Hover-1 Ultra Hoverboard (Black)

I understand that there’s an inherent risk involved in operating a hoverboard, and this one is no exception. It’s at a point where my experience with this particular model is less than enjoyable. 3 minor safety incidents occurred in which I had to step off of the board to prevent being tipped off by the hoverboard—two of them were on very gentle inclines, and one almost turned into a MAJOR safety incident. (Thankfully, I was able to grab onto a wall to prevent that from happening.) This otherwise wouldn’t happen as I am a pro rider who’s been doing this for 5+ years. Additionally, none of the lights are as bright as some of the other reviews with media showed them to be. They are very dim in person. I thought the idea was to be visible at night on these (but not necessarily in pitch black). I suppose I could use a headlamp, and I thought having the lights on the hoverboard to aid in visibility would be a great thing, but that’s simply not accomplishable here. Another thing that kills it is the fact that even the system indicator lights on top are very dim. This won’t cut it for me at all. Plus, the battery life leaves a lot to be desired. I got maybe about 4 miles before the battery indicator started flashing instead of the advertised 8. That’s HALF the advertised distance. (At this point, I’m being generous with the rating.) There was also some white stuff on one of the wheels that permanently stained it. I suspect that it may have been there all along, because the hoverboard didn’t sit around outside anywhere near long enough for any birds to get to it. Mind you, this was in DAY ONE of ownership of this hoverboard. Overall, I really thought this would be a suitable replacement for my old Hoverzon S, but the Hover1 Ultra, which is actually very similar in aesthetic design, missed the mark in so many ways. I guess as the old saying goes: they don’t make them like they used to anymore. Some of the best ones were made just after they required more strict quality control and certification by Underwriter Laboratories. I do not resent having to return this board because it tried to throw me off for hitting slight bumps on the sidewalk on night two. Another poorly engineered hoverboard that can’t even handle a dumbed down version of my riding style because of the flaws I ended up finding it to have. Truly disappointed. I’ve been burned by Hover1 brand hoverboards twice now. First, the H1; then this Ultra. Sorry, Hover1. You will no longer be earning my business with your hoverboards.