To all e-skaters who are just starting out!
If you’ve never been on an electric skateboard, it’s a pretty scary thought. Gliding on a piece of wood that can go up to 25 mph or more while trying to keep your balance on a road with people, cars, bumps, cracks, sticks, and other obstacles. But don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it seems to ride an electric skateboard.
In fact, after a few tries, most people can learn how to ride it well.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take risks as a beginner.
In fact, starting out makes you more likely to get hurt or have an accident. That’s true for everything, not just electric skateboarding.
So, we made this list of the easiest-to-learn beginner boards to give you a safe start in the world of e-skating.
What Makes A Good Beginner Board?
A beginner board should be easy to ride, but what else do you need?
Longboard Style – When decks are longer, they have a wider base and are more stable. Most of the time, you will find it hard to stay on top of a mini board and will have to work hard to keep your balance. Choosing a longboard style board is a great way to start getting used to your new board.
Flexible Deck – Decks that are too stiff just bounce and are harder to turn. There’s nothing wrong with it if it fits your style, but for beginners, a flexible deck helps with suspension and better control, which is important for safety and learning how to e-skate.
Quality Remote – Most people don’t realize how important remotes are. It is very important that the remote’s gas and brake buttons are not too sharp. When trying to speed up from a stop, it will be too tempting for beginners to push the throttle too quickly and make the bike jerk. This will probably cause you to fall off your board while it speeds away.
Smooth Acceleration – You should always start going faster slowly. Many of the newer boards on the market only think about how fast they can go and don’t think about how safe they are for the rider. A board that goes faster in a smooth, controlled way will be much safer and more comfortable.
Enough Power – Too much power is bad, but not enough power is also bad. One of my first boards was a cheap piece of junk from Amazon that I bought for $250. It had such a small motor and no power that it could only go 5 mph at most when I was on it. I could have walked faster than this board, I’m sure. Make sure that the board you get still gives you enough power to skate down the street with fun.
Not Too Expensive – When you’re a teenager buying your first car, the last thing you want to do is spend $100,000 on a sports car. Start with a cheap car and move up from there. If you try e-skating and don’t like it after the first time, you can always stop. But you don’t want to buy a $2,000 board and be stuck with it after you quit e-boarding.
Now, I have to say that not all of the boards on the list will fit into all of the above categories. But, even with this information, I think you can do your own research and find other boards that might fit your style as well as these.
What are the best boards for first-timers?
Let’s get started without further ado! Here are the best beginner boards and how much they cost and how well they work.
Any Boosted Board
Price: $550-$1,599
Yes, the business just recently went out of business. But that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden their boards are bad. (In reality, it just means that everything will be cheap!)
The e-board giant still sells boards on their website, and you can still find a lot of used, high-quality boards on sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Still, their boards are very easy to learn and ride, so they are great for people who are just starting out.
Smooth acceleration, high-quality remotes with sensitive controls, and both longboard and shorter decks. Why Boosted was on top of the e-skate world for so long is not a secret. Their boards are good for both new riders and more experienced ones. Sad to see them disappearing.
But, as I said above, you can still buy these Boosted boards from their website right now:
- Boosted Stealth – $1,599
- Boosted Plus – $1,019 (Used)
- Boosted Mini X – $799 (Used)
- Boosted Mini S – $550 (Used)
- Boosted V2 Plus – $899 (Used)
- Boosted V2 Dual – $799 (Used)
Since Boosted has gone out of business, they won’t be making any more boards. You’ll have to look for a used board, which is fine. These boards are still in great shape and cost a lot less than they did when they were first sold.
Now, if I had to tell you which Boosted you should choose, I’d say the Mini X or the V2 dual is your best bet. Both boards have great ratings for safety and are known for being the best for riding.
Ownboard Mini W1S
Price: $379
The Ownboard is one of the cheaper boards on this list. It’s a great buy for people who aren’t sure if electric skateboarding is for them yet.
Buying a very expensive board is risky and may not seem like an option. When it comes to the electric skateboard market, it’s a good thing that Chinese brands like Ownboard are bringing the heat and competition.
This 38″ deck has a wide base and a semi-flexible deck that makes it easier for people who have trouble finding their center of gravity to control, handle, and stay balanced.
For $379, you can get a great board that you’ll enjoy for years to come and might even turn into a hobby if it’s something you’re really into. I’m sure Ownboard did that for me!
Here are some of the specs:
- Top Speed: 24 mph
- Range: 12, 14, 19 miles (depending on the battery size you pick)
- Incline Rate: 30%
The 500-Watt motor gives the board a lot of power, but not so much that a lack of experience will send you flying off the board.
But sometimes it’s the small things about a girl that really make you like her (correction, I mean board.) The handle for this board is built right into the deck. Some people might think it’s silly, but it makes it easy to pick up and carry your board whenever you want.
If you’re a newbie and have never carried your e-board before, you should be thankful. It’s boring. Some electric skateboards can be as heavy as 25 pounds. If the thing doesn’t have a handle, you won’t be able to carry it for more than a block.
The W1S is easy to carry and weighs 17 pounds, which is on the lighter side for boards.
Maxfind Max 2 Pro Series
Price: $469
I’ve been working with the company Maxfind for a long time.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting them on the list because we’re friends. Their boards are really well made, especially the Max 2 Pro Series, which comes with either one 600 Watt motor or two 1200 Watt motors.
Here are the dual’s performance specs:
- Top Speed: 24 mph
- Range: 15 miles
- Incline Rate: 25%
- Motor: 1200 watts
The Max 2 has a 31-inch deck that is very stiff, but it still handles very well.
Even though I’m not usually a big fan of stiff decks, this one comes with a little something extra. Sandpaper that is made to not slip and is extra sticky. This is important because it helps riders, especially those who are just starting out, avoid falling and slipping, which can happen with other boards.
Retail prices for the single-motor and dual-motor boards start at $469 and $569, respectively, which is a bit more than the competition. On our website, however, you can find the version with two motors for even less money.
Overall, the board has a lot to offer and comes with a 270-day warranty, which is longer than some of the other options on the market. This gives you peace of mind that if anything goes wrong, the manufacturer’s warranty will cover it.
I also love that this board has an IP65 rating, which means that it is dustproof and safe enough to ride in the rain and protects against water splashes.
Blitzart Boards (Huracane + Tornado)
Price: $289
I learned about Blitzart for the first time when I was looking through Amazon’s list of electric skateboards.
Now, I don’t like buying boards on Amazon because a lot of them are cheap, no-name brands that are overrated. But Blitzart seems to be getting more well-known by selling on the platform.
Many of Blitzart’s boards sell for between $289 and $349, which is a very low price. Usually, a price range like this would mean that the product isn’t very good, but Blitzart makes the cut and is easily one of the best beginner boards out there.
More specifically, here are some of their boards you should check out:
- Huracane
- Tornado
- X-Plore
All of the above boards have performance specs that are about the same:
- Top Speed: Around 18 mph
- Range: 6-8 miles
- Incline Rate: 15%
- Max Load: 300 lb
- Motor: 350 watts
The boards have a decent top speed, and all in all, the range is pretty good. But the motor is only 350 Watts, which is very small.
If you’re on the heavier side of the scale, don’t buy this board. It won’t move fast enough to give you a good ride, and you won’t be able to go up any hills.
Even though the board can hold up to 300 lbs, it is better for people who weigh less than 185 lbs. It’s actually made just right for kids and teenagers who might be getting their first e-board. But don’t get it wrong: heavier adults, even if they are just starting out, should stay away from this one.
And don’t even think about getting the cheaper Blitzart Mini Flash, which is smaller and even less powerful.
Now, don’t take the comments above as insults, because these boards work pretty well as long as you meet the criteria I listed above.
Meepo V3
Price: $379
I didn’t want to put the V3 or any other Meepo board on this list because they are so fast that a beginner needs to be careful.
But I couldn’t leave the V3 off the list because of things like the price, the long deck, and the high quality standards.
Meepo moves really fast…
The V3 can go as fast as 28 mph, which is way too fast for me and other advanced riders who have been riding e-boards for a long time.
But once you learn how the throttle works and how fast it goes, you’ll love the speed and experience for years to come.
The V3 starts at just $379 and comes with a battery that can take you about 11 miles. If that isn’t enough, you can pay $579 to get the ER battery, which can take you 20 miles. I think you should save the $200 and get the standard battery instead. Most people can handle 11 miles.
If you want a quick summary of the board, it’s basically the same as the Ownboard W1S listed above, but it’s faster and has a longer range. It even has a nice handle built into the deck so you can carry it.
Some people have worried about how well it can climb hills, but I’ve never had any trouble with it on any slope. It really kills any hill I’ve been able to ride it up.
Meepo has nothing but good things to say about it, but beginners should be careful because it can be a little crazy.
Teamgee H5
Price: $429
I rode this board once at a meetup, but because I was a bit too heavy, I didn’t get the same experience as someone who was lighter.
But the guy riding it weighed about 170 pounds and was having a great time…
Yes, the board can hold up to 220 pounds at most (I weighed just about that at the time). But if you weigh less than 220 pounds, I think this is a great board.
For $429, you can get a top speed of 22 mph, a range of 11 miles, and a rate of climbing hills of 20 percent.
Teamgee was even brave enough to get this board IP tested, and it got an IP54 rating, which means it could probably handle a small amount of water, but I wouldn’t ride in the rain unless you want to damage your battery.
Beginners will like how cheap it is, how long the deck is (38 inches), and how light it is (14 pounds), which makes it easy to carry when you can’t ride it. Most companies just give you a standard wood-colored board, but this one comes in a variety of colors and designs that make it more personal and stylish.
But the digital remote is the coolest thing about this board.
The remote not only shows the top speed and other information about the board, but it also lets you choose from 4 different speed modes and 4 different brake modes.
Basically, you can decide if you want your brakes to be smooth or very abrupt. Here are the four types of stopping power:
- B1 – Tender
- B2 – Smooth
- B3 – Normal
- B4 – Strong
I haven’t found another board with as many features as this one.
This helps people who are just starting out a lot because it makes safety measures better for them.
Conclusion
Believe me when I say…
Not as scary as you might think to try electric skateboarding for the first time. You’ll quickly learn how to ride and keep your balance. And if you’ve ever ridden a regular skateboard that doesn’t have an electric motor, you’ll be a pro in no time.
But for now, the above e-boards are great “starter kits” for beginners that will help you get started without spending too much money.
Last tip: Don’t buy a board that costs thousands of dollars, especially if it’s your first one. Electric skateboards are expensive. And you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a board that you don’t like and then have to keep it or sell it.
I hope this article has helped you decide which way you want to go.
Cheers!