When comparing Acton Blink Board vs Airwheel M3, the Slant community recommends Acton Blink Board for most people. In the question“What are the best electric skateboards around $500?” Acton Blink Board is ranked 3rd while Airwheel M3 is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Acton Blink Board is:
Given that it's a normal sized board, the short board base makes Blink very maneuverable.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Very maneuverable
Given that it's a normal sized board, the short board base makes Blink very maneuverable.
Pro Super lightweight and portable
The board is especially lightweight at 9 lb, meaning it is easier to carry around than other, heavier boards.
Pro Charges very quickly
You can charge the board from empty to full in less than an hour.
Pro Easy to learn with beginner mode
It only takes a few minutes with beginner mode to feel comfortable using the board.
Pro Great customer support
They are very personal and supportive.
Pro Cool LEDs under the deck
There are white LED strips mounted under the deck facing outwards. They look great, especially after sunset.
Pro Very nice app
Acton app packs with a lot of useful features, you can get your battery level, change between 3 modes, see other electric skateboard users near you, and show user rankings.
Pro Relatively inexpensive
The board is $399 to pre-order, which is quite cheap for electric skateboards. As a result, this would most likely make a good starter board for those looking to get into the hobby.
Pro Powerful performance
For a board of its weight and size, it gets pretty impressive power out of the engine. The company claims a max speed of 15 mph.
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.
Cons
Con Not water resistant
The board is not water-resistant, which is a serious oversight for an electric board. Make sure you don’t get caught out in the rain.
Con Short range
It has a range of only 6 miles, which is quite low for an electric skateboard.
Con Weak plastic motor mount
Plastic motor mount has been known to crack, as seen in this image.
Con Bad quality
Several reviewers encountered problems with the belt slipping and breaking constantly, this is caused by the aggressive brakes, and this is caused by the cheap/bad motor controller. Second main issues is the remote random disconnecting.
Con Bad trucks
Squeaks and it's hard to adjust.
Con Aggressive brakes
The brake is too aggressive meaning the board may stop too abruptly, potentially throwing the rider off balance.
Con Weak motor
The overall power is just not there.
Con Low max speed
The maximum speed is not fast, maybe 12-14 mph top speed.
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.