Michael Pennington's Blog

A couple of years ago, electric skateboards were making their first solid steps on the market. Then, they were considered as expensive elitist gadgets that will not be future proof. People considered them a short-term trend (similar to hoverboards) so they didn’t really think much of them at the time.

Who are cheap electric skateboards best suited for?

As far as electric skateboards as a whole goes, the main speculation was that they’re only going to be bought by tech nerds who wanted to skate back in high school but never did so. Even though they were right, this scenario was only working for a short period of time and nowadays we can see everyone buying electric skateboards… Young, old, popular or nerdy; everyone loves them.

Cheap electric skateboards listed down below are best suited for beginners who would like to get their feet wet in the world of electric skateboards. Now that they have gone mainstream, electric skateboards I mean, many people are curious to try them out. More mainstream models like Boosted Board cost up to $1500. Thats too much money for a beginner to spend on something like an electric skateboard, that’s coming from me, a die hard electric skateboard fan. That’s why this list is the perfect place for beginners to start their journey in the world of electric skateboards.

Are there any sacrifices you make by not buying premium models?

Not really, no. As far as performance and specs goes, boards for around $300 are equally as good as the one that cost close to or over $1000. Not all of them of course, but brands like BLITZART, Atom and Koowheel are really pushing out some very impressive models in this low price segment. More premium models, next to better quality, also tack on extra features like replaceable batteries, regenerative braking, mobile apps, LED lights and whatnot. Even some of those premium features are slowly starting finding their place in this low price segment. So rest assured, you don’t miss out on performance or anything like that with these budget models.

Picking and choosing an electric skateboard can be tricky

This is especially true if you are not very tech savvy, like a parent buying an electric skateboard for their kid. Now that electric skateboards went outside the “short-term trend” zone and because they are not nearly as expensive as they were a couple of years ago, everyone wants one. Nowadays, you can find a solid model for well under $500, and today I’m going to show you just that.

So, with that in mind, if you are looking for an electric skateboard that won’t make you spend all your allowance money, then pay close attention as I’m going to show you 10 models that offer the best value for money!

Table : Best cheap electric skateboards :

Name	Max Speed	Range	Weight	Price
10. Alouette Catwalk	12 mph	6 miles	110 lbs	See price now
9. Airwheel M3	12 mph	12 miles	220 lbs	See price now
8. SwagBoard NG-1	12 mph	10 miles	176 lbs	See price now
7. Blitzart Tornado	16 mph	10 miles	300 lbs	See price now
6. ACTON Blink Lite	5 mph	5 miles	180 lbs	See price now
5. Blitzart Huracane	15 mph	17 miles	300 lbs	See price now
4. Benchwheel Penny Board 1000W	15 mph	7 miles	210 lbs	See price now
3. Maverix USA Monster	6 mph	6 miles	110 lbs	See price now
2. Blitzart Mini Flash	12 mph	15 miles	260 lbs	See price now
1. Swagtron Voyager	15 mph	15 miles	330 lbs	See price now

10. Alouette Catwalk

Let’s get the ball rolling with a very interesting model, the Alouette Catwalk. This electric skateboard comes in two different versions. One with a 4400 mAh battery and another with a 2200 mAh battery. All the other specs are pretty much the same, except obviously the range and also the price. Today we’re going to be looking at the version with the 4400 mAh battery. For a very cheap $249 you get a decent 29″ electric skateboard. Better yet, Catwalk can be found on sale quite frequently, so it can be had for even cheaper. It’s currently 20% off and can be had for $199. Catwalk is very lightweight and therefore very portable.

Deck features a very minimalistic design, and has a classic look. Without peeking under the deck, I don’t think that you would know this is an electric skateboard. It is made out of 7ply maple wood, and offers a max weight load of about 110 lbs. Board has a single 350W hub motor which is capable or reaching up to 12 mph. That’s the top speed if you put the deck in the so called “high-speed mode”. There is also a “slow” mode which cuts the top speed in half, to about 6 mph. Top speed can be adjusted with the wireless remote. Next to basics like accelerate, brake, it’s also possible to use the remote to change direction and put the board in reverse.

I talked about battery sizes of the two different versions of Catwalk but I never mentioned what kind of mileage you can expect on a single charge. Well, the 4400 mAh battery gives it around 12 miles of range on a single charge, which is rather impressive for a $200 board. With such a low maximum weight load and somewhat modest specs like top speed and range, Catwalk is obviously aimed at kids and students. It’s a great choice, from a relatively reputable manufacturer, so you shouldn’t worry about after-sales support.

9. Airwheel M3

With a recent price drop, Airwheel M3 became more than a solid model that can now be considered as quite the bargain. It features a minimalistic design accompanied by something that sets it aside from the competition.

I am, of course, talking about its big all-terrain rubber wheels which are rarely seen on electric skateboards. They allow it to maintain a straight line even on the roughest of terrains and, in addition with built-in damper masses, provide an enjoyable off-road experience.

When it comes to performance, it is safe to say that Airwheel M3 is absolutely brilliant. It can achieve speeds up to 12 mph and its smart battery is capable of enduring for roughly 12 miles on a single charge. So, with those numbers out there on the table, I’m pretty sure that Airwheel M3 is a good choice to start our list off with!

8. Swagtron SwagBoard NG-1

Swagtron is a known name in the electric rideables industry. After getting their customers addicted on top quality hoverboards, the folks over at Swagtron pivoted to the electric skateboard market.

It was a huge hit for them as their first model, the SwagBoard NG-1, seems like a huge success. This affordable electric skateboard does indeed have a couple of tradeoffs, but it shines when it comes to performance. Isn’t that what matters the most?

First off, the NG-1 sports an in-wheel motor that allows it to go as fast as 11mph. That’s extraordinary for the price and I’m pretty certain you won’t get better deals than that, at least when it comes to top speed. On the other hand, the range is nothing short of awesome either. With the 24V Li-On Fe battery, this little fella can go up to 10 miles on a single charge, making it the longest reaching electric skateboard for under $200.

With all of that being said, I’d also like to point out one last thing before making a summary – the deck is nicely flexible and is made with maple wood topped off with a solid grip tape with a sleek SwagBoard logo. All in all, if you are looking for a dirt-cheap model that can be compared to some of the more expensive ones on the market, then SwagBoard NG-1 is all yours!

7. BLITZART Tornado

When picking and choosing affordable electric skateboards for this list I never planned on putting 3 different models from BLITZART. However, since they started releasing interesting electric skateboards rather aggressively as of late, I had no other choice but to include them all. BLITZART Tornado is an electric skateboard that can be purchased for as little as $299. Even though some of the other models that I mentioned here are cheaper, can be had for $200, for the $100 or so extra that Tornado costs lots of interesting goodies can be had in return.

Length of 38″ that Tornado has puts it in the category of longboards. BLITZART electric skateboards are known for their sturdy design and Tornado is no exception. Deck is made out of 8ply maple wood sandwiched between two layers of bamboo. Thick deck allows Tornado to hold up to 300 lbs of weight. Design follows the classic longboard shape, with a finger cutout on the edge of one side for holding the board while in transport. There are a total of 4 colors that Tornado can be had, black, green, orange and red.

Tornado is powered by a single 350W hub motor, which develops top speeds of about 16 mph. Obviously if you put the board to the test and load it up to its max load capacity of 300 lbs reaching the advertised top speed would be a difficult thing to do. Especially if you’re on uneven terrain. Still it’s quite impressive that the board can hold 300 lbs.

The 36V 4000 mAh battery can power the motor for about 10 miles before running out of juice. Charging the board takes about 2.5 hours when its fully empty, so we’re talking from 0 to 100%. Range could be a bit better, but you can’t have it all. Ergonomic wireless remote will make riding the board very fun. It has very basic functions like accelerate, brake and even reverse direction. Tornado offers a great mix of toughness and performance. I recommend it as a great beginner skateboard for adults that want to get into riding electric skateboards.

6. ACTON Blink Lite

Here comes the world’s lightest electric skateboard called Blink Lite. It is made by ACTON, the company that got famous (fame is a relative term FYI) with the Blink, a solid all-around model.

While Blink did not have anything special to its name, like a key selling point or something like that… Blink Lite sure does. As its name suggests (and as I’ve already mentioned above), this is the world’s lightest electric skateboard weighing in at just 7.7 pounds.

Combined with its awesome price and classical appearance, I believe this little fella doesn’t have anything else besides that to brag about. Well okay, it can go up to 10 miles per hour in ideal conditions, but that’s about it. Considering its battery is pretty bad (just 5 miles of range), I believe there is nothing to add to this one.

So, to summarize – apart from its weight and price, ACTON Blink Lite falls into the category of “meh” models. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still worth buying, but the incredibly low weight took a toll on the battery. With that being said, if you are looking for more of an all-around electric skateboard, perhaps you’ll be better off with some other one from this list.

5. Blitzart Huracane

Truth be told, I’ve just heard about Blitzart a couple of weeks ago. Prior to that, they were an unknown brand for me and as such, I did not pay much attention to their products.

That was a bad move by me since their Huracane skateboard definitely fits into the surprising category. Why? Well, let me tell you all about it!
I’m going to start off by stating that this 38-inch monstrosity (a gorgeous monstrosity, I’ll dare to say) not only looks awesome but performs likewise too.

With roughly 15mph of top speed and more than 17 miles of maximum range on a single charge, it’s pretty clear that Blitzart knows how to make good electric skateboards.
Likewise, the maple bamboo deck also does wonders in terms of stability and grip. That is not a surprise since the 8 inner layers of maple are closed off with bamboo on both sides, providing the deck with an extra dose of flexibility and durability (fits up to 300 pounds of weight).

With that being said, I believe there isn’t anything more I could possibly add about this one. You could see for yourself that Huracane seems more than a solid option for most people.

4. Benchwheel Penny Board 1000W

Benchwheel Penny Board might have excellent specifications and probably superior performance in comparison to all previously featured models on this list… but it’s also quite a bit pricier than them. Some would agree with me if I said this isn’t an affordable electric skateboard… but it’s still under $400 and can be found on sale pretty often.

It features a powerful 1000W brushless motor (who would’ve guessed, eh?) that’s extraordinarily thin and allows it to go as fast as 15 mph. While that might not be the biggest speed out there, needless to say – it is still praise worthy.

Even more so when combined with the 90Wh Lithium Ion battery pack which sports the ever-so-popular quick charge technology (from 0 to 100% in cca one and a half hour). It can endure roughly 7 miles.

All that makes Penny Board a great commuting electric skateboard and I am sure that a good portion of its buyers are using it exclusively for that. All in all, Benchwheel created a durable, nice looking, electric skateboard with excellent performance. If that’s something you value, then go ahead and check this one out. It’s worth it, that’s for sure!

3. Maverix USA Monster

Maverix USA Monster is the go-to electric skateboard if you are on an extremely strict budget. The cheapest one so far, this little fella actually rides surprisingly well.

We are talking about a 31-inch (not such a common size) model with a special feature that isn’t seen on more expensive models – LED lights. It incorporates wheels with shiny LED strips that make up for quite the lightshow during night skating sessions.

In addition to the lightshow this bad boy can provide you with, it’s also important to say a couple of words about its specifications. As expected, it comes with a slow charging battery pack that takes roughly 4 hours to fully charge. This might be way too long for some of you, and I completely understand you.

On the bright side, it can still reach up to 6 miles on a single charge which gives you plenty of headroom. As I’ve already mentioned above, Monster is a skateboard primarily aimed at children so it’s no surprise its recommended weight is just 100 pounds. So, if you are a parent looking for a good present for your little ones, Monster is certainly a solid choice!

2. Blitzart Mini Flash

The silver medal on my best cheap electric skateboards list goes to yet another one of Blitzart’s models. It seems to me that they’re going to become leaders on the market with 2 excellent models. They’ve already gained a ton of popularity and from all I’ve seen lately, they are not planning on stopping any time soon.
Let’s start off with the design. To me, it looks absolutely brilliant with 3 color options (jus the wheels though, the grip tape stays the same color – black) and a generally sleek look that’s not ruined with any unnecessary details. Of course, the deck is made with the same maple + bamboo combination like the one we had the chance to see with Huracane.

Moving forward, I’d like to say a thing or two about its controller too. Even though you might consider it small when you first lay your eyes on it, I can assure you that you will be pleasantly surprised once you grab it into your own two hands. It feels great and is ergonomic. Combine that with lag-free controls and you got yourself a winner!

Finally, we’re going to discuss Mini Flash’s specifications. Starting off with the durable hub motor – this thing can go as fast as 12 mph. With that comes a pretty powerful Li-On battery pack (2.5 hours of charging time won’t exactly make you fall in love with it) which is capable of enduring up to 15 miles.

With everything above-mentioned taken into consideration, there is no doubt in my mind that Mini Flashby Blitzart is a wonderful mini electric skateboard that’s priced way below its actual worth.

1. Swagtron Voyager

At last, we have come to the absolute champion when it comes to cheap electric skateboards. As always, I picked the best one in terms of value for money. I’m an electric skateboards fan just like yourself, and I’ve been through the process of purchasing them many times. That’s why I always appreciate a model that incorporates above average value for money.

That’s exactly what can be said about Swagtron’s Voyager. With powerful and energy efficient dual 350W motors, Voyager can go as fast as 15 mph, providing you with a high-speed platform for all sorts of fun (and potentially dangerous) activities.

Add a long-lasting battery to the equation as well and you will begin to understand why it’s such a powerful choice. You see, Voyager’s Lithium iron phosphate battery can easily withstand up to 15 miles on a single charge. Even more so if you’re not weighing a ton… figuratively speaking, of course.

One last thing that is worth mentioning about this model is its deck. Not only does it feature cool graphics on its grip tape but it’s pretty durable as well. Made from a maple bamboo combination, this thing can endure 330 pounds of weight and still work like a charm.
All in all, It is safe to say that Swagtron made a good entrance on the market with their NG-1 and confirmed their dominance with the Voyager. It’s only a matter of time before potential customers notice that.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, that’s it when it comes to affordable electric skateboards. Once again, I would like to repeat the same words I mentioned in the very beginning.

You see, there is no need to dash out close to a thousand dollars for a premium electric skateboard. If you’ve made a thorough research (and followed this list correctly), you can spend more than half of that and still end up with an enjoyable experience.

What I am basically trying to say is that high price doesn’t always mean a better-quality product. You can get an outright awesome model for as little as couple hundred bucks… It’s still going to provide you with a fun time and at the end of the day, that’s what matters the most!

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