AIRTRICK vs Moonwalkers: Electric Skates vs AI Walking Shoes
AIRTRICK vs Moonwalkers: Two Totally Different Ways to Move Faster
Electric skates and Moonwalkers get lumped together all the time, but they are not the same category of product. Moonwalkers are an AI-powered walking booster — you keep walking, and a motor makes each step roughly twice as fast. Electric skates, like the AIRTRICK A1 series, are a four-wheeled platform you step onto and glide on. One speeds up walking. The other replaces walking with rolling. If you want a fast, fun last-mile ride that packs into a backpack, electric skates are built for that. If you want to walk faster without balancing on wheels, Moonwalkers are the tool for that job.
The Short Answer
Electric skates (AIRTRICK) — You roll. Top speed of 15–20 mph, range of 9–15.5 miles, price of $599–$699, and a learning curve of about 30–60 minutes. Each skate weighs under 4 lbs, so the pair fits in a daypack and clears TSA as carry-on.
Moonwalkers (Shift Robotics) — You walk. Each step gets a motorized boost up to about 250% of normal walking speed (roughly 7 mph). There is no learning curve and no remote. Price is $1,399. It is not a skate and you never glide.
Same goal — get across a campus, a station, or a city block faster — but the experience, the price, and the physical skill involved are worlds apart.
What Are Moonwalkers, Exactly?
Moonwalkers are made by Shift Robotics, a spin-off from Carnegie Mellon University's robotics lab. They started as a Kickstarter project and have since picked up serious venture funding and a lot of tech-press attention, which is exactly why they show up in searches next to electric skates.
The core idea: a wheeled device straps under each of your existing shoes. An AI system studies your gait and powers the wheels so you walk faster without changing how you walk — think of it as a moving walkway you wear. Shift Robotics markets the effect as a 250% boost to walking speed, which lands around 7 mph. There is no remote controller, because the AI handles everything. And critically, you never glide, carve, or balance the way you do on skates.
At $1,399, Moonwalkers cost more than twice a pair of AIRTRICK electric skates. You are paying for the robotics, the sensors, and the fact that walking takes no real practice to pick up.
What Are AIRTRICK Electric Skates?
AIRTRICK builds electric roller skates — a wheeled platform with two motors and a rechargeable battery built into each frame. You wear your own sneakers and step onto the platform; two straps and a rotating heel cup lock your feet in. No special boots, no clip-in system.
The lineup has two models as of 2026:
AIRTRICK A1 Pro — $599. Top speed of 15 mph (25 km/h), range of 9 miles (15 km), each skate weighs 3.5 lbs (1.65 kg). Best for beginners and shorter commutes.
AIRTRICK A1 Ultra — $699 list, currently on promotion at $599. Top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h), range of 15.5 miles (25 km), each skate weighs 3.9 lbs (1.9 kg). Built for riders who want more speed and distance.
Both models share the same frame and use a 2.4G remote controller with an LCD screen and four speed modes, so you can dial the power up as your confidence grows. The front wheels generate white LED light while rolling, which doubles as decoration and a low-light safety signal. Because each battery pack sits under 100Wh, a pair passes TSA as carry-on — and the two skates pack down small enough for a backpack.
Head-to-Head: Price, Speed, and Portability
Category — AIRTRICK: wheeled electric skates (you glide). Moonwalkers: AI walking booster (you walk).
Price — AIRTRICK A1 Pro: $599. AIRTRICK A1 Ultra: $699 (on sale for $599). Moonwalkers: $1,399.
Top speed — AIRTRICK: 15–20 mph depending on model. Moonwalkers: about 7 mph.
Range — AIRTRICK A1 Pro: 9 miles. AIRTRICK A1 Ultra: 15.5 miles. Moonwalkers: battery range is not the headline spec — the device augments each step rather than driving you for miles.
Learning curve — AIRTRICK: about 30–60 minutes to feel comfortable, best practiced in a flat open space at low speed. Moonwalkers: effectively none — you walk normally from the first step.
Controls — AIRTRICK: hand-held 2.4G remote with four speed modes and braking power adjustment. Moonwalkers: no remote; onboard AI reads your gait.
Weight per unit — AIRTRICK: 3.5–3.9 lbs per skate. Moonwalkers: each unit is a chunkier motorized pod strapped under the shoe.
Air travel — AIRTRICK: battery packs are under 100Wh each, so a pair qualifies as carry-on under TSA rules (packed in carry-on, not checked). Moonwalkers are primarily marketed as an urban commuting device.
Where Moonwalkers Win
Honestly, on ease of use, Moonwalkers are hard to beat. There is nothing to learn. You lace up, walk, and the AI does the rest. If you have never balanced on wheels and have no interest in learning, that is a real advantage. The hands-free design is also genuinely novel — no remote to hold, no throttle to master. For someone who wants a pure walking upgrade and does not care about gliding, Moonwalkers deliver that without compromise.
Where AIRTRICK Wins
AIRTRICK wins on the things most riders actually care about after the newness wears off: speed, price, and the ride itself.
You get roughly triple the top speed — 20 mph on the A1 Ultra versus about 7 mph on Moonwalkers — for about half the money. The ride is a carving, gliding sensation that walking boosters simply cannot replicate; it is the same feeling that made the Air Gear anime's motorized skates such a cultural touchstone, and it is the whole reason AIRTRICK exists. The skates fold down flat so two of them fit in a backpack, and the sub-100Wh batteries mean you can fly with them. For the price of one pair of Moonwalkers, you could buy an A1 Pro and still have money left over.
If you want to compare specs side by side, the AIRTRICK A1 Pro product page and the AIRTRICK A1 Ultra specs and pricing lay out every number.
Which One Should You Buy?
Choose Moonwalkers if you want hands-free operation with nothing to learn, and you are willing to spend $1,399 to make walking faster without ever leaving your feet.
Choose AIRTRICK electric skates if you want a real gliding ride, 15–20 mph of speed, a $599–$699 price tag, and something small enough to toss in a backpack and take through airport security.
Put simply: Moonwalkers make walking faster. Electric skates make walking unnecessary for the last mile — and they are a lot more fun to do it with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is easier to learn, AIRTRICK or Moonwalkers?
Moonwalkers, clearly — there is nothing to learn, because you walk the same way you always have while the motors assist each step. AIRTRICK electric skates take about 30–60 minutes of practice in a flat, open space before they feel natural. Most riders start in the lowest speed mode and work up.
Which one is more fun to ride?
AIRTRICK, if fun means gliding. Skating gives you a carving, rolling sensation that makes a commute feel like a game — and 20 mph on the A1 Ultra is a genuine thrill. Moonwalkers are clever and practical, but walking faster is not the same dopamine hit as rolling through a city on wheels.
Which offers better value for money?
AIRTRICK. The A1 Pro costs $599 and the A1 Ultra is $699 (currently $599 on promotion), versus $1,399 for Moonwalkers. For roughly half the price you get nearly triple the top speed, a longer range, and a device that packs into a backpack. If budget matters, the electric skates are the stronger buy.
Can you take either one on a plane?
AIRTRICK yes — each skate's battery pack is under 100Wh, so a pair qualifies as carry-on under TSA rules. Just pack them in your carry-on bag rather than checked luggage. Moonwalkers are marketed mainly as an urban commuting device, so check the manufacturer's current guidance if air travel is a priority for you.
Are they competing products or different categories?
Different categories. Moonwalkers are an augmentation of walking; electric skates are a wheeled ride you glide on. They share the goal of faster short-distance travel, but the physical skill, the sensation, and the price point are all different.
Last updated: October 2026. Ready to ride the real thing? Explore the AIRTRICK electric skates and save $10 with code AT10 at checkout on airtrick.top.
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