Cheekiemonkies: Singapore Parenting & Lifestyle Blog: Smart Balance Wheel: The Bonding Toy between Adults & Kids Cheekie Monkies

Product Review

Since the boys got their hands on this certain fun toy 1.5 months ago, they have been finding every opportunity to bring it along whenever we head out - to the park, to the grandparents' place, to their buddies' home and even to their little sister's craft party. And every single time, we had received so many questions from interested parties where to get this toy.

The toy in question? The Smart Balance Wheel.

If you do a quick search online, it has a host of various names but the gadget is essentially the same thing. The Smart Balance Wheel is an electric gadget that is half Segway, half skateboard.

Think a 2-wheel scooter that utilizes self balancing electric technology that allows riders to easily balance on two wheels while standing upright. All one needs to do is apply pressure with his feet to make it move forward and sideways.

The Smart Balance Wheel is recommended for ages 7 and up. For younger kids, it is still possible to ride it as long as the self-balancing gyro is able to sense their weight.

Sounds fun? I admit I myself had to suppress my excitement too when unboxing the Smart Balance Wheel!

Fortunately, there was not too much to unbox or set up. Inside the box contained a user manual, the charger plugin and cable, along with the actual Smart Balance Wheel itself.

It takes about an hour to fully charge the battery and for the boys, that one hour felt like an eternity to them!

I was told not to over-charge the balance wheel as it is not good for the battery and could take its toll on its battery life over time.

And when the charging was finally done, the boys needed no invitation to hop on.

There are two LED lights located on one side of the balance wheel which could help navigate better if you are riding at night. These lights turn on as soon as you step your foot on the matched rubber touch pad for that specific side of the board, as will the self-balancing gyro too.

To move forward, all one needs to do is to lean forward; to slow down, stop or go backwards, lean back, and turning is just a case of leaning left and right.

And it seemed easy enough for both Ash and Ayd to master it within a few minutes of being on it!

Obviously the boys have a better sense of balance on the Smart Wheels than me.

A video posted by Kelvin Ang (@cheekiemonkies) on Oct 4, 2015 at 2:18am PDT

I think it is due to the smaller build but I find that kids - even the boys' buddies - pick up the riding on the Smart Balance Wheel way faster than adults.

But even for someone who cannot skateboard or roller-blade, I am proud to say that I mastered it in about 5 minutes. The first time I stepped on the board, it wobbled so much that I nearly fell. It turned out that it happened to almost every single adult I witnessed going on it. So yes, I don't feel so bad after all.

But the technique is to stand firmly still on the board, lock one's knees and let the mind guide your path by leaning the body slightly forward. People usually tilt too much, or move their feet on the board and this causes the board to over compensate the movement and result in the wobbling.

Keeping calm and still while letting your mind and body move the vehicle slowly is what matters.

The Smart Balance Wheel travels up to 15km on a single charge. Each can go up a 12 degree incline without stopping and each has a zero degree turn radius which basically means that they can be turned completely around with ease and can be navigated through narrow spaces.

And as you can see from the videos, the Smart Balance Wheel is incredibly easy to use and requires no prerequisite skill – although a little practice may be in order for adults. For kids, they are really able to master it much quicker!

I have to admit it is extremely addictive to ride on the Smart Balance Wheel... simply because it is so much fun and cool. Wherever the boys bring along the balance wheels, the gadgets immediately become the bonding toy among the kids and adults. Parents and kids have so much laughter and fun cruising on the balance wheels!

Need more information? The Smart Balance Wheel is available from +FUN.Co - a new local start up inspired by the word phase "Add Fun into your life" - for S$480 (S1 The Classic). There are six colours to choose from, as well as other designs.

S1 The Classic Specifications

Dimensions: 584x186x178 mm

Ground Distance: 30 mm

Tyre Size: 6.5 inch

Weight: 10 kg

Maximum Load: 100 kg

Max Speed: 10 km/h

Range: 15 km

Max climbing ability: 12 °

Charging time: 1 hour

Samsung Battery 4400 ma

Price: S$480