Best Longboard Review – Top 5 List

Let’s start with the most important fact about longboards: a longboard is not a skateboard.

Sure, it has lots of similarities to the board you may have messed around with as a kid, as well as the souped-up versions that are required accessories for teens who are into the skating culture. They’re all essentially decks mounted on wheels.

But a longboard is infinitely more versatile than a skateboard, which is best used simply for doing cool tricks. The (usually) greater length and larger wheels of longboards make them more stable and give them more traction so they’re great for everyday transportation.

That’s not to say that you can’t have fun on a longboard; cruising and carving on sloped streets at low speeds are great ways to exercise, freeriders can slash and spin on the pavement, and downhill riders can race at highway speeds.

Each type of longboarding is best done on a different size and style of board, meaning the best longboards for riding to work will be very different than the right ones for freeriding or carving. The review team will list a variety of choices when we run down Groom+Style’s best longboard top 5 list – after digging deeper on the qualities and characteristics you should be looking for.

Your First Longboarding Decision

The differences between the boards that we’ve mentioned make it crucial to first decide why you want a longboard, before even thinking about buying one. Only then can you choose between deck lengths, widths, styles and flex, wheel shapes and sizes, trucks (the “swivels” that attach wheels to the board) and other features.

Selecting the Right Longboard

Other Longboard Considerations

What else should you consider, other than a cool board display to support your hobby? The length and width of your longboard should match not only the type of boarding you’ll be doing, but match the size of your feet. Think about your level of expertise and intended use for the board when looking at wheels and bearings, because harder wheels (with higher “durometer” ratings) provide less traction and will give you a bumpier ride, and bearings with higher ABEC ratings may be too fast for your skill and purpose.

Finally, price always matters. You don’t want to be flying down a steep hill on a cheap veneer board, but a pricey carbon fiber model may be overkill for a quick trip across campus.

Let’s take a spin.

1. Quest Skateboards Super Cruiser Longboard

The Groom+Style review team deliberated for a while before deciding how to handle this list, since the pros of a board for cruising can be definite cons for freeriding. We finally decided to identify the top 5 best longboards by their most appropriate purpose – so please don’t take the 1-5 rankings literally.

The Quest Super Cruiser is the best beginner board for commuters and cruisers who won’t be doing a lot of close-quarters maneuvering. It’s long, stiff, sturdy and stable, made from multi-ply hardwood and bamboo and measuring a full 44 inches long and ten inches wide. That’s a great length for straightforward riding yet still light (mostly because of the bamboo as well as the aluminum 7-inch trucks and 80a polyurethane wheels) at only about ten pounds. And the beveled-edge wheels have a large contact patch which creates good traction while cruising, as does the quite-wide 27-inch wheelbase.

You’ll find both a kick tail and kick nose on the Quest Super Cruiser, but don’t think about doing fancy tricks even though the trucks are top-mounted; the longboard is too large and too slow for that, and it’s not designed to be overly maneuverable. On the other hand, the feel of riding this directional board is quite good even for moderately-skilled boarders, because of its construction and positioning of the trucks. The bearings aren’t the best, but they’re more than adequate to get started with. Two final notes: the bamboo-finished deck is gorgeous, and the price is terrific.

2. Sector 9 Blue Wave Lookout Dropthrough Complete Longboard

Had a little experience cruising around on a board and ready to move to the next level? The review team believes the 41-inch Sector 9 Blue Wave Lookout is the right choice for you; sturdy and comfortable enough for cruising but with the features and flexibility required for beginning and intermediate sliders, built by one of the most-respected longboard manufacturers around.

The five-ply directional W-concave bamboo deck is lightweight yet tough, with a fabulous ocean design. The drop-through mounting of the Gullwing Charter trucks is the right choice for freeriding and carving, and while the wheels are soft enough for cruising, they can easily be replaced with harder ones when you’re ready for some tougher carving or want to bomb a few hills. You might want to swap out the trucks in that case, too.

This is an extremely stable longboard thanks to its 31-inch wheelbase.

3. Yocaher Professional Speed Drop Down Stained Longboard

Don’t focus on the word “professional” in the name of this Yoacher, because that’s simply meant to convey a message about the size (41 inches long, nine inches wide) and style (symmetrical and elegant) of the board. Instead, focus instead on the word speed – as in downhill speed.

The drop-down construction of the board and 33-inch wheelbase create a lower center of gravity for stability as you build up speed, and for terrific turning and control during carving and sliding. And the extra thickness of the deck, because of nine layers of maple instead of the seven usually seen on mid-priced boards, means there’s less flex and very few wobbles on the board.

That’s exactly what you want when bombing hills, and you can do some pretty fast downhilling on this Yoacher.

There are heavy-duty trucks, fairly-soft 78a wheels and decent ABEC 7 bearings (which you’ll eventually want to upgrade), and you can choose from 22 sizzling designs.

4. Atom Drop-Through Longboard

This 40-inch Atom longboard is an update to a classic. It’s one inch shorter and one inch wider than the original Atom, with an upgraded maple/bamboo concave deck and sick, slick graphics. But it’s still constructed beautifully, and it’s a great board for cruising while also providing a satisfying ride for a moderately-skilled carver who’s able to adjust to the somewhat-wide turning radius.

While longtime longboarders will still want to make some replacements, Atom has used some great components building this model: Navigator Drone trucks, Area 51 soft PU wheels, and ABEC9 bearings; the review team even loved the quality of the grip tape. The board is lightweight, stable – and best of all, a lot of fun to ride.

5. SCSK8 Natural Blank & Stained Longboard

Here’s the review team’s choice for beginners who are looking for the best longboard they can get on a budget – or for parents who are shopping for their younger kids. The SCSK8 is priced well below the Quest Super Cruiser, it’s stable enough to let boarders learn what they’re doing without continual wipeouts, and it’s durable enough to withstand the inevitable beating it will take at the hands (feet?) of a newbie.

There’s a concave, 40-inch 7-ply maple deck without a ton of flex, the trucks and wheels are starter-level but still quite good for the price (particularly the ABEC9 Red bearings), and the fact that the board comes blank and stained lets you choose your own graphics to make the SCSK8 truly your own. (You can also choose from other color/graphics options.)

If you are still looking for some other high-quality ideas then check out Groom+Style’s best health and fitness gift ideas, or if you are after something hyper cool then check out stance: the uncommon thread!