Featuring two-year-old tech in a fast-advancing market, the Teamgee H5 doesn’t have new or top-of-the-line components. But its design still makes it an interesting board. It’s the thinnest electric skateboard on the market and hence one of the best boards to carry around. This can be worth a lot in an urban environment. The LingYi ESC provides ample if sudden braking against modest acceleration, and the control overall is jolting. As a seasoned rider, I was okay with that, but the unstable ride control was unnerving for my less experienced girlfriend.
Sleek, stealthy, and minimal in design, the H5 looks as lightweight as it is (13.7Lb/6.2kg). The low center of gravity offered by the board’s aggressive stance offers casual control that gives the board an overall good cruising feel if the jolting controls can be overlooked.
If your use case involves a 5-mile commute to a place you can charge back up, like at an office, this board sure looks good doing it. Although the advertised range for the H5 is 11 miles per charge, my real-world testing shows a 7-mile maximum. Regardless, it only takes 2 hours to charge it back to full so as long as your destination has an outlet, this board can top up fast.
This board could be especially interesting for those who live in a place where eskating is not allowed as its low profile can be mistaken for a standard deck.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| comfortable to carry | low range |
| beautiful design | jolty controls |
| stealthy | not the strongest performance |
| low center of gravity | |
Overall Riding Experience
Thanks to the low center of gravity on the H5 the riding and carving experience is pretty solid, and it remains stable at it’s very modest top speeds. The acceleration and braking are both very abrupt and jolting, distracting from the ride quality at best. I managed to squeeze 22mph out of the board, but don’t expect to climb many hills on this board with such low power.
Acceleration & Braking
Both the acceleration and braking responses are late and exaggerated, which is a distracting element at best but can also lead to a beginner having a fall. Acceleration isn’t quick to reach the modest top speeds, but braking is powerful enough to throw the rider if they are unprepared.
Top Speed
Teamgee offers two trim packages for the H5, one with an advertised top speed of 22mph and the other 25mph. I can confirm that the model 22mph can indeed carry a 75kg rider that speed. While these are not high speeds, if your intention is to simply enjoy a relaxed ride this board moves quickly enough for that.
Range
This board’s biggest shortcoming is certainly it’s range capacity. At a full charge the advertised range is only 11 miles…in my testing I only made it 7 miles on flat ground before the battery was empty. The board’s slim form factor includes only enough space for a 126wh battery, which is not large.
Weight & Portability
The H5 is one of the better boards to tote around if carrying will be required. At under 14Lbs it’s far lighter than some, and the slim design makes grabbing ahold of it simple. This board is also a great candidate for backpacks with board straps!
Build Quality
The build quality on the Teamgee H5 is pretty standard fare for the budget category. Many of the questionable components can be swapped out – wheels, trucks, bushings – but if you’re buying a cheap board, spicing it up may not be your plan.
Deck
The H5’s deck is probably my favorite design aspect of the whole product. It’s super thin! The tape design is awesome and gives great coverage, and the big span of concave is so welcoming. That long drop-through deck with that low hang makes carving on this board a treat. The logo isn’t my style, but I do appreciate the deck’s bottom color gradient. Due to the design, the deck is pretty stiff.
ESC & Remote
The controls on the H5 are a real drawback on it’s performance. While the board itself is capable of enough braking and acceleration to get the job done, the execution of the controls is jolting. This kind of performance doesn’t inspire confidence in a rider, and new riders should avoid a board that behaves like this. The aging LingYi ESC is likely to blame for these issues.
I received the older remote with the board I’m referencing in this review, which was a stick design. The current iteration is known as a seahorse configuration, and appears to be a more contoured approach.
Battery
The battery on the H5 is small and unfortunately not swappable. Ultra-thin polymer lithium batteries rated at 126wh sure are slim, but they sure don’t get us far. I experienced voltage sag at top speeds and during climbs at 50%. The positive thing? the battery can be charged pretty quickly – it only takes 2 hours.
Trucks & Bushings
The stock trucks and bushings are okay but nothing fancy. These components are easy to upgrade as you see fit, and bushings are almost always unremarkable on the boards coming from China.
Wheels
These are nothing special either. The wheels on the H5 do have removable “hub sleeves” so that you don’t have to replace the whole motor if the tread gets too worn down, which is a nice feature. The stock wheels are too hard for my taste, as is usually the case with the budget boards.
Water Proofing
Due to the board’s design, it appears to be very water resistant. As with all things electric, minimize water contact and wipe dry when you can…but this seems like it can handle a couple splashes.
Customer Service
The Teamgee team has received mixed reviews regarding their customer service. However, the H5 can now be purchased through Amazon. In addition to the customer service advantages, this already offers, you can also purchase a 2 year extended product warranty by going this route. At the time of this writing, there was even an additional 5% off coupon on Amazon, bringing the cost down to $440!
Price & Competitors
Considering the specs alone, there were far better pics out there, but due to the form factor and its practicality, I’d consider the price as fair.
The Exway X1 Pro is the most visually similar board in my opinion, and that starts out $250 higher than the H5.
Upgrades
While you can upgrade the bushings or trucks, a good helmet is a better investment. This board isn’t going to be improved by any real stretch through modification.
Closing Thoughts
If you don’t need much from a board beyond a lightweight commuter and you can forgive the jolty control, the H5 may be your board!
