The Onewheel is an expensive investment and it’s recommended to protect it from the inevitable scratches and wear from your daily use. Even if you’re always a real gentle rider it’s recommended to add something like Float Plates to protect your board over the stock bumpers.
The stock bumpers are not that well protected as the rear bumper is essentially only along the edges and doesn’t cover the bottom where the battery is located. The float plates do protect the area that the bumpers don’t cover, protecting the battery from being pierced or damaged by rocks or other objects.
There are other advantages with the float plates compared to the stock bumper, the plastic is specially chosen to be as slipperier as possible, this not only helps to do slides, it also can help you in case of a nosedive. It’s not a guarantee, but it may depend on the situation to help you to recover from the dive or jump off to save your ass.
Key benefits with float plates compared to stock bumpers
- The Float plates do a better you on protect your investment. The stock plastic battery and controller compartments are weak and prone to breakage.
- The plastic is self-lubricating and a lot more slippery than the stock bumper. *Never slide with the stock bumper as it’s prone to break.
- The reduced friction to the ground can help you in case of a nosedive.
Key drawbacks of float plates vs bumpers
- The biggest drawback with the float plates is just a slightly increased weight
- Also, the plates do give you a slightly reduced ground clearance for curb nudges.
Many riders wish that they would have started with float plates from the start cause their bumpers are quite beat by the learning process and daily riding.
Bang Bumpers vs Bumpers vs Float Plates
If you want to take your bumpers to the next level and upgrade from your float plates then the BANG Bumpers is the way to go. In short, they are float plates and bumpers combined giving the best protection your Onewheel XR can get.
They are a one-package deal, giving the underneath protection as the plates and also reinforcing the bumpers for even better protection. The BANGs are made of self-lubricating plastic as the float plates, Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene, one of the strongest and slickest plastic.
The biggest complaints about the BANG bumpers are the tolerances and fitment of the pieces. These are handmade and poured in the USA, there are some times when there are gaps and not fully straight lines. Still, this is something most riders can live with and the key is to follow the tutorial when installing them you shouldn’t have any issues.
The other downside is the lesser clearance than the stock pads.
