Segway Mini Pro

Product Description

The miniPRO is not a hoverboard-it's the next step in the evolution of personal transportation. Powered by Ninebot technology, the miniPRO is a hands-free, two-wheel electric scooter with safer features, higher speeds, and longer battery life. The miniPRO is built to easily traverse a variety of indoor and outdoor terrains.

Top Reviews

Worth it. Really, really worth it (now with a small comparison to the 2018 miniPRO).
by William G. (5 out of 5 stars)
July 14, 2016

Sometimes I don't know why I'm allowed on the Internet. Sometimes I end up with a Segway miniPRO for myself... and one for the wife. Black for me, white for the missus. Impulses are cruel, cruel mistresses.

So there we are, my wife and I, this afternoon, scooting around our hardwood-floor living room, dining room and kitchen, trying not to crash into each other. I can only imagine what the neighbors would think. I also have some tire marks I need to wipe off (oops!), so bear this in mind if you're going to practice indoors! After you've been outside, PLEASE don't practice on your hard-wood anymore - since little pieces of rock/stones will scratch up your floor!

Setting up the miniPRO is incredibly simple. It comes in just two pieces. The base, and the knee steering bar. You just open the little latch on the steering bar, slide it onto the wheels section, and close the latch. That's it.

Pairing the device with my iPhone 6s was simple enough. As long as you have the Ninebot by Segway app installed and open, it will search for the miniPRO as soon as you hit the power button the front. Don't forget to remove the little piece of film off the front of the Segway's power button/display, or things will look a little funky when you turn the device on.

With the miniPRO on and paired, the app will run you through a quick tutorial. The tutorial itself isn't hard, but you'll find yourself wanting to hold your phone while you learn the ropes. I recommend putting the phone down after reading each tutorial, and listening for the BEEP to tell you when you've accomplished the mission. Then go back and get the phone. Alternatively, have someone else around reading your phone's miniPRO instructions/tutorial to you. In any case, it's helpful to have someone else around to scrape you off the wall if you slam into it.

The app is also fun in that it lets you customize the lighting on the miniPRO from bajillions of available colors, so have at that as you doubtless will.

With the tutorial done, maximum speed is increased, but you won't be able to hit top speed until you ride for a small distance, so take the time to get to know your miniPRO before going all out speed demon.

Interestingly, it took the second time I fired up the app (after all the tutorial and house hijinks) to ask me if I wanted to upgrade the firmware to (as of July 14, 2016) version 1.3.1. The unit shipped to me with 1.2.8. There's a lot of talk on the Segway Internet about how the original firmware (1.1.7) was the best, and then 1.2.8 is... worse, and then 1.3.1 is somewhere in between. For new owners among us, we'll need to get used to a few things that maybe aren't ideal (warning beeps at max speed etc), but these are minor inconveniences rather than deal breakers. I'm sure more firmwares will get released, and hopefully the situation will improve.

In any case, hitting yes to upgrade the firmware to 1.3.1 took about 20 seconds per miniPRO, and when it was done, all was well.

These things are a total hoot to ride around on. They take some getting used to, and in the beginning you'll wonder how you'll ever get on without wobbling back and forth - but I can tell you, you will eventually make it happen. Getting off the miniPRO is much easier than getting on (at least, my wife and I definitely think so), but after a while you'll be zipping about like there's no tomorrow.

I'll update when I've put on a bunch of miles, but from my short time with it so far today in and outside around my house, it's very fun, and definitely a step above your normal, cheaper hoverboards.

For the record, I'm 6'5" and about 210lbs, with size 12 feet. I have no issue with the adjustable steering bar (raised to the top position), and my feet have plenty of space. My wife is 5'4" and weighs *ow!, don't hit me, honey!!* - a LOT less than me. She has no issue, though of course the steering bar is placed much lower for her on her miniPRO than on mine.

The app could use a little localization work (clearly not native English speakers in some cases), and the box could use an updates to state 220lb max weight, not the 185lb on the box it for some reason ships stating. Thankfully, Segway has been sending emails out clarifying this - to those who bought on Amazon, but still - very odd. It's fun to see, in the app, other users who have given permission to the app to view location data - there's loads of Segway/miniPRO owners around downtown Seattle, YAY! Maybe I'll run into you (hopefully not too literally) in the near future!

Overall, there's a lot to like here. With a bit of app and firmware work, this is a 5 star unit. As it stands, it's awfully close!
4.5 stars out of 5. Highly recommended.
*UPDATE July 15, 2016*

So I've had some more time to zip around the neighborhood on my miniPRO, and I'm enjoying it more and more each time. Comfort level and ability is increasing (well, I tell myself my ability is increasing, but I might be lying to myself. I'm fine with this).

A few things to note:
1.) Once you get used to the fact that the gyroscopes and sensors won't try to kill you, despite what your brain is telling you, you'll do much better. I was terrified to go down any slopes, or up any inclines, initially. Interestingly, and perhaps counterintuitively, downhills are much, much simpler for me/my wife to handle. You just sit back into the soles of your feet a little, and it's no issue. You'll cruise down the hill at whatever speed you're most comfortable with. You won't even think about it. It just *happens*. It's really satisfying.

Uphills, though? HELP ME. They are just tricky to get the hang off. In dearest Seattle, we have a lot of hills, and going up them is a little scary at the moment, while I'm still being a newbie. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being stopped halfway up a hill, you'll have a tendency to lean back a little because you think you'll fall off otherwise (which isn't true, but humans think too much, occasionally). What this translates into is a (likely) short trip in reverse down the hill and into a light pole/pedestrian/car/dachshund.

Thankfully, I've got it to where I can actually just step off the back of the miniPRO when this happens, and nothing disastrous has happened (yet). It's probably good miniPRO etiquette (and injury preventing) to just walk your miniPRO up or down any particularly steep hills. 15 degree slopes, the manual states, are the max you should attempt. I intend to be a good miniPRO owner.
2.) The headlights are fun! When you use the miniPRO at night, headlights automatically come on. For some reason, Amazon/Segway's description says: "Customize the headlights with adjustments up to five meters." Well, I can tell you there's no such adjustment. I believe the headlights have different levels, but they're automatic based on ambient light availability. I wonder if the "customize" part has been lost in translation to English somewhere along the way...
3.) The app has some really fun tail light adjustments, and at night they look positively awesome. I've currently got my tail lights doing the KITT from Knight Rider hood light pulsing thing, and quite frankly that's as close to being David Hasselhoff as I'm likely to get, for better or worse.
4.) AVOID CURBS! Ask me how I know. Actually, don't. But please, curbs are not your friends.
5.) I felt like a bit of an attention hound while scooting around the neighborhood with my wife. Pedestrians would stop and stare, and drivers would look back as they passed us. It was fun, until my wife noted that it's not because I'm "cool", but much more likely because I look like a total idiot, all 6'5" of me, rolling down the sidewalk on this tiny contraption. Well whatever. What does she know...
*UPDATE, July 17, 2016*
1.) I've now mastered uphills to a great degree (pun intended)! I trust the machine enough to come to a complete stop at the base of a hill, and then lean into the uphill, and wheeeeee - there I go! Incredibly satisfying!
2.) The greatest difficulty I now have is changing direction significantly when going up steep uphills or downhills. I need to work on that some, but it's coming along, slowly but surely!
3.) This thing is impossible to ride anywhere without people stopping you to chat about it. That's fine, but sometimes I'd just like to ride! LET ME RIDE!
4.) I'm plotting Halloween already. I'm going to don a ghost outfit that comes down to just above the wheels, and scoot along the sidewalks, scaring everyone. This might be the greatest Halloween scare-maker EVER, especially since your hands are completely free to wave around in a spooky manner. Oh yes.
*UPDATE, August 2, 2016*

Like. A. Boss. I'm a pro at this now, and it's officially my grocery-getter. The missus and I fling a thin backpack on our respective backs, and there we go, trundling (like two bosses, of course) to get our groceries from the store a few miles away. We tend to be respectful in the store, and haven't zoomed about inside (not sure I want to find out how that will go...), and we use the pull-out handle to walk the miniPRO along next to us. If both of us go, I usually walk both miniPROs while the wifey deals with the shopping cart.

Some things to note!
1.) It seems like the 220lb weight limit is designed more for the uphill "issue" than anything else. Because my wife weighs... ahem... so much less, she can definitely scoot uphill faster than I can. Not that I'm complaining - it's certainly fast enough for me. On flats we both hit the same max speed, and if you act silly and try to push the device faster than it's designed, it will give you a warning beep before tilting back slightly to tell you NO! BAD RIDER! BAD! The tilting back has never once been an issue. It beeps, you stop being a twit on your miniPRO, and all is well. If you IGNORE the beeps, - apparently heaven help you, because the miniPRO will launch you into outer space. Because it's PRO.

So here's my explanation of what's going on here, and why this seems to have a bunch of people crying, calling shenanigans and throwing their miniPROs in the trash:

First, there's a LOT going on inside the unit to keep you balanced. Numerous sensors all working in tandem to keep you upright. Quite frankly, it's brilliant it works at all. Now, the unit is clearly designed to work within "parameters." Part of that is based on how quickly it can keep you balanced based on the speed you're moving, how much you weigh etc. It's pretty easy to keep the unit at max speed without the beeps getting in the way. You learn to lean forward just as much as is necessary, without going "over the edge." If you're "misbehaving" and leaning FAR too far forward, the unit is going to beep, and lean you back. It's only possible to be thrown off if you're leaning way too far forward, ignoring the beeps, and that is 100% user error. It HAS to lean back to prevent you from tilting the unit far too far forward and having an accident that way because of being outside the parameters of the miniPRO's ability to balance you. Again, if you are leaning too far forward and the unit beeps at you, you're doing something wrong.

Here's an example that's a little less obvious: Going up a hill:

You'll tend to lean forward a little more as you go up a hill. Nothing wrong with that. However, when you get to the top of the hill and the terrain becomes flat, you'll be leaning too far forward for a flat surface, and the unit will beep at you and lean back. No accidents here, of course, because when you hear the beeps you have plenty of time to sit back in your heels and avoid the unit chastising you. :-) Once you attain awareness of how the system works, it's so easy to modulate and know when you're being bad. In this case, you'll ease off the leaning forward as you reach the crest of the hill, and there will be no beepy beeps!

Now, when you're on a glass-smooth surface, you may REALLY want to go ZOOM! My wife constantly teases me because I'll try and push the unit faster than it can go, and ... BEEP BEEP BEEP! And yep, behind me my wife will yell, "STOP BEING AN IDIOT!" Of course, that kind of truth is hard to deal with for me, so I usually yell back, "I CAN'T HELP IT!" Whatever. She's right. She's always right.
2.) There's not much to do in terms of maintenance, but I do recommend checking the following things every now and then:

a.) The latch that the knee bar attaches with. The latch should be pretty firm to close. If it's not, there's a chance you can lift the knee bar right out of the base when lifting it up. So just give those two screws under the latch a bit of a turn to tighten that locking mechanism up. You'll know it's too tight when you can't close the latch, so loosen them a tad at this point. Firm is key.

b.) The knee bar also has 4 allen key screws under the warning label halfway down. Peel that sticker off (it doesn't make a mess, thank you, thank you, thank you), and tighten those 4 screws. If you have some blue Loctite, throw some on there because those screws NEVER need to be loose. If they do become loose, you'll notice the top part of the knee bar is a little wobbly, whether it's extended or not. For reference, I had to do this fix on both mine and my wife's miniPRO. She insists my screws are looser than hers, BUT WHAT DOES SHE KNOW!?

c.) There's a red rubber plug at the base of the unit where the knee bar connects. You can pop that plug out with your fingers, and tighten those two screws up, if things are a little loose there.

d.) Check your tire pressures! There's still some confusion about various number-y things with the miniPROs as they reached the USA officially. First, is the weight limit - which is 220lbs, not 185lbs, as addressed earlier. Second? Tire pressures. The tires say max 30 PSI. But Segway recommends 45 PSI. That's quite a difference. 30 PSI definitely seems a little low, and makes the tires much more squishy than I'd like, so I'd put them at ~40 PSI and be happy.

OK, time for a ride. ZOOM!
*UPDATE, September 9, 2016*

Disaster struck yesterday! I noticed my left tire on my miniPRO was reading much lower than it normally is. I tested it - 19 PSI. OH NOES!!! I pumped it up to Segway's recommended 45 PSI and this morning it had dropped again to around 20 PSI. I hunted around the wheel and noticed a small tear in the face of the tire. A quick test with some soapy water (a few drops on the suspected puncture will show bubbles as the air is released from the tire into the soapy water) revealed that yes - my Segway has a puncture! WHAT TO DO!?

Well, the fix is actually pretty simple and cheap! The miniPRO uses tubeless tires, so what you'll want is this cheap kit:

Slime 1034-A T-Handle Tire Plug Kit

You can YouTube the simple installation for this (videos everywhere showing you how - but the instructions are pretty simple as it is), and yep - my puncture is now repaired in under 2 minutes. Much better than having to send the unit into Segway. This repair style is approved by Segway's tech support. I even called to make sure!

Anyway, there you go. My Segway is back in action, which is GOOD, because I was going to go through withdrawal, and my darling wife was going to tease me endlessly as she ventured out into the great beyond (usually the grocery store) without me. She really has no problems abandoning me to head out on miniPRO adventures. In her defense, she did offer that I could run behind her. THANKS, HONEY.
*UPDATE* December 19, 2017

miniPROs are still going strong in this household, and we love them! We've managed to get countless friends to buy these contraptions, so if you ever see a battalion of miniPROs (a gaggle of geese, a flock of birds, a battalion of miniPROs) zipping around West Seattle, it's likely my wife and I and our miniPRO homies.

So here's an update to address the elephant in the room, and that is Segway's 2018 Segway miniPRO. What improvements has Segway brought to the table here? Well...

For this update, we're going to call the "original" miniPRO (this one you're looking at) - the 2016 miniPRO, and the 2018 miniPRO we're going to call the... uhh... 2018 miniPRO.

The 2016 miniPRO has a larger battery, - at 310Wh, vs 236Wh on the 2018 miniPRO. This translates to less range on this latest revision (around 12% more range on the 2016). 14 miles versus 12.5 miles, under the same conditions.

Yep, that's it. Given the 2016 model is very often sold by Amazon for the exact same price as the 2018 model, please don't buy the 2018 model unless you're desperate. There are zero other differences. Why, Segway? Why you do dis?
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Potentially great, but SERIOUSLY HOBBLED by company lawyers
by Amazonian (4 out of 5 stars)
July 14, 2016

July 14, 2016: original review: 5 stars

Got mine today and it is fabulous! It is very well-made and has plenty of power/torque. I am almost 63, have knee arthritis and can no longer run but I have no problem riding this thing. It is highly maneuverable and after just a short while, moving & turning almost becomes second-nature. It goes where you will it to go, as if the MiniPro is an extension of your body. Just amazing! It will definitely increase my range of motion. Looking forward to take it to our neighborhood park for a spin and enjoy the breeze on my face again.

July 15, 2016 -- Revising my review to 3 stars after riding over 6 miles today:

Reducing my rating from 5 stars to 3 stars. My single complaint: the artificial speed limit of 10 mph. I suppose Ninebot/Segway doesn't want lawsuits, so they artificially set the speed limit to 10 mph, which I can understand; however, the problem arises when the unit senses a speed faster than 10 mph, then it SUDDENLY SLAMS THE BRAKE ON YOU, abruptly slowing you down to 4 mph or so. This sudden decrease of speed just as you are accelerating to your desired cruising speed can actually throw you off balance, requiring you to immediately adjust your stance or risk falling over. I believe this "safety" feature is counter-productive. It ADDS to the risks of falls rather than reduces them. Believe me, 10 mph is easily reached on flat, even ground. After which you are constantly pestered by this very annoying on-again, off-again acceleration and deceleration, even on wide-open flat terrain, making you look like a teenybopper getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time. My suggestion is a speed limit of 15 mph and if the rider does reach this speed, the unit will just allow him to go no faster rather than to try to reduce the speed on its own. I am nearly 63 and I am no whippersnapper or speed demon but I am a skier. As skier, I am used to cruising fairly fast on open terrain in absolute confidence. As stable as the MiniPro is, there is no reason why this should not be done. This 'speed punishment" thing is very frustrating. Yes, I know, this is not skiing, but is 15 mph too much to ask?

I rode for more than 6 miles today and the machine only used 2 out of 5 bars of juice. Cool!

UPDATE: July 16, 2016, Revised to 2 stars (so my review will be read by people, perhaps the company too. Still like the machine, by the way)

Rode for 2 more miles this morning, with my morning coffee in one hand. Here are my final thoughts: This machine has the potential to be great; however, it is SERIOUSLY HOBBLED by suit-fearing company lawyers with its latest firmware. As of now, it is like driving your car with your drivers-ed teacher at your side, constantly stepping on your brakes to slow you down. Even if you keep it below 10 mph, the machines seems to be working against you by tending to lean backward to slow you down. As result, the control level becomes posteriorly positioned in relationship to your legs. With you trying to lean forward to keep moving, the control lever becomes so posteriorly placed, its forward portion is barely touching the back parts of your lower thighs. This makes it more difficult to control your direction.

I may try to improvise a control lever extension to remedy this problem. I have made a slightly exaggerated cartoon to illustrate my point. I still like the machine, though, but it can be so much greater.

P.S., I still give the machine 4 stars despite my criticisms above because it is still a very unique machine and I still like it. When you love something more, you tend to chide it more, and hoping it can be great someday.
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Won't charge out of the box.
by Amazon Customer (1 out of 5 stars)
September 2, 2017

Received the product in good shape. Attempted to charge it but the Segway wouldn't indicate it was receiving a charge. I checked the charger with a multimeter and got an irregular reading so I opened up the transformer on the charging unit to attempt to diagnose. What I found was surprising. Someone in the manufacturing process got a little aggressive with the circuit board adhesive and squirted it all over the electrical components of the board. Appeared to be vindictive. Needless to say, I don't have any expectation I'll ever get a charge out of this unit. I've reached out to Segway but they do not provide customer support on weekends so I will attempt again soon. Pictures of the charger included.
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Great alternative to a wheelchair... not just a toy... also great short-distance transportation solu
by Ben Bethel (5 out of 5 stars)
June 29, 2016

Early review from an early adopter... I'll update this later. This is a fantastic product, and such an improvement over the original Segway I purchased from Amazon back in 2003! I rode my first Segway to work for about 3 years, then sold it for what I paid for it to a 52 year old woman in Australia who had polio as a child and had never been able to leave her house on her own - not on foot, bike, car, bus, etc. - until she got her Segway and suddenly she was mobile for the first time in her life. Then I bought two more and rode those for about 3 years.

Unlike a hoverboard, these are EPAMDs - electronic personal assistive mobility devices - and in many states are legal to use anywhere a wheelchair is allowed, which is about anywhere. Here in Arizona, I was one of the people who helped get this law passed, and helped local malls, airports, zoos, parks, office buildings, grocery stores, etc., etc. understand the usefulness and legality of these devices. Again, these are legal anywhere a wheelchair is allowed in many states... including Arizona.

For people with mobility disabilities, this is an amazing alternative to a wheelchair... you're not at crotch level, you're not looked down to, people don't give you 'fake-nice' greetings or compassion conversations, etc. Unlike a wheelchair it can go through sand, gravel, grass, mud, really steep inclines/declines (while even keeping you level!), and even shorter steps and curbs pretty easily. And understand, there are a lot of people who refuse to use wheelchairs due to the social stigma, the hassle, the humiliation, the self-defeat... not just people who are paralyzed, but people with foot/knee/leg/hip injuries who just grin-and-bear pain.

Regardless if you're mobility-disabled or able-bodied, this is a great, great, great tool... not a toy, it's truly an alternative to transportation for many people. This is the Segway that was meant to be. Please, for the sake of those with mobility challenges, don't rag on this product... it has a lot of real world applications. It is not another hoverboard. This is entirely different, and it has the possibility to change the world for the better - we need to stop being addicted to knee-jerk negative reactions to new things and learn about them, think about them, understand them and embrace them. Please, for the sake of our fellow mobility disabled brothers and sisters, understand that this is a product that can change lives.
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Very disappointed
by abetz (1 out of 5 stars)
July 31, 2017

My husband is a door to door salesman so these Segway come in handy. We ordered his first one back in May. We had no issues with it for a couple months until one day he turned it on and the hassards were on and it wouldn't run. After battling with Segway we finally were able to send it in and get fixed. Well hopefully. We mailed it back two weeks ago and still haven't received it back. In the mean time we ordered him another one to use and that way he could have two. When we received his second one the Segway would be fully charged and die completely within thirty minutes. So we mailed this one back and asked for a replacement. Today we received that replacement and it came with a faulty tire that won't hold air. So now this one is headed back. Extremely disappointed with the recent quality in these. It seems that within the recent months that they have just been made cheaper and cheaper.
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Fun, Well made. Treat yourself.
by Badguitar (5 out of 5 stars)
July 30, 2017

This is a long and complete review - If you read no further know this, this thing is really great. Well made, good performance and a TON of FUN. Will it replace my car as a main mode of transportation? Of course not. It's just a fun vehicle to ride around on. It's very quiet and makes for a peaceful ride. Especially with the knee controller and having my upper body completely free, it's like magically gliding around effortlessly.

I ride it in my neighborhood and on local bike trails that go through the woods. MN Law gives the MiniPro the same rights as an electric wheelchair meaning I can ride on bike trails and pedestrian trails. It's so quiet I've surprised some wildlife and have been able to get back into the woods of my local parks I would not have been able to do otherwise with my bad knee. I'm over 50 and will need knee replacement at some point. With this device, I can get outside without having extreme pain after a couple of miles of walking. I've owned this for 4 months. I resisted the temptation to review it right away - wanted to use it for a reasonable amount of time before submitting a review.

Here are some specifics I've seen others address... I'll give my 2 cents.

Control. With the stick the control is effortless. I don't even think about the stick, it's just lean and go. I'm a 6' tall fat guy so I prefer to keep the stick height at the lowest level and it contacts my legs just below the knee. You can adjust as needed. When at home I store it near the rear of my garage so I have to slalom around bikes and stuff to get it to the charger. It responds like a dream.

Speed: After a very short training period the speed limit is set to 10.6 MPH. I have not found this to be a problem but I admit, every once in a while it beeps at me and leans me back as I exceed this limit. This is usually on long straight flat areas where you feel really comfortable thus you tend to want to go faster. You get used to the limit after a while and it's not a big deal. But if speed is important to you, you might be disappointed that you can't go faster than 10MPH. (see handlebar topic below for more) If you think about it, gliding at 10MPH means you're one big bump away from falling to the pavement at 10MPH. Better than falling at 15MPH. But certainly I would love to be able to disable the speed warning beeper. (And if they imcreased the limit to 12-15 MPH, I'd love it for street riding.

Handlebars: The unit comes with a knee controller for turning control. Unlike a hoverboard that uses the differential angle between the left and right foot pads for steering, the Segway has a one-piece platform and steering direction is done with the control stick. You usually don't have to think about it. As you lean into a turn, the stick is nudged my your legs/knee and turns the Segway for you. You can get optional handlebars from third party sellers. This makes the MiniPro act just like a Segway PT. I bought this thinking I would always use it with my bad knee. But it was not the case. First, having the handlebar installed DOES make the Segway stable and easy. Too stable and easy. So stable and easy that you want to go faster and are constantly hitting the 10MPH speed limit. Second, it's not as fun. Using the knee control is a bit more challenging. So while I bought the handlebar kit, I only use it if a guest wants to try my Segway.

Storage. I prefer to store it in a heavy duty storage tote. I place a carpet remnant that forms a "U" in the tote allowing for three sides of protection, minimal rolling around in the trunk and when I store it, people cannot see what's in the tote.

The App. The app is good for setup, light settings and looking at battery life and speed. But other than that, not super useful. I really don't care what other riders near me are doing. But the app works fine and I can connect my Bluetooth earpiece and the BT app at the same time.

Battery: So far battery life is great. The App gives you a live view into battery performance. The unit is advertised to give 14mi per charge. I've never drained the battery, but based on a simple calculation of having less than 50% battery after a 6 mile ride, I would likely not get 14 miles... but then again, I am over the 220lb weight limit so the Segway is clearly working harder when I ride.

Crashes: I have ridden full size Segways many times.... Including a recent ride for a work outing. Have to say, after riding the MiniPro, riding a regular Segway is pretty boring. But there are some things to keep in mind. The MiniPro has much smaller wheels so you cannot to over large bumps, large cracks in the pavement or wide expansion joints. The ONLY crash I ever had in 4 months was on Day 2 trying to go over a big crack in the sidewalk. I have had NEAR-CRASHES. This happens when going down a steep incline too fast. For some reason my balance goes backwards and I lean in the wrong direction. Luckily in these cases I was able to hop off the MiniPro and it glided to a stop and I was on my way.

Night gliding. Some people commented on why anyone would glide at night. Except for the occasional bug slapping me in the face, night gliding is great. I do it in remote areas where I can look at the lake with just the headlights lighting the way. The low-angle of the light does a very good job of lighting the way. Really fun.

So in summary... it's just plain FUN. I live in MN and will only get to ride this 6 months a year.... Still worth it for me. If you can afford it - take the leap. You'll love it!
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Able the Disabled
by woof bark woof (5 out of 5 stars)
May 18, 2017

Let me share some of what have I learned since purchasing my minipro during Summer of 2016:

This has been a great way to improve my quality of life. Being officially disabled means I can use the minipro to roll to Dr appointments and to get my dog some exercise. Is practically no-impact for my joints.

It weighs 28 pounds, goes 11mph, and allows me to feel the wind in my hair again.

FYI it ships with tires at a low PSI (about 30). You'll want to inflate them to somewhere between 40 and 45psi. They are tubeless tires, so leaving them flatter makes them more likely to lose air. The tires are inflatable with a Schrader valve nozzle (just like cars and traditional bicycles use). Changing out the tires on your own can break the warranty and looks like a great way to break a sweat too. If the wheels ever develop any slow air seepage issues, Segway approves of and recommends trying a silicon sealant product called Slime to seal the tires from within.

If you buy the Segway from Amazon in the US, and the tire pops or has a puncture or stem valve problem, SegwayUSA will provide warranty service in the first year (at their expense... but who knows how long it would take to get your ride returned if you send it in for service). Also, if you send it in for service, there is the chance Segway could update your minipro's firmware: FYI.. some riders insist that older versions of the internal software are preferable to the 'latest and greatest' software updates. (The newer software is generally 'crippled' with safety features and improvements that hopefully prolong product life by lessening stress on the motors). It is a newer product so there are regular tweaks being made to both the device's internal software and to the phone-based companion apps.

The ninebot batteries are not approved for transport on commercial airliners.. AKA so much for bringing your Segway on every vacation.

Once the initial setup is complete, the minipro can operate with or without a smartphone, which relies on bluetooth connectivity. The Ninebot app is a battery hog (even when not riding) so consider finding an obsolete iPhone or Android device to dedicate to your Ninebot minipro excursions.

Long story short: these are a load of fun, easy to learn, and designed to be ADA compliant (use them to get around stores instead of using those awful motorized shopping carts... but you may need to show your Disabled ID card to security at some places).

Also, you can enable an artificial speed limit for anyone who doesn't want to break the 10mph barrier... or for friends who are curious and want to try your machine.

Wishing you all smooth riding... It is a fun way to get out and about, provided your round trip is 14 miles or less.

And oh yeah: it even has headlights that automatically turn on when ambient light gets low, and there are what amounts to turn signal indicators on the rear. As long as you aren't TOO heavy (am 230 lbs here... which is 10 over the official limit), and don't need to tackle hills steeper than 15° you are good to go!

PS. Some people say the same unit is available from China for cheaper... but THIS unit has been thoroughly tested by UL and doesn't require overseas shipping for delivery and/or service. No flaming from this 'hoverboard' (or should I call it a personal transport device?)

My segway fits well in a duffle bag, requires minimal spine and hip motion to drive, and continues to impress; both myself and the people who look and wonder 'Did that guy come from the future!?"
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I love it but....
by Michael B. (4 out of 5 stars)
June 4, 2017

I bought this for myself for Christmas 2016 mainly cause I was always late for work. Now...I'm late to work a lot faster!...lol. From the get go, I didn't know how to ride one of these things but right out of the box, after syncing it up with an app on your phone there is a "driving course" that teaches you how to ride it. I'd say it took me around 45 mins to comfortably get it down. It is now June 4th and I have long since got comfortable with riding it. BUT...now the battery is at the point where I almost have to charge it everyday but that was expected at some point.But there are a lot of factors brought it to this point.

For one, I weight 200 Lbs. another is that I usually ride it as fast as it'll let me. Both of which drain the battery pretty fast. I mainly use it to and from work. I'm also carrying a shoulder bag that possibly weighs another 15 Lbs or so. I'd guess that if I was 125 or 150 Lbs, the battery would have lasted a lot longer. Speaking of battery...I tried ordering a battery replacement and they've been out of stock for a while. So that's another thing to take into consideration. If I don't get a replacement battery soon, this thing will be sitting in my apt till I can get one and batteries are pretty pricey: A Lithium Battery for Segway MiniPro (240wh) goes for $150 and a Lithium Battery for Segway MiniPro (310wh) for $295. both of which are sold out. So that is one thing that I'll have to take into consideration is that if the battery is only going to last for roughly five months, will it be worth it, replacing the battery every five months? But other than that, I love riding it around town.

UPDATE addition: As I mentioned in my above comment, for the past several weeks, I've noticed that the battery seemed to be dying faster and that the Segway felt like it was slowing down or felt that it had "lack of power" that it used to have. Well today I was waiting in a crosswalk, heading back to work when a man next to me told me that my left tire was flat...or pretty low. I couldn't tell from above but that made sense now. For the past couple of weeks I noticed it was making like a rubbing sound and several of the color covers fell off.

When I got to work, I had a friend help me fill them with air. He had a tire gauge and checked both tires and they were both pretty low! We filled them close to the suggested psi and when I got back on and rode just a very short distance, I could feel a big difference! And since then I could feel it going a lot smoother. So this is a possibility of why the battery was dying faster. It was working extra hard to transport a 200 Lb. man on really low, almost flat tires! So now...I'm investing in a tire gauge and check the air pressure regularly! And it looks like if the plastic color covers start falling off? It seems like it might be a sign that the tires are low since they'll end up pushing on the little color plastic covers. But still, it's a good idea to regularly check the air pressure in the tires from time to time. Since I put air back in the tires, it feels 100% better! A lot smoother.

Update 6-28-17 I don't know why but can't find a battery replacement for this segway, anywhere online! That's one thing to take into consideration since the original battery will eventually die. It is the most expensive item to replace on this machine so you'd think they would have replacement batteries but I have yet to find where to find one. So I suggest by the time you're looking to buy this machine first look to see if there is some site to where they sell battery replacements for this machine.
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It's the next generation Segway!
by ZWolf.Tx (5 out of 5 stars)
August 13, 2016

Like Benjamin here I am a Segway owner since 2003, and this here is now #4 for me. This is truly Sayway quality build right in to this unit. Unlike so many of the copy cats, this is a solid work of art. I a torn between my 2006 Segway and this new Mini Pro Segway because they are both build like a tank. I am sure that this unit will last just as long as my orginal Segway back from 2003, it just feels like it been well engineered. My first hours with it was a late evening after a long hard day, and really I wanted to go to bed, but with a newly release Segway sitting in front of me, I could not waste any time checking it out. So at 11:45 pm at night I took this for a good night time ride right in to the wooded trails and put 5 miles on it in the dark wooded trails and. It was awesome, built in headlights, build in break lights, even turn signals. It is under 30 lbs and easy to pick up and load in my truck and even a quick an easy way to remove the steering arm. It feels just like my first Segway which was awesome. This Segway they put some thought in to the little extras to make this better then ever, it is just awesome!

As you can imagine I had a number of people ask me about this and if they can try it, and for most it was surprising to see in just 30 seconds, people are adapting to this like they are riding a bike, and it becomes second nature to them in just minutes and for some it is seconds.

The price of this Segway is much more realistic compared to the big Segway and it does not weight in at 85 lbs, it is under 30 lbs and really easy to pack up and take with you anywhere. And you can bet this unit will be with me for most of my travels because of the weight which was an issue with my 2006 Segway because of 85+ lbs and size.

My only draw back with this and my other Segways, is that standing without really moving your feet can wear you out if you are on it for miles. You got to get off and walk a little to get the feeling back in to your feet, and then you are good to go again. You need to good feeling shoes on that you know you could stand in place with them for a long time, because that is just about what you are doing here on the Segway/NineBot!

If you are a camera buff, taking moving videos on this is awesome because you can keep the camera steady and you are not moving a walking pace, but much faster!

This NineBot/Sayway is going to make history I am sure simply because it is affordable, well built, safe and very enjoyable to ride. It will not be long before we see clones of this one, but they will not have the long solid history of a Segway, and I bet it will not last as log as this Segway. My investment on my 2003 Segways have been well worth it, and that is what drive me to buy another Segway item! My 2003 Segways are still going strong!
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Durable and fun if at times frustrating
by Christian Calson (5 out of 5 stars)
August 17, 2017

I left an early review for this unit when I got a defective one that had a busted bluetooth or wifi card. Either way, Amazon came in to save the day. I was able to ship it back to Amazon and got a replacement. The replacement worked. The app does 'nanny' you a lot and I wish there was a way to sidestep the speed slow down at first. Developers and start ups are rarely thinking about the end user first and foremost but I get the why yet still think they should tell you this before you buy. With that said, after a while, the speed limit falls off (think about a month or use) and you can get back and forth to Target or the grocery store WAY FASTER and MORE FUN than on foot. I will say that I've caught someone trying to take the unit a couple times so keep an eye on it in public. It attracts a fair bit of attention. I clean it about every 2 months and make sure the tires are clean and filled. For the price, it's a good option if you want to get around faster and not have to drive and park your car just to pick up one or two things for the house. I'd recommend it to my friends and family for sure.

Prior Review:

Headline: Great idea but it seems that they are shipping out defective units

I was very excited to try this out. I wouldn't recommend this device or Segway devices to friends or family. The videos on youtube and reviews all look really interesting but I don't think these guys can handle selling on Amazon to a wide audience. Arrived defective. Couldn't set it up. Just kept beeping in an endless loop. No literature anywhere of what that means or what to do. Called customer care and they apparently know there are units shipping to Amazon with defective bluetooth boards. What? So I repackaged the unit and waste more time sending it back. I wouldn't buy a Segway if they ship defective devices. Told friends and family about it as it was supposed to be a gift. Not sure why they are shipping them to Amazon broken. What happened to QA? Maybe in hopes that Amazon will figure it out. Either way, avoid.
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Oh, Yea! Even for Old Folks
by K. Wallace (5 out of 5 stars)
August 4, 2017

This is my second one (for the wife). We added the handlebars instead of knee bar (go with More4Mini). We are both over 70 years old, sorry about that, but they are lots of fun and not that difficult or dangerous - safer than a bike. We ride them in the neighborhood and plan to take them to a lakeside cabin for trail riding (paved only). They can be maneuvered even in tight spaces, crowded sidewalks, etc., so take them on the boardwalk or wherever a wheelchair is allowed. We still like to walk but if you want to cover a longer distance and feel like a poor man's motorcycle rider, go for it.
9/24/17 Update

OK, threw them in the Escape and took them to Michigan for a weeks vacation. Located some paved trails and we were off, riding for an hour or more in very nice areas (get bicycle trail maps) around Traverse City. We still walk a lot but love the ability to cover so much more ground and see so much more. We have never run into another Segway rider - strange. Zero problems so far even when the trail went to fine gravel but not as smooth a ride.

*If this is not the "Segway Mini Pro" product you were looking for, you can check the other results by clicking this link.  Details were last updated on Nov 1, 2024 00:09 +08.