When I was a child I was obsessed with a video I saw of a guy on a skateboard being pulled along behind his radio controlled car. Imagine that – having a skateboard you didn’t have to actually push. You could just stand on your board and enjoy the ride!
Well, a few years have passed since then and powered skateboards are a real thing in 2022.
And you don’t need an RC car to pull them.
Far from being an eye-catching fad, these boards have developed into an exciting sub-niche of their own, with some absolutely awesome boards available to buy.
In this guide we’re taking a look at world of radio controlled electric skateboards. We’ll cover what they are, how they work and also chuck in some important things to look out for before you go out and buy one for yourself or your child.
Are remote controlled skateboards actually any good?
If this is your first board, or you’ve just learned about them, you might be wondering if this is a real thing or just some weird gizmo that’s going to gather dust at the back of a cupboard in a month’s time. Rest assured, electric skateboards are built to last, they’re a lot of fun to use, and they’re actually easier to ride than you think. You or whoever you are buying this board for will get an enormous amount of pleasure from it, for a long time to come.
While they might seem like a new invention, electric skateboards have actually been around for over 20 years (in one form or another) with the patent for a self-powered wireless skateboard being filed originally in 1999.
Louis Finkle (great name for an inventor) had the idea for combining a long board with a motor which would go on to be come an electric board.
Since then e-boards have got better and better with each iteration and modern boards are not only available adults and children, but have the kinds of cool designs you’d expect from any skateboard.
These boards are powerful, fun to use and an environmentally friendly way to get around.
Getting to know your electric skateboard
If you pick an electric skateboard up, you’ll notice they’re not hugely different from regular boards. The only main difference you’ll notice is they’re slightly heavier and they also have a noticeable battery compartment on the underside.
[infoBox text=”Other than that, they can easily pass for a regularly skate when you’re out and about.”]
Steering
These boards are steered exactly like you would a non-powered one; simply be leaning, or tilting, the board to the left or right turns the wheels and moves the board in that direction.
This is also known as gravity steering and if you’ve ever tried a skateboard before, you’ll feel immediately at home with it.
Note that steering is not controlled via the remote (which would be a bit weird anyway). So any of your old skateboarding skills can be used here too.
Materials: What are electric skateboards made from?
As with any skateboard worth it’s salt, the board itself should be extremely tough and also have some flexibility in it. These boards will take a lot of punishment, and as such should be happy being literally stamped on and other kinds of deformation.
For adult longboards, the main material for the board is wood and maple is often a popular choice due to it’s tough, flexible composition. Children’s boards tend to be made from a toughened plastic that’s better suited to that weight and is often lighter than the adult boards.
The Motor
Considering these boards can reach speeds of up to 30kmh, the motors are extremely compact and small to be this powerful. Flipping a board over and following the power cable will normally lead you to the rear wheels, which is where the motor is stored.
One of the wheel rims will look a bit thicker. This is the motor. You’ll normally get a brushless DC motor.
Electric board batteries and charging
Powered skateboards usually use a lithium-ion battery.
One of the specs on an electric board that’s worth checking out is the amount of time you can ride for and the charge time.
Often the ride-time will actually be shown in distance, often called ‘max range’.
A typical charge time for an electric skateboard is around 2 hours. Most boards will go red while charging and light up green upon completion.
What exactly does the board’s remote control part actually do?
Electric skateboard controls are normally connected to the board via Bluetooth. This short-range tech is ideal for this as it’s fast and very reliable (once you’ve paired your board).
They normally come with a wrist strap which is handy if you make a sudden movement and don’t want it to go flying off.
The remote controls for these boards generally comes with a small dial or ‘wheel’ that’s used to control the speed of the board. This definitely takes a bit of practice and will take
Is it hard to ride an electric skateboard?
Riding an electric skateboard is a good bit easier to ride than a standard skate. For one, you don’t need to master the awkward balancing act of standing on one leg on a moving board and pushing off with the other. E-boards do that for you.
You will still have to master balancing on it but 30 minutes of practice should have you comfortably using your new skateboard.
It’s also a lot of fun to sit on an electric skateboard and use it that way.
One thing that people often think will happen with an electric skateboard is they’ll use the remote and the board will fly off without them, leaving them with a painful bump on the pavement.
That generally doesn’t happen because you can gradually increase acceleration rather than have the board fire off in one direction, you in another.
Planting your feet firmly on the board and gradually increasing the speed makes electric skateboards much easier to use than regular boards.
Children’s electric skateboards
Electric longboards are available for both adults and children. The kids boards are function in a very similar way to the adult ones, but are designed to take a lighter load.
There’s usually a minimum weight specification on children’s e-boards but as long as your child is 10kg or over, they’ll be able to control most boards designed for children.
What’s the youngest age child that can use an electric skateboard?
This is a tricky one to answer as children mature physically and mentally at different speeds. Generally speaking 6 years and up is an ideal age for electric skateboard. But it does depend on the board you buy; younger children will need a lighter board with a lower top speed.
Another key difference between the grown up boards and the children’s version is to do with speed. Younger skateboards have a greatly reduced top speed and the fastest you’ll likely find on is in the 10kmh to 15km/h range.
As with full size e-skateboards, you’ll find the remote has at least two speed settings which are handy for younger children, or just anyone not yet comfortable riding one of these boards.
They do make an exciting gift for children and the boards we’ve seen come in boldm bright colours that are appealing to younger kids up to teenagers.
Can electric skateboards go up hill?
Yes. Electric skateboards can generally manage to go up hills, although there are a few factors that affect this, such as:
- How heavy you are vs how powerful the motor is
- The gradient of the slope (generally boards can handle 15% gradients)
- The road or pavement surface
Can you still skate when the battery is low, or flat?
So what happens if you’re out enjoying the sun and riding around the park but you run out of batteries? Do they stop dead, or keep running?
Electric skateboards work just like regular non-powered ones when the battery dies (albeit a heavier version!) You can go back to good old foot power and cruise home even if the battery is completely flat.
One of the benefits to this kind of electric ride is they’re not exactly heavy. A lot lighter than e-scooters. Worst case, you’ve got around 4kg to carry home.
Are electric skateboards hard to ride?
You don’t have to be a pro to ride one of these
Whether you spent your youth skating around the park, or this is a completely new experience to you, and you just like the sound of it, you definitely don’t need to be an expert to be able to ride an electric skateboard.
Driving distance – how far can you skate?
With electric rides, it always comes down to the battery and for most electric skateboards, you’ll get around 10km mileage.
Buying tips – what to look out for
If you’ve read this far and like the sound of rc boards, then here’s some stuff that will help you pick a good one out there on the wild web. Here’s an overview of some of the things you’ll need to know as you head into the often long and complex skateboard product descriptions.
Speed and ‘driving modes’
Most electric skateboards have an impressive top speed. Whether or not you’ll want to go 30km/h on a skateboard is up to you. But speed usually isn’t in short supply with these boards.
Normally, remotes will have different speed settings, called driving modes, that you can advance through as you get more comfortable with the board.
Don’t think you have to step on and zip off at top speed. Look for a remote that has at least a couple of different speed levels, especially if this will be your first e-skateboard.
Checking the long board’s max user weight
One thing to look into before buying any electric skateboard is what the max load it can take is. This is more important when buying an electric board over a conventional one as if you get it wrong, the motor will struggle to move you along.
You don’t have to be especially heavy to stop a skateboard from moving along either – just over the max recommended load.
While the board isn’t going to crack in half, getting this wrong means you’ll stand on the board and it won’t move. We’ve seen negative reviews for some boards simply because someone bought one that couldn’t move under their weight.
Thankfully, the user weight is normally one of the main specs that will be listed in the board’s description.
Is the customer service any good?
There’s more that can go wrong with a powered board compared to a regular one so it’s important to know there’s someone to help you if you hit a problem with your electric skateboard. To be honest, you’re better off sending them a ‘test’ question before you buy the board if you have time.
This sneaky little test is one of the best ways to judge what a company’s customer service is like and whether or not they’ll be helpful if and when something goes wrong.
[infoBox text=”Checking reviews on places like Amazon will normally also show if there’s an issue with the post-sales skateboard support.”]
Waterproofing and electric skateboards
As you might already know, electrical rides such as e-bikes and hoverboards often don’t play well with water. And not just rain. Wet roads can often cause damage to these electric vehicles. Skateboards are no different. So one thing you’ll want to look into is the IP waterproof rating.
An IP rating will have 2 digits after the IP. for example IP54. The second number deals with the water protection. The It goes from 0 to 8, with a higher number meaning your electric skateboard will be more waterproof than a lower number.
In this example, IP54, it means this board is splash proof, which is fine for wet roads and perhaps the odd little puddle. But it could have trouble in the rain. There are many charts explaining the IP ratings online. Aim for at least a ‘4’ in the second digit and you’ll be fine in most UK conditions, excluding riding in the rain.