As a self-proclaimed clumsy person, I know firsthand that balance is key, especially when it comes to self-balancing scooters. I tested and ranked the best options on Amazon to keep you riding safely into the future.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Gyroor Warrior - All-Terrain Self-Balancing Scooter
Top-rated: 3,149 ratings | 275 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Rugged 8.5-inch tires.
Helpful review: "I have two other less expensive hoverboards and the seller offered the Gyroor as a promotion for me to review. Overall, the build and quality of the Gyroor is superior to my other hoverboards. As soon as I opened the box, the ruggedness was apparent. I made sure to fully charge it before using it (took about 30 minutes since it was almost fully charged). I’m 5’7” and weigh 165lbs.
I've taken it across various surfaces, from grassy fields to rugged trails, and it handled everything with ease. The motors and oversized tires make it a true off-road champion. The self-balancing technology ensures that riders can quickly adapt and enjoy the thrill of adventure.
PROS:
1. Long Battery Life: The battery is a real standout for me. It provided about 4 hours of riding time, which is impressive not requiring frequent recharging.
2. User-Friendly: The hoverboard is relatively easy to use. It’ll be a little intimidating at first if you’ve never ridden one. But because it has an auto-balance feature, the riding is smoother. You can also adjust the speed until you gain confidence.
3. Rugged Build: The Gyroor Warrior handles different terrains much better than my other boards, primarily because of the wheels. I tested on sidewalks, grass and tightly packed dirt trails. It can tackle obstacles like sticks and small rocks without a problem.
4. Lights: It’s equipped with lights, in case you want to ride at night. I didn’t use it much at night, however I’m leaning more on the lights are just for show and not to see your surroundings.
5. Built-in Speaker: The built-in speaker connects to your phone via Bluetooth. Don’t expect amazing sound, but good enough to ride without headphones.
6. Customizable App: You have the option to download the app which offers many useful features like toggling between adult or child modes, selecting self-balancing or manual mode, and limiting the speed between 3.7 to 12.4 MPH. You can also change the LED light colors.
CONS:
1. Heavy: The hoverboard weighs around 30 lbs (vs 25ish lbs for my other boards) which might be heavy for younger kids. However, it is a solid build.
2. Wheel Cleaning: It was a little challenging getting the wheels cleaned after riding on grass and dirt, but nothing a scrub-brush can’t handle.
3. Dislike the advertisement when starting the app. Only runs for a few seconds, but it's a little annoying.
4. Charge after every use: Not so much a con, but worth mentioning if you want the battery to go the distance. I’ve only had it for three days, but I will update the review if the battery has lots of discharge when not in use.
Overall, the cons are minor in comparison to the overall performance and quality of the board. I’ll be buying the go-kart conversion for the kids since this board has lots of power." — Robert Valliant
Get it from Amazon now: $299.00 & FREE Returns
2. Segway Ninebot - Smart Self-Balancing Electric Scooter
Top-rated: 3,799 ratings | 427 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: A single fully-charged battery can run up to 13.7 miles.
Helpful review: "Before I bought this I had a hard time finding any reviews for the S-Max. So this is for those wanting info on this specifically for those with limited mobility.
First and most importantly, I am disabled and have a hard time walking. I can't even grocery shop without the use of a mobility scooter. I have been wanting something like this for several years but didn't want to get a regular hoverboard because of the balance and leg/back strength required. I read several reviews on the ones with the knee bar but was also scared of being too wobbly. The S-MAX is absolutely perfect for me. It literally took me about 5 minutes to feel comfortable on it.
I haven't been able to walk further than 20 ft without stopping due to pain in about 5 years and yesterday after I received this, I rode it for 2 or 3 miles around my neighborhood. Today I rode it for 7-8 miles. After an hour on it yesterday, I could already open, go through, then shut my gate without stepping off, and my gate is in gravel.
Also, since I have such back problems and in need of a hip replacement, I have been sitting more and more for years to the point that all the muscles in my back and legs have atrophied but I can still stand on this for hours after only one day. I wanted this so I could get out more easily and to re-strengthen my legs and back and it is working because I can feel the soreness in my muscles.
I was worried about the "Tilt Back" that many have mentioned when you get up to the speed limit but after feeling it repeatedly, it's not really bad at all due to having the steering wheel on which to hold. In fact, all of the concerns I had after reading so many reviews about the S Mini's and others with the knee bar have completely been eliminated due to having the bar and steering wheel to hold.
I also spent some time in my yard because I wanted to test various terrains other than smooth pavement, and moving at walking speed is no problem forward, backward and turning on the uneven ground. I don't need this in my house but when I first turned it on, I drove it around everywhere I could walk, including a small bathroom. If the wheel width can fit, this can be ridden due to being able to turn in place and back up.
The fastest speed (12.2 MPH) is a perfect speed for me, It's not too fast and yet I don't feel like I'm crawling around the block. There were several times my back started aching and I just leaned over onto the steering wheel, propping myself up with my arms, taking some of the weight off my legs. I was still able to move around with no problems and effectively rest at walking speed.
For anyone that is suffering with mobility problems but can stand in one place relatively easily I highly recommend getting the S-Max and trying it out for yourself. After only 2 days, I feel like I can go anywhere that one can walk and I'm already looking forward to going places like the zoo that I couldn't go for several years now. I know that I could have rented a mobility scooter but those take up a lot of room and owning one means having the ability to carry it in your vehicle and loading it in and out is a problem if you can't lift it. The S-Max is still a little heavy at 50 lbs but since it is so compact, I can lift it myself and carry it in the smallest of trunks or cargo areas.
As I stated earlier, I have been about 8 miles around my neighborhood and haven't felt like I was going to fall off or get thrown a single time. The battery seems to be sufficient as it was still showing a 53% charge when I stopped riding for the night. I did take it out after dark and since it has so many lights, I wasn't worried about being visible to other drivers.
The headlights are pretty bright but the problem is that they are mounted very low to the ground and only illuminate a narrow strip out to about 10 feet. The good thing is, since the steering wheel is stable, one can easily mount some LED lights and get a much brighter, wider and further view. Since Flashlights are so small and bright these days, I will probably mount a small light for night riding.
I also tried driving it around today with my phone in my hands while still holding on to the steering wheel and didn't feel like I wasn't in full control. The little digital speedometer is also a nice addition, although it would be better if it could be switched to Imperial units. I also like that the accent lights are customizable and that they work like brake lights and blinkers automatically as you slow down, turn and stop.
Another thing that I read a lot and seems to be the general consensus is that they put the solid slick tires on it in place of pneumatic tires with tread which would make for a smoother ride and less likely to slide when coming into contact with a wet surface. In fact I can't even find air filled tires to purchase. There are "comfort" tires to purchase from Amazon that have some tread but they are still solid and are kind of expensive at $130. Not knowing if they will be any better.
In summation, I love it and wish I would have bought this a long time ago and if it lasts a decent amount of time, I would definitely purchase another should the need arise. If you are on the fence about getting one and you're not sure if it would be too difficult to learn and ride, I would suggest getting it and at least trying because chances are you will find it much easier to ride than you think.
UPDATE:
After having this now for 6 months and having put 350 miles on it, there are a couple things I feel I should add.
First, the "Comfort tires are a MUST. Although they are still solid, they are 100% more comfortable and safer with the tread.
Second, the little " Speedometer " is absolutely worthless. It can't be switched to MPH, so its always a little guessing game as to your exact speed. The batteries, even if brand new, only last an hour... Maybe! Every set of brand new batteries I have put into it still registers as dead immediately. So to ride it for 2 or 3 hours a day, requires 2 or 3 sets of new batteries. Also since it connects via Bluetooth, you cannot use your phone at the same time. So using a cell phone is the best choice anyway because not only does it show your speed in imperial or metric, it also shows the battery temperature, the distance you have ridden and distance left for the battery charge remaining, GPS if you want and all the settings such as the lights you want on or off and the color of them, the speed controls and limits and pretty much everything else one would want to monitor while riding.
Lastly: The customer service is useless. The 1st day I had it, I was having problems connecting my phone via Bluetooth and calling them. After 2 hours, the guy never said anything helpful, never resolved my issue and after 2 hours, he literally said "Okay, so I'm going to need to get off here for a little bit" and he hung up...that was it. Turns out, the problem was simple, my lack of understanding how to connect at first, and should have been resolved in under 1 minute, which it was, after I understood what I was doing wrong." — Stephen Bruce
Get it from Amazon now: $599.99 & FREE Returns
3. Hover-1 i100 - With Infinity LED Wheel Lights
Top-rated: 1,534 ratings | 64 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Dual LED lights for added visibility.
Helpful review: "I purchased this Hover-1 i100 as a gift to my 9 year-old granddaughter who wanted a hoverboard for her birthday. Her cousins all had them and she learned to ride a hoverboard using theirs. Her new i100 hoverboard worked perfectly from the beginning and she looked great riding it. However, just before the end of the 90-day warranty period, it would no longer calibrate properly. This is a common problem with all hoverboards, regardless of brand.
PROS:
+ 220lb weight rating.
+ Bluetooth speakers built in.
+ App tells you current speed, GPS location.
+ 3 difficulty levels/modes. Beginner, Intermediate, Expert. Online search suggests this may govern the top speed.
+ Some personalization with the foot board lights.
+ App gives you battery life %.
+ Feels heavy duty.
+ Fun color lights.
+ Wheels feel durable and grippy.
+ Fairly easy to learn. Haven't tried it outdoors yet, will have to update later.
CONS:
- Doesn't sit still when not in use, rolls in slow circles, can make it hard to get on/off of when learning.
- App doesn't do everything you would expect.
- You can change the color & effect of the lights under your feet but not the wheel lights. The wheel lights do their own thing regardless. So you always have flashing random colors at all times. Personalization seems pointless if it only half works.
- Can't change the difficulty level on the app while the board is in use. Nothing in the manual explains that. You must get off the board first.
- No clear instructions about what the modes/levels are for.
- Battery life lights on board don't match the battery life % on the app.
- Manual comes with instructions to charge the board for 5 hours but not more than 6 hours. My household isn't capable of timing how long something is on a charger. Especially if it can't even handle charging overnight.
- Board is very easily scratched/scuffed. There is a bit of a learning curve with some falling or stumbling and even as adults we found that it got scuffed pretty terrible within the first 20 minutes.
- If you pick it up before turning it off it will beep terribly with no explanation why. Keep it on the ground, turn it off before moving it.
- Instructions are vague. Mostly consist of safety warnings without much actual instruction.
A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:
Tech support was by email and they responded back to my email within a day. After following all of their instructions, I decommissioned the old hoverboard and a replacement i100 arrived about a week later. It’s been a couple weeks and the replacement hoverboard still works perfectly. When purchasing any hoverboard I would recommend buying the Amazon extended warranty. More importantly, any warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Hover-1 turned out to be very strong in the support department: easy to contact and quick to solve the problem, even if it meant sending a replacement hoverboard. I won’t forget how they supported their product (and me) and will buy from them again." — Jessica Dowling
Get it from Amazon now: $156.28 & FREE Returns
4. Gotrax - Dual 200W Motor
Top-rated: 1,013 ratings | 28 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: 6.5" high-quality tires.
Helpful review: "I got this for my niece & I have to say I am satisfied with it after. Makes it so easy from a maneuverability perspective at home, especially if you have a big home. I have experience with many e-bikes and e-scooters but learning hoverboards was completely a new thing for me. This product works great from a functionalist perspective. I would highly recommend this hoverboard for a beginner or even an experienced person. After being used for a week by my niece, here are my 2 cents.
PROS:
- This hoverboard rides smoothly overall and it is easy to control. Feels stable while riding these.
- Has a maximum speed of around 6.2 MPH and that is fast in a hoverboard for kids.
- Full charge provides a range of up to 3.1 miles approximately.
- The platform has a non-skid rubber coating making it easy to get a grip while riding.
- LED lights are super fancy in this hoverboard. Loved them. Pedals glow as well.
- Great build quality and structure feels very strong from any angle.
- No assembly is required and it is ready to be used out of the box.
- This hoverboard is lightweight overall and easy to carry around.
- Detailed manual provided and should cover any question you may .have during use.
- The manufacturer offers a 6 months warranty on the hoverboard.
- Very reasonably priced in this category of product and it is a bank for the bucks considering the looks of these.
- Comes very well packed & there was no damage at all.
CONS:
- I wish these were smart with Bluetooth connectivity options & inbuilt speaker.
- 6.5'' tires might feel a bit less sometimes if you take these to a more rough surface or somewhere with more slope angle. It is always good to have bigger tires for that extra control but that comes with an extra price too.
AFTER USING IT MYSELF:
I have used it for a couple days now and really enjoyed it. The self-balancing feature is great and makes me learn it quickly. So far I have been using it indoors and practicing my balance with it. The design is beautiful, the quality is great, and very smooth. It has beautiful LED lights and it plays some light music when I am riding it.
I am a beginner at this, so I have not gone very fast. I use it to practice balancing my body. I weigh 120 LB, the machine handles very well with no squeaky noise or anything when I was riding it. The wheels’ movements are very stable and smooth. My cats really love it too. They have been following me around inside when I was riding. I guess they were really attracted by the music and LED lights." — LiveWithTech
Get it from Amazon now: $98.00 & FREE Returns
5. Gotrax Glide - Designed for 44-176 lbs
Top-rated: 568 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Easy-to-learn control system.
Helpful review: "I got this for my 12 year old. I had to guide him and help balance him the first couple times of use. It does take a little time to get used to, however I feel like he mastered the use of it within about 15 minutes. He did need to build up some confidence before going on his own, but he was rolling all over the house on his own in no time. We have wooden floors and the hoverboard glided smoothly on it.
The battery is long lasting. It’s durable and sturdy. It can hold a good amount of weight, so it’s great for kids and teens.
My husband tried it given he is close to the weight threshold (175 pounds) and it carried him along just as easily as it did my son, it has a pretty powerful motor. It turned with ease - I was able to control the movement swiftly with my feet. I was surprised with the performance, it has some get up and go and it was much easier to use than I expected. The lights are a great addition and it even has a Bluetooth speaker. The sound quality is great and a very cool feature.
PROS:
- Has lights for safely (and just that they're cool and fun to look at).
- The battery life is good even with lights/music going.
- Quality is good and looks good. Doesn't look cheap yet the price is affordable.
- Color is vivid and shape is stylish.
CONS:
- It was making a squeaking noise but that seems to have gone away.
So what can I say? If you ask me, overall this is definitely worth the purchase, and it keeps the kids busy! So I definitely recommend it if you're looking for an affordable option.
A NEIGHBOR'S REVIEW:
Oh my goodness! These are the absolute most durable little things ever! My girls have been giving them heavy use ever since their birthday last August and they've been nice little workhorses, but now I'm even more impressed. Last week one of my girls left her hoverboard out in the rain. Like, I don't even know how she got it so wet. When we picked it up the water was literally pouring out of it like water from a pitcher. If she had dunked it in a barrel of water I don't think it could have been wetter. I was so sure the poor hoverboard was a goner. But, ever living in hope, we let a fan blow on it for a few days to try and dry it out. Then we charged it up and she turned it on and it started right up, good as new. Seriously, the best value for the money I've had in a really long time!" — J. Humphreys
Get it from Amazon now: $118.00 & FREE Returns
6. LIEAGLE - Hoverboard with Bluetooth Wheels
Top-rated: 6,700 ratings | 251 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Built-in wireless speaker.
Helpful review: "You'll find this hoverboard on amazon and elsewhere under different brand names, different colors, and maybe some different lighting. They all come in the same generic box, with the same generic manual.
Overall, the board works great, but battery life is pretty "meh" especially for adult/heavier riders. 70lb kids can get an hour or so of indoor use, adults over 150 lb may find they get half of that.
I'm generally skeptical of the specifications listed on both amazon and in the manual that comes with the book. I may do a teardown and look at the batteries eventually - to see what they're actually rated at and if they can be upgraded.
A few points I'd like to make:
- Amazon listing says this board is capable of up to riders up to 270 lb, manual says 200lb is the maximum (and less than 150 lb is ideal).
- Amazon listing says the board can do 8mph, the manual says 6mph.
- Regardless, I like these boards, and the kids love them and adults do too - after a couple hours of practice I think most kids will have it down pat.
- The biggest downside is the battery life, it takes hours to charge and can either last 20 minutes or 1+ hours depending on how you ride, weight, etc.
- The wheels/"suspension" setup are not really good on all-terrain as they advertise, going over small bumps is doable with practice (like, from street to driveway of wood floor to rug) - the ability to go over bumps also depends on the weight of the rider. This thing is really only suitable on relatively flat surfaces, you probably won't want to ride on grass or sidewalks.
A FRIEND’S REVIEW:
Only had the product for a short time. The battery life doesn't last very long - only about 2-3 hours at most. Doesn't ride over grass or gravel. Seems to be a sturdy product though. Would be nice to have a portable charger to use while out! Product charges quickly after a few hours. Easy to transport and store when done. It's self balancing, so make sure to tighten your core or else you'll fall off! My kids, ages 7 and 9, are enjoying it. I am too clumsy myself to figure out how to make it REALLY work, but my children are thrilled with this purchase. The speed is good enough for them, battery life assures me that at some point every few hours they come back home! Black color is ideal as it does get scuffed up. The lights are cool for nighttime use. Bluetooth speakers weren't a priority for us so we aren't missing them. This will make any kid happy to get it as a gift!" — Bibi Ragmount
Get it from Amazon now: $104.99 & FREE Returns
7. Jetson All-Terrain - Hoverboard for Ages 12+
Top-rated: 3,217 ratings | 96 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Run time of 30 minutes on a fully charged battery.
Helpful review: "This is bigger and more sturdy than our Razor hoverboards. We can take this on rougher terrain that our Razor hoverboards cannot easily cross (or even cross at all). That's pretty cool! And, I really do like that this is super rugged. It allows for a sense of confidence.
Now, compared to similar hoverboards at this same price-point, this is a bit less responsive. This lacks elegance. So, you can expect big, rough moves (which, again, is really cool), but doing smaller and more precise tricks is a little more challenging.
The charge time here is as expected and it holds a charge really well.
This doesn't have the eye-grabbing aesthetics like some hoverboards. Most of our hoverboards have dazzling light kits under the deck. That doesn't exist here. But there is a very minor kaleidoscopic effect created by the small lights located in the wheels (I added a video of that here). It is subtle but it's kind of cool.
And, while these do have headlights, our’s arrived with only one functioning light. (We are trying to find a way to repair this since it seems pretty valuable for night use).
I think this could be a strong choice for rough terrain ... it won't let you down there! But, I would also use this as a supplement to my collection since it doesn't have the same fluidity and responsiveness as some other brands and models.
A FEW WORDS FROM A CORY SPARROW:
I purchased this hoverboard for my daughter for a Christmas present. My daughter opened the box and she was so excited. She rode it around for a short time and we charged the battery for some good riding the next day. Well, the next day she got on the hoverboard and it beeped and would not stop. We shut it down and tried it the next day and the same beeping did not stop.
I called customer service and spoke with Crystal. I explained the problem and Crystal knew exactly what the problem was. Crystal took down my contact info and she contacted me with instructions on how to ship the hoverboard back to JETSON.
Crystal supplied me with so much confidence that everything will be taken care of and the Amazing Crystal came through. My daughter has her Hoverboard back and is enjoying everything every minute of it. Thank You Very Much Crystal and Jetson for your excellent Customer Service." — Miss Pink Lemonade
Get it from Amazon now: $149.99 & FREE Returns