Welcome to the Boosted Board review (preview) of the next generation electric skateboards (Mini S, Mini X, Plus, Stealth) by the staff at ElectricBoarder.com
Since we began reviewing skateboards over 3 years ago, Boosted Boards has always been rated among the top 5 boards. Their boards have great quality, top-notch customer service, but their specs (range and top speed) were always behind the other boards in their price range (i.e. Evolve). With the new line introduced on April 17, 2018, they have inched a little closer with the rest of the pack and may have re-established themselves as industry leaders with the introduction of the Mini boards.
Boosted Boards was founded in 2012 by a trio of Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA, USA) students. The first board began shipping in 2013 after a successful kickstarter campaign which began in September, 2012. In 2014, Boosted release its first generation line of 3 board configurations and enhanced the product line in 2016 with better specs and performance (see our earlier review in 2016). Nearly two years later, it has taken another giant stride forward and this could have a significant impact in the esk8 market for the remainder of this year.
Boosted Board Review - What's New?
Despite many of the newer players in the market using hub drives, Boosted Board (along with Evolve and Metroboards) continue to stay with the "tried and true" belt drives. So what's new?
- The Mini S and X boards,.
- All the boards are now made of poplar (2nd generation Dual+ was made of bamboo).
- Underneath the boards are newly in-house wheels (80 mm for the mini, 85 mm for the Plus and Stealth) attached to precision-machined trucks (190 mm) made of high grade aluminum alloys.
- 3rd Generation Dual+. Some call it a refresh of the 2nd Generation Dual+ board and this is true from a performance perspective. Yet most of the parts are new except for the same Dual+ remote control.
The brief comparison below compares the new boards with the old one.
Mini S | Mini X | Plus | Stealth | 2nd Gen Dual+ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price: | $749 USD | $999 USD | $1,399 USD | $1,599 USD | $1,199 USD |
Range: | 11.2 km (7 mi.) | 22.5 km (14 mi.) | 22.5 km (14 mi.) | 22.5 km (14 mi.) | 11.2 km (7 mi.) |
Top Speed: | 29 km/h (18 mph) | 32.1 km/h (20 mph) | 35.4 km/h (22 mph) | 38.6 km/h (24 mph) | 35.4 km/h (22 mph) |
Maximum Incline: | 20% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 20% |
Weight: | 6.8 kg (15 lbs) | 7.6 kg (16.8 lbs) | 7.7 kg (17 lbs) | 7.7 kg (17 lbs) | 7 kg (15.6 lbs) |
Charge Time: | 75 min. | 105 min. | 105 min. | 105 min. | 90 min. |
Motor (Belt Drive): | 2x500W | 2x500W | 2x1050W | 2x1050W | 2x1000W |
Board Dimensions: | 74.9 cm x 27.9 cm (29.5" x 11") | 74.9 cm x 27.9 cm (29.5" x 11") | 96.5 cm x 28.7 cm (38" x 11.3") | 96.5 cm x 28.7 cm (38" x 11.3") | 96./5 cm x 27.9 cm (38" x 11") |
Ride Modes: | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Mini S, Mini X
The Mini S and X are Boosted's first generation shortboards (about the same dimensions as free skateboards in the 80s and 90s). They are 74.9 cm (29.5") in length and the shorter wheelbase with their rear kicktails provides the needed maneuverability to navigate in crowded spaces. These boards are ideal for campus and downtown locations. The kicktail gives you the ability to hop up curves (although you should do it carefully and not forget about the battery enclosure underneath) and make 90 degree turns instantaneously.
The difference between the two models are the look (the X has the stealthy black-grey look like the Boosted Stealth) and the extended range (hence the X designation) battery which doubles the range along with a slight increase in top speed. You can NOT swap the standard battery on the S with the extended range battery. According to customer support, you can swap the battery in the same fashion as the second generation Dual+ board (3-5 minute procedure). Thus if you decide to buy the Mini S, please note that your range is about 11 km (7 mi.) without an extra battery. If you run out of juice, the board will not free skate due to the friction created by the belt drive and carrying 6.8 kg (15 lbs) over a long distance may be a good workout. On the other hand, you can hopefully find a charging station nearby.
Since we are waiting to get our hands on one, we have not had a chance to test its ride. Anyone who has been on previous generations of the boosted board can vouch for its comfortable ride, smooth acceleration, and responsive braking (you don't get thrown off the board). We believe the ride quality will be similar on all the new boards.
Boosted did send a production version to Casey Niestat, its top promoter. In less than a day, he has already generated over 1.3M views.
The Mini S price tag of $750 USD makes it a very compelling purchase. It is in direct competition with the Riptide R1 board and it will make buyers of the lower cost, lower quality Chinese boards (Wowgo, Meepo, Ionboard, Backfire) think twice before investing in their first board. Which one would you buy? You can decide.
Mini S | Riptide R1 | Wowgo Mini | |
---|---|---|---|
Price: | $749 USD | $599 USD | $439 USD |
Range: | 11.2 km (7 mi.) | 11.2 km (7 mi.) | 22.5 km (14 mi.) |
Top Speed: | 29 km/h (18 mph) | 29 km/h (18 mph) | 38 km/h (23.6 mph) |
Maximum Incline: | 20% | 25% | 25% |
Weight: | 6.8 kg (15 lbs) | 5.9 kg (13 lbs) | 7 kg (15.4 lbs) |
Charge Time: | 75 min. | 180 min. (90 min - fast charger) | 150 min. |
Motor: | 2x500W (Belt) | 2x900W (Belt) | 2x250W (Hub) |
Board Dimensions: | 74.9 cm x 27.9 cm (29.5" x 11") | 78.7 cm x 24.1 cm (31" x 9.5") | 71.1 cm x 20.3 cm (28" x 8") |
Ride Modes: | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Note: If you have a limited budget and decide to buy a Wowgo Mini, please use our discount code esk8off25 for $25 USD off. The board was also recently released, but we have not had a chance to test it yet. (Note: For the month of August 2018, Wowgo is offering a special $45 USD discount to celebrate their first year anniversary having sold over 4,000 boards. Please use discount code esk8off45)
The Board
It looks like the Boosted team gave much thought and consideration in the production of their new boards. All of the boards are made of poplar and then overlaid with a layer of high density, lightweight foam. Each board is then re-inforced with fiberglass sheets on both sides of the board. Around the edges of the deck is a polymer sidewall to absorb incidental impacts. The result is a next generation deck that has a similar flex as its previous generation while improving damping and vibration absorption for a more comfortable ride - at least this is what the website claims. The Mini deck is concave while the Plus, Stealth board is shaped similar to the Dual+. Below are the images from the Boosted website.
Mini Board
Plus, Stealth Board
The Wheels (and Trucks)
Wheels are a profit center for Boosted and continues to be so. The second generation Dual+ used Orangatang wheels, but in order to change them out, you still needed to purchase the gear and the wheel from Boosted. The Boosted Mini now uses its own 80mm wheels (Lunar) and the Plus, Stealth boards are shipped with 85mm wheels (Stratus). Boosted claims the new wheels were designed to balance grip and control while traveling at high speeds. Furthermore, the profile allows for a more even wear on the wheels to increase its longevity. Time will tell if this is truly the case.
The trucks are also improved, but it is also a boosted part. Instead of being cast, the trucks are precision machined so that it can use stronger aluminum alloys in its composition. Boosted claims that the new trucks are twice as strong from those used in its previous generation.
Boosted Plus and Stealth
It seems that Boosted spent most of the past 18 months designing the Mini board, and the Plus, Stealth boards inherited the by-products of the Mini's design (the board composition, the wheels, and the trucks). The performance of both boards are at best a 10-15% improvement from the 2nd generation Dual+. As shown earlier, the newer motor is 2100W, only a 100W improvement from the older board. The new battery pack only improves the range by 3.5 km (2 mi.). Both the Plus and the Stealth board uses the extended range battery and it is user-swappable.
The controllability is still with the same handheld remote control using a control wheel on the top and a trigger on the button. Pressing both the trigger and the wheel controls acceleration and braking. Furthermore, Boosted uses the same apps (IOS and Android) as in its previous generation to monitor range, distance traveled, etc...
Here is a nice short clip of their 3 boards in action:
Conclusion
Given its longevity in the skateboard market, Boosted Board has certainly earned its reputation and every Boosted customer knows that it is a board worth owning. The customer support may be the best in the industry as they have been responsive to follow up with any complaints or defective parts (i.e. they had a defective battery pack a couple of years ago for the 2nd generation Dual+).
It would be better though if they would extend their warranty from 6 months to at least a year. Performance wise, they are still behind the Evolve boards, but in all fairness, those boards are slightly more expensive. We don't think though that it will dethrone Evolve or Metroboard who also reign in the belt-drive arena. In any case, their new product line introduction is another milestone in the esk8 industry and will contribute to its growth. Given that the Mini is priced well, we can envision many college students purchasing one for their campus commutes. Furthermore, the Plus and Stealth will attract new buyers as it is an improvement from their second generation Dual+ board.
*Prices apply at time of writing (4/18/18)
One Comment on “Boosted Board Mini, Plus, Stealth Review – King of the Belt-Drives?”
What do you think about these boards after a couple of months that they are present? I don’t see a big game changer to be honest.