Boosted Mini X Electric Skateboard Review

Product Overview

Features

Quality

Performance

Value

Rating

 4.4/5

 4.5/5

 4/5

4.3

 4.7/5

OVERALL SCORE

Summary

Boosted is what you might call a greybeard in the electric skateboard world. The company started in 2012, and the first Boosted skateboard was crowdfunded and released in 2014.

They certainly haven’t been resting on their laurels since then, continually releasing new models and upgrades to the old ones. The culmination of all their experience and passion for creating something extraordinary is the Boosted Mini X electric skateboard. Many consider it the best Boosted board thus far, so keep reading to find out if you agree.

UPDATE – Boosted is unfortunately no longer in business. The e-skate community bids farewell to one of the pioneers in the space, thanks for the years of dedication! Check out our e-board guide to the best electric skateboards for more options.

Boosted Mini X Electric Skateboard Profile

Top speed of 20 mph
Dual motors
16.8 lb. carry weight

14 mile range
199 Wh Li-ion battery
Composite deep dish deck

Boosted Mini X Electric Skateboard Review

Pros

Cons

About Boosted

In a lot of ways, Boosted boards are the standard by which the riders measure other brands. Not only have they been at the forefront of the industry since the company’s inception, but they are consistently the innovators of electric skateboards as well.

The three founders of Boosted, who are all still with the company, won’t stop until they’ve made the “world’s best electric vehicle,” and the Mini X is pretty close. To that end, they’ve even enlisted the aid of Tesla’s former director of engineering. His job is to help them with every aspect of bringing products to market in the most efficient way.

All this is to say that if you want a cheap product, you’re not going to find it in a boosted board. Price is the one aspect of Boosted skateboards that proved as a barrier for many skaters. They know that they’re making one of the best products on the market and they make you pay for it.

That aside, it’s safe to say that you’re getting your money’s worth with the Boosted Mini X. It’s one of the most highly-rated boards out there, and the company is fantastic when it comes to customer service.

For the Mini X, the company went all out, going so far as building everything in-house, especially for this model. Boosted built the wheels, trucks, and transmission, and they all come together to deliver incredible performance.

Main Features

Boosted has partnered with a lot of other manufacturers in the past to deliver quality products. That was a smart move in their formative years because they had a lot of gumption but not a whole lot of experience.

However, they decided the time had come to take off the training wheels when they made the Mini X.

The Orangatang wheels that previously graced Boosted boards are gone, as is the Loaded deck. The new wheels from Boosted are custom-designed for electric longboards and offer an extra-wide surface area. They have excellent grip and almost feel tacky when riding on paved roads.

The 2 x 500-watt motors has enough power to navigate hilly terrain with ease and produces scary amounts of torque. It’s courtesy of the optimized belt drive. All the components were engineered from the bottom up and manufactured by Boosted to pass rigorous quality controls. Sadly, though, all these things still come in a relatively-heavy 17-lb package. It won’t wear you down too much, but it’s not fun to carry across long stretches.

However, the result of all that effort is a thing of beauty. This board not only looks great but rides that way as well. Let’s jump right into the features so you can find out what makes this Boosted skateboard so unique.

Traditional Core With Cutting Edge Composites

Boosted took a lot of the knowledge on skateboard decks, snowboards, and surfboards to come up with a gestalt version of all three. The resulting deck is so close to ideal.

For starters, Boosted nixed the bamboo core in favor of a poplar core. Rather than use bamboo or carbon composites, a hardwood core helps dampen vibrations and provides a smoother ride.

Furthermore, poplar is known for maintaining a healthy grain structure and has a better weight/strength ratio than maple wood.

To assist with vibration dampening, but add a minimal amount of weight, Boosted used foam inserts in the deck. The foam doesn’t impede flexibility in the slightest but absorbs a lot of the bumps and cavities you’ll find on asphalt.

The whole thing sits between two layers of fiberglass, which provides enough strength for even the biggest riders. Fiberglass is inexpensive, so costs are kept down. And it has the perfect elasticity to give the board some spring without letting it snap.

The deck is slightly broader than previous Boosted boards, which is nice as it provides a little more real estate for novice riders. Also, a nice touch was the addition of an edge guard to prevent the bottom edge from wearing from resting it on the ground.

Last, but certainly not least, is the overhauled look of the Mini X board. Boosted was never one to make very showy boards, but they’ve eschewed the hypebeast appearance with this one. It has a beautiful space-grey color scheme and grey wheels, which give it a muted appearance. The overall look strikes the perfect balance of quiet and powerful.

Vehicle-Grade Forged Trucks

For this generation of trucks, Boosted started with their drive train in mind. Every rider will have a preference, but the vast majority of people will love these.

The trucks are 190mm wide and forged from vehicle-grade aluminum. When you first get your Boosted Mini X, you’ll notice that they are pretty soft. That’s great for advanced riders and lets you carve up the road like it’s nobody’s business. But urban commuters that use their boards to get around faster will probably want to tighten them up a bit.

They’ve reengineered the trucks a little and added more aluminum to some high-stress areas as well. The result is stronger and more stable trucks without adding much weight at all.

You probably won’t have any major gripes with these trucks, whether you’re a beginner or an expert. But if you do, they’re reasonably easy to replace. The whole thing will take about 45 minutes. If you ever find a used Boosted board for sale, make sure it has the original trucks. Many users replace them at some point.

There and Back on a Single Charge

This Boosted board battery is another step up from previous ones. You will get very decent 99 watt-hours from the standard model and 199 watt-hours from the extended range battery. The Mini X model comes with a preinstalled extended-range battery, so you won’t have to worry about upgrading.

The Boosted Mini X board has five different ride profiles, and each will provide more or less range. The “Eco” profile has the slowest acceleration and top speed. At only 11 mph, it can’t handle any hill-climbing, but it should give you about a 14-mile range. The fastest profile, “Hyper,” delivers a top speed of 24 mph, but you’ll get about 5-7 miles of range.

Realistically, riders that gain some experience with this Boosted skateboard like to use the Hyper riding profile almost exclusively. So, you can expect to get around seven miles out of a single charge and about twice that if you choose to upgrade to the extended range battery.

This lithium-ion battery is relatively easy to replace but does not have a quick release. The process will take you about 15-20 minutes, and you’ll need an Allen wrench. Globetrotters will be happy to know that it’s air-travel friendly too. That means you can take it with you on your adventures.

The remote control has a battery life indicator, which is a standard feature. However, a neat addition is a 5-dot LED indicator on the battery itself that shows you the power left at a glance. The charge time is about 1.25 hours, and there’s a six-month warranty on new batteries.

If you ride around on particularly hilly terrain, you can make good use of the regenerative braking technology. Being smart about using your brakes can help you squeeze out a fair amount more range from the battery. It allows you to recharge it on the way down.

Who Should Buy This Board?

The only drawback of this board is that it costs as much as it’s worth. The construction quality is outstanding, the performance is spectacular, and Boosted honors the warranty to a T. Everyone, from complete novices to lifelong riders will love the Boosted Mini X.

If you’re looking for a Boosted board alternative, you’ll find very few that compare, but a Boosted Board Mini provides a similar experience in a smaller package. If you’re on a budget, see our budget skateboards guide to get the best value when it comes to buying a new board.

Why We Recommend This Board

There’s not much fault to find on the Boosted board. A minor issue with the motors made the first Boosted Mini X a bit noisy after a few hundred miles. Boosted stepped up and replaced all the affected engines for free. Rest assured that the new boards have updated motors.

The quality of the components of this board is outstanding. The trucks were manufactured specifically for this drive train. The wheels are completely redesigned, and the deck is state-of-the-art. Wired called it the “electric skateboard of the future”. It’s one of the best boards on the market. If you don’t believe us, take the word of the thousands of satisfied riders that use this board.

Editor's Verdict

 4.7/5

4.3 – This was a great shortboard option, probably a little pricey. Was nice to ride and be a part of the Boosted community while they were around. Thanks again Boosted.