5 Best Boosted Board Alternatives on a Budget

The humble skateboard has been around for decades now and if all you want is a plank with some wheels to scoot around town with, you can do so cheaply and easily.

Electric skateboards, on the other hand, have been surprisingly expensive. Despite the fact that they aren’t self-balancing and the skateboard part of the system should be dirt-cheap, premium electric longboard makers have continued to charge an arm and a leg for these machines.

That’s finally starting to change and the five boards we’re highlighting here represent an affordable generation of electric skateboards that are nonetheless great products in their own right. If you’re being frugal but want in on this action, these are the boards you should be looking at.

Here are the  5 Best Boosted Board Alternatives on a Budget: 

Acton Blink S2

The Blink S2 is a funky-looking board equipped with two hub motors that together produce 1000W of power. It’s  recommended weight limited is 250lbs or about 113 kg . When it comes to skateboard, you can be a little heavier if you’ll put up with worse performance.

The S2 is rated for inclines up to 20%, weighs just under 7 kg and takes up to 90 minutes to fully charge. The batteries themselves are unlikely to burn down your house. They are made by Samsung, which is a very safe choice. The incident with the Galaxy Note 7 notwithstanding.

The S2 has a claimed  range of 14 miles (22 km) and top speed of 18mph (29 km/h).  No doubt this is helped along by the presence of regenerative braking. The control is an elegant Bluetooth remote, although personally I prefer a wired control for electric skateboards, since there’s always the change of radio interference or some other cause for disconnection.

The board also comes standard with LED running lights, which not only looks cool but is a great safety feature. People who want this usually have to spend more money installing a third-party solution.

Owner of this board say the build quality is solid, but the ride is a little harsh. The deck also has no kick tail, which is important for riders who don’t want to get off at the curb.

Acton Blink Lite

The Blink Lite is specifically designed for younger riders, so its  weight limit is only 130 lbs (59kg) .

The top speeds is a  pedestrian (but safer) 10mph (16 km/h) and you only get half that in terms of range.  For most kids that will cover a school commute in both directions, unless you’re some sort of sadistic monster parent. It has 250W on tap from a single hub motor, so little Billy should not be slamming into walls at 20 mph.

One of the key reasons it’s so cut down is thanks to the reduced weight. At a mere 7.7 lbs (3.5kg) this board weighs about half of the adult-oriented S2 model. Which means your kid doesn’t have to suffer back problems from lugging a heavy piece of equipment around.

Otherwise it has the same Bluetooth remote (which kids might lose) and LED safety lights (which you do want) as the bigger, more expensive models.

Swagtron Swagboard NG-1

Swagtron has made some great budget self-balancing boards, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a decent skateboard. The NG-1 is one of the cheapest electric boards I have ever seen, but it is UL-certified so no real risk of fire or explosion. For the money you get a  claimed maximum range of 10 miles and a top speed of 11 miles per hour. 

The NG-1 has a maximum load of 176 lbs, so women and smaller male adults are the target market for this 32” electric longboard. At this price it’s an easy way to try out this mode of transportation without breaking the bank. A great gift for teenagers too!

Yuneec E-GO2

Yuneec might not be a household name in electric vehicles, but they are one of the best professional drone makers in the world. So you know they aren’t messing around when it comes to electronic and electric gear.

The E-GO2 is a beautiful board with a kicktail to help with steering and lifting the front end to get over obstacles. Its  top speed is a claimed 12.5 miles per hour with a total range of 18 miles. 

With a single 400W motor the E-GO2 was designed to be a long-distance cruiser. Yuneec have carefully balanced battery size and motor power to produce something rather special.

Benchwheel B2

I had to do a double take when I saw the power figures for the B2. 1800W is a lot of power and out of the box customers say it’s a hell of a machine.

The B2 is meant to be a fun and thrilling toy first and foremost. Those who have tried to use it as a long-term commuter have found that mechanical and electrical problems are not uncommon if you really punish it every day.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid the B2. If you want a fast board for a good price and aren’t going to put hundreds and hundreds of miles on it then this could be awesome. If you want a reliable daily commuter then cast your eyes at the Yuneec board above. It’s the more sensible, if less exciting, choice for most people. Still, 1800W is a lot of oomph, so if you have the need for speed you know what to do.

If these the specs and performance of these boards are not up to your standard, check out our Boosted Board Dual Plus review here.