army.  Problem is, there are a plethora of options available online and you’re most likely confused as to which electric skateboard would suit you best.  The easiest way is to drop by the store and try out our demo boards. But if you can’t, or you’re just looking for a bit of help cutting through the numerous boards for sale, here is an electric skateboard guide that might help get you on the ride you always needed!

Are you buying a brand-new or secondhand electric skateboard?

The great thing with buying second-hand is you can save yourself a couple of bucks, but you can also open a can of worms. When buying second-hand you always want to do your due diligence on the product you are looking at. Knowing common issues the board suffered can be a wallet saver. Normally a quick Google search can help with this. Calling someone that stocks the skateboard can give you some insight into the product as well.

The great thing with buying brand-new is warranty. With any electrical product having a 12-month long warranty, this at least allows you to ride with the confidence that any issues can be fixed. The electric skateboards also seem to be going through leaps in terms of the technology that is being used in them. Meaning each new model tends to be a far superior product the one it has taken over from. Purchasing from a shop front also means you can swing back into the shop and most the time minor problems can be resolved on the spot!

Secondly, availability of spare parts?

The great thing with dealing with a store is they should stock or at least be able to get hold of any number of parts for your electric skateboard. From consumable components like belts and bearings to the bizarre like motor control units. We always recommend if you buy a board online make sure there is at least one Australian Retailer for the product. This ensures that if you have any trouble you always have someone you can get in contact with for help.

Finally, before even looking at boards you should ask yourself a couple of questions.

Buy cheap electric skateboards online or look at more expensive options?

There are pro’s and cons to both options and as retailers, we have looked into various well known brands and also offering budget cheap made-in-China boards.  The problems with cheap online electric skateboards is they usually don’t have a service centre in the country let alone the city you live in.  If you have a problem, to quote Ghostbusters “Who ya gonna call?”  All cheap made-in-China stuff is cheap because they make the electric skateboard as cheaply as possible without going to any lengths for reliability, repair-ability, safety or ride quality.  Most if not all cheap boards have cast metal components.  They are cheap to make and look good, but casting is not strong and most cast parts will easily crack under load or impact, you don’t want this at 40 kph!  Cheap batteries and electronic parts can, and often do, fail prematurely and without a service centre, your board becomes unusable.  It is for this and many other reasons we decided not to enter the cheap electric skateboard market.

The well known brands like Boosted and Evolve make skateboards designed to last a long time, be repairable, upgradable , and most importantly, safe.  The current model boards are efficient, excellent quality and have awesome performance.  On anything that is designed to go faster than 20 kph, you need to be riding something well engineered, solid and safe.

For the Casual User

1. Range – How far do you want your skateboard to go? Are you looking to do full laps of the Swan river? Or just looking for something with a brake to make walking the dog easier?
2. Ride Type – Is a usable kick tail a must have? Do you want a shorter deck (Mini X or Stoke) or a longer one (Stealth or GTR?
3. Style of Riding – Are you looking something to hit up any terrain. Or for a smoother ride carving down smooth pathways?
4. Deck Flexibility – The main difference a lot of people feel between deck is the stiffness or flexibility. While stiffer decks tend to work better for heavier riders, the softer decks offer a kind of natural shock absorber and a nimbler board. A great example is a Carbon GTR vs Bamboo GTR.

Commuting to Work/School

1. Use for the board – What are you planning to use the board for? Are you looking for a board to commute on? Or looking for something more just to enjoy and carve/ride around on?
2. Commute – Are you using the board to compliment a train journey or planning on travelling the whole way? What terrain are you going to be riding over, can you complete it on just street wheels, or do you need the all-terrain wheels?
3. Range – How far do you want/need the board to go. This is key especially for commuters, if you’re looking for a board consider if you want a board that can-do a round trip back home on one charge. Otherwise have you got the facility’s at work to store and charge the skateboard.
4. Storage – If you plan on commuting with the board where do you plan on leaving the board. Are you storing it in a locker? Leaving it under your desk?

As always any of the Electric Skateboards displayed on our website will be available to demo in store. We can also help answer any questions you might have about electric skateboards as well.

If there are any other questions that we missed that you think should be here feel free to comment below. Otherwise, if you’re in Australia tell us your favourite places to skate!