At A Glance
- How hoverboards work, how to activate them and what benefits they offer.
- Unlocking, upgrading and choosing the best hoverboards for your play style.
- Tips on when to use hoverboards, avoid wasting them and combine with other power-ups.
What Are Hoverboards and Why They Matter
In Subway Surfers, hoverboards are special items you can activate during a run (by double tapping the screen) to give your character a crash-shield effect for a limited time. If you crash while using one, the board will explode and you’ll lose the hoverboard effect—but you’ll resume the run instead of ending it.
They serve as a form of insurance, helping you survive longer and collect more coins or score.
Hoverboards last about 30 seconds by default if you don’t crash. After a board is used (or crashes), there’s a short cooldown (around 5 seconds) before you can activate another one.
Because they help prevent early run termination, they are especially valuable when pursuing high scores or coin collection.
How to Unlock and Upgrade Hoverboards
Unlocking Hoverboards
- Some hoverboards are unlocked by default (e.g., the standard board).
- Others are available in the in-game store purchased with coins or tokens. For example, many boards cost coins or are limited-edition.
- Daily/weekly challenges or event rewards sometimes include boards or board tokens. Reddit users note collecting boards remains a key objective: “I have 208 hoverboards out of 256”
- To get more hoverboard uses (tokens), you may need to watch ads or purchase with coins.
Upgrading Hoverboards
- Some hoverboards come with special abilities beyond standard crash-protection. For example, certain boards grant “super jump” or “speed boost” effects.
- Ability and duration upgrades improve performance (longer time, extra effect) — upgrading makes the board more useful for long runs.
- Strategy tip: Prioritise boards with useful special abilities if you do long high-score runs rather than boards with purely aesthetic value.
Choosing the Best Hoverboards and Skills to Use
What to Look For
- Boards with unique abilities (e.g., super jump, magnet effect) are more valuable than standard boards.
- Boards you have reliably unlocked and upgraded: familiarity helps when using them under pressure.
- Cost-effectiveness: avoid spending coins/tokens on boards just for looks if you’re still building upgrades.
Recommended Usage Strategy
- Activate the hoverboard when you’re entering a high-risk section (lots of obstacles) rather than immediately at run start. This preserves its effect for when you need it most.
- Combine with other power-ups: if you’re currently using a 2× multiplier or coin magnet, activating a hoverboard at the right moment ensures you don’t lose the boost due to an unexpected crash.
- Avoid wasting a board on low-risk sections: many players note their best runs were achieved by saving boards for later. “Many long-time players already own most content … The paid-only characters and boards have gone too far.”
- Use boards to recover: If you crash, instead of ending the run you’ll resume with the board’s remaining time, so try to activate before you make a high-stakes leap or path change.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t activate the board too early in a run when you’re still in the easy section—save it for when the speed picks up and lane-switching becomes frequent.
- Don’t rely solely on hoverboards and neglect your basic dodging/jumping skills. Boards are a safety net, not a substitute.
- Don’t upgrade purely for aesthetics: until your board has a special ability and upgraded time, you’ll get lower return on investment.
- Don’t chase rare/limited-edition boards without first upgrading your core board—progress is more important than collection for improving runs.
Final Thoughts
Hoverboards in Subway Surfers are a powerful tool when used wisely. They extend your survivability, protect you from unexpected crashes and can help you secure longer runs and higher scores. To make the most of them: unlock and upgrade boards with abilities, save activation for high-risk segments, combine with other power-ups, and maintain your core runner skills. With a strategic approach to hoverboards, you’ll boost your performance and get more from every run.