Best Hoverboard Brands of 2016 Guide
There are a number of hoverboard brands out there and—especially with the recent fires—it’s important to know what to choose. So, we’ve compiled a list of the best hoverboard brands, explaining exactly what you should look out for when buying a hoverboard.
All of the hoverboard brands we’re taking into consideration must be safe. That means, that they all must have a UL certified charger, and a properly manufactured Lithium-ion battery pack. (Note that there aren’t UL certified hoverboards per se, but if the charger is certified, at least you don’t run the risk of overcharging the battery pack, which might lead to a fire. If you wanna know more about what exactly causes hoverboard fires, read our article about it here.)
WHAT ARE THE BEST HOVERBOARDS TO BUY IN 2016?
Let’s start by saying that the first choice you’ll have to make when buying a hoverboard, is the size of the wheels. The most common sizes are 6.5 inch wheels, by far the most popular one, 8 inch wheels, used for X-design hoverboards with bluetooth speakers, and 10 inch wheels, which use inflatable rubber tires, they feature generally more powerful electric motors, and an overall smoother ride on rough terrains.
THE BEST HOVERBOARD BRANDS
Let’s meet the contestants.
One of the most well-known brands out there, Swagway produces some really high quality hoverboards. Being one of the first players in the market, they have had the chance to work on their product and really push the boundaries. Their 6.5 inch model, the Swagway X1, started out as a run-of-the-mill hoverboard with standard components. They have then updated the design with a more modern look, cutting away the bottom part of the wheel arches, giving the boards a more streamlined look.
Swagway is really committed to safety, and they’re running a number of tests on their older boards. What’s cool is that they’re also working on an upcoming model—called the Swagtron—which features a fire retardant plastic body and a steel enclosure for the Lithium-ion battery pack. Stay tuned for our review of the SwagTron when it comes out! Overall, the Swagway is one of the best hoverboard brands on the market today.
The Powerboard is another 6.5 inch wheel hoverboard that’s been around for quite some time. They were the first to introduce chrome paints on hoverboards, and they do look quite snazzy, though you have to pay around $200 extra for the special paint. The Powerboards otherwise are currently the same price as Swagways. The main differences? Well, the Powerboard is a little slower than a Swagway (8mph vs 10mph) and can carry about 2 pounds less than a Swagway (220lbs vs 222lbs).
Both the the Powerboard and the Swagway come with 1 year standard warranty.
Razor stepped a bit late into the hoverboard game. Being the top manufacturer for kids’ scooters in the US, their move to acquire the patents to the Hovertrax is understandable.
Razor decided they’d enter the game, and with the deep pockets that their business affords them, they licensed the original hoverboard patents from Inventist, the company that originally came up with the first hoverboard (called Hovertrax—hence the name of this new model) and have proceeded to sue Swagway and all the other companies for infringing upon those patents that they now hold. The legal process is still undergoing, but, in the meanwhile, Razor has put out a very tame hoverboard, that’s mainly marketed for kids between 13 and 18.
The Razor Hovertrax has a max speed of 6mph and is pretty basic in features. The weight limit is 220lbs.
The company is banking on its reputation to claim that theirs is the safest hoverboard out there, only using quality components. They probably limit the top speed to be absolutely certain that the battery pack won’t get too hot.
For most people, the Hovertrax doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, considering it’s currently just $1 cheaper than a Swagway, but with severely constrained performance. We can imagine the Hovertrax being appealing mainly to concerned parents who want to give a hoverboard to their children, but who also want to be absolutely certain they’re purchasing a safe product.
If we had to bet, we’d say that the three hoverboard companies above are the only ones that are here to stay for a while. Now, we can “step into the unknown”.
What we’re going to examine here is the smaller companies that usually have a pretty limited stock. These small companies purchase bulk hoverboards from China and resell them in the US.
Now, for all intents and purposes, these hoverboards are probably safe (especially if you make sure to use a UL certified charger), but you should go with them only if you are looking for specific features for your hoverboard, such as 8 or 10 inch wheels, or on-board bluetooth. Or, of course, if you wanna spend less than half the money.
Kebe is a small brand that claims to use Samsung batteries. They have a 6.5 inch wheel hoverboard that’s about half as much as a Swagway. It looks identical, and has around the same tech specs too (slightly higher 260lbs max weight capacity). It actually offers more than a Swagway, in that this hoverboard brand ships with a free carrying case and a remote to turn on, lock, and activate beginner mode on your board (to learn how to use the hoverboard remote, check out our guide).
The catch is we have no way of knowing whether this company actually uses the components that they claim they use. So, if you wanna save money, Kebe is the way to go. If you’re concerned about safety, you may wanna invest in a Swagway or Powerboard instead.
Witech offers two different hoverboard models, which more “mainstream” companies don’t currently carry. Let’s list them individually.
WITECH 8-INCH SMART BALANCE WHEEL
This hoverboard features slightly bigger 8-inch wheels. The design is what we call the “X-design”, which means the hoverboard is a little bulkier.
This particular hoverboard comes with integrated bluetooth stereo speakers, a free carrying bag and a remote. Top speed is 6.4mph and max weight capacity is 220lbs.
Witech is a pretty trustworthy company, and the hoverboards we tested from them were all high quality.
WITECH 10-INCH SMART BALANCE WHEEL
Witech is one of the few brands out there still offering a 10-inch inflatable tire hoverboard. We believe the 10-inch wheel size to be the best one, because of the smoothness of the ride, and the ability to make your hoverboard a truly versatile mode of transportation, rather than a novelty.
The Witech 10-Inch Smart Balance Wheel comes in some pretty spiffy designs. The specs on their page are actually WAY conservative, as we know for experience that these boards are fast and can carry a lot of weight. Note that there’s no remote or carrying case shipped with this particular hoverboard model.
These are the best hoverboard brands currently available online. Bear in mind a lot of small companies come and go, and we do our best to keep our articles current. Check back often as we add more companies to our list of best hoverboard brands, or update the existing ones.
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