Quick answer: Yes, a hoverboard can go on short, dry grass, and the off-road tyres on the 8.5-inch board cope far better there than 6.5-inch wheels, which belong on hard, smooth ground. Neither board has a published water-protection rating, so wait until the ground is dry. Wherever you ride, the land has to be private and its owner has to agree.
Ground by ground
The table sums up what both our boards can handle on private land. The sections underneath explain how to ride each surface.
| Ground | 6.5-inch wheels | 8.5-inch off-road tyres | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patio, private driveway, garage floor | Yes | Yes | Joints and raised edges between slabs; a step edge can stop a wheel dead |
| Short, dry lawn | Keep to hard ground; these wheels are not made for grass | Yes, made for it | Holes, stones, hoses and garden tools hidden in the grass |
| Long or tufty grass | No | Slowly | Grass winding around the wheels; ground you cannot see |
| Compacted gravel or a hard farm track | No | Yes, at a steady pace | Ruts and potholes |
| Loose gravel | No | Slowly, in straight lines | Stones that shift under the tyres when you turn or slow down |
| Sand | No | Yes, on firm sand | Sand in the charging port and around the button afterwards |
| Avoid: wet grass, puddles and mud | No | No | No published water protection and little grip: stay off until it is dry |
| Avoid: frost, snow and ice | No | No | Almost no grip, and cold is hard on the battery |
Will a hoverboard work on grass?
Yes, if it is built for it. The 8.5-inch outdoor board runs on off-road tyres meant for unpaved ground, sand and grass, with two 400 W motors to drive them. Its bigger tyres roll over tufts and small bumps that a 6.5-inch wheel tends to catch on, and it is the board our all-terrain hoverboards page is built around. Keep the 6.5-inch board, for hard ground, on patios and driveways, where its smaller wheels belong.
Grass still asks more of the rider than a patio does:
- Walk the lawn first and clear stones, hoses, sprinkler heads and garden tools. Look for holes and soft patches.
- Ride slower than you would on hard ground, with soft knees and your weight centred over the board.
- Make wide, gentle turns. A sharp turn on grass can dig a tyre in.
- Expect fewer miles than the maximum of about 6 miles (10 km), because soft ground uses more battery.
- Keep to short, dry grass. In long grass you cannot see what the tyres are about to hit.
Gravel and other unpaved ground
Unpaved ground runs from a firm farm track to loose pea gravel, and the two ride very differently. On a compacted surface the 8.5-inch board rolls steadily. On loose gravel the stones move under the tyres, so the board can slide when you turn or slow down.
- Keep to a steady pace and ride in straight lines where you can.
- Slow down gradually. Leaning back hard on loose stones can make the tyres skid.
- Expect flicked-up stones. Wear a helmet, closed shoes and guards on wrists, knees and elbows.
- After the ride, look over the tyres for cuts and embedded stones, and the casing for chips.
Sand
The 8.5-inch board's tyres can handle sand, but firm sand rides far better than deep, loose sand, where the tyres dig in and the board slows sharply. Keep your speed down, turn wide, and brush sand out of the port, the power button and the footpad edges before you charge. Sand on private ground with permission only; public beaches are not an option.
Moving from one surface to another
The join between two surfaces is where a board is easiest to upset. A patio edge, a lip where a lawn meets a path, or a strip of loose gravel across a driveway can stop one wheel while the other keeps going.
- Slow right down before the change of surface.
- Cross edges square-on, so both wheels meet the new ground together.
- Bend your knees a little and stay centred as the grip changes.
- Never ride off a step or a raised edge; lift the board over it instead.
Rain, wet grass and puddles: wait until it is dry
The manufacturer gives no IP rating for either board (the code that grades protection against water and dust), so we treat both as boards that must stay dry. Inside the casing sit the battery, the control electronics and the wiring, and water can get in through the charging port, the power button and the seams.
Stay off wet ground even after the rain has stopped: tyres lose grip on wet grass, footpads get slippery under wet shoes, and spray reaches the underside of the board. Leave it indoors until the surface has dried.
If a shower catches you out:
- Step off and switch the board off where you are.
- Carry it back rather than riding it.
- Indoors, towel off the water and dirt, paying attention to the port and the button.
- Leave it to dry out somewhere airy, away from radiators, heaters and hairdryers, and keep the casing shut.
- Connect the charger only once the port and seams are completely dry. If it then refuses, the checks for a board that will not charge after a damp ride come next.
- If it beeps, will not balance or smells odd the next time you switch it on, do not ride it. Contact us.
Cleaning after an off-road ride
Let the dirt dry before you brush it off, and keep hoses and pressure washers away. Our guide to cleaning the board part by part covers the rest.
Whose land you can ride on
A field, lawn or track is only an option when two things are true: it is private land, and its owner has agreed. In Great Britain, hoverboards are banned from pavements, cycle lanes and roads, and public spaces are no different: parks, commons, beaches and car parks are all out. Police have the power to seize vehicles used illegally. Our page on whose land you can ride on sets out the rules and the kit we recommend.
Weight and soft ground
Soft ground and a heavy rider both make a board work harder, and together they can make it labour, beep or cut out sooner; hot weather adds to that (see hard rides in hot weather). Near your board's limit, 100 kg or 120 kg depending on size, read about weight and soft ground before you take it onto the lawn.
Stop and contact us
Switch the board off, bring it inside and leave it off. Contact us before you ride or charge it again if:
- water got into the port, the button or the casing, and the board now beeps, will not balance or smells unusual;
- a stone or a knock has cracked the casing or left a gap around a footpad;
- a tyre is cut or split, or a wheel wobbles or grinds when you turn it by hand;
- the battery area feels warm after the board has been sitting, switched off, in the house.
Questions riders ask
Can hoverboards go outside?
Yes, outdoors on private land: a patio, a driveway the public cannot walk onto, or a dry lawn for the 8.5-inch board. Outdoors also means weather and grit, so keep the board dry and brush it clean after every ride.
Are hoverboards waterproof?
Do not count on it. No IP rating for water protection has been published for either of our boards. Treat both as boards that must stay dry. Keep them out of rain and standing water, and if one does get wet, let it dry out completely before you charge it.
How long after rain can I ride on grass?
Wait until the surface has dried and the grass no longer leaves your shoes wet. There is no fixed time: a bright, breezy afternoon dries a lawn far faster than a still, grey one.
Is gravel bad for the tyres?
Loose stones are harder on tyres than grass and can cut or chip them. Ride gravel slowly, check the tyres after each ride for cuts and stuck stones, and contact us if you find damage.
Do off-road tyres cope with a wet lawn?
No. Off-road tyres are made for rough, dry ground. With no published water-protection rating, the 8.5-inch board stays off a wet lawn just like the smaller one: wait until the grass is dry.