The Razor Hovertrax 2.0 – What is it?
Okay, it’s not quite “Back to the Future” style technology, but its still pretty cool.
This model is the updated version of the Hovertrax 1.0, which was Razor’s first serious attempt at entering the very crowded hoverboard market, and Hovertrax 2.0 comes with some very nice extra features that put it into a different league to the Hovertrax 1.0 and most of its competitors.
By far the biggest improvement over the old version is the development of the gyro sensor and the fact that the Hovertrax 2.0 is now a self-balancing overboard. The benefits of the self-balancing technology is explained below.
The Hovertrax 2.0 is NOT a cheap toy.
It is a serious machine for people who like to buy quality products from respected companies.
If you are looking for a cheap hoverboard that costs less than $50, but might catch fire or explode whilst you are riding it, you have come to the wrong place. If that’s you, I strongly suggest that you head on over to Google and search for “cheap and nasty hoverboards for under $50”. Good luck!
If you are still here, let’s review the main features of the Hovertrax 2.0.
The Razor Hovertrax 2.0 – Main Features
| Retail Price | $459.99 |
| UL 2272 Compliant | Yes |
| Age | 8 years + |
| Rider Weight | up to 220 lbs |
| Speed | up to 8 mph |
| Run Time | up to 60 minutes |
| Charge Time | 2 hours |
| Self-Balancing | Yes |
| Charger Provided | Yes |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Best Price | Check Latest Price |
The Razor Hovertrax 2.0 – Features Explained
#1 Self-Balancing Technology
The Hovertrax 1.0 and other similar hoverboards did NOT have any systems fitted to help to prevent the deck from tipping forwards and backwards. As a result, they could be quite unstable.
An unstable hoverboard is difficult to ride, which means that you are more likely to fall off and much more likely to damage the edges of the deck as it scrapes along the ground after you have dismounted.
The new self-balancing technology that can be found on the Hovertrax 2.0 is makes riding so much easier and enjoyable for the following reasons:
- the deck is much easier to mount when you want to get started because is stays in the correct position;
- the ride is smoother and you are less likely to fall off;
- the deck is much less likely to suffer damage when you fall off or dismount.
Here is a short video demonstrating the new self-balancing feature …
#2 Modes of Use
Unlike many previous hoverboards, the Hovertrax 2.0 comes with 2 different modes of use.
If you are a beginner, you can start out in training mode and get used to the unfamiliar techniques involved in controlling a hoverboard safely before switching over to the normal mode.
The main difference between the 2 modes is that the hoverboard doesn’t go as fast when it’s in training mode .
#3 Speed & Control
In normal mode, the top speed of the Hovertrax 2.0 is about 8 miles per hour, which is fast enough to get around town and have some fun. These machines are not really designed for racing and i’m not sure that I would want to operate one that went more than about 10 miles per hour anyway.
If you’ve never tried a hoverboard before, be warned that it takes a little while to get the hang of it. You need to make subtle movements and make small changes to your centre of gravity rather than trying to tilt and steer like crazy.
It’s very hard to explain the techniques involved in hoverboarding and its really something that you just get used to after a bit of practice Once you have actually learned the correct method of going forwards, backwards, turning and spinning, it just becomes second nature and you don’t really need to think about it anymore.
So, put it into training mode and just keep practising until you are ready for the standard mode. Do NOT rush in and think that it’s easy, because it is not and falling off backwards hurts!
Razor also supply a handy little leaflet in the box to help you learn the basics.
Another great thing about the Hovertrax 2.0 is that it is almost silent apart from a slight whirring sound.
#4 Build Quality
The Razor Hovertrax 2.0 has been certified as complying with the UL 2272 safety standard.
This is a new regulation for hoverboards that has been introduced because of some of the horror stories that have been going around about cheap chinese machines exploding and setting alight etc.
If a hoverboard comes with a UL 2272 safety certificate, like the Hovertrax 2.0 does, you can be assured that it has been thoroughly inspected and passed rigorous fire and electrical safety tests.
#5 Battery Life and Recharging
The Hovertrax 2.0 comes supplied with a 36-volt Lithium Ion battery pack (LG cells) and a charger.
The battery pack takes about 2 hours to re-charge from empty.
The 60-minute run time is fine for short periods of casual use, but if you want to practice hard and really develop your skills, you will want to buy a replacement battery to carry around with you. As you can see from the videos below, the battery packs are pretty small and very easy to change.
There are a series of LEDs to let you know roughly how much charge is left at any given time.
#6 Safety Issues
In addition to choosing a overboard that has passed the UL 2272 safety certification tests, you should also take the some other safety precautions when using one of these machines:
- Wear a helmet – you don’t want to fall backwards and land on your head;
- Stick to smooth surfaces – hoverboards don’t like gravel and off-road conditions;
- Don’t ride on the road and hang onto the back of vehicles – it’s probably illegal and definitely very dangerous. Marty McFly was a fictional character and if you try to copy his moves it will just end badly!
#7 Product Accessories
The 2 product accessories that you will probably want to check out are:
- extra batteries; and
- decal wraps
If you want to personalise your hoverboard deck, there are plenty of cool decal wraps on the market at the moment.
Videos of the Razor Hovertrax 2.0 in Action
The Razor Hovertrax 2.0 – My Verdict
The self-balancing technology on the Hovertrax 2.0 takes this machine to a different level of usability to the 1.0 version, especially when you are looking for a hoverboard that can be safely used by children as well as adults.
The battery life is much shorter that the Hovertrax 1.0 (110 minutes), but you can always just buy extra batteries if you are a heavy user.
Whether you just want to cruise around or learn to perform tricks, this is a well-made product that has already become very popular and, until Razor come up with a Hovertrax 3.0, it’s probably the best mid-price option on the market today.
It has the UL 2272 safety certification and is made by a company that has a long track record of building electric ride on toys.
Overall, I highly recommend this hoverboard for both kids and adults.
Where to buy the Razor Hovertrax 2.0
You can usually buy the Razor Hovertrax 2.0 hoverboard online at discounted prices.
Leave a Comment
I would love to hear from anyone that has anything constructive to say about my Razor Hovertrax 2.0 Review. Just leave a comment in the box below or send an email to kristian@electricridetoys.com
Ahh Back to the Future, this makes me think of my childhood. I remember watching those movies and thinking how cool it would be to one day see something like a hover board become a reality. As you said not quite but it sure is close and very cool non the less. I have seen a lot of videos out there that show people getting hurt will riding all types of hover board type products. I am guessing the new self-balancing technology on this particular brand helps combat those issues? Do they all come with a warning and video on how to operate properly?
If you had suggested to me when I was a kid that someone would make a product that enabled you to move on 2 wheels like this without using your hands for support, I would have thought that you were mad. The good thing about the Razor hoverboards (and some other premium ones) is that you don’t have to worry about them spontaneously bursting into flames.
Of course, there is still a risk of injury while riding one of these and I would always wear a helmet, especially if you are a child. YouTube has plenty of video compilations of people falling off hover boards in lots of weird and wonderful ways – if you fall backwards it really hurts and that is why the self-balancing feature is so good. It makes it much easier to stay upright.
As for instructions, they don’t come with videos, but do come with a leaflet on safe use and beginner techniques. There are plenty of YouTube videos with tips from beginner techniques all the way up to expert tricks. I plan to do some posts soon where I recommend some great YouTube hoverboard experts to watch if you want to learn how to do it properly.
HI there Kristian,
Now that is what I call an absolute quality hoverboard! best part is that it is light weight and easy to carry around when you want and need to.
You mentioned getting spare batteries as they would be handy especially when you run out of battery power. Where can we buy those extra battery packs and how much do they cost?
It is lighter than others, but I wouldn’t necessarily want to have to carry it 3 miles home if the battery ran out. At the moment, Razor seem to be just selling the extra batteries from their own website and I can’t find them in any 3rd party retailers at the moment. They are not cheap though, at about $130. You’d have to be pretty dedicated to buy an extra battery at that price. I would expect the price to come down over time as other retailers start to stock them and create a competition market for them.
What you need to remember though is that the charging time is only 2 hours from empty, so there wouldn’t be as much down time as one of the old Razor Electric Scooters, where the charging time was at least 6 hours.
I keep checking the User Reviews to see if people are reporting lots of problems as time goes on, but the reviews are still overwhelmingly positive.
Hi
Great information on the Razor Hovertrax.
These things look pretty cool and also would be a lot of fun as a different unique mode of transport.
I actually spotted an NBA player at an airport in Hawaii riding something similar to this, which I noticed him ride in the 2015 NBA Finals funnily enough.
Great information and review and I will let a couple of friends know about your page who have mentioned they would be interested in this.
Cheers
I am glad that you enjoyed the review. My twin boys turn 8 years old in a couple of months and they just won’t stop going on about these hoverboards.
Up until now I have been able to put them off by saying that they were too young to ride one and that everyone knows that hoverboards are poorly made and have a tendency to catch on fire.
Since Razor introduced the true self-balancing feature, the training mode, and passed the UL2272 safety certification, I think that my time is finally up and I’m just going to have to buy a couple of these to keep them sweet. I’ve just run out of excuses!
I loved this article, because I hadn’t thought about buying a cheap hoverboard, and I certainly didn’t know it could catch on fire?! I liked how you explained the training mode and normal mode. There are things I just didn’t think of explained in this article. This hoverboard is at a price what I would expect for quality, and I was intrigued since I’m into ride on toys myself.