Swagtron now makes (cheap) electric skateboards and scooters

Swagtron now makes (cheap) electric skateboards and scooters ,

Swagway

Swagtron is one of the only hoverboard companies that went through the trouble of making an explosion-proof hoverboard right before everyone stopped talking about hoverboards. So now, the company is putting its electric tech to a few different uses. The company recently (and quietly) launched an electric skateboard and an electric scooter — both with price tags of under $400.

The scooter, which Swagtron calls the Swagger, costs $399 and has a 17-mile range. It tops out at 15 miles per hour, has a headlamp, and it folds up for easy carrying. It also has an LED display on the handlebars that shows speed and battery level. And lastly, Swagtron says the scooter has a "cruise control" mode, which is a neat idea.

 

The skateboard is called the Swagboard NG-1, and it costs just $299. It’s not quite as small as the Blink Board, but it’s much smaller than something like a Boosted board. It tops out at 11 miles per hour, which is a bit slow in comparison to the competition (Boosted boards can hit 22 miles per hour, others offer 15-20 mph), and it only has 10 miles of range. It does have grips on either side, and Swagtron says this also has a cruise control mode.

It’s cool to see something smaller, newer, and cheaper in the electric skateboard market. But the market has remained top-heavy for a reason. Boosted and its $1,000-level competition put a lot of work into their boards, which in turn makes them easier and safer to ride. No one under that price point has really come close to producing the same quality. For example, I was initially impressed with the Blink Board, but after riding it for a while my opinion has definitely soured because the quality of everything — board and remote — wasn't up to par.

 

We’re hoping to get our hands on Swagtron's new products to test them out. I’m honestly more interested in the scooter — I wound up liking EcoReco’s e-scooter way more than I thought I would at this year’s CES, and this looks like a cheaper alternative. And in case you were wondering, yes, both new products are UL-2722 certified, which means they shouldn’t explode.

Update September 15th, 3:27PM ET: This article previously referred to the company as Swagway, but Swagway tells The Verge that it has released these new products under the Swagtron brand, which will be its product brand name going forward. The article has been updated.