For the past year, I’ve been alternating between my electric skateboards and Onewheel.
Before I bought my Onewheel, I was always curious about how it compared to an electric skateboard.
I’m not gonna make a blanket statement saying one is “better” because it’s all subjective. Instead, I’ll share the differences I noticed. The goal is to help you get a clearer picture of how both operate so you can make a better decision.
Let’s start with the…
Onewheel
Obviously, it’s different from an electric skateboard because it has “one” wheel. Instead of writing a wall of text, I’ll lay out the pros and cons below.
Riding Versatility
I don’t think it’s surprising that the onewheel thrives offroad. I love how seamlessly you can go from shredding the pavement to the grass. You don’t have to worry about rough terrain as much as you do with most electric skateboards.
Sure, you can achieve a similar versatility with pneumatic electric skateboards. But, I’m talking from the perspective of urethane wheel setups. For the most part, you’ll have more clearance with a Onewheel because of its height.
Remote-Less
The Onewheel doesn’t need a remote. You control it with your body weight via the pad sensors. Once you get the hang of it, it’s very easy to control. It almost feels like an extension of yourself, which is such a cool feeling.
For me, less is more. I love that I don’t need to hold something in my hand and can focus on those soul-fulfilling carves.
Baller Phone App
Onewheel put a ton of resources into developing a baller iPhone & Android App. You can dim the headlights, check the mileage, earn badges, and compete on the leaderboards. It’s the most impressive electric riding app I’ve used.
So, if having a beautifully polished phone app is a priority for you, the Onewheel has that on lock.
Wobbly Carving
Most of my childhood was spent on a skateboard/longboard.
Why do I bring this up?
Well, because I’m familiar with a board that has four wheels. When you perform deep toeside/heelside carves on a Onewheel, it’s more wobbly.
What do I mean exactly?
When you shift your weight to one side, the Onewheel tire is more round than skateboard wheels. As a result, it feels more wobbly, and you can’t carve as deep. This is one of the main reasons why I use my electric skateboards more than my Onewheel.
Sketchy Dismounts
The hardest part for me was learning how to properly get off the Onewheel. You can either lift your front heel or hop off. For a while, I couldn’t figure out how to lift my heel long enough to turn it off.
So, I would always hop off.
But it was sketchy because if you don’t jump off with both feet simultaneously, the Onewheel could accelerate to one side.
High off the ground
Because Onewheel uses a tire, it sits much higher off the ground than most electric skateboards. While it’s a positive for clearance purposes, it’s a long fall to the ground.
Electric Skateboard
Now I’ll cover my thoughts on electric skateboards.
Higher Speeds
Most electric skateboards will top out at a higher speed than the Onewheel. The Onewheel probably isn’t for you if you’re all about speed. However, I will say that its top speed is plenty fast. I was concerned about it not being fast enough, but it’s enough for only having one wheel.
Stable Carving
As I described above in the ‘wobbly carving’ section, the Onewheel can get sketchy when doing deep carves. This is why I prefer riding my electric skateboards on the pavement. Having four urethane wheels making contact with the ground versus one pneumatic tire makes for a more enjoyable deep carving experience.
Remote Control
Again, as I said in the ‘easy control’ section, holding an extra piece of equipment just to shred isn’t my favorite. I love the easiness of having no remote in my hand while riding my Onewheel. I’d consider this a downside of electric skateboards, but you might not.
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My Personal Preference
I grew up skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding. So, I prefer something that feels familiar, which (in my opinion) is electric skateboards. I can see an argument for both sides though.
At the moment, this electric surf cruiser is my favorite setup because I love to cruise 8-12mph and perform deep carves.
While I love riding my Onewheel for off-road trail adventures, riding it on the pavement isn’t as fun for me. Notice how I ended the previous sentence with “for me“?
If there’s one thing I learned after testing close to a hundred different skateboards, everyone has their own riding style. It’s all personal preference.
Hopefully, this post helped you get a clearer picture.
