“Don’t call it a hoverboard” has been my warcry since these things first hit the market. I can’t stand the trend to call these two-wheeled drift self-balancing scooter boards “hoverboards.” But since the board industry hasn’t offered any alternative name, we’re stuck with hoverboard.
And because this is Newegg, home of all things nerdtastic, we have to be on top of trends, even if that trend is an affront to everything that’s good and holy about Marty McFly.
With that out of the way, Newegg ordered in some hoverboards for the Newegg blogging crew to try out around the offices. We’ve all heard the stories about boards going up in flames due to shoddy bargain-bin lithium ion batteries. Of course, we wanted to see if the rumors are true and give the boards a solid thrashing to make sure the boards are legit.
Question: Are They Awesome?
TL;DR: yes. Hoverboards are awesome. Despite my rage over the name, I can say the hoverboard is my new favorite toy. It’s less a toy than sort of an everyday replacement for snowboarding and skiing. I love snowboarding and the hoverboard gives you a touch of that sliding around feeling, only going forward/backward rather than side to side. I’m at the point where I feel like a filthy casual whenever I have to use my legs for movement.
Going to the bathroom 20 feet away? Yeah, I’ll take the hoverboard. People are now calling me the laziest human on the planet. I’m okay with that.
Can I Master It?
For sure, player. The board is vastly easier to learn than any winter sport (not to mention skateboarding and surfing). In fact, many people around the office who claim they were born
without motor skills managed to master the board after a few attempts.
Pro Tip: Start using the hoverboard with one or both hands holding onto something steady. Put one foot on the board to understand how it moves back and forth. Next, get both feet on the board. While you’re on the board, watch TV or have a conversation.
After ten minutes of doing nothing but balancing yourself, try moving around. You’ll be surprised how your muscle memory now understands the mechanics of hoverboard locomotion. Another half an hour and you’ll be racing around like you were born with a “self-balancing drifting scooter” under your feet.
Will I Fall Off?
Maybe. If you’re like me and want to push the limits and see how fast you can go, then, yes, be a fool and fall off like I did. Otherwise, if you ease into it, you’ll be fine. Until I got all crazy, I didn’t take any pavement dives.
Will I Look Stupid Riding It?
I look stupid regardless, even more so riding around the office like I’m Goku on a nimbus cloud. And it doesn’t help that many of the boards are decorated with vibrant patterns, like the camo you see here. Or maybe you can’t see it? Hoverboards for deer hunting. It’s an amazing time to be alive.
Anyway, I would not ride a camo board in a public place. Or ones with the crazy lights and bluetooth speakers. How about one that looks like a professional piece of hardware? No chrome “rims” or “headlights.” I just want a vanilla board with minimal dork factor.
Will It Burst Into Flames?
Ours haven’t, and not for lack of trying. We didn’t throw them down any stairs or bake them in the sun, but we did do plenty of cubicle-crashing and potato sack foolery.
More importantly, the latest boards are UL certified. “Underwriters Laboratories” is an independent electronic safety certification so getting that UL stamp is a solid start for hovering confidence. Additionally, board makers have also been advertising their batteries as originating from Samsung or LG. So that’s something.
Then again, all lithium ion batteries can have problems, not just rolling varieties. Heard of the Apple Macbook Pro? My wife’s went up in a puff of lithium smoke. Apple says it’s a feature. I’m not so sure.
Regardless, I wouldn’t be too worried, though I’d only buy a board that shows the UL certificate.
Should I Get One?
Everyone here who has tried it has been shopping for boards on Newegg. The black one I tried is the “US Stock” model with UL certification. At $199, it’s definitely a ton of fun and I can recommend it without any hesitations in that price point. It’s said to go up to 9.3mph, but that seems generous. Really, it goes way faster than you’ll be comfortable going. What do the higher end models feature? More powerful batteries and motors and fancy LED features.
Keep an eye out for more electric balancing scooter action here at Newegg HQ.
The post The Fun of Hoverboarding comes to Newegg appeared first on The Official Newegg Blog.
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