Airwheel A3 Scooter vs Segway

Reckless · 08-31-2016, 01:08 AM

I just got my Airwheel A3 Scooter today. It's a really fun and nifty device. I prefer sitting over standing for long intervals. It seems well built but not on the level of the segway.

I don't know why these arent the latest craze. My friends and I think its much better than a hoverboard. We liked it better than a segway for certain things and less in others. But it definitely felt better to be sitting instead of standing but seat was uncomfortable for long periods. I think that's probably my biggest complaint with the device. It also a bit slower than the Segway at 17 km/h (10.5 mph). It feels safer and easier to navigate because of its small size - very natural. I learned how to drive it in less than 5 minutes and I have improved greatly in 30 minutes. I'm still learning to drive a segway style device

I was originally worried I would look like some old, lazy fart or give off the mall cop vibe but my friends didn't think so. It reminded a few of them of a motorcycle - just safer and electric. It is a bit heavy, so getting in out of car is not as easy as I was hoping for.

Other then seat and top speed, I am not sure there is much that can be improved. It has a speaker but it doesn't play music to my knowledge. The bluetooth app is nice but not very useful. Aesthetics could be improved but would make minor difference. It doesn't seem to have too many parts so not sure if much can go wrong.

ions82 · 08-31-2016, 11:01 PM

Interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience. That one sure is a unique design. I think my favorite thing about it would be that it looks as though it would be very quiet. I assume that it has a direct-drive motor setup. The gear noise on my Segway is fairly pronounced when I get 'er up to speed. Not much noise when going slow, though. A direct-drive system would be much quieter than straight-cut gears.

My i2 has a seat on it, and I use it all the time. Mainly whenever I glide into a store, am sitting still talking with friends, or am on a long, smooth stretch of road. Other than that, I like to be up standing. Having the two options is great. When on uneven terrain, I definitely want to be standing. The Airwheel A3 looks as though it might be a little unstable on uneven terrain. Virtually all of the sidewalks here in Albuquerque have curb cuts going out into the street. Doesn't matter if it's a busy road where cars are going 50+ or a quiet side street. There are no level sidewalks anywhere. I typically glide on the street, but there are always times when I have to catch a short stretch of sidewalk. So, having stability over uneven terrain is important for me.

Is the overall width of the A3 narrower than a Segway? In all honesty, I would probably find it to be far more attractive if it had a different color scheme. That white and orange isn't terribly appealing. I'd be very curious to open one up and see what it looks like on the inside. It's amazing that the entire unit sells for less than a set of Segway batteries.

Reckless · 08-31-2016, 11:05 PM

You hit the nail on the head. So today, I had time to take it on the street and its very terrible on uneven terrain. Its soo hard to keep balance when weight is shifting uneven. I crashed 5 times atleast. Maybe I need to learn how to drive it better as I am still no expert. I will see what others say. But it seemed useless to me for anything uneven.

Inside my warehouse, it is fun and awesome. Puts a smile on everyone's face. I liked the color scheme but it does get dirty fast.

Thumbs down for uselessness outdoors. Its perfect for tradeshows and conventions which I do alot of.

ions82 · 09-01-2016, 04:37 AM

I hope you don't sustain any injuries from crashing! I am partially paralyzed, and I have yet to crash my i2. A wipe out has the potential for some injury as I have lots of atrophy in my lower half. The stability of the Segway is quite remarkable. Today, I hit a speed bump at speed when I wasn't paying attention. Somehow, the machine stabilized after a little bit of jostling. I feel as though I still owe my Seg a high-five for that one.

I'm curious if the S3/S5 would feel a lot more stable on uneven terrain. Being that they are more like the Segways, I would assume so. However, the lack of a seat is a real detractor. It would be awesome if Airwheel were to design an accessory seat for those models. Best of both worlds. I look forward to taking my i2 to a big art festival this fall (www.ArtPrize.org). The SegSaddle will be critical for using the machine at that event. An Airwheel S5 equipped with a seat probably wouldn't be much more than $2K. A bargain, IMO. I've been a wheelchair user for 15 years, and this is the best form of mobility that I've had. I'm so glad the technology is readily available.

08-31-2016, 01:08 AM	#1
Reckless New Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Chicago Posts: 12	Airwheel A3 Scooter vs Segway I just got my Airwheel A3 Scooter today. It's a really fun and nifty device. I prefer sitting over standing for long intervals. It seems well built but not on the level of the segway. I don't know why these arent the latest craze. My friends and I think its much better than a hoverboard. We liked it better than a segway for certain things and less in others. But it definitely felt better to be sitting instead of standing but seat was uncomfortable for long periods. I think that's probably my biggest complaint with the device. It also a bit slower than the Segway at 17 km/h (10.5 mph). It feels safer and easier to navigate because of its small size - very natural. I learned how to drive it in less than 5 minutes and I have improved greatly in 30 minutes. I'm still learning to drive a segway style device I was originally worried I would look like some old, lazy fart or give off the mall cop vibe but my friends didn't think so. It reminded a few of them of a motorcycle - just safer and electric. It is a bit heavy, so getting in out of car is not as easy as I was hoping for. Other then seat and top speed, I am not sure there is much that can be improved. It has a speaker but it doesn't play music to my knowledge. The bluetooth app is nice but not very useful. Aesthetics could be improved but would make minor difference. It doesn't seem to have too many parts so not sure if much can go wrong.

08-31-2016, 11:01 PM	#2
ions82 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ABQ, NM Posts: 309	Interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience. That one sure is a unique design. I think my favorite thing about it would be that it looks as though it would be very quiet. I assume that it has a direct-drive motor setup. The gear noise on my Segway is fairly pronounced when I get 'er up to speed. Not much noise when going slow, though. A direct-drive system would be much quieter than straight-cut gears. My i2 has a seat on it, and I use it all the time. Mainly whenever I glide into a store, am sitting still talking with friends, or am on a long, smooth stretch of road. Other than that, I like to be up standing. Having the two options is great. When on uneven terrain, I definitely want to be standing. The Airwheel A3 looks as though it might be a little unstable on uneven terrain. Virtually all of the sidewalks here in Albuquerque have curb cuts going out into the street. Doesn't matter if it's a busy road where cars are going 50+ or a quiet side street. There are no level sidewalks anywhere. I typically glide on the street, but there are always times when I have to catch a short stretch of sidewalk. So, having stability over uneven terrain is important for me. Is the overall width of the A3 narrower than a Segway? In all honesty, I would probably find it to be far more attractive if it had a different color scheme. That white and orange isn't terribly appealing. I'd be very curious to open one up and see what it looks like on the inside. It's amazing that the entire unit sells for less than a set of Segway batteries.

08-31-2016, 11:05 PM	#3
Reckless New Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Chicago Posts: 12	You hit the nail on the head. So today, I had time to take it on the street and its very terrible on uneven terrain. Its soo hard to keep balance when weight is shifting uneven. I crashed 5 times atleast. Maybe I need to learn how to drive it better as I am still no expert. I will see what others say. But it seemed useless to me for anything uneven. Inside my warehouse, it is fun and awesome. Puts a smile on everyone's face. I liked the color scheme but it does get dirty fast. Thumbs down for uselessness outdoors. Its perfect for tradeshows and conventions which I do alot of.

09-01-2016, 04:37 AM	#4
ions82 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: ABQ, NM Posts: 309	I hope you don't sustain any injuries from crashing! I am partially paralyzed, and I have yet to crash my i2. A wipe out has the potential for some injury as I have lots of atrophy in my lower half. The stability of the Segway is quite remarkable. Today, I hit a speed bump at speed when I wasn't paying attention. Somehow, the machine stabilized after a little bit of jostling. I feel as though I still owe my Seg a high-five for that one. I'm curious if the S3/S5 would feel a lot more stable on uneven terrain. Being that they are more like the Segways, I would assume so. However, the lack of a seat is a real detractor. It would be awesome if Airwheel were to design an accessory seat for those models. Best of both worlds. I look forward to taking my i2 to a big art festival this fall (www.ArtPrize.org). The SegSaddle will be critical for using the machine at that event. An Airwheel S5 equipped with a seat probably wouldn't be much more than $2K. A bargain, IMO. I've been a wheelchair user for 15 years, and this is the best form of mobility that I've had. I'm so glad the technology is readily available.

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