Meepo NLS Belt Review – best Belt Drive for $700?

And here it is, Meepo’s first attempt at a belt-driven board – the Meepo NLS Belt. We are all familiar with clickbait titles like “(insert brand) vs Boosted!” or “(insert brand) : New Boosted Killer?” Why all this attention to how a board measures up against Boosted? That has a lot to do with the tone Boosted set as a company; building solid products and backing them up with top-notch customer service made them the company to beat. Although I don’t generally like to succumb to the norm, or allow our content to share similar titling to other creator content…in this instance I must make the aforementioned comparison.

Check out the Meepo NLS Belt at Meepo’s Website

Kieran, the CEO and founder of Meepo was kind enough to send me a Meepo NLS Belt for reviewing. I think it’s just a lucky coincidence, but I am proud to say that I even got the first board off the production line!  

 “Is the Meepo NLS Belt the new Boosted?”

 This time, the comparison is well justified. Why? Because many parts of the famous Boosted Boards have been repurposed for the Meepo NLS Belt. Trucks, motors, and wheels found on Boosted boards have made their way over to Meepo, and even the new remote and deck bear striking resemblances to those earlier Boosted offerings. Meepo does differ in the electronics, utilizing an in-house battery and LingYi ESC.

Update: Meepo has changed the design of the board

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Meepo NLS Belt vs Backfire Zealot vs Exway Flex vs WowGo 3X

But we have to say that the Boosted Stealth and Plus are not Meepo’s competitor anymore. Let’s take a look at a comparison between the Meepo NLS Belt, the Backfire Zealot, the Exway Flex, and the WowGo 3X.

Overall Riding Experience – the juicy stuff

The overall riding experience of the Meepo NLS Belt is super smooth and satisfying. Carving is great, brakes are strong and smooth, speed is enough for most use cases, and the board offers nice additional features.

What about it’s Top Speed?

Let’s address the elephant in the room, the Meepo NLS Belt is not the fastest board on the market. It’s slower than its direct competitors, the Backfire Zealot, the Exway Flex Riots and even slower than the Boosted Board Stealth. The degraded top speed is maybe a deal-breaker for some potential buyers. 

How come? The motors are in fact stronger than the motors of the Backfire Zealot and Exway Flex Riot. The Meepo NLS Belt has 2 x 900 Watt motors and the Exway and Backfire both have 2 x 750 Watt motors. So why is the board not faster? The stock gearing ratio used on this board along with the smaller 85mm wheels set this board up for slower speeds, and the LingYi ESC doesn’t allow the board to accelerate past 23mph regardless. Meepo has decided to trade lower top speed for higher acceleration and torque, giving the Meepo NLS Belt a strong and addictive hustle.

Is it a rocket? – Acceleration  

Personally, I view improved acceleration over top speed as a welcome trade off. I often catch myself slowing down on purpose only to slam down the trigger again, just to feel the exciting acceleration under my feet. The acceleration of the Meepo NLS is a thrill. The high pitch sound from the motors is a blast, and I’m looking forward to that scream every time; some riders say that it sounds like a spaceship, although I question how familiar they are with rocket engines. 

I have one small nitpick though, because I think the acceleration could be a bit smoother. The LingYi ESC provides a very smooth acceleration in speed modes 1 to 3, but a raw acceleration in speed mode 4. Additionally, I experienced a small latency from pushing the trigger to the actual acceleration of the board. 

Life Insurance – Brakes 

The brakes are great; strong, responsive, and still super smooth. One advantage of the LingYi ESC is that there are 4 different brake modes to choose from. Unlike the fourth acceleration mode, all of them are very smooth. You can choose for your personal preference and riding style, opting for more or less abrupt as it suits you. The different brake modes come in handy when letting a friend try the board for their first time, as mode 1 is definitely newbie-friendly. 

How far can it go? The Range

Despite some budget brands exaggerating their board’s advertised top speed, Meepo is spot on with their range. In my range test, the NLS Belt has hit the 18 miles as advertised.

Weight and Portability 

While the Meepo NLS Belt is not the lightest board available , it is well balanced and therefore relatively easy to carry. 

Build Quality 

The build quality is where things differ slightly between Boosted and Meepo. The board is generally nicely built, but you can’t expect Boosted like polish. Some parts are not assembled perfectly, which in my case only impacted the look and not the functionality of the board.

I think you might have already noticed that the Meepo NLS Belt is not the most stylish board on the market. I don’t know why Meepo has chosen their current design, but it doesn’t meet western graphic standards. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest drawbacks of the board.

Deck

Meepo took the beloved deck from it’s name-buddy, the NLS Hub. It’s made out of 7 layers of bamboo and 2 layers of fiberglass. It has a mild concave, some camber, and a lot of flex.

Despite that, the deck is a double-edged sword for me:
• The functionality and flex is great, I really love to ride on this deck.
• On the other hand, the grip tape and roadside design is poor.

With that being said, let’s focus on the best part: this deck comes closer to the famous Boosted “Loaded Vanguard” deck in terms of riding feel, shape and flex than I’ve felt in any other board aside from the original. The deck is what sets the Meepo NLS Belt apart from WowGo, Exway, and Backfire when it comes to “Boosted vibes“. 

ESC

Meepo uses a LingYi ESC, and like already explained above there are good and bad things about that.

Remote

The remote control is the new Meepo 4 remote. And Meepo has done it again: It looks pretty darn close to the Boosted remote. But you know what? I dig it! It’s a welcome upgrade. In general, the remote is more comfortable to hold. The surface texture also has changed, with the remote now sporting a matte-rubber finish which offers more grip compared to the previous model.

The Meepo remote actually outshines the Boosted version with its new display. Compared to the Meepo 3 remote the display is roomier and brighter, but be aware that the speed indicator has a small latency. Overall it’s one of the best remotes on market right now, well done Meepo! 

Battery

The Meepo NLS Belt is equipped with a solid 288 Wh (10S2P, Samsung 40T) battery, which is a great compromise between range, weight and affordability. The range will probably be enough for the majority of riders, and the weight is bearable for handling in public transport and stairways should the need arise.

Water Sealings 

The waterproofing efforts look pretty average for a 2019/2020 Eskate. Some kind of Neoprene or foam is tucked between the battery enclosure and the deck.

Trucks and Wheels

Back to the fun part; the Meepo NLS Belt uses the SAME trucks, the SAME Bushings, and the SAME wheels as Boosted Boards. They somehow managed to take Boosted’s place in the supply chain, so there is not a lot to say beyond reiterating that these trucks and bushings deliver! They offer a buttery smooth riding experience.

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Shipping Time

Shipping time is a subject wherein Meepo and Boosted’s similarities disappear. If you ordered a Meepo Board within the last couple of months you had to wait for 14 – 35 days to get the board delivered to your doorstep. That is a long wait! Boosted, however, managed to deliver boards within a week. I want to be fair and will take the circumstances into account. There is still a global pandemic going on and air shipping prices skyrocketed, meaning Meepo had to ship boards via sea to keep the prices competitive, and this takes time. Meepo also stated that numerous boards were stuck in US customs for a long time as well.

Worldwide shipping times should improve soon, and Meepo has also announced that they will open a warehouse within the US, which should reduce the shipping time to one week in that market. 

Customer Service

Another major point where Meepo and Boosted differentiate is after sales service. Boosted was well known for its customer care, and their riders could trust in the product and warranty. If a part broke, Boosted would help you sort it out with replacements and service. With Meepo, not so much. In order to receive a refund, you really have to make a scene, as the customer care follows the reactive model shared by many Chinese board manufacturers. YOU have to write the additional mail and YOU have to interpret the response from the customer service written in broken English. Don’t get me wrong, you will get your warranty, your refund, a spare part, or in extreme circumstances a new board, but Meepo is not nearly as proactive as Boosted was. 

Price

Speaking of Customer Service and Shipping time, it all comes with a certain cost. The lack of proactive customer service, the long shipping times, the copycat design, and lousy polish are the things that keep the prices low. The Meepo NLS Belt comes in low at $699, the Boosted Plus/Stealth was priced at $1,599. That’s $900 more! Overall, the Meepo NLS Belt is a great deal, giving you a Boosted like board at a fraction of the price. 

Meepo NLS Belt (Shipped from China)	$699
Meepo NLS Belt (Shipped from US)	$759

(Prices can vary) Check current Price at Meepo’s Website

Is the Meepo NLS Belt the BETTER Boosted?

Soooo, to answer our opening question; is the Meepo NLS Belt the better Boosted now? The simple answer: NO, but it’s pretty damn close. 

To offer the new Boosted board Meepo still has to work on its board’s design and polish. 
To offer a Boosted-Type customer experience, Meepo needs to work on their shipping time and customer support. 

After sales interactions are lacking in this industry, and can really go a long way.

To put it all in an Eskate Box… 

Update: Meepo has changed the design of the board

Check out the Meepo NLS Belt at Meepo’s Website