The Swagtron T3 Hoverboard – Overview
Swagtron is a relatively well-known manufacturer of electric ride toys and they eagerly entered the electric hoverboard market when the craze took off a couple of years ago.
They have since released a number of different hoverboards onto the market, including the Swagtron T3, and they make some pretty bold claims on their website about the quality of these products.
In this review of the Swagtron T3 electric hoverboard, I will look at the various impressive claims that this company makes about the Swagtron T3 and then compare those claims with the evidence of how this hoverboard actually performs for real customers in real life.
So, what does the company claim that it can do? Does it work as well as they claim and does it represent good value for money?
The Swagtron T3 – Specification Chart
| Retail Price | $499.99 |
| UL 2272 Compliant | Yes |
| Age | 8 years + |
| Rider Weight | up to 220 lbs |
| Speed | up to 8 mph |
| Run Time | up to 80 minutes |
| Charge Time | 1 hour |
| Self-Balancing | No |
| Charger Provided | Yes |
| Assembly Required | No |
The Swagtron T3 – The Main Features
#1 Rider Age & Weight Limits
The Swagtron T3 has a maximum rider weight limit of 220 lbs, which is pretty standard on electric hoverboards. As a result, most adults would be able to use it.
The minimum recommended age is 8 years and upwards, but they also state that kids aged between 8 and 13 ought to be under adult supervision at all time.
So far, so good. Nothing particularly interesting to note there.
How about the age limits?
Well, one of the main benefits of the Swagtron T3’s fairly low age restriction was that it meant that those kids who were too young to use the Razor Hovertrax 1.0, for example, could consider buying this machine instead.
Of course, since the introduction of the Hovertrax 2.0, which also has a minimum recommended user age limit of 8 years +, the previous “child-friendly” advantage of the Swagtron T3 has now been lost.
#2 Top Speed & Control
The Swagtron T3 comes with a respectable, but unremarkable, top speed of 8 miles per hour.
It is powered by dual 300W motors and claims to have a range of 11 miles before it needs to be re-charged.
It is controlled like most other hover boards – you lean your body and make subtle movements with your feet to make it move in the desired direction of travel / spin.
#3 Self-Balancing & Ease of Use
Although you will see it described as a self-balancing hoverboard, it is not self-balancing in the same way that the Razor Hovertrax 2.0 is self-balancing. Yes, the Swagtron T3 is self-balancing to the extent that you have to balance yourself without holding onto anything like a handlebar, for example, but the board does not seem to self-balance when it is not in motion.
If you look at videos of the Swagtron T3 and then compare is to the Razor Hovertrax 2.0, you will see that there is a difference. The Hovertrax 2.0 has sensors that automatically ensure that the hoverboard deck remains face-up and does not fall forwards or backwards when you try to mount or after you have dismounted.
This extra feature on the Hovertrax serves 2 purposes. It makes it easier to mount and dismount, and it also makes it harder to scrape the board because is does not just fall over onto the sidewalk when no-one is standing on it.
#4 Battery Run Time and Re-Charging
Given its maximum speed of 8 miles per hour and its claimed range of 11 miles, the maximum run time between charges is somewhere in the region of 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is perfectly adequate.
The Swagtron T3 also boasts a very impressive 1 hour charging time between uses, which is significantly better than its competitors, like the Hovertrax 2.0, which generally take about 2 hours.
#5 Safety and Build Quality
The good news is that the Swagtron T3 has been given the UL2272 safety standard certificate and, so, it is unlikely to spontaneously burst into flames when in use.
But, how well is it actually built?
This is the million dollar question since there is no point in a product boasting about great features and having a super short battery recharge time if it doesn’t actually work very well in the real world.
The really bad news is that the Swagtron T3 Hoverboard gets terrible reviews.
…. and when I say terrible, I mean REALLY TERRIBLE!
The general theme of these negative reviews is that they break after a couple of days and the Swagtron customer service and support is non-existent.
Just read them for yourself and see.
#6 Bluetooth Speaker
The Swagtron T3 boasts a built-in bluetooth speaker system that can sync with your smartphone, which sounds like a great idea. Isn’t this a lovely picture of Swagtron hoverboard riders cruising around town with their favorite tracks booming out of their speakers.
The addition of the bluetooth speakers is a nice idea in theory, but perhaps the manufacturer should have simply concentrated on getting the core machine to work properly rather than adding this extra functionality.
If the hoverboard doesn’t actually work very well as a hoverboard, then it is simply a very expensive
Swagtron T3 Hoverboard – Should you Buy It?
The full price of the Swagtron T3 is $499.99, although you can usually pick them up online for nearer $400. So, they are a pretty expensive piece of equipment and you are entitled to expect a high degree of reliability and customer satisfaction.
Sadly, the consensus amongst those user who have written reviews of this product seems to be that there are serious quality control issues and that is a real shame.
You have probably worked out by now that I won’t be buying my kids a Swagtron T3 for their upcoming 8th birthdays!
My life is stressful enough without having to deal with disconsolate twins complaining about how I bought them a hoverboard that didn’t work properly.
There are better options out there in my opinion, and I will be opting for the Razor Hovertrax 2.0 instead.
The Razor Hovertrax 2.0 gets much better user reviews.
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I would love to hear from anyone that has anything constructive to say about my Swagtron T3 Hoverboard Review. Just leave a comment in the box below or send an email to kristian@electricridetoys.com
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