BakosportsIn this article, we will review the best longboards for beginners in 2022, that are safe and easy to ride.
The best beginner longboards need to help the user safely learn how to ride and control the board. We created this list of the 8 best beginner-friendly boards to help you find the right products that achieve this goal.
These are the best longboards for beginners:
1. Quest Super Cruiser 44″
The best longboard for beginners overall
Cruiser longboards are perfect for beginners. This style is designed to provide a stable deck (in this case, a multi-layered combination of 7-ply bamboo and hardwood maple) for a smooth, easy ride. It’s the best style for getting from point A to point B.
ABEC 7-speed bearings and 7-inch aluminum trucks offer a good range of motion on the board. You’ll be able to make long, sweeping carves and turns as you make your way down the street. The 70 mm PU wheels grip the road tightly, but prevent wheel bites or sudden stops as you turn.
The Quest Super Cruiser is one of the easiest longboards to ride, which makes it ideal for beginners. While it may not be the best for tricks or tight carves, the steady board will help beginners learn the basics of riding, turning and maintaining control.
This is also an affordable longboard, which is also a nice feature for beginners. You don’t want to buy an expensive product for your first board!
- A sturdy design and longer deck creates a smooth, comfortable ride.
- An affordable starter price tag that won’t break the budget.
- Bamboo wood offers flexibility, while hardwood maple creates a durable longboard.
- Doesn’t offer the quick turning or bounce of lighter longboards.
- You may need to replace the bearings at some point.
- After repeated use, the 70 mm polyurethane wheels will wear down.
The Quest Super Cruiser 44-inch longboard may not be as flashy as some of the other boards on the market, but it is incredibly beginner-friendly and one of the easiest longboards to ride.
2. Retrospec Zed Pintail 41″
The best beginner longboard for cruising
Longboard culture pulls a lot of inspiration from surfing. The Retrospec Zed Pintail 41-inch longboard honors this connection with a board that pulls vintage colors and design elements from the classic California surfing scene. The pintail finishes the look off with a great aesthetic that resembles the tail of a surfboard.
Part of this longboard’s awesome look is thanks to the ethically harvested bamboo wood. The natural materials have beautiful wood grain patterns that are unique to every board. Maple wood supports the bamboo for added durability and stability for the rider.
Thanks to the 7-inch aluminum Kingpin trucks, ABEC-7 bearings and riser pads, the Retrospec Zed Pintail even rides like a surfboard. It is one of the most comfortable cruisers out there at this price.
The design and placement of the trucks eliminate wheelbite from occurring. Wheelbite happens when the wheels touch the deck of the board and cause them to stop unexpectedly. By removing wheelbite, you can cruise without any unplanned stops in your ride!
- One of the coolest looking longboards on the list, especially if you like vintage California.
- Wheels and other hardware create a smooth ride that feels like you’re surfing.
- Can easily maintain a high speed once you get going.
- Pintail design may hurt the durability of the deck.
- A board designed for speed can be scary for a beginner.
The Retrospec Zed Pintail 41-inch longboard is the best longboard for beginners that want to look their best when they cruise. Oh, and you’ll feel great gliding along on this awesome board.
3. Sector 9 Aperture 36″
The best beginner longboard for speed
Sector 9 is a very popular longboard brand and can be found in many retail stores. The Aperture is a slightly shorter longboard, which can be nice if you want something a little more compact, or if you’re transitioning from a skateboard.
The Aperture Drop Through deck offers good flexibility and makes it impossible for your wheels to catch on the underside of the deck. This style is favored among many longboarders for the supreme carving that you can achieve.
The Gullwing Sidewinder Trucks create a sturdy setup for the 69 mm 8OA-9-BALL wheels. It’s a very smooth ride and will maintain speed. You can easily cruise with less pumping. The only drawback is it’s easy to find yourself moving too quickly, which can be scary if you’re headed down a hill.
The Sector 9 Aperture 36-inch longboard is fairly expensive compared to the other models on this list.
- A popular brand name that is well-known in the longboarding space.
- Drop Through style stops wheelbite and helps you make those impressive, sharp carves.
- A fast moving board for carving, sliding or just getting to where you’re going.
- Carving and sliding will wear your wheels and require replacements.
- Fast wheel designs are great for speed but can get out of control on steep hills.
- An expensive starter longboard.
The Sector 9 Aperture 36-inch longboard is one of the best beginner longboards for people that want to move fast and make sharp slides and carves. It is slightly more advanced than some of the other models on this list.
4. Ghost Light ’em Up Ride ’em
The best “ghost” longboard for night rides
Ghost Boards is an interesting brand that achieves a simple yet impressive design that is unlike other boards. Ghost’s Light ’em Up Ride ’em longboards are minimalistic, but somehow over the top at the same time.
The first notable feature of the Light ’em Up Ride ’em complete is its clear acrylic deck. You can look straight down and see the pavement beneath you! It gives the board a very sleek and almost futuristic look.
A design is laser etched into the acrylic so you don’t miss out on having a cool graphic on your deck. Ghost has many patterns to choose from, including animals, geometric shapes, tribal patterns and other designs. There’s a look for everyone.
Adding to the futuristic look of this longboard for starters is the LED wheels. When you’re riding at dusk or night, these wheels light up for a very cool effect. For beginners, this makes night riding safer because it’s easier for people to spot you on the road.
The Ghost Light ’em Up Ride ’em complete longboard features drop through trucks with wheel wells in the deck to avoid wheelbite. The ABEC-7 bearings will power the LED 70 mm wheels to ample speed as you cruise by.
- LED wheels light the way and keep you safe if you’re riding at night.
- Clear acrylic board with lots of graphics to choose from.
- A customizable board with many options.
- Without grip tape, your feet may slip from time to time on the acrylic.
- Scuffs, scratches and other blemishes will be evident on the clear acrylic.
- An elevated price because of the unique design and look of these boards.
The Ghost Light ’em Up Ride ’em complete longboard with LED wheels is a beginner-friendly longboard for people that want to practice riding at night and want to look cool while doing it.
5. Volador 42″ Freeride/Cruiser
The most versatile beginner longboard
The Volador 42-inch longboard is one of the most versatile options on the market in 2022. It’s designed to be a hybrid between a cruiser and a freeriding board. This means you can ride smoothly from point A to B (cruising), or take to a hill and practice your slides and tricks (freeriding). It’s a great starter longboard because you can transition from a beginner to advanced rider with one product.
For this beginner-friendly longboard, you get a stable, 8-ply maple wood deck that is designed to absorb shock from bumps in the pavement. It can easily hold up to 250 pounds. There are also multiple designs for the underside of the deck. You can find an artistic graphic that fits your vibe.
The shape of this board is such that it removes wheelbite and ensures that your 70 mm wheels keep rolling without any impediment. They’ll glide over cracks with ease. You can also adjust the base plates attached to the trucks to change the angles. The 50-degree angle helps with turning, while a sharper angle creates a more stable ride. Again, it helps you adjust from a beginner to a more advanced longboard.
It’s also worth mentioning that this complete longboard is affordable and comes fully assembled. Although, you may want to invest in a tool to loosen or tighten the trucks.
- A great option to transition from a beginner to an advanced longboarder.
- Stable, hardwood deck creates a very stable ride.
- You can learn basic slides and tricks with this longboard.
- Cheap beginner longboards can sometimes lack quality.
- Requires extra tools to adjust the baseplate or trucks.
The Volador Freeride/Cruiser 42-inch longboard is the best longboard for beginners that also want to perform tricks, slides and other advanced techniques.
6. Minority Downhill 40″
The best downhill longboard for beginners
If your desire is to bomb down hills and go as fast as your wheels can carry you, then you want the Minority Downhill 40-inch longboard. It features the downhill drop truck design that is meant to keep the board low profile and fast moving.
The deck is constructed from 8 layers of 100% maple wood that are cold pressed together for supreme durability. It is sturdy enough to hold up to 220 pounds. The expansive 9-inch wide deck gives you lots of stability so you can be surefooted when you take those intimidating hills.
To avoid wheel bite at high speeds and a low profile design, the deck is shaped carefully so that it doesn’t come in contact with any of the round edge 70×51 mm polyurethane wheels. These wheels, along with the ABEC-9 bearings are meant for supreme speeds. Just a few hard leg kicks and you’ll be off to the races!
- Extremely fast board meant for downhill slopes.
- The deck is built for supreme durability and will withstand up to 220 pounds.
- Wider base gives you more room to plant your feet and maneuver them on the board.
- Wider base may not be for everyone.
- May not carve or slide as well as other boards.
The Minority Downhill 40-inch maple longboard is great for bombing hills because of its speedy design. It can also be a nice cruiser because the bearings are built to maintain speed, which means less pumping to maintain pace.
7. MBS 10001 All-Terrain 39″
The best all-terrain longboard for beginners
The MBS 10001 39-inch drop deck longboard is the only all-terrain model on the list. While all-terrain boards are their own subsection of longboarding, they make excellent beginner-friendly models.
The wider 100 mm wheels offer extreme stability and an easy ride, on any surface. You can take it over grass, dirt, gravel, cracked pavement, uneven surfaces, etc. If you don’t have access to smooth pavement to practice longboarding, an all-terrain model is a great option. This thing will take any bump with no hesitation!
The drawback to these wider, grooved wheels is you’ll lose speed and some mobility in turns. This is not necessarily a bad thing when shopping for the best beginner longboard. One of the hardest lessons for beginners is to learn how to control speed. It’s easy to suddenly be going so fast that you can’t stop or control the board. Slower wheels will produce more manageable speeds for beginners.
The MBS 10001 All-Terrain longboard is sold as a complete board; there is no assembly required.
- Take this longboard over any surface in your neighborhood.
- A reasonable price for an all-terrain longboard.
- Slower wheels create safer speeds for beginners.
- Sharp turns and carves are harder with thicker, all-terrain wheels.
- The board is much heavier than a normal longboard, which makes it hard to carry.
The MBS 10001 All-Terrain is a versatile, take anywhere option. It is extremely stable and safe to ride. You won’t have to worry about obstacles in the road impeding your cruise!
8. Elifine Electric Longboard
The best electric longboard with wireless control
Electric longboards have become popular in the last few years. It’s a convenient way to get from point A to point B and you never even have to lift your foot. The Elifine Electric Longboard features a wireless remote with easy speed controls. You can choose between a low, medium or high speed setting that will power the board up to 12 MPH. A throttle and brake dial allows you to speed up and slow down when necessary.
Despite being labeled a “youth” electric longboard, this product holds weights up to 220 pounds and has a sizable 36-inch deck. It’s large and sturdy enough to comfortably hold an adult. Plus, the hard maple wood deck is more than stable enough for adults.
The only caveat is that the 24 V 2200 Ah lithium-ion battery may deplete quicker. You may only get about 6 miles of travel out of a charge if you’re a full-sized adult. Luckily, the battery only takes 2 hours to fully charge the 250-watt motor. All of these electric components are placed in waterproof housing, so you can even ride in the rain or through puddles.
This electric longboard has durable 75 mm wheels made from shock-absorbent polyurethane. Even at max speed, these wheels provide a smooth, steady ride. The board comes completely assembled and requires almost no step up to begin riding, aside from a quick charging session.
- An affordable electric longboard that fits adult and youth riders alike.
- Travel up to 8 miles at max speed (12 MPH) with just a 2-hour charge.
- Wireless remote controls speeds, allows you to brake and has a battery gauge.
- Larger riders may experience slightly slower speeds and range.
- Some riders may want a slightly longer board.
- Not a traditional beginner longboard.
One of the scariest things for new longboard riders is learning how to control their speed, especially when you’re going too fast down a hill. The Elifine Electric Longboard solves this with a wireless remote to completely control how fast you’re going. For its price, it is the best electric longboard for beginners.
Conclusion
That concludes the list of the best longboards for beginners of 2022. Each product on this list is affordable, safe for beginners and comfortable to ride. It’s all a matter of finding the board that fits your personal style. Do you want to cruise, perform tricks, take it off road or go the electric route? The choice is up to you!
