Hoverboards, mini-Segways, Swegways or self-balancing boards – whatever you call them, are in demand in the UK following the start of the craze in 2015. As with any new product on the market, you can buy them almost anywhere in a variety of shapes and sizes, but what is the best hoverboard for you?

Here, we talk to you about the different features to consider when buying a hoverboard, as well as the laws regarding using hoverboard use and our pick of the best hoverboards currently available. 

Hoverboard wheel size: What hoverboard wheel size do I need?

Like with many modes of transportation, the size of the wheels is important to consider. The generic hoverboard has quite small wheels, around 6.5-7in in size, to make it smaller and more efficient.

While this is fine for smooth surfaces, hoverboard users may find that these smaller wheels will wheel spin when coming off the ground on an uneven surface (like many of Britain’s pavements) and when the wheel regains contact with the ground, it’ll jerk forward and cause some users to lose control – especially when riding at high speed.

This means that hoverboard users have to ride slowly over uneven surfaces, even at walking pace, to make sure they stay balanced and safe.

The use of smaller wheels also means that hoverboards won’t perform well against curbs, or any other kind of slightly elevated surface. We’ve found that it can manage to go across rugs if you gain enough speed, but you wouldn’t find us attempting to mount a drop curb on one!

There are other wheel sizes available, namely 8in and 10in. The 8in wheels should provide a slightly higher level of stability than than those using the 6.5-7in wheels, whilst preserving its relatively small and compact form factor.

With this being said, if you’re looking for something that could handle off-roading, we’d advise the 10in variation. The 10in variation is visibly larger than its smaller counterparts – almost to the point where it looks out of proportion – but handles off-roading on grassy, uneven surfaces with fewer issues.

However, the AirWheel features a much larger wheel, around 11.6-14in in size, that should handle uneven surfaces with ease, especially when compared with its’ board counterpart. The fact that there’s only one wheel should negate any issues with losing control on uneven surfaces, as we’ve observed with riders on our daily commute.

Surfaces that we struggle with when using our hoverboard are easily conquered by the AirWheel. We’ve even seen advanced AirWheel users grab their rideable between their legs and jump up to pavements from road level, something that can’t be done with the hoverboard.

Hoverboard maximum weight: Am I too heavy to use a hoverboard?

Weight is an important element to consider – both the weight of the hoverboard and the rider. Generally, standard 7in hoverboards carry a weight limit of around 100KG, or around 15 stone 7 pounds for those of us in the UK.

For those of us that weigh more than 100KG, you have two options; you can either opt for the 10in hoverboard or the AirWheel, as generally speaking both can support heavier riders, with a weight limit of 120KG, or 18 stone 8lbs.

Hoverboard buying advice warning: Buying from China

As many saw in the news, a spate of ‘fake’ hoverboards made their way to the UK in 2015 – in fact, 15,000 of 17,000 hoverboards examined from several UK ports were deemed dangerous by the National Trading Standards agency.

Many Chinese manufacturers produce their own non-branded hoverboards ready for purchase, at a much lower price point – but issues with the on-board battery and charging cable can cause them to overheat and explode.

These fake hoverboards can usually be identified by the style of box it’s shipped in – if it’s a garish box with “Smart Balance Wheels” or “Smart Balance Board” written on the side with poorly written instructions, they are likely to be fake and you should stop using it straight away.

Stay away from cheap hoverboards too – if you find a hoverboard for £150-200, it’s probably too good to be true. Our advice is to go to verified UK resellers and read reviews of specific models of hoverboards before purchasing to verify quality.

How can you check if it’s safe? As long as the seller can prove that their hoverboards are compliant with applicable safety standards, including UN 38.3 (battery), UL 1642 (battery), and UL 60950-1 (charger), the hoverboard should be fine to use.

UK Hoverboard law: Is it illegal to ride my hoverboard in the UK?

Before you head out and buy yourself a hoverboard, there’s something you should know; it’s illegal to ride them on public roads and pavements in the UK.

Even though hoverboards have only popped up recently, they’re illegal thanks to a 180-year old law. The 1835 Highways Act states that people cannot use the footway to “lead of drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle or carriage of any description” which, sadly, includes hoverboards. But notice how it only mentions footways and not roads – can you ride your hoverboard in the road like a bike?

Again, nope. Any motor vehicle used on the road needs the user to be licensed and insured, as well as the ‘vehicle’ itself, according to the ‘European community whole vehicle type approval’, or ECWVTA.

It has to be road legal, which requires the hoverboard to match a host of conditions connected to construction of various elements. But what about bikes? Apparently as standard pedal bikes don’t feature a built-in motor, they don’t have to play by the same rules.