CNET

I swapped my roller skates for electric skates. This was my experience

The Segway’s Drift W1 Electric Skates look intimidating, but it only takes some practice to start loving them. 0:00 Introduction 0:24 What are the Segway Drift W1 Electric Skates? 0:58 These are my regular roller skates 1:23 Specifications 2:03 First day experience 3:00 Review 4:20 Recalibrating the Segway Drift W1 5:02 Reactions 6:00 How do…

Published

3 years ago

May 22, 2021

CYBER TECH TV

The Segway’s Drift W1 Electric Skates look intimidating, but it only takes some practice to start loving them.

0:00 Introduction
0:24 What are the Segway Drift W1 Electric Skates?
0:58 These are my regular roller skates
1:23 Specifications
2:03 First day experience
3:00 Review
4:20 Recalibrating the Segway Drift W1
5:02 Reactions
6:00 How do they compare to regular roller skates?

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It’s working!

OK, let’s do this.

Hi, I’m Marta and these are the Segway Drift
W1 Electric Skates…

and they are exactly what the name suggests:

self-balancing and you can move them forward
or backwards by adding a little bit of pressure

here with your feet.

They’re basically like a Onewheel kind of
board but two instead of one, one for each foot.

But, let me tell you…

I have never used one of those.

Nor any kind of hoverboard, or electric scooter, or any other kind of Segway…

I don’t even drive a car!

So how have I ended up with these?

Well, my boss knows that I use these, so he
thought it would be a good idea

for me to try these.

Now, do these look like these?

No, they don’t!

My feet aren’t even going to be attached to
this!

So, I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little bit scared.

Anyway.

Before taking them to the street and seeing what happens,
let me tell you a little bit more about them.

So the two of them are exactly the same.

They balance on this wheel, you put your
foot here and they have these silicon bumpers…

on the front and rear.

The design is really nice and they feel very
sturdy and well made.

I really like that they have these handles
to carry them around because they’re not exactly light.

So let’s turn them on and look at this, because
this is one of my favorite features.

Look.

Are these multi color lights necessary?

NO!

Are they super cool and futuristic looking?

ABSOLUTELY.

I love everything about them.

Listen, I have no idea what’s the deal with all
those YouTubers who get on these

and seem to master them right away.

It took me a few tries to get them going and
in the beginning, it felt like it would be

impossible to use them without help.

But that was the beginning.

After ten minutes or so I can say that I was
feeling way more comfortable and was able

to get on them and move back and forth with
no much problem.

Did I fall?

Yes.

But overall it was all much easier than I
had thought.

OK, I’m back.

As you can see, because they’re not exactly clean anymore,

I’ve been trying them
for a few days.

As I said, the basics are not that complicated.

The first time you use them, you may find
one of your feet trying to go away while the

other stays in place, but once you get used
to the amount of pressure that will get them

going, things get easier.

They are completely independent from each other, there’s no left or right,

but that means that coordination is on
you.

If you put more pressure on one of them, it
will move faster.

If you push in opposite directions, they will
move in opposite directions.

Stopping was one of my main concerns and the
instructions are somewhat vague about it,

but it’s really not that hard.

In fact, changing directions or turning wasn’t
that hard either, and after a couple of days,

I was even able to do some spins.

And I felt pretty proud about it.

In the beginning, I felt they were not very
forgiving with cracks and pebbles,

but it got better with practice.

And to be fair, that’s the same feeling
that you’re going to have

when you start using roller skates or anything else with small wheels.

You should not use them on slopes steeper than 10
degrees, but that is fairly steep.

I myself definitely did not push them that far.

You may find yourself needing to recalibrate
them. One sign is, for example, if you feel

they’re not self-balancing properly,

and I learned that the hard way.

To do that, turn them off…

Turn them upside down, on a flat surface…

Then, turn them on…

The wheels will start spinning, like that…

Turn them off again.

And back up!

And you may need to do this several times to make sure they’re calibrated correctly.

The company says the battery lasts up to 45
minutes.

I didn’t check that with a proper battery
test, but my sessions didn’t feel too short.

I’m guessing though this could change once I get
more used to them or I want to do more things with them…

so it would be great if they can improve
it in future generations.

Oh, and all my experience so far confirms they are sturdy…

because I fell a couple of times and had them running
away from me and crashing into things,

and they seemed to take it, no problem.

So that’s nice, because I don’t think
I could have avoided it.

So, how do they compare with regular roller
skates?

Well, they are very different, obviously.

You cannot jump, for example, but
I do see a lot of room for tricks,

even if I’m not there yet.

I wasn’t very sure that I would use them to get
around…

but now that I’ve got more used to them…

I think I would give them a try, maybe
to go to those places where I don’t feel like

arriving super sweaty, which is something that happens with the roller skates.

Carrying them is a pain.

So are the roller skates, but these are heavier.

If you want to give them a try, they’re $500,

but because they’ve been out for some time, you can find them on sale in some places.

I’m not scared anymore and they are a lot
of fun.

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84 Comments

Marta Franco

May 22, 2021 at 12:49 pm

Any roller skaters here? Would you try electric skates?

Reply
- Michael W
  
  May 22, 2021 at 5:51 pm
  
  No
  
  Reply
- Francisco Quintero
  
  May 22, 2021 at 6:54 pm
  
  @Marta Franco Oh no! If they start spinning faster when you lift them up, you will fall for sure. Muchas gracias!
  
  Reply
- thisscreensucks
  
  May 22, 2021 at 7:03 pm
  
  There’s also no edge to the wheels.
  In Rollerblades your wheels have an edge so you can lean to skates left and right.
  
  Reply
- Nick
  
  May 22, 2021 at 11:44 pm
  
  No… This reminds me of the equivalent of eBikes vs mtb… At any rate I’d prefer NOT to break my ankle or neck. Mind you I’m a x roller hockey player with a titanium clavicle. (ice was wayyyy too expensive around here… )
  
  Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 23, 2021 at 12:30 am
  
  @boldizzle Fair! Yeah, I usually roller skate for longer as well. My sessions with these didn’t feel short, but I was new to them so I got tired faster!
  
  Reply
- Azractor86
  
  May 23, 2021 at 2:38 pm
  
  I’ve just got into rolllerblade and now I’m interested in these pair.
  
  Reply
- Mike Coshan
  
  May 24, 2021 at 9:36 am
  
  I used to be a roller skater ( pre wheelchair of course lol) but I don’t think the battery lasts long enough and then there’s those fiddly calibration issues.
  
  Reply
- Joe Owen
  
  May 24, 2021 at 12:25 pm
  
  I taught myself to use inline skates this last year but would love to give electric skates or boards a go! Don’t think I would quite pay that much for them myself though as I think they would be more of a novelty than a real way to get around the city.
  
  Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 24, 2021 at 2:16 pm
  
  @thisscreensucks They actually work the same way! With some practice, you can do pretty tight turns.
  
  Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 24, 2021 at 2:18 pm
  
  @Mike Coshan The calibration is easy to fix! But yeah, I see how the battery would feel short…
  
  Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 24, 2021 at 2:18 pm
  
  @Joe Owen They’re on sale right now! Still, $299.
  
  Reply
- Joe Owen
  
  May 25, 2021 at 2:59 am
  
  @Marta Franco ah that’s better! But to be honest probably not something I’d purchase, but I’d ask to try them if I saw them at the skate park! Your review was so lovely and fun to watch, thanks for giving them a go for us 🥰
  
  Reply
- Paul J
  
  May 26, 2021 at 2:36 pm
  
  Glad you had on safety gear. I’d try it though. But 45 min batt life is limiting. I would use for trick but a means of short trips.
  
  Reply
- Paul J
  
  May 26, 2021 at 2:36 pm
  
  Glad you had on safety gear. I’d try it though. But 45 min batt life is limiting. I wouldn’t use for tricks but a means of short trips.
  
  Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 26, 2021 at 2:36 pm
  
  @Nick I’m pretty sure roller hockey is way more dangerous! Take care of that clavicle! 💪
  
  Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 26, 2021 at 2:36 pm
  
  @Azractor86 Nice!
  
  Reply
- Nick
  
  May 27, 2021 at 5:14 am
  
  @Marta Franco Oh for sure, thanks it’s been a long time and is now titanium. Unfortunately was time to hang it up playing hockey too.
  
  Reply
Matti P

May 22, 2021 at 7:43 pm

Marta you’re hilarious, keep up the great work❣️👏👏👏

Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 23, 2021 at 12:32 am
  
  Thank you!
  
  Reply
Q Graham

May 22, 2021 at 7:43 pm

Yeah these have Health&Safety warnings written all over them 😆🤣

Reply
Olatunji Ajilore

May 22, 2021 at 7:43 pm

Just 2 mins in… and with all due respect.. I LIKE MARTHA!

Reply
J_RO53505

May 22, 2021 at 7:45 pm

Did I fall? Yes cut to scene slamming on floor she is so funny and cute 😉

Reply
Alejandro Alartiz

May 22, 2021 at 8:09 pm

Good to see the latino presence on CNet.

Reply
keon

May 22, 2021 at 8:32 pm

That accent. ❤️

Reply
holya69

May 22, 2021 at 9:24 pm

She is a fresh breathe of air.

Reply
Kacey Green

May 22, 2021 at 9:35 pm

Great video and interesting product

Reply
Wissem Elbekri

May 22, 2021 at 9:38 pm

very nice shoes btw 🙂

Reply
Victor Andrade

May 22, 2021 at 9:38 pm

Kind of dangerous for me i will end with no teeth lol

Reply
Amirabbas

May 22, 2021 at 9:58 pm

Accent😆

Reply
H. C. Turk

May 22, 2021 at 10:27 pm

Gotta be the most worthless product in the history of Humankind, up there with Farcebook.

Reply
jinUAE

May 22, 2021 at 10:31 pm

Her accent is so damn satisfying!

Reply
CannonKnight

May 22, 2021 at 10:32 pm

I’m curious what other human-powered mover can we put an “e” in front of? We have e-bikes, e-scooters, e-boards and now e-skates. E-pogo sticks? Wait, you didn’t see that! That’s MY idea! Shark Tank, here I come!

Reply
Khuriosity IRL

May 22, 2021 at 10:43 pm

That was an insane fall at 2:38.

Reply
No Country for Ados Men

May 22, 2021 at 10:45 pm

i refuse to believe this is the bet possible design for these

Reply
AGENT SMITH

May 22, 2021 at 10:55 pm

Looks hideous.

Reply
ISI GLZ

May 22, 2021 at 10:55 pm

Wack! Get a Onewheel

Reply
Alungile Sidelo

May 22, 2021 at 11:17 pm

Love that @cnet got a lady with a accent to do this review… I love her

Reply
Christopher Alden

May 22, 2021 at 11:50 pm

Most of the time people on these electric mobile devices look pretty stupid. These actually might not be that bad.

Reply
Jesus Melendez

May 23, 2021 at 12:05 am

Very nice! The skates are pretty cool too😉

Reply
J.B. Laws

May 23, 2021 at 12:51 am

Well done practice makes perfect. You have to get over the fear also. Congratulations you did good job on your video. I don’t think I’ll be putting any of those things on my feet anytime soon so thank you

Reply
Quentin Manson

May 23, 2021 at 1:21 am

Get ready to do the SPLITSSS!😱😱

Reply
Quentin Manson

May 23, 2021 at 1:23 am

No matter how good always wear a HELMET

Reply
Harry M

May 23, 2021 at 1:53 am

These are awesome. Please buy them. Signed Physiotherapist

Reply
Giovanni Gonzalez

May 23, 2021 at 2:09 am

Cambridge, Ma?

Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 23, 2021 at 4:24 am
  
  Yeah!
  
  Reply
Wandering around with Mee

May 23, 2021 at 2:27 am

You did very well, it took some courage to try them, good for you.👍👍

Reply
Vinay Vanteddu

May 23, 2021 at 3:13 am

Marta should do all reviews from now on

Reply
ryeyoo

May 23, 2021 at 3:26 am

Great review

Reply
impendio

May 23, 2021 at 4:41 am

as another english-spanish speaker, i _love_ her accent

Reply
ahloke cafe

May 23, 2021 at 4:50 am

What it can do is not much different than a normal roller skate. Hvg it charging and carrying it around is minus… Failed segway product

Reply
Y Y

May 23, 2021 at 5:45 am

It is nice…advertising, not a review

Reply
Off the Shelf Movie Night

May 23, 2021 at 7:03 am

Battery Life tooooo short

Reply
JRA

May 23, 2021 at 10:24 am

Doesn’t she look like Susan Sarandon! 😁

Reply
notBot notBot

May 23, 2021 at 12:37 pm

This lady is super cool!!

Reply
Josh Mateo

May 23, 2021 at 3:20 pm

I think she is the kind of person that would LOVE a onewheel pint.

Reply
Nitin Jain

May 23, 2021 at 3:25 pm

Marta is awesome! More Marta videos please.

Reply
Shreyash Kolhe

May 23, 2021 at 4:24 pm

Go tiktok out of our way..😂😂😂

Reply
The_Natives

May 23, 2021 at 8:41 pm

I love this lady.

Reply
Cody Eason

May 23, 2021 at 9:06 pm

This is cool to give this reviewer an older woman that has a passion for story this review nice job cnet

Reply
AR Sumar

May 24, 2021 at 12:02 am

So zero exercise element? Roller skating is a workout.

Reply
argender

May 24, 2021 at 12:23 am

I liked that it felt like an actual review from someone who doesn’t need to sell anything

Reply
Domingo Guillen

May 24, 2021 at 1:28 am

Marta for the win!

Reply
FrankieBeans

May 24, 2021 at 1:46 am

go tiktok out of my way lmao

Reply
jimmyohdez

May 24, 2021 at 2:33 am

i was heading to Micorcenter and happened to catch a glimpse of you guys filming this. didn’t expect to see this on youtube..

Reply
- Marta Franco
  
  May 24, 2021 at 3:23 am
  
  Ha, what a coincidence!
  
  Reply
TECH REVIEWS

May 24, 2021 at 3:02 am

Takes a bit of time to get used to. But once you do, it is very fun to ride. I have used a hoverboard for years, there is a learning curve when it comes to using two separate skate. They are bit on the heavy side, the straps make it really easy to carry.

Reply
Miltown 414

May 24, 2021 at 5:44 am

Na regular skates will always be 👑

Reply
Muhammad K. Ahsan

May 24, 2021 at 6:09 am

I think it would be much easier with some sort of straps or something

Reply
PC Lotion

May 24, 2021 at 12:09 pm

Wtf?

Reply
Chuck

May 24, 2021 at 6:53 pm

Bonito acento n_n

Reply
Sarfaraz A.K. Yezdani

May 25, 2021 at 8:30 am

I love this lady’s energy and vibe. Let her do more reviews please. Also her accent is amazing! Love the breath of fresh air to cnet.

Reply
Ismael Rivera

May 25, 2021 at 2:40 pm

Dont you have other english reporters without an italian accent

Reply
- JFreezle360Wizzle
  
  May 27, 2021 at 4:56 pm
  
  Screw you uncultured spawn smh.
  
  Reply
J G

May 25, 2021 at 4:42 pm

These things came out like 2-3 years ago.

Reply
Nick Stern

May 25, 2021 at 5:22 pm

not really sure she is qualified for this review…

Reply
tateblaze80

May 25, 2021 at 9:48 pm

I enjoyed this review

Reply
Atletang Puyat

May 26, 2021 at 3:54 am

I like your accent.. it’s like you are cooking pizza

Reply
qjtvaddict

May 26, 2021 at 7:52 am

They are too slow

Reply
hashbrowns

May 26, 2021 at 7:23 pm

Martha is awesome. Put her in more reviews. She reminds me of consuela

Reply
Tech_Critter

May 26, 2021 at 9:04 pm

I can do this but I can’t rollerskate ! Gawd I just want to go non electric for once plzz

Reply
HughsReviews

May 26, 2021 at 11:19 pm

This commentary is painful.

Reply
Silver Surfer

May 27, 2021 at 4:52 pm

She’s riding lint rollers

Reply
k Williams

May 27, 2021 at 9:29 pm

Useless

Reply

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