THE BEST LONGBOARDS FOR BEGINNERS - 4 EASY SUGGESTIONS
Longboards are great for skaters of all abilities - especially beginners! With so many different boards to choose from, things can get overwhelming pretty fast.
So here are our picks for the best longboards for beginners - taking into account ease of learning, longevity and price too.
- Lush Minnow
- Lush Longboards Freebyrd Lo-Pro Woodgrain Split Angle Longboard
- Arbor Drop Cruiser
- Pantheon Trip
We chat to beginners nearly every day in our shop in Bristol and have done for over a decade - here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
If you have any more, feel free to get in touch and we'll be happy to offer our expertise and opinion on what will be the best fit for you.
- Why are longboards good for beginners?
- What kind of longboard should a beginner get?
- Are longboards easier to ride than skateboards?
- Are drop-through longboards good for beginners?
- What size longboard is best for beginners?
- How do you stop on a longboard?
- How much should I spend on a beginner longboard?
Lush Minnow
If you want a longboard but don't know where to start, start here.
The Minnow is quite possibly the board that is easy to skate and does the most things.
It will allow you to learn the basics, gain confidence and try out nearly every facet of longboarding to a solid degree.
The deck
The Minnow is a simple and effective surf-inspired shape, pressed with a comfortable mellow rocker concave. The wider shape creates a surprisingly large standing platform considering the deck size, enough even for some basic dance/freestyle steps.
There is no kicktail but there is a tail - it works just fine for lifting over bumps and cracks and off curbs.
Wheels, Trucks, & Bearings
Split angle trucks and high quality Cult urethane means it turns better, rolls better, all around feels a million miles better to skate than anything else in this price range.
I am not joking.
How does it ride?
Ah I just answered this one.
It rides so nicely. The turn is reactive and fluid but the board is super stable at any speed thanks to the split angle truck setup. You can cruise and carve it, you can pump it, throw in some cross-steps and other dance moves, you can learn to slide it and even take it pretty fast... There's not much else out there that can do all of that, so easily, for such little impact on your wallet.
Fully recommend.
| The Lush Minnow is good because... | A Lush Minnow might not be right for you because... |
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Lush Longboards Freebyrd Lo-Pro Woodgrain Split Angle Longboard
The most popular longboard for beginners in our shop in the last five years for good reason. For many people it's got it all: drop-through, split angle, high quality, great value.
The deck
The Freebyrd is a rockered drop-through - which makes it low to the ground (more stable, easier to push), and therefore very beginner-friendly. Pressed from Canadian maple, this is a quality board designed in the UK by a team with decades of skate experience and understanding of what makes a longboard work.
Wheels, Trucks, & Bearings
Lush do not muck about when it comes to components and because they're in the UK the pricing is generally far better than brands coming in via a long distribution chain.
This Freebyrd features split angle trucks - the most important aspect of a longboard for beginners that makes the whole thing easier and more fun to ride.
Throw on the Cult Cultrons - the highest quality wheel available on any complete setup anywhere - and you have got yourself a winner.
How does it ride?
Easy to push, easy to brake, a joy to carve. It can be pumped - though generally a topmount will be easier to generate speed through pumping.
A great option for exploring local cycle routes and the low platform makes sliding that bit easier, too.
| The Lush Longboards Freebyrd Lo-Pro Woodgrain Split Angle Longboard is good because... | A Lush Longboards Freebyrd Lo-Pro Woodgrain Split Angle Longboard might not be right for you because... |
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Arbor Drop Cruiser
Low platform, low price. The Arbor Drop Cruiser does not feature split angle trucks or massive smooth wheels, but as of writing this feature it is cheap as chips at £100 - and that makes it more than worth including in our recommendations for beginners.
The deck
The Arbor Drop Cruiser deck is made of 9 plies of Canadian maple - skateboards are usually only 7. This means its strong! Definitely a top recommendation for anyone 100kg+ who want a stable and solid ride without forking out for a high-end board with a composite construction.
Wheels, Trucks, & Bearings
Symmetrical Paris trucks with Arbors own wheels and bearings - it won't turn, pump or roll as nicely as the Freebyrd above, but plenty of people have started on this board and enjoyed themselves plenty.
Just be aware that if you do enjoy it, it may end up being a more costly purchase as you come back to upgrade the components bit by bit.
How does it ride?
The Drop Cruiser feels very planted and comfortable. For riders over 100kg+ it is the best budget option out there by a country mile. And whilst it isn't the best, it's still an Arbor board with branded trucks - it's available in our shop, so it's good enough for us!
| The Arbor Drop Cruiser is good because... | A Arbor Drop Cruiser might not be right for you because... |
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Pantheon Trip
Budget to spare and want to commute or skate for fitness? Pantheon Longboards is where you need to be looking, and the Trip is one of our favourites. Availability can be patchy in the UK - give us a ring and we can always let you know the current situation, or switch wheels around to make you one!
The deck
Small, drop-through and drop-down it is incredibly low to the ground and efficient to push. Fancy composite construction and a choice of flex variants means you can trust you've got the right board for you, and that it's going to last a long time.
Wheels, Trucks, & Bearings
Undercarriages can vary but essentially these come with GIANT WHEELS! They'll eat up the pavement (although if you're skating urban territory and have to slow down and speed up a lot, we don't recommend going over 85mm) - you can really float for miles on this thing.
Truck options include Paris, Bear, Sabre and Valkyrie but the main point is: you can get it as a split angle setup which will be easier to learn on, more fun and more functional.
How does it ride?
Super easy to push and about as agile as a dropped board like this can be - it's a fun one. Depending on the flex you choose it should be a light damping flex - enough to take out the road noise but not enough to make you feel at all unstable.
| The Pantheon Trip is good because... | A Pantheon Trip might not be right for you because... |
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Why are longboards good for beginners?
Longboards are amazing for beginner skaters. Split angle longboards are even better!
Relative to skateboards, cruisers and surfksates:
- Longboards have more space to stand on - more comfort, more confidence
- Longboards are more stable
- Longboards roll much smoother on rough surfaces thanks to bigger, softer wheels
A split angle longboard therefore is simply the best tool for any beginner to learn to ride a skateboard. The basics of balance, leaning, turning and enjoying will come quicker on a split angle longboard than any other type of board out there. And once those things are dialled, you can branch out into whatever other type of skating appeals to you...
What kind of longboard should a beginner get?
As a beginner, the easiest type of longboard to skate is a split angle longboard.
It sounds techy but it isn't - it simply means that the front truck turns more than the back one, more like how a car or a bicycle works.
Relative to a "normal" longboard (with the same angle trucks front and back), split angle boards are much easier to turn whilst also being more stable to ride in general - a win-win situation not only for beginners, but for riders of any experience level.
Drop-through longboards are also a great choice for beginners. They're lower to the ground which means less effort to push, easier to footbrake and a lower centre of gravity means inherently more stability too.
The absolute easiest board to learn is therefore a drop-through with a split angle truck setup.
The disadvantage of a drop-through is that you won't have a kicktail, so tricks or dropping off curbs will not be possible.
Are longboards easier to ride than skateboards?
Yes - way easier!
Longboards are designed for enjoying the simple pleasure of riding along with wind in your hair.
You don't need to be able to do tricks, ride on ramps, stairs or rails to get the full enjoyment from them - you just need to be able to balance on it and a whole new world is at your feet.
Every part of a longboard is designed to make this as easy as possible:
- Decks: Longer boards inspire confidence with more stability and more space for your feet
- Trucks: Longboard trucks - and especially split angle trucks - offer much more lean, turn and stability. They unlock that snowboard-esque feeling on tarmac, allowing you to really feel the rails of the board and lean into corners. It's a lot of fun...
- Wheels: Softer, grippier wheels on longboards won't rattle your knees to bits as you skate across town - they're quiet, smooth and offer very little rolling resistance.
Much like surfing, beginning the journey on a longboard offers the easiest route to finding your feet and progressing onto whatever board or type of riding appeals to you most long term.
Are drop-through longboards good for beginners?
Drop-through longboards have many advantages for beginners thanks to the lower ride height, but in this day and age we would recommend a split angle longboard above a drop-through with symmetrical trucks for a beginner.
The real winner would be a drop-through with split angle trucks!
The advantages of a drop-through are thanks to the low ride height:
- More stability
- Lower effort to push
- Easier to learn to footbrake
- Easier to initiate slides
There are however drawbacks to a drop-through board too:
- No nose or tail - these boards aren't for tricks
- Less foot platform for dance/freestyle moves
- Less direct leverage over the trucks - harder to pump than a topmount with a similar wheelbase
But if tricks or pumping aren't interesting to you then a drop-through longboard is the perfect platform to get started on.
What size longboard is best for beginners?
The answer depends on a myriad of factors such as your size, foot size, age, weight, skate and boardsports experience, terrain you want to skate and your skate aspirations.
Check out our guide to Choosing the right longboard size for a more detailed look.
How do you stop on a longboard?
Learning to brake makes longboarding a lot safer and more enjoyable! Never ride faster than you can comfortably brake.
The first method is the footbrake - essentially, the opposite of pushing. You drop your pushing foot (usually the back foot) and drag it along the floor, slowly increasing pressure to brake harder.
Carving down a hill is a great way to slow down vs going straight, and also happens to be one of the best feelings in the world.
Sliding is a more advanced technique that can be done with your hands on the floor, or stood up. Definitely one to learn with a helmet, pads and slide gloves. The most dynamic and stylish way to slow down on any type of skateboard.
All of these techniques will be easier to learn on a split angle longboard with it's enhanced stability and manoeuvrability.
How much should I spend on a beginner longboard?
Super-cheap longboards are no good for beginners.
Below a certain threshold they are a false economy - they are not built to skate or by anyone who understands them, and thus are not enjoyable, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank!
If you're buying from us at Vandem you can be confident you're getting something worth skating - we don't bother with the naff stuff.
You can grab a British designed split-angle longboard for not much more than £150 that will see you through for years to come. It's a steal.
