Swagtron T1 Review

The Swagtron T1 forgoes some of the features and a tiny bit of the performance of its higher-priced competitors to bring you a good hoverboard at a fair price. This board made a decent showing in our battery test, and Swagtron offers excellent customer support. However, it suffered in the fun factor and outdoor capability categories due to its lack of power.

Fun Factor

This is the most important rating metric in this review, as fun is likely the main reason you are thinking about buying one of these products in the first place. Accordingly, this metric makes up half of the overall product score. A big part of the appeal of the T1 is how well it did in this category — it's available in a handful of colors and was well received by our expert panel of hoverboard testers in its obstacle course trial.

With all of the mandatory spins, corners, slaloms, and straightaways built into our obstacle course, it's no wonder that our panel of testers had a hoot ripping this board around. The board is deft in corners, maneuverable in tight spots, and handles higher-speed sections with stability. We did note that this board had slightly less pickup than the top performers. Consequently, it didn't feel quite as comfortable doing rapid back-and-forth direction changes but still performed well enough to keep our testers on the board throughout their ride. The T1 hit a max speed of 8.65 miles per hour in our top speed test, though it didn't feel all that stable when riding it at its max.

This board is available in three colors: black, blue, and red. It doesn't fit with the aftermarket protective skin we purchased — at least not without trimming the skin — but we were able to squeeze it into an aftermarket carrying case. Additionally, the T1 lacks onboard speakers and Bluetooth connectivity.

Outdoor Capabilities

While the natural environment for most hoverboards is flat, smooth surfaces, we wanted to see how these products could do when we pushed them outside of their comfort zone. We tested them on grass, packed sand and dirt, bumpy, cracked, and uneven roads, as well as steep hills. All and all, the Swagtron T1 made it clear that it preferred to stay on the pavement.

The T1 did about average handling smaller cracks in the road but was unstable on larger cracks or low thresholds. There was a very narrow speed window where it would clear these obstacles — too slow, and testers were stopped dead in their tracks; too fast, and they were prone to get knocked off the board.

Sand and dirt were manageable for the T1, but only if it was packed down. Performance dropped substantially on short grass, while shaggier sections stopped it dead in its tracks. Hill climbing and descending posed problems as well. One tester reported that the pushback resulting from the high speed required to climb a hill made it nearly impossible to stay on the board. The descent was without incident, but the board was fussy and jittery, making testers apprehensive about the steeps.

Support

In our earliest reviews of hoverboards, we were surprised to discover just how important quality customer support is to the maintenance of these products. As it turns out, these machines often require aid from the manufacturer. To address this issue, we increased the weighting of this metric.

Our support tests are relatively simple. We contact the manufacturer and pose a common technical question. We then time how long it takes for the support team to respond and how effective their response is in resolving the issue. We also research what the manufacturer's warranty covers and for how long. Finally, after our field tests, we scored each board on how well it held up to the demands of our testing process and if physical damage was present.

The T1 sustained minimal damage as a result of our testing. The little damage we found was limited to scrapes and scuffs. However, we lost the charging port's protective dust cap early on. This board comes with a one-year limited warranty, and Swagtron can be contacted via email or phone for claims or technical support. We emailed in asking how to switch between modes on the board, and while they did respond quickly, their response didn't wholly resolve our problem.

Battery

Our final ranking metric is battery life, and the performance of the T1 was average. Scores were based on the maximum range of the board, its runtime, and the time it took to fully recharge the battery when completely drained.

Our range test track provided test models with ideal surface conditions consisting of flat, smooth pavement. The T1 delivered a strong performance traveling for 7.9 miles before the battery died. This relatively strong showing was not repeated in the runtime test, as the board called it quits after 1 hour, 27 minutes. This test is conducted in our obstacle course and is quite a bit more taxing on the motors and batteries as it forces the board to change directions and speed constantly throughout the duration of the test.

The T1 did well in the charging portion of the battery evaluation requiring a minimal 1 hour and 20 minutes to completely replenish — well under most other models.

Should You Buy the Swagtron T1?

The Swagtron T1 received a nod from testers for its decent showing in the fun factor and customer support evaluations. This board forgoes the fluff that you don't need. At the same time, it offers the performance you'll require to be content with your investment.

What Other Hoverboards Should You Consider?

The Swagtron T1 offers average performance at a below-average price, making it a good option for someone shopping on a budget. However, the Hover-1 Chrome 2.0 performs a bit better and also offers good savings. If you'd like a top-ranked hoverboard that is better suited to variable terrain, check out the Swagtron T6. The T6 has powerful motors, big wheels, and a broad-standing platform, making it ideal for breaking trail.