The Ultimate Guide to the Best Longboards for Beginners – Essential Before Beginning Your Longboarding Adventure

Longboarding is a unique form of expression for every individual. You must first decide what type of riding you prefer to choose the right longboard for you. Is it your goal to find a fun way to get to school daily? Would you like to do some flat ground stunts, some fantastic slides, blast some enormous hills with total control, or all of the above?

Though this is an excellent formula for choosing the best longboard, many people are still unclear about which longboard to purchase; therefore, today, we will address one of the most often asked questions: “What are the Best Longboards for Beginners?” Several longboards are on the market nowadays, making it quite difficult for a beginner to select the best budget longboard. So, to assist beginner longboarders in selecting the finest longboard, we conducted comprehensive market research and identified the seven best longboards for beginners.

This detailed post will help you make a well-informed choice for a longboard based on your riding style and budget. All the boards discussed in this post are of high quality. So I request you to read this detailed article to quench your desire for longboards.

Buyer Guide

We will guide you on how to get the best complete longboards for beginners. We help you buy the right one considering your budget and preference. But first, let’s look at some of the crucial factors to consider when determining which board is best for you.

1. Your Riding Preference

As far as longboards go, roughly, there are about four categories. Based on these categories, you may determine the type of longboarding in which you are interested and comfortable.

• Downhill
• Freeride
• Freestyle
• Cruising

The term “downhill” is self-explanatory. These boards are meant to travel as quickly as possible down massive hills. People ride downhills as fast as they can, seeking to carry the most speed down the hill through turns. They may regulate their speed with some air brakes and slides, but that’s pretty much it, that’s downhill. If you are a beginner, you should avoid going downhill because it demands some intense expertise.

Then, we have a free ride, which will be fast and throw long slides. These boards will typically have more flex. By riding many hills and sliding your board a lot, you’ll be performing many stand-up slides in free riding. You’ll be doing 180s, switch slides, and drifting through corners, but you’ll also be mixing various riding styles.

Then there’s freestyle, which is the most adaptable category. This category includes carving, dancing, and doing tricks. If you don’t want to do stunts or dance and like to cruise around the city calmly, then the final category is for you: “cruising.” You do longboard cruising to enjoy how your skateboard feels, maybe to like how a road feels, or to have a nice time. I guess you could say the purpose of cruising is to have fun.

2. Determine Budget

When buying a longboard, it is important to consider the cost of the board. A cheaper board might not be as durable or have features that are as good as a more expensive board. However, because you are a beginner, you will make mistakes, fall, and maybe ruin your board.

So a good rule for beginners is to not spend more than $50 to 150$ while buying the first longboard. Within this price range, you will get the best entry level longboard that is durable enough to withstand all your beginner-level mistakes.

3. Longboard Type (Best Longboard Shape For Beginners)

Many different shapes and styles of longboard models on the market nowadays might tempt a beginner longboard rider. However, one of the most important aspects of enjoying the longboarding game is choosing an appealing and functional shape. This will not only boost your confidence but also will make you more comfortable while riding.

Below are some of our experience riders’ recommendations for the best type of longboard for beginners.

1. Double Drop

Double drop longboards are a combo of drop through and drop down longboards. They feature the most stable deck style, putting you as low to the ground as possible. This lowered deck design provides increased stability because the center of gravity is closer to the ground, providing a comfortable ride for the beginner.

2. Cruiser

The cruiser, often known as a campus cruiser, is a small and convenient board. It fits comfortably in a bag and is easy to transport. The board’s small size provides active carving and absolute control when you use the kicktail at the back for sharp turns. It is a great cruising board.

3. Pintail

The pintail is a flat-concave board that looks like a leaf. They have a broad central base that curves to the tip and tail to form a pointed shape. Pintail Longboards are ideal for beginners due to their stability and ease of turn initiation, and they often favor riders who prefer cruising and carving.

For more information, see our section on different varieties of longboards.

Top 7 Best Longboards for Beginners You Need to Buy in 2022

Let’s explore a little deeper to find the best entry level longboards and easy to ride longboards.

1. Magneto Bamboo Longboards (Best Longboard Cruiser For Beginners)

Magneto cruising board is designed as the ultimate cruiser. It is cold-pressed with three plies of carbon-infused bamboo and 2 plies of fiberglass. This makes the deck incredibly flexible and strong.

The longboard is perfect for smooth cruising and lively carves. At 42 inches long, 9 inches wide, with a wheelbase of 34 inches, this cruiser is super smooth at slow speeds and stable at high speeds.

The deck features a shallow concave with a nice arched camber. This makes it an incredibly comfortable ride under your feet. The drop-through trucks lower the center of gravity for easier pushing and excellent stability.

The deck shape also features cutouts around the wheels to prevent any potential wheel bite. The sand grit finish on top of the deck provides grip for your feet and looks amazing on the bamboo!

2. Retrospec Zed Pintail Longboard (Best Pintail Longboard For Beginners) 

The tapered ends of this Retrospec longboard allow the rider to carve without risk of any wheel bite. This artisan longboard from Retrospec is crafted from natural materials. The board has a striking vintage look because of the bamboo material used in its construction.

This product is very versatile and impressive. With its broad and strong deck for enhanced stability, smooth gliding trucks for improved control, and durable wheels to absorb road bumps, you can cruise comfortably on this longboard.

The bearings provide maximum control. This board offers you satisfaction in each aspect and provides a rider with what he wants to have in his beginning stage.

3. Debroo Drop Through Longboard (Best Drop Through Longboard For Beginners)

Forget the old-school, bulky snowboards and bulky longboards. Say goodbye to stress on your knees and back, and say hello to a lighter, more comfortable ride with Debroo. Debroo is built with all-natural bamboo in a drop-through style that ensures safety while giving you the most stable ride possible.

Drop-through design board, made from bamboo wood, you’ll be riding more smoothly than ever before. The longboard comes with 7″ aluminum alloy trucks that link 70x42mm wheels to the deck, allowing the user to drive this longboard cruiser by leaning to one side or the other firmly.

There is no wheel biting issue because the cutouts on the deck (above the wheels) make it very impossible. The board is 40″x9″ and weighs 7.5 lbs. Loading capacity of 280 lbs. Excellent for both teenagers and adults!

4. APOLLO Dance Longboard Skateboard (Best Dancing Longboards For Beginners)

Whether you want to dance along the ocean promenade in style or spend a relaxing afternoon cruising, this board will bring you delight and smiles.

Apollo is an excellent buddy and dancing partner. The 46-inch deck is comprised of 8 layers of hand-picked wood and bamboo fastened to bespoke trucks, resulting in a lightweight dancer board you’ll enjoy. The longboard comes with ABEC 9 bearings and 70 x 51 mm HR 78A wheels which are the key to speed and fluidity.

This is one of the greatest dancing longboards for both beginners and experienced pro-riders; for children, teenagers, and adults.

5. VOLADOR 42inch Freeride Longboard (Best Cheap Longboard For Beginners)

The 42-inch drop-through is a perfect beginner longboard that provides you with a splendid chance to do basic tricks. Volador offers ten beautiful deck designs that are an advantage for you. The longboard features an 8-ply Hardrock maple wood shock-absorbent deck. This makes the deck durable and long-lasting.

In addition, the accessories of the board are made of high-quality materials. The wheel is standard size and offers a 78A durometer; it gives you both grip and pace. In a nutshell, this is a high-quality and durable longboard for beginners to enjoy their rides at a low cost.

6. Tooluck 27.5″ Electric Longboard (best Electric longboard for beginners)

Stand out in a crowd with the best electric skateboard for riding on all terrains. The Tooluck Longboard is an electric longboard that runs on a powerful, long-lasting, and slim 2000mAh strong lithium battery.

The Tooluck Longboard is the perfect beginner skateboard for anyone who wants to have a fun time at a low price. This Longboard comes with three different speeds, which are great for kids, adults, and even those who are more experienced. They’re great for getting around town or going on a quick skate to the store. The 350W 72mm hub motor is powerful and can drive the electric longboard up to 12MPH.

With its 7-layer maple deck, high-quality PU skateboard wheels, and LED charge level indicator, I believe it is the ideal board for anybody looking to be ahead of the competition!

7. Atom Drop Deck Longboard (Best Entry Level Longboard for Carving and Downhill)

Atom longboards are one of the greatest longboard brands today, and the firm Atom continues to uphold that quality and branding even with this fantastic drop deck longboard. Slightly lower than other longboards, this board will provide you with more balance.

This is a complete maple laminated drop deck longboard that is exceptionally strong and flexible. It has reverse kingpins for heavy-duty trucks, ultra-high-quality rebound wheels, and 80s grip tape. This board performs swift turns with little effort and goes extremely fast downhills.

This board undoubtedly provides a smoother ride since it is lower to the ground, giving you greater control and stability. So overall for me, this is one of the best affordable longboards for beginners.

Beginner Longboarding Tips 

Longboarding is a great way to cruise around, but it takes consistent practice to become good at it. Here are some key pointers or tips for new longboarders. So, in this section, I’ll give some essential basic suggestions that will help you in your longboarding journey.

1. Practice Pushing Switch

This will assist you in the long term if you can push in both your regular and switch stances. You will also be more comfortable on your board when you start learning tricks and land in your switch stance or while you’re riding fakie and working on new dance steps.

The ability to press a switch is the other half of your board’s balance. If you’re facing one direction, you want to be able to skate in the opposite direction and feel entirely comfortable, so that’s something I normally recommend to new riders.

2. Skate With A Friend

Skate with a buddy. Find someone with whom you can go out and skate. You’ll both be pushing each other to learn something new, and it’s simply very good to have someone to practice and grow with.
When you have someone to skate with, your skating progress will be accelerated. It will undoubtedly be more enjoyable.

3. Wear Protective Gear

Most people only wear a helmet and gloves, but if it helps you with confidence and safety, I recommend wearing knee and elbow protection as well. In addition to safety protection gear, it gives you the confidence to go faster down a slope.

The most important aspect of wearing protective gear is that when you fall when downhill longboarding, you don’t have to be wounded because when you wear knee pads, gloves, and a helmet, you can just put your hands down and slide all the way off the road.

4. Learn to Control Speed

When bombing down a hill, there are two ways to either speed up or slow down. The first is to lean forward and tuck, and the second is to the windbreak. It’s critical that you acquire these abilities early on so that you can regulate your pace without having to put a glove or a foot down.

When you go into a full tuck, you become more aerodynamic, which allows you to go faster. When your windbreak, you become less aerodynamic, which causes you to slow down. Knowing how to tuck and windbreak is extremely important for controlling speed, and I definitely recommend you to learn it as soon as possible.

5. Learn How To Fall

If you’re a beginner skater and don’t know how to fall properly, you may seriously injure yourself, which would be a pain to begin longboarding. Falling is part of the game; you can’t learn without making mistakes, and nothing teaches perseverance more than surfing, longboarding, and skating, the oldest board sports.

A lot of people are nervous to skate because they are afraid of injuring themselves, and you do take that risk when you step on a longboard. To this day, I still fall a lot, but I feel like I’ve fallen so many times that I know how to properly fall, and you never know what’s going to happen, so always skate safely.

6. Learn How To FootBreak

Foot braking involves taking your back foot off the board when you’re traveling fast, exerting a small amount of pressure on the ground, and allowing your board to slowly roll to a stop. It’s a fantastic method to stop your board and a great way to monitor your speed in case you’re going too fast down those slopes or big hills.

It’s a great way to stay comfortable on your board and not be frightened to go down some slightly larger slopes. This can open up a lot of trails for you and save you from having to stop and walk down hills because you’re too scared to go down.

7. Getting the Skate Shoes

You should have the proper skate shoes because if you don’t have the right shoes, your feet can be in a lot of discomfort, your shoes will wear out quickly, your feet can become hot, and many other reasons, so acquiring the right shoes is essential.

FAQs

Q.1 What is the best longboard brand for beginners?

A) There are many brands in the market, but some of the best brands with good quality longboards available for beginners are Retrospec, Magneto, Atom, and Apollo. These boards are easy to ride longboards.

Q.2 Are longboards good for beginners?

A) Longboards are enjoyable to ride because they feature a smooth riding surface and excellent mobility. They’re easy to learn on, so you can be up and cruising in no time! They’re ideal for any terrain, including flat areas and hills. Overall, they’re a terrific pick for first time longboarders.

Q.3 Are drop down longboards good for beginners?

A) They can be considered a good option for beginners. Drop Down Longboards are highly stable and have a lower center of gravity. Furthermore, the drop down design allows the board to stop quickly and avoids wheel bite. They are suitable for both downhill and freeride riding.

Q.4 Are pintail longboards good for beginners?

A) A pintail longboard is a type of longboard recognized by its pointed tail. These boards are versatile, feature a large wheelbase, and are stable types of longboards that are widely used for cruising and carving. Apart from that, pintails have no chance of wheel bite and are typically recommended for beginners.

Conclusion

So that brings us to the end of the post, and I am confident that this detailed information and longboarding tips for beginners will help them choose the best board. I’d also like to highlight that if you’re just getting started with longboarding, you don’t need to get the most costly board; any affordable board will do. I began with the cheapest boards available and have never regretted it.

Thank You.