Fenetic Wellbeing DRIFT Balance Board Review

Balance board, hover board, swegway, these miniature segways have been called a variety of names, but they’re all essentially the same product under their hard plastic shell. I’m sure most of you would have seen these advertised at some point, whether that was on YouTube or on social media. And it’s quite clear to see, by watching the video below, why these boards have become so popular over the past year or so.

credit – Wroetoshaw

The Fenetic Drift Balance Board, which also has a handy carrying bag included, is one of the many offerings from Fenetic Wellbeing – a mobility products company. The Drift Balance Board is part of their leisure range, and retails at £239.

Some of the main features of the balance board are:

• 12 months warranty
• 36v 4.4Ah Samsung cell Lithium ion battery
• 350W brushless DC motors
• A maximum user weight of 100kg
• 170mm tyres
• LED headlights
• Fast charging (2 – 3 hours)
• Maximum speed of 10km/h
• Battery range of 20km when fully charged
• A climb radius of 15 degrees
• 360 degree turning circle

So as you can see from the list above, the Fenetic Drift Balance Board has certainly got a lot of features crammed in to its compact design.

In terms of design we’ve got the red model, but the board is also available in black, white, green, pink, gold, red or blue.

My first impressions of the board are that it looks very similar to other boards that I’ve seen online, but with slightly different branding and small design changes.

On the front you’ll find the LED headlights, which light up blue whilst using the board. The Fenetic Drift branding can also be seen on the left.

You’ll also find two rubber pads where your feet will be positioned. This is basically to give you more grip when using the balance board. Without them, there would definitely be many more accidents occurring!

Moving around to the rear we’ve got the on/off button and the charging port, as well as some more company branding.

The wheels sport a polished metal finish, which do look quite cool to be honest.

The build quality, overall, is brilliant. The hard plastic shell can certainly take a beating, which I unfortunately learnt the hard way after gaining a few bruises and sore body parts…

Testing

I’m sure you’re all aware of the power these small devices have, and with that knowledge it’s fairly obvious that you’re not going to get away with using one and remain unscathed. It’s a given, really.

That being said, you could say the same for learning to ride a bike, skateboard, rollerblades, and countless other products.

This was my first time ever using a hover board / balance board, and I went in with the attitude of “how hard can it really be?”. Well, it’s quite difficult actually! It’s an odd sensation at first. You’re trying not to fall off, whilst trying to balance yourself on the board. Combine this with the small movement needed to chuck you forwards or backwards in to the air, and it makes for quite an entertaining sight.

Fast forward an hour or so, with a few extra dents and scrapes (the board wasn’t looking as pristine or new either…), I’d more or less got the hang of it.

I’m by no means a pro, but I’d like to think I’m fairly decent at using the balance board by now. I’ve got the bruises to prove it.

The maximum speed of the board is 10km/h which I didn’t think was that fast at first, but I’ve not managed to get anywhere near that speed and I don’t think I’d like to! I value my safety too much…

I’d probably recommend wearing protective gear if you plan on purchasing the Fenetic Drift balance board, and at £239 it’s a deal that shouldn’t be missed. The Drift provides hours of fun, has an amazing battery capacity and is capable of extremely fast speeds for such a small device.

Make sure you’re prepared for the board to attract many scratches, scrapes and dents. It is physically impossible to prevent the board from being damaged, no matter how much you try!

All in all, the Fenetic Wellbeing Drift balance board is a reasonably priced miniature segway capable of speeds up to 10km/h, 20km range on a full charge and it also comes with 12 months warranty. Need I say any more?

9/10

Original Article