You’re new to e-skateboarding and in need of a solid board? One that offers everything a beginner might need but still doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg? Or are you a commuter looking for a board that safely gets you from A to B, without paying extra for additional nice-to-have features you’ll never need? Well, say no more because this board here might be the one for you!
The thing I really like about the Possway T1 is that it might not offer many fancy bells and whistles (apart from the amazingly big battery that gives you the opportunity to go on fairly long rides) but it’s got you covered with everything you really need on your daily ride. In the end, you can’t have it all – especially for 500 bucks – but this board here definitely tries its best.
Check out the T1 at Possway’s website
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| big battery for the price | lack of company track record |
| push to start feature (auto turn on) | not super responsive controls |
| high top speed | acceleration and braking is not very smooth |
| fast shipping | |
| shock-absorbing grip tape | |
| aluminum enclosures |
Pros
As I already stated in the introduction, the biggest plus the Possway T1 can offer is its battery. We’re talking about (advertised) 24 miles (38 km), while most other budget boards offer a range around 6,5-17 miles (10,5 – 27 km).
Not only does the T1 go far, but it also goes fast. With a top speed of around 26 mph (42 km/h) and also a shock-absorbing grip tape, it’s clear that Possway tried to build a board perfect for anyone who just needs a reliable companion for daily commutes or starting out with eskating.
Another feature that might sound small, but will come in handy (trust me!) when you’re someone who uses the board daily, is that to turn on the T1, all you need do is to turn on the remote and push the board. Daily commuters know what I talk about when I say it’s really nice to not have to climb somewhere under the board to look for a way too small, hidden turn-on button anymore!
The shipping Possway provided was also quite fast.
Cons
Just like with any board, the T1 also has its drawbacks. The biggest one is definitely that Possway is a fairly new company. So there aren’t many customers out there that already had the chance to test their customer service and write reviews about it. It’s also not clear yet if Possway will become a new shining star on the e-skate skies or if they will drown and never get heard of again – meaning that there won’t be any customer service available anymore too.
Apart from the insecure company standing, the remote of the T1 is not as responsive as a beginner might wish, making the acceleration and braking a bit unsmooth.
Overall Riding Experience
Altogether, riding the T1 was an enjoyable experience without any bigger inconveniences.
Even at high speed, the T1 stays stable, making going fast feel safe. The squishy grip tape even improves that experience and if you enjoy carving, go for it – you won’t get disappointed here. Like with other hub motor boards with stiff decks, rough roads are a unfortunatly a pain. The acceleration and braking also could be smoother but that might be something you’ll just get used to, or even challenges your riding skills to, in the end, make you a better rider. Try to see the best in everything, right?
Accelerating & Brakes
As I already mentioned, this might be the point I’d criticize most. As an experienced rider, I found the acceleration and braking to be okay, but my girlfriend, who is more of a beginner rider, struggled a bit with jolting. It might have been her terrible balancing skills though… jokes aside, she didn’t ride it longer than 15 minutes or so, so I can imagine that with more training she would have gotten used to that since it definitely wasn’t a dealbreaker for her. The reason for this problem might be the rather old LingYi ESC Possway used for the T1.
Top Speed
Possway claims the top speed to be 26 m/h (42 km/h). I managed to hit up to 23 m/h (37 km/h) with 165 lbs (75kg), which is a bit lower than what’s marketed, but I must say I enjoyed what I got since the riding experience with that speed felt really stable and safe.
Range
To test how far this long range budget-beast here really can go, my girlfriend (130 lbs / 60kg) and I (165 lbs / 75 kg) went on a stroll in super flat terrain, using speed mode H+ (which is the highest the T1 offers). We included some stop and go’s, slight inclines, at moderate speed 16mph (25 – 27 km/h).
Well, if this was a test that preserves longer, the T1 definitely won! We had to head home after 7 miles (14 km) and still had 3 out of 5 battery bars left. So if I calculated correctly, 17 – 22 miles (30 – 35 kilometers) would probably be reachable. Yay!
Weight and Portability
Most of us had to quit gym due to the pandemic so here’s your opportunity to get back to some upper arm training – the Possway T1 weighs 18,5 lbs (8,5 kg). Definitely not super fun to carry around! At least the nose and tail of the deck are shaped in a way that makes it a bit easier to pick it up by pushing one of those with your foot, lifting the other side up. Yes, a carry handle would have been a nice feature, but as your philosophical eskate review writer already said earlier: you can’t have it all!
Build Quality
There’s nothing I could really complain about the build quality of the T1. It seems like Possway gave their best to find components that strike a balance between price and quality and I think they succeeded! The board makes a solid impression, the material used doesn’t look or feel cheap and they definitely didn’t bungle with the fittings.
All in all, Possway delivered decent quality here and I can’t complain!
Deck
The deck Possway used is made of 5 layers bamboo and 2 layers multi-directional fiberglass, which makes it slightly elastic. What I definitely found appealing is the all black design, you just can’t go wrong with that!
Your feet get locked in what Possways calls a “W-shaped concave”, but I feel like it’s more of a normal U-concave.
ESC and remote
I asked Oliver from Possway about the ESC they used for the T1, here’s what he said:
“Seahorse ESC (Teamgee uses it as well). It’s the same system as LingYi, but the different program.”
Oliver from Possway
The way the board responds when braking/accelerating strongly reminds me of a typical older type of a LingYi ESC.
The shape of the remote that comes with the T1 reminds of a the shape of seahorse
Battery
Now we’re starting to talk about the centerpiece of the T1. With 324 Wh, its battery definitely provides enough power for the long ride, especially compared to other boards in that price range. It’s covered with aviation aluminum material that makes the generated heat dissipate better.
Trucks and Bushings
The bushings Possway used are, as I’d say, just regular everyday bushings. Nothing too fancy but definitely not bad either, I gave my best to challenge them with all my carving skills I have to offer and they didn’t disappoint! I found they’re rather on the soft side and together with the 45°7’’ trucks, I was surprised by how easy it was to also do some turns that are more on the narrow side.
Wheels
The T1 comes with 90mmx52mm 85 resilience wheels that, just like the bushings, probably won’t get you really hyped, but will definitely do their job.
Unfortunately, Possway confirmed that for the type of hub motor they used, it’s not possible to use any kind of Cloudwheel Donuts which could have been nice to increase your riding experience.
Water sealing
I was really surprised when I checked out the sealing of the battery and ESC. Even though the T1 is “only” water resistant, not waterproof, it looks like you definitely won’t have to worry whenever there’s a puddle on the road ahead because of the high quality sealings. Officially, it has a IP54 rating, meaning that the board is fully protected against water splashing from any angle. Puddle parties, here we go!
Shipping Time
For customers in the US, it takes 2-7 days to get their board and 10-15 days for Canadian customers. For the rest of the world shipping is currently (May 1st 2021) unavailable.
Customer Service
Now we’re getting to the kinda risky point concerning Possway. They’re a fairly new brand so there are probably not too many people out there that had the chance to test their customer service or write a review about it. The fact that they’re not that established yet also means that it’s rather unsure if they will stay on the market or disappear, meaning that customer service probably wouldn’t be available anymore at all.
Price
The Possway T1 currently costs 500$ with free shipping, which is quite a good price for the size of its battery. The biggest competitors are:
- Meepo V3 ER
- Backfire G2 Galaxy
- WowGo 3 ER / WowGo 2S Poseidon
Recommendable Upgrades
There aren’t any specific recommended upgrades for the T1, but the modular design of the ESC, battery and power system makes them easily replaceable. There are also some upgrades in general I’d recommend for any board/rider, such as:
- Good helmet (this is a must!)
- Gloves
- Shredlights
- Guitar stand
Closing Thoughts
The Possway T1 is a great fit for anyone who’s either:
- a beginner looking for a board to first try out your potential new favorite sport, that won’t cost you a fortune but still covers a long-range
- or someone who commutes on a regular basis and has to cover 15+ miles, looking for a board for 500 bucks.
Check out the T1 at Possway’s website
