When comparing Inboard M1 vs Halo Board, the Slant community recommends Inboard M1 for most people. In the question“What are the best electric skateboards?” Inboard M1 is ranked 5th while Halo Board is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Inboard M1 is:
The wheels of M1 rotate freely, so you can ride it as a traditional skateboard when the battery is dead. A lot of boards, such as Boosted, have a belted drive which is much harder to push forward, making them a chore to ride without the motor.
Specs
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Pros
Pro You can use it as a regular skateboard
The wheels of M1 rotate freely, so you can ride it as a traditional skateboard when the battery is dead. A lot of boards, such as Boosted, have a belted drive which is much harder to push forward, making them a chore to ride without the motor.
Pro It's quiter than many other boards
Inboard has a hub motor, which means it's inside the wheel. It's quieter compared to boards with belt drives.
Pro Unique and convenient remote
The RFLX remote has a unique design that doesn’t rely on a lanyard or wristband. You can hold it and control the board with your palm open without worrying about dropping the controller.
Pro It's fairly weather-resistant
The in-wheel motor is coated and laminated, making it water-resistant. You don't have to worry much about riding during the rain. Still, it's best to avoid water as much as possible to prevent the wheel bearings from rusting.
Pro LED lights make riding safer
Headlights and taillights help with visibility on the road – not only for yourself but also for others who may not have otherwise seen you coming.
Pro Strong, flexible board
This board is made with a wood core and a composite overlay, similar to the materials used in skis and snowboards. This combination of materials allows for both strength and flexibility.
Pro It's a great option for pros
The majority of electric skateboards go as fast as 20 MPH, while the M1 can reach up to 24 MPH. It also has a rather stiff deck that greatly increases stability and makes the board easier to maneuver at higher speeds, which will appeal to pros.
Pro 1-year warranty protects your investment
A 1-year warranty is fairly long for an e-board. Warranties are especially important since most of the companies making electric skateboards are new. Also, most new companies offer only 3-month warranty, making this a great deal by comparison.
Pro Regenerative brakes that work at full charge
When the brakes are applied, the captured energy is used to provide extra charge to the battery. Applying the breaks on a downhill can refill around 30 to 40 percent of the energy required to get you back up.
It's worth noting that when the battery is at full charge, braking will cause the battery to spend energy to slow down. Once the battery is drained to about 95% of the charge, the regenerative breaking will again start working to fill up the battery.
Pro You can quickly swap batteries
You can easily replace Inboard's battery for a fresh one once it runs out of charge. This is convenient if you don't have the time or patience or a source of power to charge your board. Also, once you notice that the battery doesn't hold charge as well as it used to, you can simply replace it with a new one, instead of getting a whole new board. Not many other boards currently have the option to replace the battery pack so easily.
Pro Dual wheel drive
The motor is housed inside both of the back wheels. This gives the board much more power on inclines as well as stability while turning or shifting weight on the board.
Pro Accessories available within 2 weeks
All accessories (chargers, batteries, wheels, remotes) are ready for purchase on the Inboard website and ship out within 2 weeks.
Pro Can be controlled using your iPhone
The Inboard iOS app allows you to control your board with a smartphone, so there's no need to carry the remote around. There's an Android version as well, but it's still behind in terms of development. Currently, you can only use it for firmware updates.
Pro Battery charges quickly
A full charge takes about 90 minutes and lasts for 10 miles. This is good for those that commute less than 10 miles as they can charge quickly at work and still use the board by lunch.
Pro Comes with a travel bag
The Inboard comes with a travel bag (it is packaged inside of it for shipping). A lot of other companies offer bags that cost up to $100.
Pro You can carry it around fairly comfortably
At 14 lbs, M1 is lighter than the Boosted but heavier than the Marbel. While not the lightest board out there, it is still manageable if you need to carry it around.
Pro Maintenance-free hub motors
The hub motors mean that there are no belts to replace. Saves you money, time, and frustration in the long run. There are also no skid plates to replace.
Pro It has a good battery life
The range is up to 10 miles. Although this is not as good as Zboard 2, it is better than Boosted, which is around 7 to 8 miles. Still, it is quite a bit less than Marbel's 16-mile range. But with the option to swap in a spare battery to double your range to a full 20 miles, Inboard really stands out from the crowd.
Pro Release of new software every 4-5 month
Last software update was a 40% increase in torque. It made a huge difference and they will have more updates like that.
Pro Convenient to take along
Weighing 14.75lbs, this board is lightweight enough to carry along. It also has a handle in the back that makes it more convenient to pick up and hold.
Pro The design is unique and attractive
You have to be prepared to be stopped by people asking what kind of board it is. It's common for people to stare at the Halo because of the unique, futuristic design.
Pro It's fairly resistant to weather
The hub motors on this board are hidden inside the wheels, so they won't be affected by water as you're riding in the rain or over puddles. Halo Board states the wheels are 100% waterproof and the rest of the board is water resistant.
Pro It's a reliable, well-rounded board
While the Halo doesn't show outstanding performance, it offers a combo of decent range and speed, perfectly sufficient for commuting and casual riding. Both 22 MPH top speed and 14-mile range are above what you'd expect from an average e-board. The Halo can also handle 25% steep inclines, while most mid-level boards don't go above 20%.
Pro It's more durable than the average board
The Halo's deck is stronger than what you get from a typical wooden board. It's made from 100% T700 carbon fiber which doesn't crack or deform as wooden decks sometimes do. In general, the Halo will likely last for a long time.
Pro You can use it as a regular skateboard
Unlike belted motor boards, you can ride the Halo like a normal skateboard when the battery is drained.
Pro Very good remote connectivity
There are no issues with the connection between the board and its remote, which is a pretty common problem with electric boards.
Pro Good option for heavier riders
This board can be used by heavier people without much concern. The max weight capacity of the deck is 286 lbs.
Pro Excellent customer support
You can contact the customer support team and get all your questions resolved, whether you own the board or are only thinking about getting one.
Pro You can track the travel distance
You can check how many miles you've traveled on the screen of the remote.
Pro The braking is very smooth
The braking hits the sweet spot where it isn't so sudden that it launches you forward, but neither so soft that it takes forever to stop.
Pro Very little maintenance is needed
The Halo is a simple and fly-looking board. Unlike many alternatives, it doesn't require a lot of attention in terms of maintenance to work smoothly.
Pro Regenerative braking saves some battery charge
The built-in regenerative brakes convert some of the mechanical energy back to electricity as you're slowing down.
Pro Easy to purchase replacement parts
The Halo website offers replacement parts such as front and rear wheels, the charger, and the remote control. The customer service offers more options if you call.
Pro You can follow the battery status
You don't have to worry that the battery might suddenly die on you, mid-way home from work for example. You can always check the battery level of the board on the remote's screen.
Pro Okay warranty
Halo provides a six month warranty that covers manufacturer defects. However, after having the board for 6 months, things really start falling off at that mark.
Pro Small light weight remote
The remote is small and weighs half of the average cellphone.
Pro Remote has reverse mode
Remote has a reverse option. That's just awesome.
Cons
Con Battery range less than 5 miles
If you are over 200 lbs, expect to get less then a 5-mile range, not the 10-mile range as advertised.
Con Low torque
One downside to using a hub drive motor over a belt driven board is that the hub drive offers less torque for things like going up hills and may not have enough power for very large riders.
Con Bankrupt
The company has gone bankrupt, and no longer provides suport.
Con It’s a brand new company with no track record
The company does not have much experience in this market and has already begun to experience delays due to manufacturing. As with all startups, there’s the potential that the company will not exist in a year’s time, rendering warranties useless. Much of the technology is new and unproven.
Con Rather heavy
The M1 production board ended up being heavier than expected.
Con No aftermarket replacement parts
No option to get things like orangatang wheels or roughstuff wheels for this board. That's a trade-off you will be making with most hub motor wheels.
Con Customer support leaves much to be desired
Slow response times and you will need to constantly follow-up to get any kind of update or ETA.
Con Not water-resistant
Additionally, water damage voids any repair normally covered by the warranty.
Con It's not the best option for long rides
The stiff carbon fiber deck will isn't very comfortable for longer rides. More flexible wooden decks do a better job of absorbing the impact from the imperfections on the road, and as a result, your legs aren't as tired as after riding a carbon board.
Con It's not suited for riding off-road
There's only one set of wheels that comes with the board and their diameter is too small to handle rough terrain. If you often find yourself off-road you could look into models like Evolve GTX 2-in-1 that comes with an additional, larger set of rims.