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H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Review

Hover 1 is best know for their hoverboards, but they make great electric scooters, too. Their H-1 Pro Series electric scooters really ups the game for luxury commuters.

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H-1 Boss R800 | $899 / H-1 Boss DM | $1399

When you think of Hover 1, you probably think of hoverboards. But if you’ve been watching our channel for a while, you might also think of entry-level electric scooters like the Hover 1 Journey Max, the fastest hillclimber for under $500. You might not think of models like the H-1 BOSS R800 and H-1 BOSS DM.

Hover 1 decided to do something new with their H-1 series (which also includes the H-1 ACE R350 and R450). If regular Hover 1s are like Toyotas, the H-1 scooters would be their Lexus series because they’re higher performance, have higher-end finishes, and ride like higher-end scooters. Just like Lexus, I think of H-1 as a power commuter brand.

Who Is This Scooter For?

Sometimes it’s hard to know what kind of rider a particular model is best suited for, but with the H-1 Pro Series, that’s not the case at all. These are solid commuter scooters that work really well for getting to work or school for three reasons: 1) A quick, yet-butter-smooth throttle response really gets you moving from stop sign to stop sign; 2) Low deck height makes it really easy to step off and on and 3) Full suspension handles all the rough roads and potholes out there that you don’t see coming.



H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Specs

MakeH-1 Pro SeriesH-1 Pro Series
Model BOSS R800BOSS DM
MSRP (US)$899$1399
Weight (ESG-tested)49.8 lbs65.5 lbs
Motor power (Continuous)800W1600W
Motor typeSingle motorDual motor
Top Speed24 mph (Manufacturer spec)
23.3 mph (ESG tested)
28 mph (Manufacturer spec)
28.9 mph (ESG tested)
Range28 mi (Manufacturer spec)
22.7 mi (ESG tested)
40 mi (Manufacturer spec)
27.1 mi (ESG tested)
Battery capacity624 Wh874 Wh
Battery recharge time5.5 hrs7 hrs
Max rider weight265 lbs265 lbs
Brake typeDrum + DiscDrum + Disc
Tire typePneumatic (Tubeless) Pneumatic (Tubeless)
Suspension typeSpring + SpringSpring + Spring
Built-in lightsFront + RearFront + Rear
Water resistanceIPX4IPX4
UL CertificationUL2272UL2272
ESG Reliability Score 8.07.8
Top: H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Review

Our Full Video Review

Top: H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Review

H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM: Performance

Top Speed

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The BOSS R800’s ESG-tested official top speed is 23.3 miles per hour. That’s almost two miles per hour faster than the Segway Ninebot Max G2.

The H-1 BOSS DM’s tested top speed is 28.9 miles per hour, meaning their own 28 mile per hour spec is an underestimate, always a good sign since it shows a manufacturer isn’t inflating their numbers.

Acceleration

The H-1 BOSS R800 revved up to 15 mph in just 4 seconds and the BOSS DM did it in just 2.5, making it faster off the line than some dual motor performance scooters like the Kaabo Wolf Warrior X Pro and Inokim OXO.

To me, what’s extraordinary about these two scooters isn’t just their raw power or speed. Rather, it’s the way they deliver that power. The throttle on both scooters has basically zero dead zone, which is nice because you don’t have to touch it and wonder when it’s going to come on.

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A rare thing Hover 1 has done here: most scooters, when you hit the throttle, give you 80% in the first two millimeters. That can end up feeling too abrupt.

What we get instead on the H-1 BOSS scooters is a throttle that eases you into it at the beginning, which is exactly what you want when you’re launching a scooter.

But if you want full power, you can push your thumb all the way through and get 100% throttle at the end.

Range

the Boss R 800 has 624 watt hours in its battery and the Boss DM has 874. They come with three amp chargers and that gets them charged in five and a half hours and seven hours through the single charge port located at the back of the scooter.

I rode the H-1 Pro Series Boss R800 for 22.7 miles and the Boss DM for 27.1 miles. Both scooters travel a little farther than you can expect for the price.

Towards the end of my ride on the Boss DM, it showed 24.2 miles on the odometer, which I thought was pretty close to accurate because speedometer is close to accurate, and that’s how these things usually go. But of course, the final word always goes to the data logger on my helmet.

According to our measurements, I rode the Boss R800 22.7 miles and the Boss DM 27.1, both coming in a little better than you can expect for the price. 

Top: H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Review
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Braking

The Boss R800 has a drum brake up front and a disc out back where the DM has got discs on both ends. Let’s go see how they work in the real world. The R800 stopped from 15 miles per hour in 12.6 feet and the DM with this dual disc brakes stopped in 11.8 feet.

Both were easy to control during emergency braking and stopped right on target with what we’d expect for the price. Getting back to the rest of the build, you know, the stems and frames feel really solid on both. You know, they both have full suspension with the Boss DM feeling like it’s probably best sprung for a 200 plus pounds and the Boss R800 feeling perfectly sprung for my 165 pound rider weight.

Hill Climb

Both of the H1 Pro Series scooters made easy work of our test hill and beat the trend line for climb time versus price. The Boss R800 reached the top in 12.6 seconds, half a second quicker than the Segway Ninebot Max G2. The Boss DM did it in 9.2 seconds, beating the GOTRAX GX2.

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The two strongest performance categories for these scooters are the ones you care most about for commuting: acceleration and hill climbing. You might never get to use the top speed of a lot of scooters while commuting around town. But having satisfying acceleration from stop sign to stop sign is a really useful thing.

Ride Quality

The Boss DM has an absolutely enormous, super, super wide deck. The R800 has more of a typical width for the deck. Both scooters have relatively quiet motors, but the Boss DM has a more aggressive off-road tread pattern, so you get like a tiny bit of tire noise from it.

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One thing I really like about the DM is when you’re riding over cracks or pavement seams, its huge wide tires don’t get caught in the ruts. You don’t have the scooters start steering on you. But both scooters are exceptionally stable.

So overall, the smooth throttle, suspension that kind of handles any unexpected bumps in the road, as well as stability all make these scooters really easy to ride, despite their having such strong acceleration for the price.

Top: H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Review

H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM: Design, Build & Reliability

The stems and frames of these scooters feel really solid. Both have full suspension, and the Boss DM feels like it’s probably best sprung for 200-plus pounds, while the Boss R800 feels perfectly sprung for my 165-pound rider weight.

I really like the low deck height when you’re going from stop sign to stop sign. And I like the way that the decks flow into the fenders, and really just love the overall design of these scooters. It’s a very modern, clean design. We give these scooters reliability scores of 8 out of 10 for the Boss R800 and 7.8 out of 10 for the Boss DM. (The R800 scores slightly higher because drum brakes last longer than disc brakes.)

The overall scores are pulled slightly downward by the IP rating being IPX4, which is about the lowest we expect on a scooter in 2024. And there aren’t a large selection of parts available on the Hover 1 website, but their scores are pulled up by both being UL 2272 approved for safe charging, just like all Hover 1 and H-1 scooters, and by using self-sealing, tubeless tires.

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H-1 Pro Series: Is It Worth It? Our Verdict

Hover 1’s H-1 Pro Series scooters have excellent acceleration, range, ride quality, braking, and hill-climbing for the price. They aren’t the fastest electric scooters you can buy, but when it comes to most daily commutes, you’re rarely ever traveling over 20 mph for long. What counts is strong acceleration at ever stop sign, and these scooters have got it.

The H-1 Boss R800 and Boss DM also have durable build quality and full suspension for reliability and comfort, and they fold down quickly and latch securely when folded up, with no stem wobble to speak of. Neither scooter is super lightweight, but if you don’t need to carry them around frequently, we can confidently recommend either, or both, the R800 and DM as daily commuter rides. Which one you choose will depend on your own needs and budget, but they’re both great scooters for the money.

Top: H-1 Boss R800 and H-1 Boss DM Review

Paul Somerville

Electric Scooter Guide's Editor-in-Chief is a seasoned expert in the electric scooter industry. With a wide-ranging background that includes managing scooter warehouses, selling thousands of motorcycles, and restoring high value (+1M) European sports cars, his expertise is unmatched. Having personally tested over 200 electric scooters, he offers invaluable insights and recommendations to our readers. We are fortunate to have him as part of our team, as his diverse skill set and extensive experience ensure top-notch reviews.

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