We bought the highest rated electric skateboards currently available on the market and put them through a punishing array of tests to see which ones took home the top honors. We split our testing plan into six different metrics and planned a series of tests for each metric to assess the performance of each board and to determine their scores. Each board was tested in its most advanced riding mode throughout unless otherwise noted. In addition, the numbers we found are based on the weight of our tester — an average-sized, adult male — with smaller testers causing the boards to go faster, and larger testers slowing them down, though the relative ranking will remain the same.
Ride Comfort
A smooth ride can make all the difference between enjoying your trip, or finding yourself on the ground with a few injuries so we weighted this category at 30% of the total score. This was one of the more qualitative aspects of our testing process, but we still felt that we gained plenty of insight into the ride-ability of these products over the countless miles that we rode with them. This metric breaks down into four parts: comfort, handling bumpy terrain, dealing with unexpected cracks, and which boards we were naturally drawn to.
Comfort was easy to assess, especially after having ridden so many laps around the block on each board to assess the range. We then found a section of poorly maintained asphalt and used it as a torture test, to see how each board did in less than ideal conditions.
We then found one large crack and determined how each board handled it, at as high a speed as our testers felt comfortable with. Some boards high centered, some only felt a momentary bounce…while others threw, or nearly threw, our riders off.
We awarded higher marks to the ones that we were naturally drawn to for the final component of this metric, as, after all this riding, certain boards rapidly became the go-to choice for quick errands from the office, and others were extremely disliked.
Range
Range is almost as important as ride comfort, as all the fun benefits of having an electrified skateboard go out the window when the battery dies. We gave range 20% of the total score and conducted two separate tests for this metric. The first was just how far you could expect to actually travel on flat ground with these boards, using either an "Eco" mode or a mode in the middle of its speed settings (if eco mode wasn't an option). Then we started riding each board around a flat block. Again. And again. And again, until the board died or it was traveling so slow it was unusable.
The second test was how long it took to charge each board from a fully depleted battery. After conveniently depleting them in the previous test, we simply timed how long it took til the board indicated it was fully charged.
Braking
Not everyone has a need for speed, but everyone has a need to brake so we gave this metric 20% of the total. First, we rode down a little hill, evaluating whether or not the brakes allowed us to stop and if they allowed us to maintain a controlled descent speed. We then rode down subsequently steeper hills, to see at which point the grade was too high for the board.
Second, we put each board to the test stopping abruptly on flat ground, simulating if you saw an obstacle or if a car pulled out right in front of you. We compared the runout distance over multiple trials and gave higher marks to the boards that would have effectively stopped us BEFORE plowing into a car.
Speed
Nothing can beat that adrenaline rush of zooming around on a skateboard….at least for some people. The speed aspect of these products made up 10% of the total score- some will prioritize this metric in their buying decisions, some won't. We conducted two different tests for this metric, designed to test the top speed of each board, as well as its maximum acceleration.
To test top speed, our expert skateboard tester accelerated until the board would go no faster, then entered our 200' testing track and timed how long it took each board to cover that distance. Each board got multiple trials, we then calculated the speed for each trial and averaged the data to determine the top speed for each board.
We performed a similar procedure to assess acceleration, the only difference being that each board was stationary at the start of the course, and the course was shortened to 50'. We also had to do some drag races, for science of course.
Some boards had terror-inducing levels of acceleration, while others definitely did not.
Hills
Testing hill performance, weighted at 10% of the total score, was easy- we just found the steepest grade hill we could, and worked down until we established the maximum hill climbing ability of each board. We also noted any speed decreases across the testing hills.
Beginner Friendly
For this metric, we examined each option's remote/app, beginner mode, and weight to create a combined score worth 10% of each E-board's total. For the remote or app, we examined how intuitive and friendly it was to use as well as its effectiveness. For beginner mode, we looked at its reduced speed limits and how sensitive the throttle/brake was- touchy controls typically make for a more challenging learning experience. For weight, we simply looked at how light (or heavy) each option was, also considering its carrying system.
Interested in how individual models did or deciding if an electric skateboard is a worthy investment for you? take a look at our comprehensive electric skateboard review for detailed information on how each model performed.