Cruising on a longboard is pure joy. It’s accessible, fun, and perfect for everyone, from seasoned skaters to absolute beginners. This guide will help you find the best cruiser longboard, exploring how the deck, wheels, and trucks impact your ride, and highlighting top choices for 2024. Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option or a high-performance board, we’ve got you covered.
Top Cruiser Longboards Reviewed
The longboards below are generally beginner-friendly, offering a stable and comfortable introduction to cruising. We’ve categorized them by price, keeping in mind that while price doesn’t always equal quality, these hand-picked options offer great value for your money.
Budget-Friendly Pick: Sola Bamboo 38-inch
The Sola Bamboo 38-inch is an excellent, affordable longboard. While it doesn’t have top-tier components, it boasts a decent deck and appealing design.
Sola Bamboo 38-inch Longboard
The drop-mounted deck, where the standing platform sits lower than the trucks, enhances stability, making pushing and foot braking easier, especially on longer rides. Its dimensions are 38 inches in length and 9.75 inches in width.
Drop Mounted Deck
However, the deck isn’t the most robust, and it may not be suitable for riders over 200lbs. The trucks are generic and the wheels are decent, but overall the Sola Bamboo is a solid choice for beginners on a budget. If you can invest more, consider the Magneto or Landyachtz options below. Check out the Sola on Amazon.com.
Not Recommended: Retrospec Zed Bamboo
The Retrospec Zed Bamboo is a longboard we wouldn’t recommend. While some reviews are positive, its quality is lacking.
Retrospec Zed Bamboo Longboard
Like the Sola, it features a cheap deck and components, but its size (44 inches long and 9.5 inches wide) feels sluggish, especially when turning. The nose and kicktail are essentially unusable, making this board cumbersome. While some beginners may find it acceptable, an experienced rider will not enjoy the experience. Check it out here on Amazon.com if you are curious.
Retrospec Zed Bamboo Deck
Best Budget-Friendly Choice: Magneto Cruiserboard
The Magneto cruiserboard offers excellent value for budget-conscious buyers. While components are basic, its vertically laminated deck is a highlight.
Magneto Cruiserboard
The vertically laminated deck is lighter and more flexible than horizontally laminated alternatives, making it great for heavier riders (220lbs+) while still maintaining a playful feel. Its drop-through design also enhances stability.
The trucks are generic versions of Paris trucks and the wheels are adequate, but the deck alone makes this a worthwhile purchase that you can upgrade later. Check it out on Amazon.com.
Another to Avoid: Atom Drop Through
The Atom Drop Through is an example of a cheaply made longboard sold at an inflated price. It doesn’t offer a substantial increase in quality compared to less expensive alternatives.
Atom Drop Through Longboard
Its 9-ply maple deck is durable, making it suitable for riders over 230lbs. However, like other budget boards, it has low-quality trucks and wheels that hinder the overall ride experience. The trucks aren’t smooth and the board isn’t as easy to control, making it a bad deal overall. It is better to go for the Magneto. But if you’re still curious you can check it out on Amazon.com.
Top Choice for Ease of Riding: Landyachtz Drop Cat
The Landyachtz Drop Cat stands out as one of the best boards for an easy and enjoyable ride, ideal for transportation. It comes in two sizes, 33 inches and 38 inches long with widths of 9.6 and 9.9 inches respectively.
Landyachtz Drop Cat Longboard
Both sizes feature high-quality components including Bear Grizzly trucks, 72mm Hawgs wheels, and Abec 7 bearings, along with a drop-through mounting, rockered platform, and deck flex. The lower center of gravity makes the board stable and easy to push, while its responsive turning is great for all riders.
The Drop Cat is an exceptional cruiser with smooth rolling wheels and a stable yet responsive platform. For the larger 38-inch option, check it out on Amazon.com or at Stoked Ride Shop. You can also find both versions at the Landyachtz website, use code “AbugaSkate&Explore15” for 10% off. The smaller 33-inch version is available at Stoked Ride Shop and is best suited for smaller riders.
Great for Kids: Arbor Collective Zeppelin Bamboo
The Arbor Zeppelin is a high-quality board at an excellent price point.
Arbor Collective Zeppelin Bamboo Longboard
Its flexible, drop-through deck is made with 7-ply maple and a carbonized bamboo bottom. Like all Arbor boards, the wood is sustainably sourced. It also includes Paris trucks and 65mm wheels, and at only 32 inches in length and 8.75 inches wide, this is a good choice for kids and smaller riders. It delivers the “drop-through” experience in a more manageable size. Find the Arbor Zeppelin on Amazon.com.
Super Fun Throwback: Landyachtz Ripper/Super Chief
The Landyachtz Ripper/Super Chief is a throwback to the pintail era, offering a refreshing feel compared to modern shapes.
Landyachtz Ripper Longboard
This board is a hybrid of the Drop Cat and the Landyachtz Dinghy, combining the playfulness of the Dinghy with the comfort of the Drop Cat. It has a length of 36.9 inches, a width of 9 inches, and a wheelbase of 24.9 inches, featuring high-quality 130mm Polar Bear trucks and 63mm 78a Fatty Hawgs wheels.
The small wheels aren’t great for long distances, but this is a great choice for riders who want a fun, playful board rather than a dedicated transportation tool. Check out the Landyachtz Ripper at the Stoked Ride Shop or at the Landyachtz website, use code “AbugaSkate&Explore15” for 10% off. The Landyachtz Super Chief is also available on Amazon.com.
Pro-Level Cruiser: Comet Cruiser
The Comet Cruiser is a popular choice amongst pro longboarders, and is designed to deliver a high-end experience.
Comet Cruiser Underside
With a length of 34 inches and a width of 7.87 inches, it features a 20.25-inch wheelbase, kicktail with a UHMW tail guard, wedged and dewedged 108mm Paris trucks, Powell Peralta Snakes wheels, Zealous bearings, and aftermarket Venom SHR bushings. This setup offers a quick, nimble feel, with smooth turning, good control, and easy sliding.
Comet Cruiser Skid Detail
The Comet Cruiser is a premium, high-performance board that is well worth the $250 price tag. You can find the Comet Cruiser here. Use code “downhill254” for a 10% discount.
Premium Pick, Kind Overpriced: Loaded Poke
The Loaded Poke is a high-quality option with premium components throughout.
Loaded Poke Longboard
It’s 34 inches long, 9.1 inches wide, and includes 150mm Paris trucks, 70mm 80a Orangatang Stimulus wheels, and a bamboo/fiberglass deck for flexibility. It fits our description for a great cruiser but may be considered expensive. Check out the Loaded Poke on Amazon.com.
High-Quality Drop-Through: Loaded Tan Tien
The Loaded Tan Tien is a premium option from an established brand, that comes with a high price tag (300$+).
Loaded Tan Tien Longboard
This board is unique because of its vertically laminated deck with a kicktail. It is thinner, stronger, and lighter than horizontally laminated decks. It comes in three different flex options to accommodate a wide range of riders. With its Paris trucks and Fireball Tinder wheels, the Tan Tien is a versatile board great for freestyle tricks. Check out the Loaded Tan Tien here on Stoked Rideshop.com.
Other Brands
Here are some other notable brands to explore: Ehlers for budget-friendly longboards, Pantheon for cruisers and commuters, Rayne, DB, and Bustin.
How to Choose the Best Longboard for Cruising
Understanding how different components affect the ride is crucial. A good cruiser should turn well, roll smoothly, and be comfortable to ride.
What is Cruising?
Cruising is a laid-back form of skating where the journey matters more than the destination. The goal is to enjoy your board and the feeling of skating, focusing on maximizing your enjoyment.
What Type of Boards Are Suitable for Cruising?
While any board can be used for cruising, certain types are better suited.
Avoid Mini-Cruisers
Mini-cruisers aren’t great for longer cruising sessions because their small wheels require consistent pushing, and they aren’t very stable.
Avoid Downhill, Dance, and Trick Boards
These boards are designed for specific functions and often compromise comfort for other needs.
What to Look for in a Cruiser
Here are the crucial features to consider when selecting a cruiser longboard.
Comfortable Standing Platform
The deck should be comfortable to stand on, and not too long. Aim for a length of 32 to 40 inches, which ensures enough space to stand comfortably.
Smooth Rolling Over Most Terrain
Wheels that roll well over various terrains provide a smooth and comfortable ride.
Wheel Diameter
Larger wheels roll smoother over pebbles and cracks. 70mm wheels are generally ideal for cruising.
Smooth, Comfortable Ride
The deck contributes significantly to the smoothness and comfort of the ride.
Low Standing Platform
A low standing platform improves stability and makes pushing easier, and can be achieved through a drop, drop mount, drop-through, or rocker deck.
Flexibility
A flexible deck absorbs road vibrations and makes the ride smoother, though it can sacrifice some precision.
Light Concave
Too much concave can be uncomfortable, so a light concave is generally preferred.
Good Turning Ability
Trucks are responsible for the turning of the board. High-quality trucks provide smooth and controlled turns.
Avoid Cheap Trucks
Inaccurate casting in cheap trucks can result in inconsistent turning, and lower quality bushings and pivots make the truck feel “floppy”.
Get High-Quality Trucks
Look for trucks from brands like Paris, Caliber, Bear, Atlas, Rogue, Ronin, Gullwing, Randal, Sabre, Bolzen, and Arsenal for smooth, controlled turning.
Paris Savant Trucks
Decent Bushings and Pivot
High-quality bushings and pivots allow your truck to turn smoothly, and will feel more precise and controllable.
What Cruisers Aren’t Good For
While great for their purpose, cruisers have some limitations.
Not Very Portable
Cruisers are usually bulky and awkward to carry around.
Not Super Nimble
They are often not very nimble and react slowly to your input.
Not Great for Speed
Cruisers aren’t great for downhill riding and going over 25mph, as they can become unstable at higher speeds.
Which Board is Best?
For all-around performance, the Landyachtz Drop Cat is our top pick. It combines great components, a great riding experience, and a reasonable cost. The Comet Cruiser is also an excellent option if you can afford it.
Ultimately, choosing the right board makes cruising a much more enjoyable experience. We hope this guide helps you find the perfect longboard for your needs.
