Powerboard Review
- You can pick up these up for very cheap at the moment
- Build quality
- US based customer service
- Warranties available for up to 3 years
- Agile
This model has been discontinued. Check out our hoverboards review article for more options!
Hover-boards make excellent commuter vehicles but with one small problem, the battery life. Hover-boards aren´t light, so when the battery does run down its annoying to carry around. This especially true if you´re trying to get on a packed subway or bus. It´s not just the weight but also the bulky nature of hover-boards that just make them about of a risk outside of recreational usage. Powerboard is a US based company that have tried to crack this problem with their 6.5 inch Hover-board. We´re going to run through the specs to see if it does all they say it can.
Features
The hover-board by Powerboard stands out in the market because of its battery life. The company are claiming a magnificent 6 hours on a single charge. The average for a device like this is about 2 hours max, so naturally, being able to run for three times that amount made me sit up and take notice.
On a different area of their website, the charge time is listed at 6 to 13 miles depending on speed. Given the top speed is about 6.5 mph, I wonder if someone got their calculations wrong. The batteries would have to be huge to provide power for up to 40 miles ride time (6 hours at 6mph).
This lack of information is a little worrying. Most user reviews estimate about 3 hours ride time on a single charge. That´s still a lot better than most so I can´t see why Powerboard would inflate the statistics. I would guess that about three hours seems right. If this board can go for 6 hours straight that´s fantastic, but I wouldn´t be disappointed if it was slightly less than that.
The board itself is capable of sustaining up to 220llbs without impacting performance. It´s also a lot heavier than most boards on the market weighing in at 28llbs. The added weight probably comes from the larger battery, but also suggests that it´s well-made. The outer shell will scratch, like all hoverboards, but the insides seem robust.
Powerboard is a US based company who outsources their manufacture to China. That tends to increase the likelihood of manufacturing errors, but you do get access to a US based customer service team. If you´re making an investment in these units, having that safety cushion is important in case you end up with a faulty product.
In terms of performance the stand-out feature is agility. These boards can turn on a dime, quickly and, in the right hands, can pull off some cool maneuvers. The original retail price was around $800. They´ve been on the market for a while now so you can pick one up for a very reasonable price. The only sacrifice you´d be making is for technology, which has advanced considerably since these first hit the market in 2015.
The wheels are large enough to gobble up most surfaces although anything approaching gravel is a no go. Solid rubber tires mean you won´t have to worry about air pressure but it makes the ride a little less comfortable. Still, this product has no problem climbing inclines or running on smooth surfaces.
back to menu ↑Powerboard By Hoverboard Review
Strengths
- The battery life is exceptional and a market leader
- You can pick these up very cheaply in today´s market. Some of the features may be a little worse, but a good build quality won´t change over time
- I like how agile these boards are. Once mastered, it´s very nippy capable of pulling sharp maneuvers and turns
- Works well on the type of surface you´ll encounter in a city
- US based customer service line alongside a warranty that can be extended for a small cost
Weaknesses
- Difficult to make an informed choice because there´s a lack of information based on the specs like engine size, motherboards etc,
- Is a little outdated by today´s standards
