Hoverboards Electric

Monday, August 15, 2016

Swagtron T1 and T3 Hoverboard Reviews – An in Depth Look At Both Models

Swagtron Hoverboard Prices
Or Click Here Now to Buy Swagtron
  Swagtron or Swagway as it was formally known, is part of a next generation hoverboard evolution.In this Swagway Swagtron review discover what makes it tick. You will learn why it is  better, safer, faster, and higher quality.Of course no product is perfect. So I am sure you want to scoop on both pros and the cons? This review will cover things we love about it, and also some of the things we don’t like about it. Hopefully the review information will help you make up your own mind about the Swagtron smart balance scooter.T3 Gold Front View SwagwayAluminum Swagway Rims

Don't Get Confused About The New Swagtron Name

First a clarification about the name. The old product name Swagway, which sounds a lot like a Segway board, has now been changed to Swagtron. If you type in the old Swagtron website it now redirects to the new Swagtron domain name. I know it's a tongue twister, and might even make you a little dizzy trying to say all these similar sounding names. Kind of like saying something like “Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers”. Ha ha. Try to say Swagway, Swagtron, Segway as fast as you can. I bet you can't.Swagway NamesBut anyway we'll stop with the jokes and get on with the review.The reason for the name change seems to be because they were forced after Segway (which is another company entirely) sued for trademark infringement, due to the similarity of the name Swagway to Segway.Regardless though, the company has an overall good track record for making quality products. The company reputation shows they have been dealing honestly with customers. We are not saying anything bad about the name. All we are doing is making sure you know which products we are talking about.Also keep in mind the term “Segway board” is often used as a general catch all phrase to describe any 2 wheel electric self-balancing scooter. So we will continue to use all these names interchangeably throughout this review article.The main point here is that there is no Swagtron vs Swagway, because it is essentially the same company. Unless of course you are referring to the old Swagway scooter models, versus the new ones. Swagtron is still selling the old inventory (under the old name) on some websites. But we do not recommend that you buy any of those scooters (such as the Swagway X1 or X3). The reason is explained below.Ok, so now that we made that clear let’s get right into the rest of this T1 and T3 review and comparison.T1 Dark Red

Swagtron T1 and T3 Stats

The Pros (What We Love About Swagtron Scooters)

Both Swagtron T1 and T3 Come in a Wide Array of Super Cool Stylish Colors

Swagtron colors and the finishes look amazing. They come in a good selection of colors compared to most other hoverboards.Swagtron T1 comes in 6 cool colors. They are white, dark red, black, yellow (or yellow gold), blue, and pink. But pink is usually out of stock and hard to get.The T3 comes in the same colors except that the “gold” for the T3 does not look like a yellow gold. It looks more like real gold metal.Swagway Colors



 Swagway Swagtron Catching Fire Won’t Happen

The safety of a product is always one of the first points we cover in our reviews. If it’s going to blow up in your house, then it really makes no sense to have one, period. Of course this is common sense, but it can’t hurt to mention the obvious.The first question people might often ask is, “what about Swagway hoverboard fires?” This is something on a lot of people’s minds. And something understandably stops people from buying hoverboards.If you or your children were heartbroken or disappointed when you realized the first generation hoverboards were catching fire we have some great news for you. The good news is you won’t have to worry about this happening to Swagtron. Unlike many other cheap hoverboard scooters, Swagtron has been scientifically tested at Underwriters Laboratories and certified against very strict fire safety standards. In fact the Swagtron hoverboard is the world’s first UL 2272 certified 2 wheel scooter of its kind.Gold Swagtron T3What does that mean? And why should you care? To be approved for UL 2272 certification, an electric self-balancing scooter must go through months of stringent scientific fire and explosion safety testing. This testing covers every aspect of the scooters electrical and charging systems. It will only be certified after repeated and prolonged tests prove it won’t catch fire. Many hoverboard companies have to go through 2 or 3 cycles of testing and redesigning before they are approved. The process can take months.You should only buy approved UL 2272 hoverboard scooters. NEVER to buy any hoverboard without the UL 2272 seal. Having the full certification ensures it has been tested for virtually ALL possible electrical system flaws that could cause it to combust. 

Don't Buy The Swagway X1 or X3 Models

The last time we visited Swagtron’s website it appeared they are still selling inventory of the Swagway X3 and X1 models. Those models are NOT UL 2272 certified.We recommend that you DO NOT buy those. Only the battery inside is UL 2271 certified. That is a good thing, but in our opinion still not good enough. The entire electrical system needs to be tested and certified. That is the only way you can be sure it is safe. Plus the T1 and T3 scooters are really not that much more expensive. It makes no sense to get the older non tested scooter when the new version is already out and proven to be safe.As you may or may not already know, exploding hoverboards have been a constant problem over the last year. It’s hard to find a day that goes by without seeing another hoverboard fire reported in the news. Obviously something had to be done to stop this madness. Luckily a solution is now in place. High standards of an electric scooter’s quality and safety have been established in the industry. This is the best thing to happen for the industry since the invention of these mini Segway electric boards. With the UL 2272 certification you can be confident that a certified scooter is just as safe as a quality laptop or smart phone!When you see this UL 2272 holographic seal on the bottom of a scooter you know it safe to buy:UL 2272 Seal On Bottom of Scooter Beware though many scammers are putting fake certification labels and stickers on cheap scam products. But with the right information to empower you there is an easy way to see past this scam. You can prove easily whether or not the seal is real. Go to UL’s website to check and make sure if it’s real. Here is how you do that:Go Here  and type in “FKIS” in the “UL Category Code” box. You will see Swagway LLC listed a few pages back. Click on that. Then you will see the UL 2272 certification listed under the T1 and T3 models.

 Swagtron Patented Sentry Shield Battery

The Swagtron battery pack is probably the safest battery pack ever made for a hoverboard. This unique patented UL 2271 certified battery pack is constructed with a multi-layer protection design and sealed in a solid aluminum fireproof casing.Swagtron Sentry Shield Battery packConsidering the fact that most hoverboard fires start with the battery pack, this is a major plus. Having a strong metal casing (as opposed to combustible plastic) will prevent any fires from the battery due to damage or malfunction. Even if the battery were to explode (which it will not because it has been tested and certified by UL against explosion) the metal casing would contain any spread of flames. Even the best constructed batteries can be damaged from accidents or abuse. Puncturing any lithium-ion battery can cause it to explode. This aluminum casing is an added extra layer of protection that can give you greater peace of mind.The proprietary lithium-ion design from Swagtron is called Sentry Shield™. This one feature alone makes the Swagway Swagtron one of our tops picks and best hoverboards for 2016. 

 Swagtron Hoverboard is For Sale Now With Lots of New Upgrades

We already discussed the major safety improvements compared to the old Swagway X1 and X3 scooters.Swagtron T1 and T3 are both a big step up from the old Swagway scooters with a lot of upgrades.

Some Of The Upgrades Are:

  • Ungraded smoother and faster dual electric 300 W motors.
  • Upgraded gear stabilization resulting in an overall smoother ride, better traction, and tighter control.
  • Flame retardant foot pads with better grip and better safet
  • New patented poly carbonate scratch resistant plastic, for a safer fire retardant outer shell.
  • Five level battery indicator lights can track power levels more accurately (T3 only).
T3 Battery Level Indicator Lights
  • Green color indicator light change to notify of full charge status.
  • Better grip traction tires.
  • Both Swagtron T1 and T3 have a more open wheel well configuration for better tire rotation, clearance of debris, and easier maintenance (not to mention how cool the milled exposed aluminum wheel rims look).
  • And finally a new learning mode option for beginners.
 

Awesome Swagtron T3 iPhone/Android App Connects via Bluetooth 4.0

Swagtron is one of the few electric scooters that has such an extensive app (or any app at all). There are lots of cool things you can do with this free app. You have the choice to download either the iPhone version from iTunes or Android from Google Play.The app will allow you to track your speed, distance, acceleration, temperature, route history, and battery level among other things.

Swagtron App Speed screenSwagway app battery level screen 

The Swagtron smartphone app is also how you control the settings for the new learning mode. From the app you can tweak your max speed, max acceleration, and steering sensitivity. As you get better at riding you can gradually tweak each of those up with your own custom settings that work best for you.

.Swagtron App Learning Mode ScreenApp Swagtron Bluetooth Screen 

 

Swagtron Bluetooth Speakers for T3 Model

If you are one of those people who likes to turn your ride into a party then the T3 Swagtron is for you. With the high quality Bluetooth connected speakers you can play all of your favorite tunes from your smartphone as you coast. 

The Overall Look of The Scooters is Very Sleek, Stylish and Compact

The look of the scooters are very modern and sleek. Combining the high quality shiny rims with the compact design, body finish, and futuristic looking front LED lights, it really does look like something more advanced than earlier hoverboards. Because of the compact design it seems to hide more under your feet for a more incognito ride.Swagtron T3 White Top View

 

Has a Very Sturdy Solid Feel Both in Your Hands and When Riding it

Unlike many cheap scooters that you might find at the mall this hoverboard has a very solid feel to it because of the quality materials it is made of.The ride is also smooth and sturdy due to the advanced upgraded hardware and software systems that stabilize the ride. 

Great Customer Service

Swagtron is a very responsive company and caters well to customer needs. They try very hard to address customer needs and concerns. 

All Swagtron Scooter Have a Good 1 Year Limited Warrenty

Unlike many other hoverboards that cost hundreds of dollars, but have no warranty, Swagway offers a great 1 year limited warranty against defects in materials or manufacturing. 

1 Year Swagway hoverboard Warranty

Differences between Swagtron T1 and T3

There are some differences between the Swagway T1 and T3 models, besides the most obvious one, which is the design. They look slightly different. The T3 is the more beefed up thicker scooter. The center has a larger diameter circle. And the finish is more of a matt finish as opposed to the shinier T1. The T1 is more compact and sleek.T1 and T3 Visual DifferencesThe T3 model is the only one with the app. And the T3 is the only one with built in Bluetooth speakers. And last the T3 is the only one with the advanced riding mode.In our opinion it is well worth it to pay a little bit more for all the extra features of the T3, especially the app.  

The Cons (Things We Don’t Like)

 

The Swagtron Price is a Little Higher

In our view this is a very reasonable priced scooter for the quality you get. It is a much lower cost than some of the others we have reviewed. But some people don’t really have any idea on how much a safe quality hoverboard should cost.The price of this item might be considered as a downside to some people. So that is why we are listing it as a con, even though we don’t think the price is that high.If you are expecting to get a safe scooter for $100 then you are bound to be disappointed. With the current market price of the materials and manufacturing you are not going to be able to find a safe one for that. The Swagtron Swagway price is about as low as you can expect to find for a hoverboard that won’t explode and catch fire. 

Max Speed is a Little Lower Compared to Some Other Types of Scooters

For a 2 wheeled hoverboard the max speed is actually higher than many similar scooters. But compared to something like the Ninebot Mini or One Wheel Unicycle scooters like Ninebot One, the speed is a lot slower.If you are a speed demon you might want to look at some of our other reviews for faster scooters. 

This Type of Hoverboard Does Not Ride Well Off-Road

As with all smaller wheeled scooters they do not ride well off-road. It is best for smoother surface not rocky or unstable ground. 

The Final Review Verdict

Other than a few minor things we don’t have much negative to say about Swagtron electric scooters.They are moderately priced, high quality, safe, fun, and really nice looking hoverboard scooters.Swagway Swagtron is one of our top picks for the best hoverboards of 2016. If you have been sitting on the fence we highly recommend that you go out and get one.T3 Blue Front View
Swagtron T1 and T3 Hoverboard Reviews – An in Depth Look At Both Models is republished from hoverboardselectric.com/articles

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Hoverboards Are Banned On Airplanes – But How About Riding Your Suitcase?

Banned Hoverboards

Many people will remember how rapper Wiz Khalifa was slammed to the ground and arrested at the airport for refusing to get off his hoverboard. Most Airports airlines have banned hoverboards. And some airports to.It is understandable that many people were (and still are) disappointed about hoverboards being banned because getting around an airport can be difficult. Some of them are miles long.For those of us who like to save money on flying this often requires taking a lot of connecting flights to reach our final destination. To get to your connecting flight terminal you often times have to rush from one end of the airport to the other. For example, you might only have 10 min to travel a mile inside the airport! Trust me this has happened to me many times before. Sometimes I have had to run fast all the way to the other side of the airport. This is all very frustrating. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some kind of portable lightweight traveling device we could use to help us get to our terminal faster?Up until now the best option most people have is to wait to catch a ride on the trollies or trains going around the airport. But that still requires a LOT of walking in between to get to your actual spot of departure. And a lot of waiting around to catch the next ride (if it even arrives in time for you to catch your next flight).

Hoverboards Were Quickly Banned From Airlines

When hoverboards first came out some people thought all their airport traveling problems were over. Well they soon found that the portable scoters wouldn’t be allowed on airplanes. In fact many airports and most all airlines have now banned them completely. And even if the airport does allow them they still won’t be allowed on the plane since they are not FAA compliant. So you can’t take it to the airport because you would have to leave it behind anyway.The airport and airline hoverboard bans are mostly due to a large amount of the cheap models exploding and catching fire over the last year. This is because of cheap batteries and/or manufacturing processes. And although there are now safe hoverboards out on the market, which have the UL 2272 fire safety certification, the laws and policies banning hoverboards from airports/airlines are already in effect. Unfortunately they may never be reversed.But we are not here to give you only bad news. In fact we recently came across something really cool which might offer a solution to your airport traveling problems. Meet the Modobag:


This handy motorized carry-on bag is TSA and FAA approved (unlike hoverboards). So not only can you take it to the airport, but you can also fly with it. The batteries in the Modobag comply with what is allowed on airplanes (just like laptop and smartphone batteries). That means you can use this traveling motorized luggage as your carry-on bag.Here are some stats for the bag:
  • Max weight limit of 260 lbs (118 kg)
  • Can travel up to 6 miles
  • Max speed is 8 mph (12.8 kph)
  • Bag weight is 19 lbs (8.61 kg)
  • Full charge in 1 hour (plug into any outlet)
  • USB ports for charging your portable devices such as smart phone and laptop
  • GPS tracking with app in case of lost or stolen bag
 

Don’t Be a Modobag Basher

Many people who see the video above, or read about the Modobag, immediately start attacking and making bashing comments about how this is only for lazy people. But if you’ve actually ever been rushing through the airport almost missing your flight then you undoubtedly whished you had a faster way to get to your terminal. I am a runner and jog about 5 to 10 miles per week. I can tell you that I don’t want to be jogging around an airport and getting all sweaty before a long 5 hour flight. I don’t like nearly missing my flights because it takes me too long to travel through the airport. I don’t need a 6 mile long airport to keep me in shape. The airport is there to get me where I need to go.So although hoverboards have been banned from airports and airlines we still might have a great alternative way to get around the airport after all.You can buy the Modobag bag on the Indiiegogo crowd funding website. Go here to buy it now or to learn more.
Hoverboards Are Banned On Airplanes – But How About Riding Your Suitcase? is courtesy of Hoverboards Electric

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Airwheel x8 vs Ninebot One – Differences? Which is Better?

Ninebot One vs Airwheel X series Unicycles ComparisonNinebot One and Airwheel X8 are both popular electric battery powered unicycles. We have done extensive long reviews on both of these one wheel scooters. But many buyers still find themselves confused on which is the best for them. So we wanted to write a short quick article to point out some of the main differences we have found in these two popular items as opposed to the separate reviews we did previously.In short they are both high-quality unicycles with some slight differences in their makeup, stats, and aesthetic design. In this article, we will try to go through the features of both to help you identify which one suits you.

Ninebot One Standout Features

Ninebot One is a fashionable and intelligent means of personal transportation with many interactive high tech functions. It has a very futuristic sleek look as opposed to the Airwheel X8 which is more rugged and wider.

Iridescent Atmosphere & Indicator Lights

The Ninebot One has myriads of colors both cool and shiny to add class to your ride. The retro lights illuminate your way while adding a somewhat trippy color and style. These colors can be set via the Ninebot One App and has light effects such as blinking, breathing, flowing and customization. The choices for color customization of the led lights is virtually limitless. No matter what your color choice you are sure to find it.Ninebot One 

Magnesium Alloy Frame & Pedal

The anti-skid, stable, and secure pedals are very sturdy and give the scooter a very solid feel under your feet. The AIO pedals are constructed of top high-pressure magnesium alloy cast. The smooth design not only adds beauty and elegance to the device but also acts as a security measure for first-timers by tilting backwards when unsafe speeds are reached.Non-Visual Lifting Handles Design
The hidden lifting handle is light and portable. It is also made of magnesium alloy and elastic polyurethane. The hidden handy handle can pop when needed.Ninebot carry handle

Compatibility With Other Popular Accessories

Ninebot One comes with two accessories options: assistant wheelset and accessory holder. The accessory holder (which can be purchased separately as an accessory add-on) is compatible with most of the popular bike accessories like GoPro Camera, width laser lamp, car voice box, and headlights among others.Accessory Attachment Ninebot One 

Easy to Disassemble and Assemble

You can easily disassemble the unicycle’s components and replace them. It doesn’t require many technicalities as such, and anytime you need to replace a part you can do that within a short time.

Intelligent Safety Alarm System

It has a triple safety alarm that includes light, sound, and vibration to ensure a safe driving experience. The alarm goes on if you are over leaning, speeding, the battery is low, and in cases of internal overheating and malfunctioning. The alerts are connected to the App.

Ninedroid 2.0 App

The Ninebot One has its app which can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Android Market for your smart phone. The app allows you to customize the light effects settings, has an instrumental dashboard, update the remote firmware, list and community ranking, speed data, distance data, and remote control.

Ultrafast Charging Battery

It has a lithium-ion battery that charges fast. It fully charges within 1-2 hours using a standard charger. You have an option of choosing from 83Wh and 240Wh battery. It comes with a 250W high-performance fanless AC adapter which can charge the battery fully within 30-60 minutes.These are the common features of Ninebot- One unicycle models.Pros • Powerful unicycle that allows both playing and commuting • Stylish-Outer skins that are replaceable • Good battery lifeSpecs Weight-13.8 Kgs Max speed-18Km/h-20Km/h Battery set-55.5V/240Wh/8C Mileage-22-30 Km

Airwheel x8 Standout Features

Airwheel X8 To sum it up in scientific nerd speak the Airwheel X8 is a unicycle that adopts an aerospace attitude control theory, has a fuzzy software algorithm and gyroscope system to help in maintaining balance.Basically that means it has a lot of tech in it for balancing and sensitive control, much like the Ninebot One. Both scooters have aspects of artificial intelligence software, coupled with advanced balancing technologies. We will touch on this a little bit below but read the longer reviews we have on these two scooters for more details. They are linked at the very top of this article.

Carbon-fiber Pattern

This is our favorite features of the Airwheel X8. It gives the unicycle a distinctive really cool glass-like look.X8 Airwheel Glassy Carbon Fiber Look 

Intelligent Balancing Chip

The X8 has an inbuilt balancing chip that allows it to stand upright with no human intervention. This is an amazing feat of tehnilogial advancment. The Ninebot One also has this same tech.

Original Japan-made Lithium-Ion Battery

The battery features 3.8 times life expectancy with a recharge of 1,800 times and 2.9 times the duration of ordinary lithium batteries. This guarantees you a longer battery life.

16-inch Magnified Slim Wheel Hub

Airwheel X8 has a larger 16’ expanded wheel hub (as does Ninebot One) which helps in minimizing the roll angle and optimizing the grip effect. This gives you more safety and stability as well as adds a dynamic look.

Safety Features of the Airwheel X8

When you compare the safety features of Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 they have virtually identical safety features. For example:

Tilting

When the unicycle tilts over 45 degrees sideways, the system automatically activates a tilting protection that prevents injuries. Ninebot One also has the same tilting protection.

Speed control

The X8 can prevent accidents resulting from speeding by setting a maximum speed of 12Km/h. When the speed exceeds this limit, the pedal’s front end will rise gradually, and when it exceeds 16Km/h, the pedal poses at a 10 degrees angle to the leveling surface hence stopping the rider from further inclining to accelerate. Both Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 have very similar speed limit safety control systems.

Low Battery Protection

When battery power is less than 15%, all the lights blink and the buzzer beeps. The pedal’s front end sinks forcing you to decelerate and stop eventually. When it gets to this do not ride again less you risk the loss of power and automatic shutoff.Both Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 have BMS or battery managment systems to prevent automatic shutoff and injury. Ninebot One BMS is superior in preventing this type of accident. This is because instead of making you slow down like the Airwheel it will basically stop working until you charge it back up. This is what you want because you don't want to unit to suddenly shut off when you are riding it. This would result in the rider being thrown from the scooter. We go into more detail about his in our more extensive reviews on these two products.Airwheel Specs Max speed-18Km/h Range-18-23Km Battery- 130Wh/170Wh/lithium Weight limit-120Kgs Charge time-90-120Min Pros Easy to control Easily portable Battery is replaceable

The Final Verdict on Airwheel X8 Verses Ninebot One

We feel like both scooters are excellent high quality products. But in our opinion the Ninebot One takes the cake. It's faster and can go farther. It has a more sleek compact look. It costs more but also has more features. For example Airwheel X8 has no smartphone app and Ninebot One does.One MAJOR difference in Airwheel X8 vs Ninebot One is the difference in customer service support between the two companies. While Ninebot One has stellar responsive customer service (that you can call on the phone), Airwheel customer service is virtually non-existent. We have an entire section about this found here. So with everything taken together we think Ninebot One is the better deal and better product. But Ninebot One is more expensive and costs more.So if you are on a budget and don't mind bad customer service we think Airwheel X8 is an excellent scooter that you can have fun on and is a safe product. Otherwise we recommend the Ninebot One as the top choice for electric unicycle scooters.

Airwheel x8 vs Ninebot One – Differences? Which is Better? Read more on: hoverboardselectric.com/articles

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Safe UL 2272 Certified Hoverboards Hitting The Market

No More Hoverbaord Explode  We are thrilled with so many new hoverboards hitting stores that are finally UL 2272 safety certified. Such as the Ninebot Mini Pro N3M320 model. This is great news for the industry and for consumers alike. Many more are set to hit the market soon. Such as the Razor Hovertrax  that has the UL 2272 certificate, but is not yet back on the market.UL 2272 standards is amazing news for hoverboard lovers because it will transform the industry into a market with safer better products for everyone. The new UL 2272 safety standards will allow the sale of quality standing scooters to finally move forward. We no longer have to worry about which ones are safe or unsafe. We no longer have to worry about fake Samsung battery labels, or fake UL battery certification labeling on counterfeit scooters.The new standard is simple and easy for everyone. All you have to know now is if it's not tested for and passed UL 2272 classification don't buy it. The equation is as simple as that.As we previously reported for February 2016 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has



declared that Consumer Product Safety Commission Hoverboardshoverboards are not safe unless they have the proper UL 2272 fire safety certifications. And although we are a hoverboard review site we don't believe this was an unfair declaration at all. In fact we agree with it 100%. We don't endorse any hoverboard scooters that are not tested and safety certified.Unfortunately many people then and now still continue to ignore that warning. They keep buying cheap garbage unsafe ticking time bombs that often times explode in their homes. As a result a hoverboard recall for over 500,000 scooters has been issued recently as a precaution.As most people are already well aware, many hoverboards have indeed been experiencing safety issues since they were launched into the market. These issues understandably have caused a lot of fear and uncertainty for people in general. In fact, several major airlines in the United States, as well as the US Postal Service, have declined to ship the items because they have deemed them unsafe for transport.

Growing Popularity Of Hoverboards Contributed To Safety Problems

One major part of the problem has been the growing popularity. In fact people want and love them so much they just keep buying them no matter what warnings are issued. In case you don’t know, hoverboards (and other similar battery powered devices) came out as the hottest form of trendy transportation. They are not like skateboards or any other type of wheeled traveling device that has existed up to this time.These 2 wheel scooter gadgets are much different because of the intuitive unique controls that make the board feel like an extension of your own body. It is the closest feeling to being able to control something with your own mind. Also the way they might appear to glide from a distance makes them unlike anything else people were used to seeing. They can sometimes look like they are hovering above the ground from far off. But it's not all just for fun. People are using them to get around town, to go to work and back, or for any type of short-destination traveling.We can see a lot of different reasons contributing to why people like them so much. Some of the main reasons mightStanding scooter freedom be due to their convenience, a feeling of unique freedom, and new exciting experiences. Regardless of the reasons one thing we know for sure is that the popularity of them has literally exploded overnight. In less than a year it has become one of the fastest growing trends ever in the history of the world. This is not an understatement or exaggeration. The industry has sold over a billion dollars worth of hoverboards in less than one year. And that is from an industry that didn't even exist the year before!If people want something bad enough no amount of danger or safety warnings are going to deter them. So the only solution is to remove the bad apples and start making safer scooters available to the population.Well that is exactly what is currently happening with UL 2272.

UL 2272 certified hoverboards Released

In May 2016, the first UL 2722 certified hoverboards were released after many months of testing. But they didn't hit markets right away. Then in June the first UL 2272 hoverboard (the Ninebot Mini N3M320) went on sale as a  pre-order item in late June 2016. The first ones sold on Amazon were then shipped out on July 1st.Now the great news for July is more and more UL certified models are hitting stores, including Amazon, which banned them for the second time back in late February. The Ninebot Mini Pro N3M320 model was the first UL 2272 certified hoverboard that went on sale but not the last. 

What Exactly is a UL Certified Hoverboard?

UL stands for Underwriters Laboratory.  UL is a global science safety institution that inspects, tests, and issues safety certifications for different products. They are a globally trusted scientific safety organization which means that you can take their certification pretty seriously. So long as a manufacturer, retailer, or supplier complies by this certification you can trust that any hoverboard displaying the holographic UL 2272 seal will not present any safety issues due to defects or design malfunctions, such as bursting into flames.UL 2272 official seal**It is very important to note that the UL 2272 safety certification doesn’t deal with safety issues caused by having accidents with the board while riding. Hoverboard riders have to take precautions for safe riding and balance. If you are on a road and ride into oncoming traffic for example no certification will protect you. If you don't have good balance you need to get that right before you can safely ride a self balancing board.Again we would like to stress that you can identify UL 2272 certification by the holographic image seal and Enhanced Mark on the product itself. 

How Has UL 2272 This Effected Sales So Far?

As we have already mentioned, hoverboards were exploding onto the transport (and fun) scene as soon as they were released. They quickly became a fan favorite. But as they began to gradually catch fire the bad press started to follow and finally take hold of the industry. First it was a trickle. Then it was a flood of bad press from every major news outlet. With the way news is syndicated today on the internet and social media it didn't take long for the bad press to overshadow any good quality hoverboards that were not exploding. So although the well made hoverboards were pretty safe and well made the bad apples spoiled it for the whole bunch. Soon all of the brands were seen as a fire hazard and were banned altogether from certain public places and campuses.So those safety fears had a very negative affect on sales for the past several months - almost bringing them to a halt. Most major stores ended up removed them. After that it was hard to find reputable places to buy them. Also people found it hard to trust the ones for sale would not burst into flames.However with laboratory UL 2272 safety tested hoverboards hitting the market now we are seeing the trends starting to reverse. We are seeing upward trends in the amount of people searching for places to buy them. And we are seeing some major big box retail stores starting to sell UL 2272 models. 

The Industry Is Evolving For The Better With UL 2272 Leading The Way

The truth is - when the trendy little scooters were first introduced to the market they were in general far less safe than they are now. So now, you can finally sleep tight at night knowing your hoverboard won't explode because your dream hoverboard shouldn't be a nightmare!
Safe UL 2272 Certified Hoverboards Hitting The Market was first seen on Hoverboards Electric

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

500,000 Unsafe Hoverboards Recalled

Unsafe Hoverboard scooters recalled10 major hoverboards companies have now recalled 500,000 hoverboards sold over the last few months. This was due to the possibility that certain models might not be safe because they don't have UL 2272 fire safety certification.If you bought a hoverboard in the past from anyone of these companies you should return them for a full refund, exchange, or repair. Go here for a list of all the recalled hoverboards.If you are looking to buy a hoverboard that is safe against fire - checkout our best hoverboards to buy for 2016 page. Those are reviews on the best and safest hoverboards to buy so far this year. It is a small list for now because we have not found many hoverboads which we consider safe enough to recommend.We will be adding several more hoverboards to this list over the next month or so. Keep checking back for more of our safe hoverboard recommendations in the near future! We will only ever recommend hoverboards to buy that are UL 2272 safety tested and certified against fires and explosions.Once again here at Hoverboards Electric we were ahead of the curve in the correct advice we gave in our articles about buying certain electric scooter hoverboards. In contrast most all other hoverboard review sites were (and still are) promoting and encouraging people to buy unsafe time bombs from small e-commerce stores on the internet.Our advice then was the same as it is now: “When it comes to 2 wheeled self-balancing hoverboards DO NOT BUY ANY HOVERBOARD THAT IS NOT UL 2272 CERTIFIED! PERIOD!”Many people ignored this warning and continue to look for the best cheap hoverboard deals. They insist on buying based on the lowest prices - instead of the safest scooters. Unfortunately for them they had to reap the consequences of those actions when many of those same cheap hoverboards exploded and caught fire. This has resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of property damage in the United States alone.You will notice in the list of recalled hoverboards that some major name brands have issued recalls. We would not go so far as to call those cheap.Those products were recalled not because they were catching fire, but as a precaution from reputable companies who would rather lose money than be responsible for a potential safety hazard. Most are companies who have now been issued UL 2272 certifications for the new models of hoverboards. To preserve their own reputation and trust with the public they have issued voluntary recalls for older none certified scooters. We think this is great news.This includes Razor Hovertrax and Powerboard. We have reviews for both those hoverboards on this site. For the Powerboard Review we issued a warning not to buy it until the UL 2272 certified models were released. This was after the CSPC banned all non-certified hoverboards.For the Razor Hovertrax review we did not mention this but they were removed from all stores (so no one could buy one anyway). We knew that Razor would be coming out with a new certified hoverboard model and so left the review page up. Unfortunately it took a lot longer for them to get certified than the time frame the company gave us. We were originally thinking the process would only take several weeks. But it ended up taking several months. But the old saying is true "Good things come to those who wait".The good news is both Razor and Powerboard hoverboard scooters are now UL 2272 certified. We personally went and checked on UL's website and found Razor and Powerboard listed there and having 2272 certification.A couple of months back we were aware that both Powerboard and Razor hoverboards had applied for the UL certification. And although they have now been issued the certification they are still in the process of producing the new certified models. Once those are released we will notify you via those review pages or through our email list you can sign up for from the box in the sidebar of this page.You can be sure we will always give you recommendations for the safest products on the market. Hoverboards Electric is quickly becoming the #1 trusted name on the internet for the most truthful and accurate hoverboard and electric powered transportation device reviews found anywhere. We painstakingly research each and every product to make sure it is safe against fires and explosions before giving it a thumbs up. We do all the hard research work for you so you can have the information you need to make the best informed buying decisions.
500,000 Unsafe Hoverboards Recalled was first published to Hoverboards Electric

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Airwheel Mars Rover X3 vs X8, X5, and X6 Electric Unicycle Scooter Comparisons and Review

Airwheel X3 and X8 unicycle scooters side and top viewAre you ready for an Airwheel Review? If so you've probably been looking into getting one for yourself. It's amazing to see how far the technology has come for these electric self balancing little scooters. Just 5 years ago no one ever even heard of a “self-balancing” unicycle scooter. When you mention a unicycle most people still picture those contraptions clowns ride at the circus. They are nearly impossible for most people to learn to balance or steer.Comparing a unicycle like Airwheel to early prototypes of self-balancing unicycles is like night and day. The early inventions were large, cumbersome, and clumsy. Today however we see a far different picture. Scooters like the Airwheel Mars Rover are so small and compact - it boggles the mind to see how far they have evolved in such a short time.Fake Unicycle ScootersIt didn’t take long either for this technology to explode onto the marketplace. Especially in the last few years. With so many electric unicycle scooters out on the market today it can be hard to decide on the best, or more importantly, the safest ones.One problem is the sheer number of fake and dangerous knock offs that catch fire and explode, many of which look exactly like the high quality brand name scooters.Aside from safety issues though what does the word “best” really mean when we are talking about electric self balancing scooters? The fact is it can mean many different things to people. It all comes down to deciding what is best for yourself really.Regardless though you’ll probably want to know if there is anything unique or superior about the Airwheel X series scooters. Things that could make them the best in your eyes.Hopefully this review will help you to decide that because we are going to cover every single thing about these little electric one wheel self balancing spaceship looking scooters. 

What a Good Airwheel Review Should Contain

Before we get into the review first take a moment to think about your expectations. A lot of people are looking for reviews to tell them everything they want to hear. They might want to know all about things that make a product awesome so they can convince themselves to make a decision to buy it.The reality is every product has it pros and cons. A good Airwheel X series scooter review should tell you all about Airwheel X3 - X8 Pros and Consboth the good and bad points of the products and/or the company that makes it.If you’re thinking about buying an electric self-balancing unicycle you will need to decide which products have the most of what you do want, and the least of what you don’t want. With the correct information you can make the best informed decision for yourself. This of course will be based on to your own needs and wants.You can rest assured this Airwheel review will cover pretty much everything about these scooters. We can guarantee you that you won't find a more extensive review on Airwheel X series scooters anywhere. If you don't believe us then just try and scroll down the page. You will find that it is a VERY long web page! To help you with this we have installed a Table of Contents with links you can click (which you will see shortly down the page). 

What We Include in Our Reviews That You Won't Find Anywhere Else

Part of the hidden work we do for every review on this site is digging deep into our research so we can uncover hidden problems with the company and/or dangers with the products themselves. These are things most other reviewers are never aware of because they failed to do the research.We are not just some kid on YouTube driving around on a scooter telling you how we think it feels. That’s not enough to give a good review for a product like this. An electric battery powered scooter needs to be judged by more than how it looks, feels, or rides. It needs to be judged on quality and safety first and foremost. Otherwise you could be buying a ticking time bomb and then storing it in your house. This is not an exaggeration. If you keep reading below you will see proof of the hazards of buying fake cheap scooters.For this Airwheel review in particular we put a lot of time into contacting the company and its distributors to look for answers about the products safety, and things like what the customer service is like. Keep reading below for the complete break down.

This is a very extensive Airwheel review article. We suggest you use the Table of Contents button below if you are looking for specific information about the scooters. Click the button to expand the list. You can click a link to jump ahead. Then click the back button in your desktop browser to return to the Table of Contents.

Table of Contents (Click Here To View)

This Airwheel X Series Review Will Cover the Following Topics:
1. Airwheel fire safety and quality
2. Airwheel vs Hoverboard, is it the same? – Will Airwheels explode or catch fire?
3. Airwheel X3, X5, X6 and X8 specs
4. The Pros (everything we love about these unicycles)
5. Technology in Airwheel scooters6. Airwheel Mars Rover X3 through X8 performance
7. Are Airwheel unicycle scooters waterproof?8. Airwheel X3 – X8 price
9. Airwheel X3 vs X8, X5, and X6 Comparisons
10. X3 Mars Rover Overview and Comparison
11. X5 Mars Rover Overview and Comparison
12. X6 Mars Rover Overview and Comparison
13. X8 Mars Rover Overview and Comparison
14. Airwheel battery and charger
15. Airwheel automatic protection safety systems
16. The Battery Management System (BMS) - what you need to know
17. The cons (what we don’t like about Airwheel X3, X5, X6 and X8)
18. Airwheel  Android and iPhone mobile app
19. Airwheel customer support - What is it like?
20. Ninbot One vs Airwheel21. All the pros and cons taken together – Our Final Verdict on these scooters

Airwheel Fire Safety

Prevention against fires and explosions should be your #1 concern with Airwheel or any other Airwheel Fire Safey Against Explosionselectric battery powered scooter. Sometimes people get so caught up with the features and performance of a product they forget the most important factor. Fire safety should trump any other points of interest. Why? If it’s not safe enough to be stored in your home you shouldn’t even consider it. We hammer this point over and over because it is the biggest problem in the industry right now. The fact is - over the past year hoverboards have been catching fire and exploding left and right. Don’t let it happen to you! We use software to scan the news stories daily for stories about battery powered scooter fires. Unfortunately we are seeing reports about another electric scooter fire literally every day. This is because of cheaply manufactured scooters made with substandard parts and practices. Nearly all of the fires are caused by the hoverboard 2 wheel standing scooter types. Those are being sold mainly by startup companies who are all buying from the same dangerous factories in China. But some scooter fires are also caused by the one wheel electric unicycles (although this is much more rare).Despite new US government scooter safety regulations and regulations in other countries, the cheap dangerous scooters continue to be sold all over the world (as if the laws don’t even exist). The only way you as a consumer can protect yourself against this is to take matters into your own hands. You must do your own research on the electrical safety of a scooter before buying it.We are trying to do our part in educating people so we can help put a stop to this madness. A major part of every review we do is about the products fire safety. But don't get the wrong idea. Not all scooters are dangerous. So we need to determine which ones are the safe ones.  

Airwheel vs Hoverboard, is it the Same? – Will Airwheels Explode or Catch Fire?

Hoverboard Verses AirwheelFor this hoverboard vs Airwheel comparison let’s take a look at the company history of Airwheel. This will help us to determine if the company has a trustworthy track record for producing scooters that are safe against fires.Airwheel  has been around long before the invention of the popular electric 2 wheel self-balancing scooters (which are mainly the causes of most of the explosions).The actual company name is Airwheel Technology Holding Co., Ltd which is a China based company established in 2004. They have offices in LA., Colorado, and China.The Airwheel electrical technology that is present present in both its unicycle style scooters and the Airwheel Segway type scooters, has been implemented in the scooters since 2011. That’s about a half a decade of making and selling scooters with the current type of Airwheel electrical systems inside them. This is a good amount of time we can look at to give us an idea on the quality of the products they make.As mentioned above part of all the reviews we do on this website is to try to find bad reports on the products. During all the time Airwheel scooters have been sold we have not been able to find ANY reports of fires caused in the scooters after looking and researching for days about this. We searched every area including forums, social media, news sites, other review sites, reviews on sites selling Airwheel, and many more places. No stone was left unturned.We did find one news story of a certain unicycle fire incident. But we were not able to substantiate that it was an Airwheel model. Many people call all similar looking unicycles an Airwheel because it is such a popular name. Even when you search in Google you will see many generic scooters using the name Airwheel falsely. The video footage in the news story we found mentioned the word "Airwheel" one time, but didn’t really establish if it was indeed a real brand name Airwheel. They only said the word Airwheel one time really quickly.In fact there is evidence to show that it probably was NOT a real Airwheel. For one thing we are aware of many unicycle scooters which look exactly like Airwheel. They have the same shapes and sizes of the Airwheel designs. It would be easy to confuse them with the real Airwheel brand name scooters. In fact here is one such scooter called an IPS 101 that exploded in a hallway and ejected the rider from it:IPS Electric Unicycle that explodedAs you can see the shape of it looks almost exactly like an Airwheel X3. Here are the images of the IPS scooter explosion - which according to IPS was caused by some type of paper deposited around the battery pack:[caption id="attachment_1007" align="aligncenter" width="684"]Unicycle Fire Explosion sequence 1
Unicycle Explosion Fire Sequence 2

We are not saying that IPS is necessarily bad because they have since fixed the cause of this. But the point is that by the look of the scooter it can be mistaken easily for an Airwheel (as can many others).It is unlikely the scooter we mentioned in the news story above was a real Airwheel. In the 12 years of the company’s existence we have not been able to find any other references of ones catching fire.Also another point to take into consideration is just because something catches on fire does not mean it malfunctioned on its own due to a defect.We have written extensively on this site about the fact that any lithium-ion battery powered device has the potential to explode when it is abused or mistreated. Even iPhones have exploded and killed people due to persons using the wrong charger.With an electric scooter things like jumping ramps or doing high impact tricks can indeed damage or puncture the battery so that it could malfunction causing a fire.We searched high and low looking for any trace of malfunctioning Airwheels that caused fires. The good news is we couldn’t find any besides the story mentioned above (which was probably not really an Airwheel).The track record of Airwheel proves they have a history of making safe productsGreat Track Record for Airwheel
that won’t explode or catch fire.If a company is selling dangerous faulty products common sense tells us they wouldn’t be in business very long. Airwheel has been in business for over a decade with no bad reports of malfunctioning scooters. Therefore we are confident in recommending Airwheel as one of the best fire safe electric scooter brands on the market due to their time tested track record. The proof is always in the pudding as they say, regardless of any certifications or testing.For most electric scooter brands we don’t even bother to review them on this blog. The market is literally saturated with copycat cheap dangerous hoverboards and scooters that all look exactly the same.They are being sold for prices that are even lower than what a quality battery pack inside the scooter would cost. The price alone tells you all you need to know about its safety. People pushing that crap either don’t have a clue or have no conscience. They are literally putting people’s lives at risk.But with an established company like Airwheel (that has a track record of making reliable trustworthy products) we think it’s worth looking into. So keep reading below for everything you need to know about Airwheel unicycle scooters.

Airwheel X8, X6, X5, and X3 Specs


The Pros (What We Love About Airwheel Mars Rover X series Scooters)

There are a lot of things we like about the X3 – X8 scooter models. If we were to list them all here Likethis review would be more like a book than an article (in fact it’s close to that point now). So we’ll instead need to stick to a list of the most important things we liked, which we think most people would want to know about these scooters.  

Airwheel is Driving Innovation in the Scooter Industry

Airwheel is one of the few companies in the battery powered personal transportation niche that is developing its own Scooter Technology Innovations innovative technologies and designs. Most other brands look like cookies cutter copies of all the other products out there (because they are). They don’t have anything unique or better to offer and are just the exact same thing with a different name stamped on the product.Also as we mentioned these cookie cutter replicated scooters are mostly made from cheap dangerous parts that can cause fires and explosions!Although some of the Airwheel scooter models look a lot like other brands in some ways, they also add their own unique twist in design, features, software, and materials. This is unlike almost all hoverboard scooters, which look exactly the same with the same cheap parts.The importance of this point goes beyond just innovations because innovative unique scooter technology is a sign of a safer better built product. 

Airwheel Advanced AI Self Balancing Technologies

All Airwheels contain an artificial intelligence software program and a "smart chip" to go along with it. This system uses advanced logic algorithms to mimic human thinking processes. The AI technology is included in the X3, X5, X6, and X8 Mars Rover models as well.It allows the scooter to balance itself upright and to better respond to your movements in conjunction with the motor and gyroscope pressure sensitive mechanisms. Even if you dismount off the unicycle, it will be able to continue to stand upright on its own and won’t fall over (as long as it is powered up). This capability is the result of a very advanced technology.  

Airwheel Mars Rover Riding and Performance is Exceptional

The X series unicycle series offers a very smooth, quiet, and sturdy ride. In fact we think this is one of the quietest motors for any electric scooter we have seen so far.Airwheel riding performance smooth and responsive

Even better the motors and tires are designed to be rugged enough for most off-road terrains. Depending on how extreme of a terrain you need to ride on - the higher up you go in models, the more powerful and smooth the ride will be on rougher terrains. This is due to the stronger motor and heaver weight of the scooters.But with all the X series scooters you can take them off road.You couldn't even dream of getting a regular hard 2 wheeled scooter where the Airwheel can go. That is one of the main advantages of an electric unicycle with this type of design.

Riding Airwheel in dirt off roadOverall all the X series models offer a quiet, smooth, and super fun ride. 

Extremely Light Weight and Easy to Carry - So You Can Take Them Anywhere

All Airwheel Unicycles in the X series are compact, lightweight, and easy to carry. They have a convenient carrying Airwheel light weight Scooters easy to carryhandle on the top of the device.Even better they are so small you can carry them inside a backpack or shopping bag. For the best carrying option Airwheel designed a special backpack that's round inside to conform to the scooters shape. You can get it as an accessory if you wish.Airwheel Scooter Carry BackpackAlso if you are riding public transportation like on a bus Airwheel unicycle scooters are so small they will fit easily underneath your seat. If you are shopping inside a store they will fit underneath or inside your shopping cart. For better peace of mind just take them wherever you go - without the hassle of worrying about parking it, watching it, or worrying about someone stealing it.  

 

Airwheels Are Waterproof and Dustproof

All Airwheel models have an IP56 waterproof and dustproof protection rating. This means the scooters electrical systems are protected against dust entering and damaging the unit. Also the rating means that it has been tested to withstand strong jets of water from any direction and not get damaged.Airwheel Waterproof

This does not however include submersion in water. Do not submerse the scooter in any water deeper than 10mm. Very shallow puddles are OK but generally it is best to avoid puddles regardless if it can be submersed or not. Puddles can be much deeper than they look causing a sudden stop and ejection from the vehicle. Our best advice is never go through puddles whether you are on a bike, scooter, skateboard, or whatever. 

 Super Light Weight Aviation Grade Foot Pedals

All Airwheel X and Q series scooters come equipped with slip resistant textured foot pedals. They are constructed of a high quality Airwheel Light Weight Foot Pedallightweight aluminum metal alloy (which resists corrosion). The last thing you want is rusted heavy foot pedals that are cumbersome and add a lot of weight to the scooter.The pedals easily fold up for hassle free carrying and storage.  

Airwheel X3 – X8 Price is Very Reasonable

The price of Airwheel scooters is much cheaper than a lot of comparable brand names. Airwheel X3 and even the X8 are priced significantly lower than Ninebot One unicycles for example. It is not the cheapest (which you don’t want anyway due to fire hazard) but it is not the most expensive either. It is medium priced unicycle that is very affordable by most standards. If you are someone who is shopping by price this is one of the few cheaper electric scooters that you can buy which is safe to use.We don't want to list the prices here on this page because prices can fluctuate and change often. Instead please click the "Buy Now" buttons you see on this page to check the current prices. There is one button just below this part of the page. Scroll down a little and you will see it.  

Airwheel X3 vs X8, X5, and X6– Comparing the Different Mars Rover X Series Models Shows a Good Range of Choices

 

Airwheel X3 Overview and Comparison

Airwheel X3 Black and White ScootersThe main differences in all the X series models are the batteries and motor power. They all look very similar besides the colors which are black, white, carbon fiber, and orange for the X3. Depending on your needs and budget you have a good variety to choose from.All Airwheel models have slightly different powered motors but all can safely go uphill on a 15° slope for a person with an average adult body weight. For people or kids weighing less than 132 lbs. (60 kg) the scooters can easily and safely go up an 18° slope. Going downhill re-charges the battery.Generally speaking all Airwheel models can go off-road over gravel and grass. But as you go up in the more expensive models (with more powerful motors) they will be able to better tackle the more extreme gradients and terrain.All of the X series models have only a single wheel, which makes them a true unicycle or solowheel. These one wheel X Series models are a little harder to learn to ride because you need to have more balance from left to right. But once you learn them they are more agile, and easy to turn on a tighter radius. The exceptional maneuverability of these types of self-balancing unicycles make them super fun to ride.If you are looking for a scooter that’s easier to learn to ride (or if you have bad balance) you might want to check out Airwheels Q series scooters. The Q series scooters are actually dicycles because they have two wheels close together (as opposed to the one wheel of the X series), giving them a wider base that is easier to balance on.Airwheel Q1BlackAs for the Airwheel Mars Rover X3 it is the original base rate unicycle model. It is the cheapest cost scooter out of all the Airwheel scooters. And it is also the lightest weight model. X3 is a great model to start off learning to ride electric unicycles with. It can go 10 to 14 miles in distance. But (as with all battery powered scooters) this depends on the weight of the rider, the speed you are going, the type of terrain, the temperature outside, and the inclines.Also if you are looking to buy your kids a gift the X3 Airwheel model might be a good scooter to get for kids since they can handle a lighter weight and will travel farther with a lighter load. Plus the size is a little smaller which is better for kids.  

Airwheel X5 Mars Rover Overview and Comparison

Airwheel X5 White and Black UnicyclesThis section is short because there is not a lot of difference in the X3 vs X5 aside from a few minor differences. The X5 is the big brother to the X3. It is a very similar model. It is slightly wider at the top of the scooter shell to accommodate a slightly larger battery pack. It can go for a distance of approximately a 10-14 mile range. The Airwheel Mars Rover X5 is similar in weight to the X3. You can see all the weight and dimension differences for the models in the “Airwheel Specs” section of this article.The X5 can be great for commuters who are looking for a moderate range personal transportation device. 

Airwheel X6 Mars Rover Overview and Compairson

Airwheel X6 Black and White ScootersThe X6 is a step up from the X5 in its size and has the bigger 16 inch tires (like the X8). It has a  larger body than the X5 and closer to the size of the X8. But the speed and range are basically the same as the X5. However the X6 is a newer model and hard to find for sale as many authorized distributers don’t carry it. Basically the X6 seems almost the same thing and very close to the X8 in size and weight but with a step down motor and battery.  

Airwheel X8 Mars Rover Overview and Comparison

Airwheel X8 Carbon Fiber Side ViewsThe Airwheel X8 is the premiere model of the X series. It’s got a strong carbon-fiber shell casing with beautiful distinctive glass-like patterns. In our opinion the carbon-fiber shell is the nicest looking material out of all the Airwheel scooters. Not to mention it is the strongest material.X8 Airwheel Glassy Carbon Fiber LookThe X8 can go about 15 miles out of a single battery charge (on average) with a max range of slightly over 17 miles. So this is the professional model that has the most powerful motor and longest battery range out of all the X series models. It is a little heavier than the X3 and X5 models at 11.5 kilograms in weight.The wheel of the X8 is slightly larger at 16 inches. The motor and battery pack are also larger and more powerful as well (which is the reason for the increased weight).The stronger motor of the X8 is going to give you faster acceleration, a smoother ride (because it is heavier), and will handle better in a more responsive and controlled way over rougher off road conditions.

Overall Comparison of Airwheel X3, X5, X6, vs X8

In our view when taking all the differences and features of each model into consideration we feel as though the best two models to get is either the X3 or the X8.The price differences of the X3 compared to the X5 is minimal. The same goes for the X6 price compared to the X8. If you want a stronger top of the line model we recommend that you go with the best model which is the X8, because it doesn’t cost that much more than the X5 and X6.If you are fine with the weaker smaller motor of the X3 (for example if you don't weight a lot),  it is the lightest weight, most economical scooter. So it really comes down to a simple choice of X3 vs X8 in our view. But you be the judge on that.  

 Airwheel Battery and Charger are High Quality and Safe From Fire

 All Airwheel scooters have brand name batteries with names that you will recognize and trust. The most used Airwheel Battery Packbatteries in Airwheel are Sony and Panasonic which are Japan made batteries. The X3, X8 and the rest of the X series models have these batteries. They are not cheap knock off batteries, but manufactured from trusted long established companies. Having a high quality battery and charger is the single most important factor that will prevent fires and explosions in any electric scooter. Don’t underestimate the importance of this. It is a major plus in our book.  

Intelligent Automatic Protection Systems for Tilting and Speed Control

All X and Q Series Airwheel Models Have Multiple Safety Systems Built in to Prevent Injury and damage to the scooter.A lot of people have been injured on all types of electric scooters because they don’t want to take the time to learn what they are supposedAirwheel Tilting to Turn to know and how to use it the right way. It’s just human nature to want to rush into things. About 15,000 people have been sent to the hospital that last year alone due to electric scooter related injuries. This is small in comparison to some other activities but still significant enough to be aware of the need to ride in a safe way.Airwheel has taken this into consideration and developed systems to prevent certain things from happening. Things that can injure you or your scooter. Automatic tilting protection – when the scooter tilts more than 45° sideways the motor will stall to protect the rider from injury from the wheels spinning out. All Airwheel units have a built in safety automatic motor stalling switch.In addition if you jump off the scooter or fall off when riding it the motor will also stall to protect the scooter from damage.Automatic speed control system - prevents the scooter from traveling at unsafe speeds. If the speed exceeds 12 km/h (7.5 mph) the pedal will tilt itself gradually as you go faster and faster to prevent you from accelerating too fast. If the speed exceeds 16 km/h (10 mph) the pedal will tilt to 10° preventing any further speed increase.If you are a speed demon you might hate this. But the design of this type of scooter cannot handle super-fast speeds. Electric unicycles are usually faster than the 2 wheeled electric scooters, but they still have limits. If you want something much faster you might want to look into our electric battery powered skateboard reviews. They are designed to travel at significantly faster motor speeds and can go downhill at super fast speeds.Or you might want to check out our Ninebot One Review page. It is a similar unicycle scooter that can go slightly faster than Airwheel and with some additional added features as well.  

Unicycle BMS Safety System and Automatic Shutoff – What You Need To Know

All Airwheel models contain a Battery Management System  or BMS (as do most all electric unicycles). The BMS monitors battery power levels. Low power levels can cause the unit to overheat and catch fire.If the battery gets too low in power the scooter will automatically shut off once a certain low level threshold for the On Off Switchbattery power is reached. This is a safety feature to prevent serious damage to the battery packs. Damaging the batteries can cause them to not work, or even worse to catch fire. This shut off feature can prevent dangerous electric failure due to overheating and possibly a battery explosion.Unfortunately the BMS which protects the battery is the same system that can possibly cause random shutoffs and bodily injury to the rider of the scooter. You don’t want a scooter to just shut off suddenly with no warning. Sudden automatic shutoffs will cause the wheel to lock up causing the rider to be thrown forward off the scooter. As you can imagine a sudden shutoff like this can cause the rider to be seriously injured. 

How Does Airwheel Deal With Sudden Automatic BMS Shutoff?

Airwheel has built in warning systems to prevent riders from being injured by an automatic shutoff. The warning system is three fold and will alert you to dangerously low power levels.First it is important that you always pay close attention to the battery levels. The best way to avoid automatic shutoff is to be able to anticipate when this could occur. That means don’t push the scooter to extreme battery levels below 10%!Warning Level #1 - The warning system will first start to make an audible beeping sound when the battery falls below 15% power. This is your first warning. It starts doing this well ahead of time before it would ever shut off. Pay attention to the beeps! If it is beeping continuously when you are not leaning sideways that means it is dangerously low on power.Warning Level #2 - The other part of the warning system is the blinking LED light system on the top of the scooter. If it is windy outside and you can’t hear the beeping sounds this second level warning sign will serve as the backup warning. The four LED lights on the top of the scooter will flash when battery levels fall below 15%. If you have been riding for several miles make sure to look down at the LED lights to check for flashing.Airwheel LED top indicator lights labeledWarning Level #3 - The final and third level of protection tied to the Battery Safety Management System (BMS) is that the scooter will gradually force you to slow down by tilting backwards when the power is below 15%. For your own safety it forces you to slow down before it shuts off. If all other warning signs fail for you this one will ensure you are not going as slow as possible if and when the scooter has to shut down. 

Do Not Ignore the BMS Airwheel Warning Systems

If you feel the third protection system kicking in (as it starts to eventually tilt the scooter back to slow you down), don’t try to force it to speed up! You should be slowing down more and more in anticipation to an automatic shutdown should the battery be completely drained. If the unit shuts off you will be thrown from the scooter and could have a serious accident.As long as you obey the warning signs and stop riding the scooter when the battery is too low you should be fine. It's common sense that the best course of action is to stop riding the scooter once you hear the beeping and see the flashing LED lights. 

Tips to Avoid BMS Automatic Shutoff

If you have a backpack or purse we recommend you carry the charger with you when traveling longer distances. That way you can charge it back up if you can find a plug. It is a very small and light weight charger. So it should be easy to carry.Another tip is to plan out your rides for the distance you will be traveling. Look up on the internet where you plan to go. A service such as Google Maps with GPS on your phone will tell you how far you have cruised and where you are in relation to your destination. If you know how far you want to go, and the range of your scooter, you can avoid going so far that you run dangerously low on power.If you are still worried about the automatic shutoff and are not satisfied with a warning system you might want to check out our Ninebot One Review. Ninebot will prevent operation of the unicycle when the battery gets dangerously low. So you won’t be able to ride it to a point where it will shut off suddenly due to the BMS system.Some people think Ninebot One shutting off while standing still is an indication that it will shut off while moving. This is not the case. It stops working and shuts off when the battery is too low so that you can’t ride it and get ejected form a sudden BMS stop.  

The Cons (What We Don’t Like About Airwheel X Series Scooters)Airwheel Cons

No Airwheel Mobile App For the X Series ModelsNone the X series unicycle scooters work with the Airwheel app for iPhone or Android. Airwheel has a Airwheel Android and Iphone Appmobile Bluetooth app that can connect to some of its scooters. The ones that have Bluetooth connectivity will work with the app. But none of the X series have Bluetooth and so won’t work with the app. It’s disappointing that the company failed to add such a simple thing when they already made the app. It doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.The app could be invaluable in simplifying the calculation of the distances traveled. This would help to more easily avoid the BMS automatic shutoff mentioned above. It would also be a great way to check the exact battery level at a glance.    

All of the X Series Models Have the Same Max Speed

We would have liked to see a faster speed in the X8 vs X3. Although the range is longer and the acceleration is faster on the higher end models, the top speed is the same.  

No Airwheel Customer Support – You Can Only Call Distributers = Bad Customer Service

This point is going to be a major deal breaker for some people. It almost was for us and a huge disappointment in Airwheel’s customer service.Airwheel Customer ServiceFor one thing Airwheel has made it almost impossible to call them from any country besides China. They only have Chinese phone numbers listed on the main company website. Those phone numbers are only to call the factory if you are interested in becoming a distributor or are already one and looking to buy wholesale in bulk. But they have NO phone number listed anywhere for product inquiries, or for customers to call.Also we tried to call the Chinese numbers listed on the main website multiple times at our own expense. The only thing we got was a very short one sentence voice message in Chinese. A few seconds after the recorded message was played the line was automatically disconnected with no way to leave a message. In fact we called multiple times, on different days, and during Chinese business hours. The phone was never answered any time we called.This makes no sense because Airwheel is doing business all over the world in different countries. You would think when they open up a country for distribution they would hire a representative to answer the phone from a number that people in that country can call.No Phone Support from AirwheelNope you can’t call them. We spent a lot of time researching and trying to find a number to an office for the company. Unfortunately they seemed have worked very hard to hide the corporate headquarters phone number and don’t want any potential customers trying to contact them on the phone. We have not been able to find any phone number to call for any offices besides the number for the factory in China.SkypeWe ended up sending a contact request to the Skype username listed on the main company website. Suffice it to say the experience we had with the representative on Skype was very bad. The lady took days to provide any kind of a reply and in the end was very rude and seemed incompetent to answer any questions we had about the products. She made it clear she didn't want to talk unless I was either a distributor or wanted to become one. She refused to answer any questions about the products or give out any information on who else I could contact for help. She would not even tell me where I could go to buy the products.No live Chat supportAirwheel supposedly provides online product support via live chat on the main website. But that is only for people who want to become a distributor. not for anyone who bought the products, or people who are interested in the products. We tried to use the website chat box as well. But still no reply for the four times we sent a message through it. It's basically a fake live chat.The feeling we continually got when contacting the company is that it’s virtually impossible to get a hold of anyone to talk to about the products, either before or after you buy them. If you do happen to somehow get a hold of someone you had to jump through hoops for days to make that happen.No Email Support from AirwheelSo finally the last resort was to contact the email addresses listed on the website. We tried to send several messages to those emails with NO reply after a week of sending the messages.If bad or non-existent customer support is a deal breaker for you then we are sorry to have to break the bad news. Check out the next subheading below for a Ninebot comparison. The customer support for Ninebot is an excellent alternative if this is something important to you.  

Ninebot One Segway vs Airwheel - What You Gain in Airwheel’s Lower Price You Lose in Features and Customer Support

 Although Airwheel scooters are priced significantly lower than a scooter like Ninebot One, Ninebot One models have more features and vastly superior customer support (through Segway).Ninebot One vs Airwheel X series Unicycles ComparisonAll of the Ninebot One models come standard with Bluetooth, a mobile app connection, and remote control from the app unlike with Airwheel X series scooters.Ninebot One has a higher price, but also a higher max speed as well. Ninebot unicycles are designed to go faster than Airwhel unicycle scooters. As you go up in Ninebot models the speed capability continues to increase. Top speed for Airwheel is 11.18 miles an hour, while the top speed for Ninebot One is 14 mph. If you want more extensive information on Ninebot unicycles go to our Ninebot One series review page

Airwheel and Ninebot Range Comparison

Airwheel Ninebot differences don’t stop there. The most significant difference in Airwheel vs Ninebot One performance is that Ninebot One has a much farther traveling range than Airwheel X. For example the Ninebot E+ top model can go about 5 miles further than the Airwheel X8 top model. That is a significant difference. 

Ninebot vs Airwheel Customer Support

And last the main advantage of Ninebot over Airwheel is that Ninebot/Segway customer support is stellar. You will have no problem getting a hold of friendly knowledgeable people who will answer all your questions or concerns.Airwheel in contrast has virtually no customer support, aside from its distributors that you might be able to call. Calling a distributor does not make up for not being able to contact Airwheel directly. The distributor gets all its information from the company who makes the products. If an Airwheel distributor can't answer a question or concern then you are out of luck.It seems obvious Airwheel is saving a lot of money by cutting off the customer support and so are able to have lower priced products as a result. But we would rather have better customer support with a higher priced scooter. We think it is a terrible business strategy to eliminate customer support so that the price of the products can be lower.  

The Final Verdict on Airwheel X Series Unicycle Scooters

Overall as far as the products themselves are concerned we give it a very high rating for the safety and quality of the products. They have a good array of scooter models to choose from at reasonable prices. This includes the X3, X5, X6, and X8.As for the features we would call this a mid-range level scooter. It doesn’t have as many features as something like Ninebot One but it has enough of all the main safety features and riding performance to give it a good thumbs up. It is smooth, easy to control, has a decent range, and a moderate top speed. It handles itself well in wet weather as well as off-road conditions. It is also compact and easy to travel with. So it is a good all-around quality scooter you can use to commute or just to have fun with.If you don’t mind bad customer support then Airwheel unicycle scooters might be a good choice for you to buy and enjoy. 
Airwheel Mars Rover X3 vs X8, X5, and X6 Electric Unicycle Scooter Comparisons and Review was first seen on Hoverboards Electric