Portable electric skateboards are everywhere, but are they actually delivering the experience riders expect?
Recently, we spoke with a group of experienced riders to explore one topic:
What does a truly great portable e-skate look like?
We structured the conversation around four key questions, and the answers revealed a clear gap between what the market offers and what riders actually need.
Q1: What does your dream scenario look like for using a portable e-skateboard?
One thing became immediately clear: Most riders see portable boards as daily mobility tools.
Campus & Short Commutes
For Drew, college life is the perfect scenario. When your commute is only a couple of miles, bringing a heavy, full-size board doesn’t make sense. Portability isn’t about convenience; it’s about practicality and lifestyle fit.
Everyday Urban Tasks
Oscar described the ideal portable board as something that blends into daily life: grocery runs, pharmacy stops, short city commutes. You only need an e-skate that you can carry inside easily, without turning every small trip into a gear commitment.
Unlocking the City
Several riders shared a similar goal: a portable board should be capable of handling most city streets, not just smooth bike paths. The phrase that stood out was: A board that can “unlock 90% of the streets” in a city.
That’s a much bigger role than just “last mile.”
Q2: What are the 3 core features a perfect portable e-skate must have?
According to the group, a true portable performance board needs to balance three pillars:
- Portability – Easy to carry, easy to store, no physical burden
- Sufficient power performance – A high-discharge system that doesn’t feel underpowered
- Fast charging – Because portable boards are often used frequently and spontaneously
But here’s the critical insight:
Power and portability mean nothing if the ride itself is uncomfortable. And that leads directly to the biggest industry problem.
Q3: What is the major pain point with the current mini boards?
The response was nearly unanimous and blunt.
“They’re too stiff.”
Extreme Rigidity
Brian pointed out that most mini boards simply don’t flex, which makes the ride feel harsh and unforgiving, even on short trips.
Foot Fatigue
Oscar explained that road vibrations travel straight through the deck into the rider’s feet. Over time, this turns convenient rides into tiring ones.
Loss of Carving Feel
Scott mentioned that many shortboards feel low, tight, and overly rigid, which removes the flow, momentum, and enjoyment of carving, which is the essence of skateboarding.
In short, the market has focused on size and power, but ignored ride quality.
Q4. When you heard OMW was building a portable board (Gladius), what was your expectation?
The expectations were consistent with the pain points:
Riders were asking for a portable board that finally solves the comfort problem.
That means
- Real deck flex
- Vibration reduction
- A ride that feels like a skateboard, not a stiff platform
How Gladius enter this conversation?
OMW Gladius was developed with these rider insights in mind.
Instead of following the typical mini-board formula of rigid decks and box-style enclosures, Gladius Ushering in Portable E-Skate 2.0 introduces:
A composite, flexible, wide deck with 8mm concave
Using a blend of carbon fiber, fiberglass, and epoxy resin, the deck provides controlled flex and vibration damping rarely seen in portable boards. The 8mm-deep ergonomic concave locks your feet in for total confidence, while the wide platform ensures a stable, comfortable stance.
The Chain-Whip™ battery enclosure
Rather than acting like a solid box that locks the deck in place, its segmented, chain-whip-like structure protects the battery while allowing natural deck flex, addressing one of the root causes of harsh ride quality.
Balanced power delivery
High-discharge performance is paired with smoother, progressive acceleration to avoid the abrupt, jerky feel common in compact high-power setups. Gladius‘s high-discharge system is built around industry-reliable, proven Samsung 50S cells, paired with a Hobbywing motor and controller setup, delivering a 14S (58.8V) high-voltage platform. This combination provides the torque and responsiveness needed for real urban riding, while maintaining smoother, progressive acceleration.
Conclusion: A Shift in What “Portable” Should Mean
This discussion made one thing clear: Riders don’t just want smaller and lighter boards. They want portable boards that have high performance and ride comfortably.
The future of portable e-skate isn’t about shrinking hardware. It’s about removing the comfort penalty that has always come with it.
That’s the space OMW Gladius is stepping into:
Not just as a compact board, but as a response to what riders have been asking for all along.
