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Best lightweight electric skateboards you can get in 2021

Commuting on an electric skateboard is one of the funnest things ever and it’s something you will look forward to doing every morning. That said, many electric longboards are fun to use, but are cumbersome to carry around and store. They are on the heavy side and are too big to even carry properly.

After some research, trial and error, I found that small skateboards were the best for commuting. But not all of them, some were too narrow, some were too stiff, some were too heavy etc. To save you the time and effort, I’ve put together a list of best lightweight electric skateboards (“esk8’s”) for you to look at. Read on below to find out more.

Acton Blink Lite V2

This small esk8 comes in at 30.5in long and 10in wide and has a teeny tiny weight of 7.7lbs or 3.4kg. This weight is crazy considering it’s a whole skateboard plus a battery and a motor. The company is calling it the “world’s lightest electric skateboard”. You can find it on Amazon.com here.

However it has a weight limit of 130lbs, so heavier riders will have to look elsewhere. Given the small size and weight, you’ll be able to comfortably carry it anywhere, be it on the bus, train or when you have to walk. Storing it will be really easy, it will fit under decks, under chairs and even in lockers with ease.

This lightweight skateboard has a max speed of 10mph and a modest range of 5 miles. It uses a single hub motor. The hub motor allows it to roll freely, so if you run out of charge you can easily push it. The battery charges up in a reasonable 2 hours.

The wheels used are only 70mm. They are small but are appropriate for a compact esk8 like this one, as its motor doesn’t have the greatest power. They will still provide good roll speed and a smooth ride. The Benchwheel is slightly heavier but will have a smooth ride and more power.

The trucks used are traditional kingpin (tkp) and are appropriate for this type of skateboard.

Benchwheel Penny Board

Perhaps my favorite lightweight esk8 on this list. The Benchwheel penny board is small, compact and stylish. It’s on the heavier side at 10.6 lbs or 4.8kg but is designed to be easy to carry. It comes with a useful handle on the back of the board. It has a compact size at 27.7 inches in length and 9 inches in width. It’s perfect for heavier riders and has a max weight up to 220lbs.

It has a high top speed of 15.5mph, a range of 7 miles and it charges up in a reasonable 1 hour 30 minutes too. It utilizes a belt motor so it will have great torque, acceleration, and power to climb up hills. This is where the extra weight comes from.

The wheels used are tall 80mm, 78a wheels. At this height, you can expect them to produce a smooth ride and roll over pebbles, rocks, twigs and other obstacles with relative ease. They are the perfect size or comfort.

The trucks are reverse kingpin (rkp), these have a linear turn and are the best for shortboards for extra stability at speeds greater than 10mph.

If you can handle the weight, this portable esk8 is a great option. It has a good top speed and good range. For a bigger more powerful version of it, check out the Benchwheel 1000w skateboard.

 

Maxfind 27″ Electric skateboard

Coming in at 27.8 inches long and 9.4in wide, this electric shortboard is compact. It only weighs 7.8lbs or 3.5kg making it super lightweight, however, it can only carry riders weighing up to 176lbs or 80kg. It achieves this lightness by using a plastic deck instead of heavy layers of maple, this also makes it waterproof. The narrowness of the board might make it uncomfortable to skate over long distances. A wider option with similar specs is the Action Blink V2.  It can be found on Amazon.com here.

This portable electric skateboard has a maximum range of 6 miles (depending on your weight) and a max speed of 13mph. A hub motor is used to achieve this speeds. The hub motor also means you can push this as a regular skateboard when the battery dies.
The battery used is a Samsung Lithium-ion one. It has a reasonable charge time of 60 minutes too. Enough to charge it during lunch or at a store as you take on your errands.’

The wheels are 70mm tall. The small size adds to the weight savings. They will roll over cracks, pebbles etc. but won’t provide a super smooth ride like the Benchwheel with its big wheels.
If you want a bigger version of this board, check out the Maxfind esk8 review.

Blitzard Mini Flash 28”

Coming in at a tiny 28in in length and 9 inches in width. This lightweight electric skateboard is both small and compact. I would recommend it to kids or people with smaller feet. It is one of the smallest option on my list in terms of width. It weighs a reasonable 10lbs, not too heavy.  It can be found on Amazon.com here.

It can also support heavier riders and a max weight of 250lbs. The deck is made from 7 plys of bamboo and maple. A similar but longer board is the Swagtron.

It has a great top speed of 12 mph and a range of 8 miles. This top speed is achieved through the use of a hub motor, which also helps saves weight. The hub motor powers 70mm tall wheels. These wheels are good for cruising around but you need to be careful of cracks and curbs.

It takes a sluggish 2.5 hours to charge this skateboard. For a skateboard with a shorter charge time, check out the Maxfind 27”.It uses tkp trucks. At these speeds, they should be ok, but I recommend tightening the back trucks for extra stability.

Altogether, this is great and affordable. I highly recommend this electric skateboard for kids and heavier riders have it as an option too.

Swagtron Swagboard

The longest option on my list. The Swagboard comes in at 32 inches in length but with a narrow width of 9 inches. It uses 7plys of maple so it can carry a max weight of 176lbs. The deck also has cutouts that make it easy to carry around. Altogether, this makes it weigh a total of 9.5lbs. You can find it on Amazon.com here.

It has a long range of 10 miles and a top speed of 11mph. The battery takes a long time to charge, taking 3 whole hours. Not ideal if you have to put a lot of mileage to your board over a day, as you’ll have to take big breaks to charge it. A board with a better charge time is the Acton esk8.

It has 70mm wheels that are powered by a single hub motor. This is an appropriate size wheel, the hub motor will have no problem accelerating it and it helps in saving weight. A bigger wheel will produce a smoother ride. The Benchwheel has big wheels, check it out for more info.

The trucks used are tkps. They turn great and are the best for use at low speeds. For a more in-depth review on this board, check out the Swagtron electric skateboard.

Buying guide

Low weight is what you want

The most desirable feature is obviously low weight. This can be achieved by using a short deck, short trucks, smaller wheels and even cutting out parts of the board. The best way to reduce weight is a composite deck. These use fewer materials to get the same stiffness or flexibility 8plys of wood would produce, however, they do produce a higher cost in most cases.

Using a hub motor is also a great way to reduce weight. They weigh lower than their belt motor counterparts and are even cheaper to produce, resulting in a cheaper electric skate. If you want to read more on cheap esk8s under 200$, click on the highlighted text.

Desirable features

A small compact size is a good idea. Short in length but not so much in width. I would recommend a wide width because it’s comfortable to skate on. Narrow skateboards will hurt your feet after skating for a long time because you will actively have to balance the whole time you skate.

You ideally want rkp trucks if you go over 12mph. They have a linear turn and are inherently more stable than tkp trucks. Tkps are designed to turn progressively as you lean, making them inherently stable for higher speeds and prone to getting wobbles (better to learn this here than at those high speeds). A quick tip is to simply tighten the back truck for more stability.

Our #1 Pick!

There are definitely a lot of options out there. My biggest tip to you, is that if you think you’ll be uncomfortable on a longboard, don’t go for it. However it if it’s simply a matter of speed, you can work your way up to it.
Personally I think the Benchwheel (link to amazon.com)  is the best one out of all of them on my list. It’s a bit on the heavier side but with time I or anybody can get used to the extra weight.