Today I take a look at some pretty unique products whose very existence, when I first heard about them, kind of blew my mind! After all, who knew there were actual Hoverboards floating around out there? Sure, maybe they don’t literally float, but from what I’ve recently learned, they certainly make riders feel as though they are floating. We finally have the opportunity to feel just like Marty McFly! (That’s Back to the Future for all of you young whippersnappers out there who may not be familiar.) Now, if only one of these awesome manufacturers could speed up their development of a fully functional time machine!

Read on to learn all about the new electronic hoverboards and unicycles that are ready to rock your world!

First up is the Sologear K3 Hoverboard – In White (it’s also available in Black). This board is really quite amazing. It travels along at speeds of up to 10 Km/H without any effort at all from you. Better still, it has a built in gyroscope that helps you to keep your balance as you ride along on flat surfaces or inclined surfaces with up to 15 degrees of slope. This means that there aren’t too many streets that this board can’t handle. And, since it can travel up to 20 Kms on a singe charge, you’ll be able to ride all over town before you run out of juice.

You’ll actually feel like you’re hovering with this cool board. “Gliding on a cloud” is how it’s described. But the thing that really intrigues me about this is the self-balancing platform which maintains your balance as you lean forward or backward, thus doing away with much of the need for practicing. I don’t mind saying that I’ve never had very good balance on a skateboard. Pretty much every time I’ve used one I’ve ended up with a collection of cuts, scrapes, and bruises worthy of a medical school exhibit, but even I am ready to try one of these self-balancing boards.

Among its many great features is the fact that its battery can fully charge in just one hour and that the board itself is water resistant and ready to battle the elements. Its maximum weight capacity is 120 Kgs (about 264 pounds), so it should be able to easily carry the majority of the population (not all at once!). It all sounds quite impressive to me. If it works half as well as advertised, I’ll be excited to see these things all over town in very short order.

As impressive as the hoverboard is, I think I may be even more intrigued by the idea of having an electric unicycle. Somehow I feel like this would be even easier to balance on, though I’m not exactly sure why I think that?! In any case, let’s take a look at the Sologear 350-Watt Self-Balancing Electric Unicycle – In Black to see how it works. First of all, this machine actually goes quite a bit faster than the hoverboard. At 18 Km/H, you’ll easily keep up with most of the bike riding crowd, a handful of Sunday drivers, and legendary sprinter Usain Bolt (on a bad day). After all, that guy could run like 35 KPH! This thing is nearly twice as fast as the hoverboard. Definitely good enough to get to work on for those living within a few Kms of their job!

This machine can handle a pretty steep grade as well. With a safe climbing angle of up to 35 degrees, you’ll be able to handle some of your area’s steepest hills with this cycle.

As with the hoverboard, this bad boy gets up to 20 Kms of travel mileage on a single charge, and its battery can fully recharge in just one hour. Not bad at all! With a maximum weight capacity of 120 Kgs (264 pounds), it can easily hold most people’s weight.

Aaaand, I just realized why I think I could balance better on this than on the board! It’s because there’s a training belt as well as training wheels to help you balance as you learn to ride the cycle (or, just as an extra layer of comfort and security once you’ve gained some expertise). I really like that! With my history of balance issues (I can’t stand up on a bus, for instance, or I’ll end up in someone’s lap), I need all the help I can get! Of course, this cycle has a built-in gyroscope as well, so leaning either forward or backward will help, rather than hinder, your balancing. 

About the only drawback I can see here is the fact that some assembly is required. You’ll need a Philips screwdriver as well. This shouldn’t really be a deal breaker for most people though, and when you consider all of the positives of this machine, a little bit of assembly is nothing. 

Other features here include a 350W hub motor & 132wh Sony V3 power battery (with an approximately 1000 cycle life), 14 inch aluminum alloy rims, a water resistant body, and a charging cable. There’s also the fact that the Sologear Self-Balancing Electric Unicycle can operate in temperatures as low as -10 Degrees Celsius, though I can’t imagine why anyone would ever

want to ride in such conditions!

In addition to potentially getting you back and forth from work, school, church? (yeah right), or wherever, these things look to be just plain fun! I can definitely imagine using either of these models out in the back alley behind my home, or riding it around a large, empty parking lot. If you’re considering getting one of these, just be aware of the bylaws in your town or city. It may well be the case in some places that these are not allowed to operate on sidewalks, for example, so do a bit of research before getting one and going all over town.

Each of these units weighs in the 22-23 pound range, so if you have to carry it around for a while (such as when you’re walking through an office building or something), just be aware of the weight. I really think that these machines could be heaps of fun for the right users, but don’t go blindly into a purchase. A little bit of research can really go a long way. Once you do decide to take the plunge, remember to play it safe and always use a helmet. And, as always, have fun!

For Best Buy’s complete selection of both Skateboards (electric and otherwise) & Unicycles, simply click on the respective links and take a look.

Leonard Bond
Leo enjoys writing about everything from secret agents to tech toys and gadgets to professional hockey. Find his reviews and other product related commentary right here on the Best Buy Blog and his latest hockey rants at www.hockeycontroversial.com.