Hoverboards/balanceboards

GSXRMovistar

GSXRMovistar

GSXRMovistar

Soldato
Joined
6 Nov 2002
Posts
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Location
London UK
I fad that I thought had long passed by my lad turns 7 in just over a week and he has just announced that he would like a hoverboard. :p

I remember the stories of cheap ones going up in flames when being charged, is this still a thing?

Anyone recently had to get one and any recommendations on brands/sellers?

Thanks :)
 
Are these still a thing? Seemed like a fad for that lasted 2 months, a few years ago.

My Nephew got one for Christmas (what seemed like) ages ago and used it for about a week.
 
What's your budget? Could you sway him to get something a bit more usable like a EUC (Fanboying again, sorry)

They're sort of the same thing but with one wheel. Love mine!
 
Junglist said:
What's your budget? Could you sway him to get something a bit more usable like a EUC (Fanboying again, sorry)

They're sort of the same thing but with one wheel. Love mine!
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Why would you say they are more useable?

Where we live we have masses of walk and cycle paths surrounded by grass fields so I was thinking the 8.5" wheel boards.

He will be 7 so I don't want anything with breakneck speed, just something he can mess about with in the garage and around the local area when supervised.
 
GSXRMovistar said:
Why would you say they are more useable?

Where we live we have masses of walk and cycle paths surrounded by grass fields so I was thinking the 8.5" wheel boards.

He will be 7 so I don't want anything with breakneck speed, just something he can mess about with in the garage and around the local area when supervised.
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Take what I say with a grain of salt as I never used a hoverboard so I may be well of base and someone with more hoverboard experience can chime in.

To me Hoverboards just strike me as something to use on smooth indoor/asphalt. The small wheels and the way they turn make me think you couldn't just freely zip around fields, cycle paths or even roads on them (not that your 7 year old boy would be doing half of those bits!) though reading your post again I saw you mentioned one with bigger wheels so I could well be thinking of the rubbish tat from a few years back. For me though my EUC was solid. Didn't matter what the ground I was riding on was like, I had ridden it in some proper nasty storms and dropped it in puddles, it was just a tank. Plus where the one I have is quite narrow it makes it quite suitable to ride around town as you can ride at a walking pace quite easily and still manoeuvre around people - obviously not a problem for your son though!

I just don't really like the way they turn round as it looks like an accident waiting to happen. I say this as someone who has also ridden pretty high spec Evolve Longboards; Hoverboards just look like a trip to A&E with a broken arm.


I think deep down I'm just looking for any excuse to tell people to ride electric unicycles and I have little to no usable knowledge on hoverboards, sorry! :o
 
Unfortunately every family is different, the only way for you to find out which suits your family best is to try them all yourself. Please film this so we can assist in your decision making.
 
I’m sure they’re fine once you’re used to them....I’ve never had a go on one but saw plenty of vids of ppl falling off them in their living room just trying to go in a straight line :d
 
As I sit in my home office during lockdown working every day I often catch out the window a couple of kids who live opposite me out on their hoverboards just playing about out the front... once they get used to them, like anything really, it's kind of insane how much control they appear to have. They stand around having conversations with each other while repositioning and spinning about, I've seen one of them practically full on dancing while wheeling around on it, one of them stopping to pick up some litter off of one of the front gardens. It's just balance and once you've got it you've got it it seems
 
Isn't it a glorified Segway without the control column ?

Not sure how they can get away with calling it a hoverboard when it's attached to wheels and doesn't hover, a Maglev train has more in common with a hoverboard than these toys
 
It is illegal to use them pretty much anywhere except your garden.

It's like a Segway, but you break your arms/wrists instead of your face.
 
Of course it's the risk but I think you'd have to be doing something incredibly stupid to get one confiscated.

i can only imagine showing next to no regard for other members of the public whilst riding any PEC would have it taken away
 
Junglist said:
Of course it's the risk but I think you'd have to be doing something incredibly stupid to get one confiscated.

i can only imagine showing next to no regard for other members of the public whilst riding any PEC would have it taken away
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Riding one illegally is incredibly stupid but it's great you're advocating for a father to buy his seven year old son one so he can be a law breaker too.
 
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