Leray Hoverboard Review
- Trailblazer
- Responsive handling
- Good on inclines
- Innovative design features
- Good, mid-range price tag
This model has been discontinued. Check out our 2 wheel self balancing scooter Review article for more options!
The hover-board market is like a big, expanding mushroom cloud. At the frontiers there´s some fantastic products that are really driving personal transport technology forward. Then there are all the other brands that get left behind in a cloud of dust and smoke. Of these two types the Leray Group Self-balancing scooters are, unfortunately, the latter. Despite being a big hit in 2016, this scooter completely disappeared from the market; along with any information about the Leray Group. If you can find it on Ebay, or a yard sale, it might be worth picking one up, because this was once an award winning scooter.
Features
The Leray Self-balancing scooter was a trailblazer in a lot of ways. It was one of the first scooters to incorporate gyroscopic sensors into the motherboard. The dual 500W motors´ were regulated by these sensors to balance output to the wheels. This gave the Leray an unprecedented level of balance, and prevented the unit from vibrating at the top speeds.
There are other areas as well that have since become industry standard. The LED battery light warnings, the pressure sensitive rubberized foot ways and the larger wheel arches. It was also fitted with Leray´s very own Smart Walker system. Which not only balanced the scooter, but made the handling smooth and responsive.
By today´s standards the Leray is still a powerful hover-board. The engines are huge, which is surprising given the top speed is just 8kmh. Those large engines made the ride very smooth with enough torque to get up inclines of 15 degrees with a load of 22llbs. The turning circle was small making this a very nippy personal transport device, even if it did lack top speed.
The big question is what actually happened to this brand. The product itself lacked the necessary safety documentation which led to it being recalled with future sales outlawed from sites like Amazon and Ebay. This was all in response to safety concerns related to hover-boards in 2016. With many headlines citing family fires, or personal burns, sites like Amazon couldn´t afford to be associated with these issues and hauled 90% of its hover-boards off the market. One of those was the Leray Self balancing scooter.
Failing to produce anymore scooters after this one, the Leray brand disappeared along with their product. There´s very little information about what actually happened to the company. Perhaps, they were absorbed by some of today´s power-houses like Erover. It just goes to show what a volatile market the scooter industry is, with brands coming and going in the space of a year.
The legacy of a good scooter like the Leray Self balancer is in all the modern products that use its features. Gyroscopic sensors are common-place alongside mother-boards, dual motors and lithium batteries. Even though this product is nearly two years old, it still rides well by today´s standards. An influential product although one that´s probably worth avoiding, given its safety record.
back to menu ↑Leray Hoverboard User Review
Strengths
- Set a lot of the industry standard technology of today. Gyroscopic sensors, battery indicators, use of lithium cells over deep fill acid batteries, the list goes on.
- Is still a very well balanced machine, the handling is responsive and the controls won´t make the board vibrate by getting caught out of sync with the wheels.
- Award winning product
- Had an awful lot of power for a 22llb scooter
Weaknesses
- The obvious one is safety. This board posed a major fire hazard that was deemed to dangerous to continue being sold through Amazon, Ebay, or the United States
- Low ground clearance and rock solid rubber wheels made this less than comfortable on unforgiving surfaces
- A pretty low top speed given the amount of power those engines have
Specifications
Weight: 22 pounds
Weight Capacity: 220 pounds
Motor: 500 W motor
Miles per charge: ??
Maximum Speed: 6 miles per hour
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Charging Time: 1-2Hours
Speakers?: No
[…] more frustrating for a rider than having to deal with extensive charging times for a scooter. The Leray Self Balancing Hoverboard does not have exuberant charging times, and depending on the battery, it could charge in […]