The Swagboard NG-1 is a product of Swagtron, a company that sells reasonably well-made, fun products at relatively low prices. It’s the type of board that’s said to be perfect for a first time buyer in the electric skateboard market or someone who is looking for an inexpensive option. I was excited to review this product and see if it really was bang for your buck or if you should just go for a higher end electric skateboard that’s a little more pricey.
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Quick Look
The Swagtron Swagboard has its fair share of pros and cons. It is definitely more portable than the average electric skateboard, weighing only 10 lbs and measuring 4” x 32” x 9”, it’s easy enough to carry around. This means any kind of commute where you have to pick up your board or transport it manually for any amount of time just became a lot easier.
The performance is good for the price range, but just ok in general. It simply can’t keep up with most of the more expensive boards. The wireless remote that comes with the Swagboard is good though, it’s used for acceleration, stopping, displaying battery status and the useful addition of cruise control.
The Swagboard electric skateboard is able to handle multiple different terrains, however the wheels work best on smoother ground such as a skatepark or the sidewalk. This isn’t to say that the board is flimsy, the wheels produce a stable ride even when going over cracks or bumps on the road.
It has a classy maple wood deck and premium grip tape, this is designed to provide a flexible yet resilient deck, and the grip tape gives you the confidence that your feet will stay firmly where they are.
It has a UL certified battery provided by SafetyShield.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Quick Specs
Weight: 10 lbs (4.5 kg)
Size: 4” x 32” x 9”
Top Speed: 11 mph (17.7 kph)
Charging Time: 1.5 hours
Maximum Range: 10 miles
Maximum Rider Weight: 187 lbs
Features
We’ve reviewed a lot of other Swagtron products here on AltRiders, such as the Swagtron Swagger electric scooter and all of the reviews have very similar themes. Swagtron tend to make very well priced, feature heavy products that would normally cost a lot more. They sometimes have problems with build quality, but that’s a tradeoff you’d expect to make for the reduced price.
The Swagboard is no exception, one of the ‘feature heavy’ aspects in question is the maple wood deck that Swagtron are pushing, which in all fairness is very nice. The 7-ply maple wood deck is clearly high quality, and is flexible enough to allow for good carving. The deck combined with the premium grip tape provides great traction while riding and overall the board feels strong and durable. This allows the board to support riders up to 176 lbs.
The 24V Lithium ion FE battery sits on the underside of the deck and is not too bulky, it is kept safe from damage by the SentryShield battery technology which uses multi layer battery protection. Swagtron say it has a battery system in place that allows for greater management of the battery resulting in improved energy efficiency. This can help it reach a top speed of 11 mph and up to 10 miles on a single charge. These stats are pretty good for the price, but in practice you’ll be getting a lot less than 10 miles on a single charge, expect around 5 miles.
The battery pack is attached to only one of the wheels, the rest are not motorized.
The wireless LED remote is small enough to comfortably fit in your hand, and provides acceleration, stopping, cruise control and shows the speed and battery percentage. It is rechargeable so no batteries are required!
Other features include:
- A SentryShield battery technology to help keep your batteries and you safe from damage.
- Two ergonomic grips built into the board
- An included wrist strap on the remote control so you never lose it
Design and Build Quality
The Swagboard has a more impressive design than I originally gave it credit for, the 7-ply maple wood Canadian board as previously mentioned is surprisingly high quality and gives the board a sleek look. It’s a small board, smaller than say the Boosted Board, with 32” compared to the Boosted’s 38”.
The wheels are high quality as well, due to their polyurethane coating they are relatively scratch resistant, water resistant and heat resistant. Overall, the design and build quality are good.
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Performance and Range
11 mph is not the fastest but I find it to be a reasonable speed, and the cruise control is very helpful when carrying items while travelling.
The performance of the board is definitely a talking point between users of the Swagboard. Swagtron claims it reaches 10 miles on a single charge, but looking at the comments section on the Amazon page definitely has mixed reviews. Some people say it can do less than 5 miles, while others say it can do the full 10.
The Swagboard is stable over cracks and bumps, this is due to the durable polyurethane wheels, which successfully absorb shock.
A lot of the claims I hear are that the product starts out good then quickly deteriorates, the good news is there is a one year warranty for the board if this were to happen.
What we like about the Swagtron Swagboard
- Great value for money – The biggest positive is the price, as one of the cheapest boards you can get while not getting completely ripped off. This is a big selling point for anyone who wants an electric skateboard but doesn’t want to spend their life savings, some models can easily reach $2,000.
- Good quality deck – The 7-ply maple wood Canadian board is high quality, straight out of the box I felt that the strong, pliable wood was a huge plus.
- Good ease of movement – Like I said before, the design of this deck allows for good carving, when travelling on the Swagboard there is a bit of a learning curve to it but once you get going you really feel in control and comfortable enough to take some corners with a bit of speed.
What we don’t like about the Swagtron Swagboard
- Unreliable battery – I personally haven’t experience the low battery life but this is clearly an issue for a lot of users, it sounds to me that purchasing this board is a bit of a risk, that in itself is a huge con.
- Unreliable controller – I’ve heard accounts of the controller cutting out, resulting in the motor stopping at full speed. This isn’t a huge issue as you can travel on this skateboard manually, yet it isn’t ideal as you would still get thrown forward. I would recommend wearing knee pads and a helmet in all situations.
Final Thoughts
Plain and simple the Swagboard’s biggest asset it its low price, if it was any pricier I wouldn’t be recommending it. It seems that the battery life deteriorating is a bit of a risk, so if you want something that will be a reliable mode of transport for years to come, I probably would not recommend this board. However the deck is high quality and the board is well made, aside from the battery life complaints it’s a good product. It’s great for a bit of fun, an introduction to electric skateboards, as well as simple commutes. It also made it onto our list of the best electric skateboards under $300 where we look at 10 electric skateboards like the Swagboard that you can buy for less than $300.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
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Swagtron Swagboard NG-1
Pros
- Great value for money
- Good ease of movement
- Good quality deck
Cons
- Unreliable battery
- Unreliable controller
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