# What's your opinion about the Airwheel? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308 "2015-05-05T12:14:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/21 "2015-05-05T18:28:57Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Apparently it becomes weaponized the moment you step (fall) off of it. From the [Tech Radar review](http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/gadgets/appliances/airwheel-q3-1263136/review): Does it mention any downside? šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/22 "2015-05-05T18:35:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does it mention any downside? > > šŸ˜ƒ Yeah, those punks at the Mall would get out of my way pretty darn quick. Perhaps Iā€™ll reconsider this device. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/23 "2015-05-05T18:37:44Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Yeah, those punks at the Mall would get out of my way pretty darn quick. > Perhaps Iā€™ll reconsider this device. :dubious: I wonder if it would work on an escalator? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/24 "2015-05-05T19:14:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I wonder if it would work on an escalator? I imagine you have to carry it up. Of course, Clint Eastwood could manage it. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/25 "2015-05-05T19:49:43Z")
Something I know a bit about. I commute on a bike/running trail that has 10+ of the ā€œself balancing wheelsā€ commuting alongside my ride every day. The users generally are 2x faster than walking, but I have seen a couple doing a much faster pace. They are much better on flat straightaways and even the sidewalk ā€œrampsā€ at crosswalks pose a significant challenge unless you have a fairly confident and skilled rider (i.e. the more a rider looks like a sk8r, the better they are). Along the skateboarding motif, there is a new player [http://rideonewheel.com/](http://rideonewheel.com/) OneWheel who are making a more traditional skateboard-like version. These are able to handle the surface changes much better and I even saw a guy take one into the grass beside the trail in order to overtake a group of people. Given what Iā€™ve seen, this is the version I would go with if I were in the market (except the price, distance, speed are all subpar in comparison currently). I just think that in the long term, this version will allow easier balance as higher speeds and rough surface conditions. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/26 "2015-05-05T20:13:26Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Never heard of it, but my opinion is people need to walk more. Whatever. A reliable device like this would allow me to buy a house within a two mile radius of the subway rather than my current one mile limit. I walk about five miles a day; so Iā€™m not really worried about fitting more walking more. Something like this would really change my commute and give me more time with my family. Iā€™m bummed that it doesnā€™t seem to be the right solution. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/27 "2015-05-05T20:53:56Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Whatever. A reliable device like this would allow me to buy a house within a two mile radius of the subway rather than my current one mile limit. > > I walk about five miles a day; so Iā€™m not really worried about fitting more walking more. Something like this would really change my commute and give me more time with my family. > > Iā€™m bummed that it doesnā€™t seem to be the right solution. You could try what [these guys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZB_rGFyeU) are using. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/28 "2015-05-05T21:06:30Z")
It looks uncomfortable, but Iā€™ve never tried one (or a Segway or any other self-balancing device of the type.) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/29 "2015-05-05T21:58:27Z")
[Hereā€™s a recent review](http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2015/04/electric_scooter_reviews_testing_the_ecoreco_myway_boosted_dual_and_solowheel.html) of the SoloWheel, which sounds and looks basically the same as the Airwheel (SoloWheel review on page 2). The bottom line: it was really hard to get the hang of, ā€œseemed pointless,ā€ and the Doofus Factor was ā€œunimaginably high. Just off the fricking charts.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/30 "2015-05-05T22:18:09Z")
> [@Disheavel](#): > > Along the skateboarding motif, there is a new player [http://rideonewheel.com/](http://rideonewheel.com/) OneWheel who are making a more traditional skateboard-like version. These are able to handle the surface changes much better and I even saw a guy take one into the grass beside the trail in order to overtake a group of people. Given what Iā€™ve seen, this is the version I would go with if I were in the market (except the price, distance, speed are all subpar in comparison currently). I just think that in the long term, this version will allow easier balance as higher speeds and rough surface conditions. This thing is awesome looking. I love the one dragster slick for a tire. I also am very fond of the young woman on their webpage riding one of theseā€¦ she is an incentive to learn! ā€œLearn to ride and win a date!ā€ would be a good ad slogan. Of course, we only see one side of her in the photo. The other side could be swollen and purple from fallingā€¦ I am betting if these things come down in price, they will show up in X games, and there will be people tweaking the things to go a lot faster. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/31 "2015-05-05T22:21:16Z")
Based on youtube, that is awesome. 12mph, 30 miles per charge. However I donā€™t see the appeal over an electric scooter. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/32 "2015-05-05T22:27:03Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > The article below answers your questions. It can do all of those things but they arenā€™t that easy to learn to ride. It takes a solid day of practice for most people to become semi-competent on them. In contrast, most people can learn to ride a Segway in a few minutes. > > [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11418069/AirWheel-review-how-hard-is-it-to-ride-an-electric-unicycle.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11418069/AirWheel-review-how-hard-is-it-to-ride-an-electric-unicycle.html) Thanks for this link. His near-face plant was uncomfortably funny. I was impressed how good he was after only a short time, but I think it would take a very long time to master it like the folks in the promotional videos. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/33 "2015-05-05T22:38:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > However I donā€™t see the appeal over an electric scooter. Chick magnet. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/34 "2015-05-05T22:39:36Z")
I saw someone riding one on Saturday. It screamed ā€œurban attention seekerā€ to me, like a dude walking around with a ferret on a leash. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/35 "2015-05-06T13:26:55Z")
How else does one walk a ferret? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/36 "2015-05-06T13:34:18Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How else does one walk a ferret? Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) has a harness for hers. It is just to prevent his escape, and to let him outside. You can, however, walk and drag him with you. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/37 "2015-05-06T13:45:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Why so much hate for us lazy-ass sumbitches? ā˜¹šŸ˜ƒ Not hate, My Friend! _Hope!_ ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308/38 "2015-05-06T20:06:12Z")
I just read this thread yesterday and what do I see today but someone on one of these! > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Yes, they look fun, but how practical are they to use in a large city? I have no idea if itā€™s practical, but the place I saw the person using one was midtown Manhattan during the morning rush hour. Soā€¦ itā€™s happening, at least. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-about-the-airwheel/719308.md?page=1)