Over the past few years, electric skateboards have evolved from a niche novelty to a practical – and popular – way to get around. Today, there are hundreds of different electronic boards to choose from, and as such, manufacturers have been developing increasingly sophisticated skateboards in an effort to distinguish themselves from competitors. Case in point? The Halo Board Carbon Edition. It’s arguably one of the most advanced electronic longboards on the market right now, and boasts just about every bell and whistle you could hope for. We got our hands on one for review and took it for a ride.

What it’s like on pavement

First thing’s first: The carbon fiber deck is both a blessing and a curse — although we’ll admit the blessings outnumber the curses in this case.

The Halo Board is arguably one of the smoothest longboards we’ve ever ridden.

Carbon fiber is not only lighter and more durable than wood, it allowed Halo Board’s designers to integrate the battery directly into the deck, rather than attaching it to the underside, as you typically find on most electric boards. This gives the board a nice, sleek underbelly with lots of clearance, so it doesn’t really look like an electric board.

It also distributes the board’s battery weight across the full length of the deck, rather than tacking it awkwardly onto one end. This ultimately makes the board more balanced, and therefore less cumbersome to carry around when you’re not riding — which is a pretty big deal if you use the Halo Board as a commuting vehicle.

Smooth, powerful, and damn near silent drive technology

Without a doubt, the Halo Board’s biggest assets are a pair of beefy, 1,500-Watt hub motors. This certainly isn’t the first board we’ve ridden that has hub motors instead of belt-driven wheels — but it’s definitely one of the best for one simple reason: rolling resistance, or lack thereof. The Halo Board has exceptionally smooth and free-rolling motors, which makes a massive difference in terms of how it feels under your feet.

Slowing down and getting the hang of it

Another thing we enjoyed about this board is the fact that it has pretty decent brakes — and that’s a bigger deal than you might think. Even if you know how to footbrake or slide effectively, it’s still pretty convenient to have a nice set of smooth, predictable brakes at your disposal. To activate them, you simply pull back on the joystick controller. You’ll feel a little bit of a forward lurch as the board slows down — especially if your stance isn’t good — but generally speaking the Halo Board’s brakes are far less jarring and sudden than a lot of other electronic boards on the market right now. Braking also regenerates the batteries a small amount, which extends the board’s range on hilly journeys.

Really, the only major downside to this board is the flimsy, unpredictable controller it comes with. Our first one actually arrived broken, and the replacement we got feels like it wouldn’t survive a hard smack onto the pavement — which would likely happen if you took a spill and used your hands to break your fall.

Verdict

Sure, it’s a bit stiff and the controls take a minute to get used to — but between its powerful motors, excellent coasting, and sleek, easy-to-carry design; the Halo Board easily makes up for its shortcomings. So while there’s certainly room for improvement here, the Halo Board Carbon Edition is arguably one of the best electric skateboards we’ve tested thus far, and is absolutely worth considering if you’re in the market for a rideable

 

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