by Chris |
Last Updated: September 21, 2021 Wowgo 2S Review
Pros
- Value for money
- Smooth ESC
- 2A charger
- a lot of customization options
Cons
- Durability
- No smart turn on
When shopping for an electric board, one of the first things you should decide on is your price range. If you are in the market for a budget board, then keep on reading, cause today we are going to review one of the world’s most popular budget eboards.
This Wowgo board definitely raised the bar in low-price eboard expectations. What is interesting is that, the board has not changed much since its launch in 2017
One of the biggest changes is that now you can choose between the standard motor or the one with more easily replaceable urethane sleeves. You can decide it during the purchase based on your priorities. Other than that, there were small changes to the deck and battery, but more on that later.
While they try to improve the features with every new model, you still know that you are getting impressive quality if you have ever owned a Wowgo before. They are consistent and that is what leads them to the success they’re having.
For a budget board, you get some impressive premium extras with your purchase, including the LED taillight and wall mount. This is pretty rare for low-budget Chinese boards.
At a first glance, the Wowgo 2S seems one of the best options for beginners who are looking for a budget board. However, we don’t settle for first glances. So, let us tell you all there is to know about the 2S, starting with some of the cool features.
Table of Contents
Top specs
ESC and remote
One of the most impressive parts about the 2S board is, without a doubt, its HobbyWing ESC (Motor Controller). The same ESC is now used on Verreal, Ownboard, Harvoo and Backfire G2s boards. It has been named as one of the smoothest available electric speed controllers out there.
This ESC is what gives the board such precise and consistent control. Therefore, whether you jump straight to the max speed or accelerate slowly as you go, is completely up to you by controlling the throttle. The board reacts with no delays.
The ESC goes hand in hand with the 250W hub motors, creating a well-rounded ecosystem.
Value for Money
While the 2S is ideal for beginners, it doesn’t mean that it is not suitable for more experienced riders. On the other hand, this Wowgo board has pretty much the same speed and range as some of the premium electric boards do.
So, for like a quarter the price of a premium board you can get a well-built, reliable and stylish eBoard.
2A charger
There is this common misunderstanding that Chinese-based boards are not the best quality. However, the Wowgo boards, and not just them, have already proven consumers wrong.
And especially, the 2S. While you would expect it to have a regular 1.5A standard charger, this Wowgo actually goes 2A. This makes the board charge up faster, but it still takes about 3 hours.
Okay, now let’s get down to business and overview all the little details on the Wowgo 2S.
Build Quality
Overall, the Wowgo 2s is a pretty polished board. It uses a flat 8-ply maple deck. The deck has some flex due to a little camber to it.
One of the key features of the Wowgo deck is its ‘two-texture’ grip tape. Thick and rough grip tape on the back-end comes with several advantages. It is not only really comfortable to step on, but also works great against vibrations.
As for the look, the top of the board looks pretty standard and resembles a regular longboard. The wooden alloy on the bottom gives it a special touch and a cool design. The laser engraving of the logo at the bottom makes the board look finished.
The Wowgo 2S stands on regular 90mm wheels. These wheels work great on smooth terrains and can also overcome most bumps on city roads.
The Wowgo 2S has a 250w hub motor that is pretty common for Chinese boards like Ownboard and AE Board.
As for the PU (Polyurethane) tyres on the hub motor, you can choose between swappable and non-swappable ones. While swappable ones have one obvious advantage, they also come with their cons like weird noises or screws popping off.
Trucks
The 2S board comes with a popular generic truck. There is nothing amazing about them, but they are quite stable and work fine.
What’s really good is the soft green stock bushing that comes with the board. You can always upgrade them, but no matter the weight of the rider, these bushings can really reduce the shock when riding.
Capability
One of the advantages of the Wowgo 2S is that it comes with a lot of personalization options.
The same goes for its range. You can choose from 3 available battery options:
- 4.0 AH Powerful Samsung (144wh) -12 miles / 19 km range
- 6.4 AH Panasonic (230wh) – 14 miles / 22.5 km range
- 8.5 AH Sanyo (306wh) – 18.5 miles / 30 km range
Obviously, the range will vary depending on your weight and ride style, but the 2S does a great job even at max speed and high weight load.
The maximum speed of this Wowgo board is 23.5 mph / 38 kmh, which is pretty impressive for the price you are paying for the 2S. You can’t really ask for much more from a “beginner’s board”.
Torque
The Wowgo 2s features dual 250W hub motors. This motor will take you up any everyday incline (15%) without much effort. The same can’t be said about the rough climbs though. The maximum incline that the board can take is 30%.
Riding Experience
Now that we have covered all the basics, it’s time to discuss how it all translates in practice. The ride on Wowgo board is safe, comfortable and easy, with non-aggressive carving, but there is not that much thrill.
The 2S offers 3 riding modes:
- Slow mode with a top speed of 12.5 mph / 20 kmh
- Middle mode with a top speed of 18.5 mph / 30 kmh
- Fast mode with a top speed of 23.5 mph / 38 kmh
When it comes to braking, it is as smooth as it gets thanks to the Hobbywing ESC. However, when going down a steep incline this might come on as a con as it never really comes to a full stop.
Remote
The standard ergonomic Hobbywing remote that comes with the Wowgo 2S is great. It is really comfortable to hold even for a long period of time. The elastic dial has a good amount of resistance for better control. The design is pretty simple and standard, just like everything else about the board.
In order to better understand how good or bad the 2S board is, let’s compare it to some of the similar models on the market.
Let’s compare
Wowgo 2S vs Meepo Board V2
The Wowgo’s one of the main competitors has always been Meepo. These are the two big names in the budget eboards industry. They have been competing for years – lucky for us as they keep improving their products.
Meepo has a more powerful 800W dual motor, which is basically its key feature. This makes Meepo board more durable than the 2S. Meepo also has a higher max speed limit of 29 mph though, but the range on these two boards is the same.
Unfortunately, Meepo board only offers non-replaceable urethane sleeves. So, one point to Wowgo for giving riders a choice.
When it comes to the ESC, it gets pretty tough as both boards really shine here.
These two boards have a lot in common, but overpaying a little for Meepo V2 will get you a more professional board with a sleeker design. Read our review
Wowgo 2S vs Teamgee H5 Blade Cruiser Electric Longboard
One thing we said about the Wowgo board is that it lacks personality. Well, with Teamgee you get a lot of it. It has a really funky design that makes it look like a regular longboard.
As far as the features go, the H5 board has dual 380W hub motors and 36 V rechargeable polymer battery. This gives the board a maximum speed of 21.7 mph. So, almost the same as the 2S.
These two boards have the same range, but Teamgee might be a little more durable due to its 10 layer maple wood and 1 layer fiberglass deck. Read our review
Wowgo 2S vs AC Electric Skateboard
The AC board looks a lot like the 2S board with a slightly different shape. They are both pretty basic at first glance.
The AC board has a 6 layer maple wood, 2 layer Bamboo and premium grip tape deck. The wheel diameter on both boards is 90mm. The AC board is a little more flexible than the Wowgo board.
This board has a 350 W brushless hub motor, but its speed is much lower (17 mph) than that of the 2S. What is better about the AC board is that its 4.4 AH Samsung Lithium-Ion battery pack takes less time to charge than the Wowgo one. However, the board has a lower range of only 10 miles. Read our review
To sum up…
The Wowgo 2S is a pretty decent budget board that offers a very reliable ride. The board is perfect for beginners, but for more experienced riders it can seem a little boring.