The Ownboard M1 dual-belt electric skateboard is a mini electric skateboard with 30-inch deck, two 5045 motors, 90mm urethane wheels, and a choice of Samsung 20R or Samsung 40T 10S2P battery pack. The battery and ESC enclosure is all metal, giving you very good protection along with passive cooling, all weighing at around 16 pounds. You have a full battery percentage readout along with a power button. In my opinion, this is the best value per watt on a mini electric skateboard today, I am Dr. E Skateboard, let’s go review it.
First, the Ownboard M1 has plenty of power with a top speed of 26MPH and also the ability to go up 30% inclines easily without overheating. I live on steep 30% grade hills and the Ownboard M1 eats up the hills easily. In comparison to my Boosted Mini S, it’s actually slightly more powerful and goes up hills a little faster. For flatter city roads, you will get plenty of acceleration and top speed. In fact, you won’t be limited by the motors but the size of the deck.
Talking about decks, these shorter mini electric skateboards are simply not designed to go fast. You can go fast but you will likely have a very unstable ride. It’s simply a matter of physics, if you want to go faster than around 20MPH, you will want to get a much bigger, longer board, like 36 inches or longer. The Ownboard M1 is comfortable on smooth roads with its 90mm wheels but if your roads are bumpy and rough, you will also definitely want to get a bigger board with bigger wheels.
Of course, you do have the option to swap out the wheels, probably up to around 110mm without wheel bite and the Ownboard M1 also comes with kegel pulleys so the user always has the option to easily upgrade. I am actually upgrading my wheels soon so I will have a video on that. With 100mm or higher, you should be much better off and with belt-driven boards like this, you absolutely can do that, I will have a video soon so subscribe to be notified.
Also, the Ownboard M1 uses Hobbywing ESC, an electric motor controller with FOC. FOC is newer, efficient technology that makes your belt motors nearly silent during the ride. FYI, Boosted boards were using BLDC for many years which are loud and inefficient, and probably one of the main reasons they went out of business by not upgrading their boards. Accelerating and braking is super smooth in comparison with hub motors like Meepo Mini 2. Belt motors will still give you the best, efficient ride along with geared power over any hubs and cost is still about the same or cheaper. The Ownboard M1 gives you an LCD readout along with 3 different speed levels so you can easily learn it whether you are a beginner or an expert rider.
Also Hobbywing ESC are fully water-proof as there’s resin covering all the electronics. I’ve taken Ownboard apart and they are built very well for water. Even though they don’t advertise it as water-proof or water-resistant, I can tell you these things are rideable through puddles, rainy days, and can take much more abuse. They are simply well-built for even rainy seasons.
As for range, I was able to get the advertised 13-15 miles range with the Samsung 40T battery pack option even on my steep hills. For $100 more, I would absolutely recommend the better Samsung 40T battery pack as you will get a ton more power and battery life should last much longer, nevermind almost double the range. The Samsung 20R batteries are archaic/inefficient while the Samsung 40T batteries are much higher in continuous discharge rating, similar batteries as used on the new Tesla Model 3s. At under $600, getting nearly 15 miles of range on a mini electric skateboard? This is definitely one of the best mini electric skateboards you can buy regardless of its low price.
My first electric skateboard was the Boosted Mini S, I paid $750 for. This one is only $570, it’s more powerful, gets twice the range, and still much more affordable than Boosted Mini S. It’s amazing what you can buy these days and if you want a really good short electric skateboard, this is definitely it.
I also own the Meepo Mini 2 ER, which is essentially the same but with dual hub motor instead. I like that board too but because there’s simply very little urethane outside the motors, your knees pick up all the vibrations instead of being absorbed by your wheels. I will have full comparison of the two soon but for right now, Ownboard M1 is definitely the best mini electric skateboard of 2020.
Overall, the Ownboard M1 is recommended for those of you who want something super portable and want to use it as commuting to work on very smooth roads. However, I don’t recommend it for any commute longer than around 2 miles because it’s simply a short board that’s designed for shorter distances. There are lots of electric longboards you can buy now at nearly similar prices that’s going to give you much more comfort. Of course, the short boards are great for cutting walking distances while using public transportation such as bus or subway. Then it’s really easy to carry everywhere and cut your walking distances into almost nothing.
Anyways, thanks for watching my review, Dr. E signing out.
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