When comparing Airwheel M3 vs Halo Board, the Slant community recommends Halo Board for most people. In the question“What are the best electric skateboards?” Halo Board is ranked 6th while Airwheel M3 is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose Halo Board is:
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.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Can operate in very wet conditions
The electrical components are secured from the elements, and the board can be used even in wet conditions.
Pro Can mount setup on any board imaginable, even on a snowboard
The motor setup can be mounted on any number of decks, including decks not originally intended to serve as skateboards. This gives a great deal of flexibility in customizing your ride.
Pro App for tracking statistics and tweaking available on both Android and iOS
A chip inside the board tracks stats and wirelessly relays them to the app, enabling the user to check them in real time. This leads to better decision making while riding the board.
Pro No external motor
The motor is encased inside the wheel (instead of an external motor and belt drive), which keeps it protected and offers a good, high-powered experience.
Pro Awesome design
The board has a striking design with one tail and large wheels fastened to backward-facing trucks.
Pro Smooth ride
The trucks and bushings have a dampening effect on vibration and bumps making for a smooth ride. The large wheels and cushioning risers used above the trucks enhance this effect.
Pro It's fairly cheap
This setup cots 2-3 less than that what you'd expect to pay for a high-quality e-board, making it a very accessible option.
Pro Good warranties
The board comes with a 1-month warranty on the wheels, a 6-month warranty on the battery, and a 1-year warranty on the rest of the components.
Pro Able to ride on medium rough terrain
The large wheels allow the board to traverse rough terrain easily. This makes it a good board to use in off-road conditions, including forested terrain and parks.
Pro Feels really durable
The components are strong and stand up well to wipeouts and poor weather.
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 Quite heavy
The 25 lbs weight needs to be taken into account. It is not the easiest to carry around if that’s something you’ll need to do.
Con People can see it's motorized quite easily
Thanks to the very large battery box attached under the board, it’s quite obvious that the board is motorized.
Con Bulky battery pack isn’t great to look at
The battery pack is quite large and really stands out – but not in a good way. Its size also adds weight to the board, which is the tradeoff you make for a more powerful battery that lasts longer.
Con The range is unimpressive
When ridden by a 65 kg (140 lb) rider at full speed at 14 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), the board only has a range of 10 km (6 miles). When it’s colder than this, the batteries will offer even less power. This is true of all batteries, so if you live in a cold environment be sure to consider the impact weather may have on performance.
Con One-wheel drive
Only one wheel has a motor, which can lead to too much torque on one side.
Con Dishonest advertising of specs
Airwheel is advertised with a top speed of 20 kph and a 20-km range (12 mph and 12 miles). The company also claims it can be fully charged in 60 minutes and that it will alert the rider when they reach 12 kph (7.5 mph). In reality, there is no alert at 12 kph, the board only charges to 55 percent capacity in an hour, and listed the top speed can only be reached if you weigh less then 60 kg (130 lb) or are going downhill. It’s possible that a 20 km range could be achieved in first gear, but in the top gear you will only be able to travel half that distance.
Con Miserable top speed
Even with a fairly light, 150 lb rider, the board will only reach a top speed of 11 mph. Obviously this speed will only decrease as the rider weight increases.
Con Doesn’t charge very quickly
The board takes three hours to fully charge. It will only reach 55 percent charge after the first hour. This makes it difficult to quickly top off the battery.
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.