Zealot X review: The 30 mph electric skateboard with a surprisingly fun twist

The Backfire Zealot X electric skateboard isn’t just fast and powerful. In addition to both of those traits, it’s also got another fun trick up its sleeve that will have you getting noticed everywhere you go.

The performance is there, of course. It’s a blast to ride. But with the 360-degree surround LED lighting, the skateboard is somehow even more visible to car drivers at night compared to during the day.

You’ve got to check out what it’s like in my video review below, then keep reading for all of the other details, including the build quality and performance.

Backfire Zealot X video review

Backfire Zealot X tech specs

• Motors: Dual rear 1,500W 6358 belt drive motors (3,000W total)
• Battery: 14s 2p (504 Wh) battery
• Range: 34 miles (55 km)
• Top speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
• Max hill climb gradient: Up to 35%
• Max load: 240 lb. (110 kg)
• Weight: 24.6 lb. (11.2 kg)
• Price: $1,199 

How does it ride?

The Backfire Zealot X is a great board for anyone looking for a street ride that combines good speed and power in a fairly lightweight and affordable package. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn good.

Let’s jump into the feel first.

With a pair of 1,500W motors, it’s much faster and more powerful than most people will need, yet still has the performance to keep seasoned skaters interested.

The higher voltage 14s battery is where that extra speed and power is really coming from. It also uses larger Samsung cells to create a higher capacity pack than a lot of other boards in this price class. Cruising at reasonable speeds can definitely net you a solid 20 miles (32 km) of range, and relaxed speeds can push the range closer to 30 miles (51 km).

But of course it’s the higher-speed riding that will be the board’s claim to fame. I can get up to nearly 30 mph (51 km/h) on it, though I tend to feel better in the mid 20s of mph.

Part of that is because the board is just stiffer than I expected. It’s made of several layers of maple, glass fiber, and ABS plastic, and I have no doubt that it’s rugged. But that also means it doesn’t have the same give to it as a purely laminated maple or bamboo board. At top speed, that translates into feeling more road vibration.

Interestingly, the deck is also fairly flat. It has a slight concavity, but it’s pretty gentle. I would have preferred a bit more of a cupped shape to give me a better feel of the edges of the board, especially when carving. It’s not really an issue, I can ride the board just fine and it’s comfortable, but a slightly more concave deck would have been even better. And let’s get real, I’m not going 45 degrees into the turns either, so it works just fine for me.

What about the remote?

The Backfire Zealot X remote is functionally similar to many pistol-grip electric skateboard remotes out there, but I like the way Backfire molds it slightly differently.

It’s also got some great features built in, like a fingerprint unlock for security. It’s unlikely it will be used as an anti-theft device (just keep your board with you and don’t lock it up outside like a bike), but it would work that way too, just in case. In reality, it’s probably better used as a way to prevent people from messing with your board. Those pesky roommates can’t ride your board if they can’t turn it on.

I also like the one-button wake feature. You can turn on your board directly from the remote, no need to bend over and find another button on the board!

Quite a light show!

Now let’s talk about the light show, which is where this board really shines… literally.

There’s a blue LED light strip wrapped around the entirety of the deck. It’s illuminated from the hand remote and you can turn it on and off at any time.

It’s hard to explain just how cool this looks without seeing it in person, but hopefully the GIF below gives you a sense of the effect. It’s like you’re skating around on a cloud of blue light. There’s 100% no way anyone can ever claim they didn’t see you.

When it comes to safety and night time visibility, this is so much better than any LED dot lights on the front or rear of the board. I usually recommend helmet lights or other LED lights mounted up high when riding electric skateboards since deck lights are mounted so low, but these deck lights are visible enough that they could serve as your only lighting in a pinch.

Is it worth it?

At $1,199, the Backfire Zealot X isn’t the most affordable board out there. Backfire has done a good job though at splitting the difference between super-low-cost electric skateboard companies and the higher-end, more premium models. It’s truly a great Goldilocks option for a middle-of-the-road board.

It’s fast enough for 90% of riders, it’s powerful enough to handle steep hills, and it’s so visible that it wins extra points from me there. The inclusion of larger 120mm wheels is a nice option to be able to ride higher and on more varied terrain, or just not get shaken around as much by sidewalk cracks.

For $1,199, I feel like this board is quite fairly priced for what you’re getting. Budget shoppers may want to pass this one up for a board with less battery capacity and fewer features to find a lower price. But if you can swing the twelve hundred bucks, I think you’ll be very happy with the Backfire Zealot X.