Electric Skateboard: 5 things you should consider before buying one

If you’ve ever been to a big city, chances are you’ve seen an electric skateboard at some point. Or maybe you saw one in a YouTube video, or a friend told you about them. The thing is: Electric Skateboards are growing their popularity very fast around the world. Thousands of people already use it as a way of entertainment, fun and also, to go to places, such as work and school. 

If you have already tried riding on an Electric Skate and really enjoyed it, or are just curious and you’re thinking of buying one for yourself, we gathered some info on things you should consider before choosing one, so you can buy the best electric skateboard for you.

First things first: what is an Electric Skateboard?

Also known as e-board, an electric skateboard is essentially just a skateboard with an electric motor attached to it. It allows you to control their speed and break through a handheld wireless remote.

The rider is responsible to control the movement just as they would with a regular longboard (tilting the heels or toes and shifting the body weight to move the board in a certain direction). 

Another important thing to learn about it, is that an electric skateboard can go anywhere from 10 mph to 50 mph. It also can have different ranges depending on battery life and can last from 10 miles to 60 miles. 

Also, electric skates are extremely fun to ride. Even though some people use it primarily for transportation, I bet they sometimes go for a ride just for the fun of it. If you want to learn more from it, check it out our article “ What is Electric Skateboard?”.

Now, let’s go to the important info: what should you know before buying an electric skateboard?

1. Range and Speed

Like we’ve said before, people use e-skates for a number of reasons, since commuting to riding just for fun. Well, no matter in which of these categories you fit in, speed and range are always the most important factors to consider when choosing electric skateboards, and they are determined by the power of the motor and the capacity of the battery used in the skateboards. 

E-boards with more range and speed will go faster, will last longer, and also, will allow you to go uphill faster. Also, if you plan on using it for transportation, these factors need to be carefully analyzed and compared between the options you have available.

This being said, electric skateboards with a lower speed and range are generally more lightweight, portable and are available for lower price. Another important thing is that, for beginners, high-speed electric skateboards can be very dangerous, so a low-speed skateboard is sometimes a better option.

If you do not need a super long range for commuting or are a super novice in skateboarding, low-range and speed electric skateboards like Vokboard Riot Electric Skateboard (Standard Version) are the better choice for you.

2. Weight

A lot of the incredible electric off-road skateboards have incredible power and range but if you are commuting and need to take it on a train or bus or need to walk it up 3 or more flights of stairs, it might be better to get one of the street boards that are much lighter and easier to carry and take on public transport. 

Most people don’t even think about the weight and how they will transport and carry the board, when choosing one. And, depending on your goals and objectives with the use of your e-board, this is such an important thing to think about.

So, before buying one, be sure of what you’ll use it for, and so, consider the specificities, like weight, your ideal electric skateboard, should have.

3. Materials of Deck

Nowadays, with the evolution of the Electric Skateboard technologies and the enhancement of competition, there are a lot of materials available in the market.

Carbon fiber, bamboo, fiberglass, and Canadian Maplewood are the most common materials used to make e-skates. Most boards use a combination of two materials to make one deck, which is even sturdier. Carbon fiber is a lightweight material that results in "faster" boards. Boards made of 2 parts Maplewood and 7 parts bamboo, on the other hand, would be heavier.

4. Skill Level 

If you’re new to the world of e skates, it will be extremely handy if you know how to ride regular push longboards. Learning how to carve, steer, and foot brake will be absolutely essential for riding electric ones. Snowboarding is also very similar to skateboarding, so if you have experience on that, it’ll count points for you when riding a motorised keyboard also has a similar feeling.

 A good idea is to borrow a friend’s longboard and practice balancing and moving, of course, always taking it slowly, while you wait for your first board to arrive. You have to understand your personal weight and how it affects the balance of the board. This will affect the distribution and foot positioning for ideal control of the board will put you ahead of the curve in riding your first electric skateboard. 

5. Performance

Most of the people that are into e skate, are looking for having some fun and experiencing thrill. So, as much as talking about speed is important, torque is also a very important factor.

Good torque will get the rider off the line and up to their top speed faster. An electric skateboard with ample torque will also propel the rider up a hill far more quickly.  Generally speaking, larger wheels will equal less torque but a higher top speed. In addition to power off the line, braking power is also usually stronger with belt and gear drive boards, allowing riders to come to a stop in a shorter distance. 

After all that being said, the main thing you should think about is your purposes with the board, also understand the different types of Electric Skates there are out there, so you can make the best choice for yourself.

Here you can take a look on 4 different Electric Skateboards we, from Vokboard, have created, in a way to satisfy all different kinds of riders.

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