The Segway Drift W1 is about the weirdest, most futuristic electric ride we’ve seen. There’s nothing else like it on the market at the moment. But is it actually any good, and is it worth the cash?
What are the Segway Drifts?
The drift is a pair of self-balancing, battery-powered rollerskates. You don’t attach them to your feet; instead, you simply step onto them and shift your body weight around to move them forwards, backwards or to steer them.
The Segway drift are Segways take on roller skates. They’re a bit like mini Segways but you step on one with each foot. The idea is the same, in that you control them by shifting your weight around.
5 things we like about the Drift
#1 – They’re not expensive
Depending on where you pick yours up, you can normally find these bad boys for under £400 now. You can buy them directly from Segway but they’re actually cheaper on good old Amazon at the minute.
#2 – Decent top speed
#3 – Great for children
If you’re looking for an unusual gift for 7,8 and 9-year-olds upwards, these might just be what you’re looking for. Bear in mind though that they’re 7kg which is a fair bit heavier than your average roller skates.
#4 – One size fits all
One of the most clever bits about these e-skates is that they don’t have any kind of size restriction on top. Segway did away with the traditional ‘boot’ you get on roller skates which is such a smart move. these will fit any shoe size.
#5 – They take more practice than a scooter or regular segway
Some things we’re still not sure about with this e-ride
Takes a bit of practice
Compared to other electric rides, the drift takes a bit more practice and coordination. You are, after all-controlling two separate electric rides at the same time. Having said that, if you’ve ever taught your child to use roller skates, it’s nowhere near as complex as that. They’ll be zipping around in no time.
45 minutes charge will run out fast
On a single charge, you’ll get around a 40 – 45 minute ride (around 2 miles). W1s don’t currently have any way to take extra batteries so you might end up walking back if you run out of charge.
This is something that we’re certain Segway will build up if there’s ever a Drift W2.
Still on version 1
No good for bumpy ground
These electric skates aren’t designed to go on bumpy roads. It would be cool to get an off-road version of the drift one day but in their current version, just be aware that they won’t like any kind of bumpy surface, preferring smooth, even ground.
Are people buying the Segway Drift skates?
Final thoughts: Are the Drift a good idea from Segway?