For many people, when they think of ‘e-rideables’, the first name to spring to mind is Swagtron. This company has been kicking around for a good while now.
The bulk of the company’s focus is on electric bikes and electric scooters, but recently their hoverboard range has absolutely exploded, and with new additions constantly being added, we figured it was high time that we gave their hoverboards a bit of coverage.
Oh, and if you don’t’ fancy reading the 2000 odd words of text that are about to follow, these hoverboards are some of the best on the market…bar none.
Buckle up!
Let’s start off with a little comparison table where we have also brought out for who is each hoverboard targeted. Follow the icons to find yours!
What Are Hoverboards?
I have no doubt that there are some people browsing this page who don’t have the foggiest what a hoverboard actually is.
They probably have the delusion (no doubt from the Back to the Future movie) that hoverboards are simply skateboards without wheels. You know, the things that are just going to float there in the sky.
Sadly, they have yet to be invented. The hoverboards we have right now are almost as cool, though.
Hoverboards are simply a set of two wheels with some foot pads (see our top 10 recommendations here). You put your feet on these foot pads (who would have thought?) and move your body to move the hoverboard forward.
There is a little bit of wizardry inside which will ensure that you are always levelled out perfectly while on the hoverboard, which means that you will always be enjoying the smoothest of rides.
Who Are Hoverboards For?
Well, it is going to be completely dependent on which one you buy (I am going to be talking about the most popular ones from Swagtron too).
I am going to be honest; they are a bit more recreational than electric scooters. Sure, you will be able to ride them to and from work, but these are built for fun more than anything.
In fact, a few of the products that you can pick up from Swagtron can be used ‘off road’, which is always going to be a lot of fun.
Why Go For Swagtron?
One of the interesting things about Swagtron is that they do absolutely everything with the product. I don’t know if you have looked into many hoverboards before this, but you will notice that a lot of them are exactly the same.
They are all being bought from a central source, and a company is then whacking their brand name on it.
Sure, this means that you are going to be getting a cheap product, but it does not necessarily mean that you are going to be getting a good product.
Swagtron make and design their own products. They have complete control over the entire chain. They know where the parts come from. They know where the products are built. They know that if there are any issues with the products, they can easily fix them.
The fact that Swagtron knows their product inside out means that you are going to be able to enjoy far, far better customer service from them. They can answer your questions and, if needed, they will be able to get you the replacements that you need shipped out pretty quickly.
Try this with another company, and you will quickly realize that jumping through a ring of fire is going to cause you a whole lot less stress.
Obviously, the fact that Swagtron control the entire process of the Hoverboard from design to retail means that the price can be kept incredibly low, while also ensuring that the products are of the highest quality possible.
In fact, I have tried some hoverboards which are double, sometimes triple, the price of the Swagtron and I still think that Swagtron beats them in the quality area.
The lower priced Swagtron products may be lacking a little compared to the more expensive products from some of the competitors out there, but you can always trust Swagtron to be so much better when it comes to the reliability perspective.
If that wasn’t enough, Swagtron has one of the largest collections of hoverboard models to choose from, which means that no matter who you are, you should be able to find a model that not only matches the features that you want, but also boasts a price tag which is going to seem fairly reasonable to you.
Honestly, this is one of the main reasons why I tend to recommend Swagtron to so many people out there. It is the large range.
#1 Kid’s Swagtron Twist
Ok. If you are an adult, you may want to skip this section. Well, unless you are an adult who is planning to pick up an awesome hoverboard for their kid.
The Swagtron Twist is built specifically for kids. So, well, it is smaller than average. I would say that this is a product built for those under 12.
Maybe a small teen may be able to ride it, but since the price is not that much different from some of the adult models, a teen may prefer to go down that route instead.
On a single charge, your child will be able to travel a whopping 4.8 miles. The maximum speed is 7 miles per hour, and they will be able to tackle 30 degree inclines, which isn’t too shabby.
In my opinion, this product is probably the most ‘stable’ of the hoverboards that the company has for sale. This is clearly built for somebody who is training to use an adult hoverboard later on.
Obviously, this does mean that a few sacrifices need to be made. For example; you are not going to be able to ride the Swagtron Twist ‘off road’. It is more of a toy than something serious.
Despite the low price of the Twist, it does come complete with a few features that you will love. This includes indicators (safety first!) and some LED lights which will make riding at night a bit easier. Although, of course, if that is happening then you are still going to want to keep an eye on your kid.
It is probably also worth pointing out that the battery is lithium-free. This is sort-of beneficial to the environment.
However, it does cause issues when it comes to the charging of the battery. You do need to fully discharge it before it can be put on charge. If you do not, then you will be drastically lowering the lifespan of the battery.
However, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. You can bet your bottom dollar that your kid will be riding this baby until they are able to squeeze the absolute last bit of juice out of it.
#2 Swagtron T5 Beginner Hoverboard
If you are an adult but have still yet to ride of these babies, then you may want to check out the Swagtron T5 Beginner Hoverboard.
As the name suggests; it is built for those people who want to try a hoverboard but don’t have a clue what they are doing.
The max distance on a single charge is 7 miles, and the maximum speed is 7 miles per hour. Perfectly even.
The reason this is built for beginners is the fact that you are able to switch to ‘learning’ mode, which will drastically lower the maximum speed. This will give you the opportunity to get familiar with the way in which everything works.
However, once you feel comfortable riding a hoverboard, you can turn off that speed limiter and hit that 7 miles per hour. This is truly a product which is going to grow with you.
In fact, I reckon that this is going to be the perfect product for those who are travelling to and from work in the morning.
The traction on these tires is absolutely sublime too. While the tires are not going to be getting you off road, they are going to grip paved surfaces with ease, which means that when you are learning, you are not going to be sliding about everywhere.
After all, you do want the riding experience to be as comfortable as it possibly can be.
#3 Swagtron Duro T8
This is another learning hoverboard. Honestly, it is not that much different to the T5. It does have an ever so slightly lower maximum distance.
However, the Duro T8 is going to be a bit better for the heavier riders out there. This baby is able to cope with weights of up to 200lbs.
This is all accomplished by having a slightly wider body shape than some of the competing hoverboards on the market.
In fact, I feel as if the wider body shape actually adds a bit more stability to proceedings, which is always going to be fun.
Honestly, for the price, this is incredibly well-constructed too. The body is steel, which means that it is able to deal with a couple of bumps without really faltering.
There are very, very few hoverboards on the market that you can say that about.
#4 Swagtron Elite Bluetooth
Want to head up to 11 miles on a single charge, with an average speed of 8 miles per hour? Well, the Elite may be right up your street.
Now, this is a pretty decent board, as you may have guessed. The potential for it is fantastic, even when you whip it out of the box.
However, if you want to get the most out of it, then you are going to need to have access to a smartphone. When you download the app, you will have much more control over the way the board works.
For example; from the app, you will be able to change the riding speed. You can check the battery life. You can even check how fast you are going. These are features which are not on the previous products I spoke about.
Now, obviously, you are going to pay a little bit for the privilege of having these features (the app is free, of course), but the price is not that much higher than your standard hoverboard from Swagtron, so it may actually be worth splashing a little bit of extra cash.
To cap it all off, it only takes two to three hours to fully charge your Elite, which means you will be up and rolling again before you know it.
#5 Swagtron Vibe Bluetooth
The Vibe is for those people who have awesome music (or terrible music, but want to annoy everybody in their path).
The features are much the same as the Elite (although, this is built from ABS plastic), but they have a couple of speakers built in.
This means that you are going to be able to play some music as you head along the road on your hoverboard.
Sure, probably not a feature that you are going to be using all that much, but it is nice to have.
#6 Swagtron T6 Outlaw
The final product I want to draw your attention to is the Outlaw.
This is for serious off-roading. I probably wouldn’t be using this on paved surfaces, although I am sure it could cope.
The maximum speed is 12 miles per hour, with an average of 7-12 miles range dependent on the surface you are travelling over.
Oh, and believe me, this is a product which can tackle just about any surface from mud to gravel.
This is one of the heaviest built products in the Swagtron range too, able to deal with up to 420 lbs in weight.
It has all those awesome Bluetooth features I talked about earlier too.
