What’s the first thing you notice when you look at an electric skateboard? Maybe it’s the wheels. Maybe you’re drawn to the top speed, the design of its deck, or even to the motorization system it employs. If you’re anything like quite a few new riders, you might notice the price tag before anything else. This is only natural. It can be surprising to notice that some of the best electric skateboards cost over $1000, with some of the most popular devices easily climbing into the $3,000+ range.

Balance is the key to most things in life, and it’s always important to balance cost with performance when you search for a brand-new electric skateboard. If you’re saving money on a model, chances are that the savings are coming at the cost of some performance metric. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most riders don’t need both a super powerful set of dual-motors and a top-of-the-line efficient battery. Look for the e-skateboards that offer the qualities you need while still providing a solid deal.

This guide to the best budget or cheap electric skateboard should introduce you to the basic principles behind bargain shopping in the electric skateboard industry. As always, we recommend that you do additional research and reading before making your purchase.

Picking the Best Cheap Electric Skateboard

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Whether you’re a seasoned skateboarding veteran or you’re still a complete novice, the basic tenets behind a skateboard’s performance will always remain relatively static. If you want to read an article that covers how to pick the best cheap and budget electric skateboards, you should definitely check out this one at e-skateboarder.com.

The subsections below should provide a solid introduction into the key things to consider when you read up on a new skateboard model.

Affordability

This should be a no-brainer, especially considering that you’ve sat down to read an article on how to pick the ideal budget skateboard. But finding an affordable board is slightly more complex than just finding a “cheap” one. Affordability takes into account both performance and net cost. Some boards provide such great performance that they’re affordable at $1,000 or more. Other brands offer affordable models with moderate performance for under $300.

Affordability in a skateboard really depends on how well the device strikes that delicate balance between cheap and quality. A board so cheaply made that it falls apart in a month or two is no use to anyone. Likewise, you definitely don’t want to drop $3,000 on a device worth far less.

Riding Experience

“Riding experience” is a broad term that describes a number of electric skateboard specifications. Factors like top attainable speed, maximum range, and flexibility contribute to the overall riding experience of a given skateboard. While cheaper boards certainly won’t offer the performance of the top-end skateboards in the industry, many inexpensive models can provide some impressive specs. Try to look for boards with high numbers in the areas you care about.

Finding info on the riding experience of an electric skateboard is generally a bit more complicated than just reading the specs listed on a company’s website. We recommend doing a deep-dive into reviews from actual e-skateboarders. These experts should be able to tell you more about what it feels like to ride a given device, rather than just what the numbers say.

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Build quality

The quality of a given board’s build is another relatively broad idea. Reading multiple reviews of your model can help to give you an idea of the quality of materials, the flexibility of the deck, and other important parts of board quality. One minor note on this point is that riders should pay careful attention to the trucks of inexpensive boards. Quality trucks can go a long way, especially if you want to increase the size of your wheels without sacrificing performance.

Customer Service

Customer service is a majorly underrated element of a board’s value. A responsive customer service team can mean the difference between fixing a broken board quickly and waiting months before getting the necessary replacement parts. Customer reviews and reviews from resources like e-skating blogs can help you to get a good grip on which companies offer quality customer service.

Warranty

Warranties are especially important for riders to consider as they search for a cheap and effective electric skateboard. Even with the best inexpensive board, it’s always possible that your cheap skateboard becomes broken or unusable. This makes a quality warranty an incredibly helpful tool to have at your disposal.

Advanced Features

Especially if your price range is on the higher end of inexpensive, advanced features may put some boards over the edge for you. These features can vary greatly from model to model. Some skateboards might provide advanced remote control technology, multiple wheel options, and more.

Best Electric Skateboards under $700

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1. Backfire Zealot

Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong with a Backfire Board. This company has been well-known since nearly the conception of the e-skating industry, and it’s easy to see why. The max range is 22 miles on this skateboard, and it can hit some hair-raising speeds of 28.5 miles per hour as well. Users rate its flexy bamboo and glass fiber deck well. The Backfire Zealot has a stellar reputation among riders as a tough-to-beat budget board.

2. Backfire G3

If the Zealot is a bit too expensive but you still like the style of Backfire, then the G3 might be a great option. Two strong 450 W hub motors let you breeze up to 28.5 mph, and its range of 18.5 miles is nothing to scoff at. Like the Zealot, the G3 comes standard with a pretty attractive flexible bamboo and glass fiber deck.

3. Meepo NLS Pro

Meepo doesn’t have quite the proven track-record of Backfire, but the growing Chinese company is well-known for its inexpensive boards. The Meepo NLS sells for a price of $649 on the official Meepo website, and it is able to hit speeds of up to 29 mph and travel for up to 20 miles maximum. One big benefit to buying from Meepo is that the company is still working to make a name for itself, so Meepo boards might offer some of the best quality-to-price ratios in the industry.

4. Ownboard W2

The Onboard brand is another company known for its quality and customer service reputation. The top speed of 28 mph and the dual belt motors provide a solid performance, while a unique regenerative braking system helps to save energy and expand the life of the ride. An additional charge of $100 gets you the upgraded battery. We tend to think the expense is worth it, seeing as this extended range battery pack more than doubles the range of the skateboard, bringing it from 7.5 mph to 16.

Best Electric Skateboards under $500

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5. Meepo V3

For a price of only $379, the Meepo can provide riders with some pretty darn impressive numbers. A top speed of 38 mph should be more than enough power for anyone but the most daring of skateboarders. Its range of 20 miles should also get the job done, although this quote is reduced a bit if you don’t splurge on the extended range battery.

6. Backfire G2

For riders buying on a budget, the Backfire G2 comes highly recommended by many reviewers. It’s currently discounted $90 for a total price of $409. This Backfire model is marketed for beginners, and it can hit high top speeds of 24 mph and offers a moderate range of 8-12 miles. It’s also cited on the Backfire website as having a “low maintenance cost,” which is another factor making it ideal for riders interested in a cheap quality board.