The Mid Class King?
Welcome the the ElectricBoarder review of the Acton Blink S2!
The Blink S2's first appearance was during Acton's 2016 Indiegogo campaign where they managed to rake in 1.425 Million USD. The biggest and most successful e-skate Indiegogo campaign to date.
The reason for their success was because they were offering boards with very decent specs at a lower-than-market price point. If you were a backer of the campaign you could have walked away with an S2 for 600 dollars and an S for 300 dollars. ( Click here if you want to know more about the Blink S)
A big factor in the companies' success was the fact that Acton was a known company in the e-boarding world. They had experience with the manufacturing process, people trusted they knew what they were doing.
Not like other companies who totally misjudged the entire thing... ( Cuch.. Marbel.. Cuch..)
Now, let's talk about the board and see what it has in store!
Acton Blink S2
Pros
- Integrated lights for safe night time riding
- Affordable price in comparison to others boards in the same spec range
- A functional tail for quick turns and braking
- Smooth coasting abilities thanks to the hub motors
- Decent top speed
- Good hill climbing abilities
Cons
- Make sure to check the nuts and bolts on your first out-of-the-box ride
- Tail is a little too flat
- Board is slightly on the heavy side
- Some user complain about the deck shape
- Quality is average
- Customer service is lacking
The Acton Blink S2 made it to the list of the Best Electric Skateboards for 2018! Check it out!
Acton Blink S2 Specifications
The Blink S2 is supposed to be an affordable but complete electric longboard. And as always, we take a deep dive into the specs first:
Motors | Dual Hub Motors, 1000W |
|---|---|
Top Speed | 18 mph |
Battery | 160 Wh |
Range | 14 Miles |
Weight | 15 lbs |
Deck Length | 31.5" |
Wheels | 83 mm Acton Wheels |
Motors & Speed:
Acton has chosen for a dual hub motor setup to propel this board to a fairly high top speed of 18 mph. It's nowhere near the top speed of the Enertion Raptor 2 for example., but still fast enough for most riders.
Because of the 1:1 motor/wheel ratio, this board accelerates very good. Making it a tad safer in traffic because you don't slow it down.
Hills of up to a 20% incline rate are easily overcome by the Blink S2 and this thanks to the 1000W dual motor set up.
Users really liked the hub motors because it makes it possible to coast (to accelerate and then just move forward without adding speed). Which feels a lot less natural on a board with belt driven motors such as the Boosted or Evolve boards.
Battery And Range
The battery is the heart of an electric longboard. It's what powers the motors to get up to speed, it's what makes sure you get to where you need.
All your other parts can be the best of the best, if the battery isn't up to par, the whole board fails.
The battery on the Acton S2 is a 160 Wh battery, not the biggest on the market nor the smallest. It's larger than 100 Wh, which means you can forget taking it on any commercial flights.
The setup can take you for a 14 mile trip on a single charge, which is again, a very decent spec. Right in the middle of the spectrum.
Unlike other boards on the market today, this battery is not swappable. So 14 miles is 14 miles, after that you're going to need to find a plug!
Deck, Wheels and Lights
We like the overall aesthetics of the Blink S2! The green wheels, aluminium battery and black trucks really make it a look like a premium product!
We receive compliments on a daily basis on how cool this thing looks.
The deck is a 31,5" long Canadian maple wooden deck. It has a little flex but nothing compared to the Boosted or Evolve Bamboo decks. If you're looking for a comfortable ride however, the S2 isn't the best in class.
The Battery has built in lights which shine really bright. No need to slap a set of shred lights on this bad boy!
The Acton Remote Controller
If there's one feature on this board that might feel a bit cheap, it's the remote.
Although there's nothing wrong with it, it's just a bit basic. The travel of the acceleration/break stick isn't that far, which translates itself in jerky breaking and accelerating.
All in all it's pretty comfortable to hold and has a nice mat touch to it.
Some users noted that the strap tends to break off quite easily.
How does it stack up against the Competition?
In this section of our reviews we take a look at how the board stacks up against the competition in its price/spec class:
The Lou 3.0
- Top Speed: 21 mph
- Range: 15 miles
- Weight: 12 lbs
- Price: 990 $ *
Boosted V2 Dual+
Image from BoostedBoards.com
- Top Speed: 22 mph
- Range: 12 miles
- Weight: 15.5 lbs
- Price: 1199 $*
*Prices apply at time of writing (12/12/2017)
The S2 scores the lowest points in this comparison when looking only to the specs. However it's a very close call and all the above board's specs are fairly similar.
Conclusion, is this board for you?
The Acton Blink S2 appealed to the masses because it was one of the first boards which had decent specs at a 'lower' price point. In the 2017 market it is certainly not alone anymore which doesn't make it easier for you as a consumer to make a buying decision.
Competition aside, this board has proven its worth. Many users have the S2 as their daily driver and are loving it. It has a high enough top speed to get along in traffic, it can go up steep hills, has a decent range and the board just looks good.
Acton has also invested a lot in improving their customer support and we must say that they have become very responsive.
We can only conclude that the Blink S2 is on of the better mid-upper class boards and you will not be disappointed when getting it!
2 Comments on “Acton Blink S2 Review”
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Poor quality! My Blink S2 stopped working in 2 months. Sent in for repair and Action would not honor the warranty. This board reminds me of those helicopters you bought when you were a kid and they broke on the first day. Look elsewhere!