It’s a tough time for longboard enthusiasts. The market is flooded with options, but not all brands are created equal. Many once-reputable names have fallen victim to corporate takeovers, prioritizing profit over quality. This has led to a surge in poorly made longboards that can hinder your riding experience and even pose safety risks. This guide will help you navigate the longboard landscape, highlighting brands to steer clear of and explaining what makes a longboard truly great.
The Worst Longboard Brands: A Detailed Look
Here’s a breakdown of longboard brands that consistently underperform, along with the reasons behind their shortcomings:
1. Generic Chinese Longboards
Mass-produced in China, these boards often lack the craftsmanship and attention to detail needed for a quality ride. They are often made with low-grade materials leading to several problems:
- Low-Quality Materials: Decks made with cheap wood and polymers result in warping, snapping, and poor responsiveness.
- Inflexible Decks: The lack of flex increases the risk of breakage and makes the board feel stiff, especially on varied terrain.
- Poor Grip: Weak wheel grips can lead to accidents.
- Excessive Plastic: The use of plastic reduces responsiveness and durability.
- Heavy and Sluggish: Heavy woods contribute to slow and unresponsive decks.
While not all Chinese-made boards are bad, the ones you find at a very low price point should be avoided.
2. Ghost
Ghost longboards are known for their translucent acrylic polymer decks. While they look great, the issues surface as soon as you start using them:
- Susceptible to Scratches: The acrylic material scratches easily with normal use.
- Lack of Versatility: These boards are designed for slow cruising, not for tricks or downhill riding. They simply don’t perform.
- More Form Than Function: While visually appealing, their functionality is limited.
3. Valador
Valador longboards often boast visually appealing deck designs, which attract new skaters. However, their performance is generally disappointing:
- Poor Turning and Versatility: They lack the maneuverability needed for anything beyond basic cruising.
- Sluggish Feel: Even for cruising, these boards feel slow and unresponsive.
- Marketing Over Substance: They prioritize aesthetics over performance, often misleading beginners.
4. Kryptonics
Kryptonics has a long history in the skateboarding industry, but has lost its way. Now they are more focused on mass production than quality:
- Stiff Decks: Their decks are overly stiff, killing responsiveness.
- Fragile Wheels: Wheels are prone to wear and tear even on moderate terrain.
- Plastic Trucks: The trucks are known to snap under pressure.
- Quality Degradation: Once a reputable brand, they have sacrificed quality for profits.
5. Krown
Krown longboards have surprisingly good reviews, but their boards are generally considered poor quality:
- Low-Grade Wood Decks: The decks buckle easily.
- Stuck Trucks: The trucks are prone to getting stuck, causing sudden braking.
- Stiff Bearings: Bearings that don’t rotate well contribute to a dangerous and unpredictable ride.
- Not Beginner Friendly: Despite being marketed as beginner boards, their poor construction makes them dangerous, especially for new riders.
6. Walmart Longboards
Longboards sold at Walmart are designed for affordability, not performance or safety:
- Low-Quality Construction: The boards are prone to falling apart.
- Fragile Trucks: The trucks are particularly susceptible to breaking.
- Asymmetric Wheels: The wheels are often uneven, causing wobbling.
- Uncomfortable Ride: Flat wheels create an unpleasant ride experience.
7. Moose
Moose longboards have design flaws that make them unsafe:
- Unstable Deck Height: The deck height is too high, making the board unstable at higher speeds.
- Inflexible Decks: Like other budget brands, they suffer from overly stiff and unresponsive decks.
- Poor Design for Beginners: Assuming beginners will do little more than stand on the board, the design is subpar and does not consider the needs of learners.
8. Sector 9
While Sector 9 offers some good higher-end models, their lower-end boards fall short:
- Designed for Low Ambition: They are suitable for casual cruising but offer little performance for more advanced skaters.
- Overpriced for What You Get: Cheaper options offer the same level of performance.
- Inconsistent Quality: Lower-end boards do not live up to the brand’s reputation.
9. Magneto
Magneto boards are often chosen by budget-conscious longboarders, but their quality is lacking:
- Unreliable Parts: The components are made with low-quality materials.
- Poor Wheel Grip: The wheels provide inadequate grip.
- Fragile Decks: The decks can snap easily.
- Better Options Available: Brands like Comet, Pantheon, and Bustin offer much higher quality.
10. Landyachtz
Landyachtz is generally known for its high-quality boards, but some of their models fall short:
- Heavy Decks: Some of their boards are overly heavy, making them sluggish.
- Excessively Long Drops: Certain designs feature drops that are too extreme for some riders.
- Overpriced Beginner Boards: The price point of some of their beginner boards is too high for the level of performance.
- Inconsistent Quality: Even a reputable brand like Landyachtz can have some low-performing models.
landyachtz tugboat in the wild
What Makes The Worst Longboards Bad?
Poor quality and design are the main factors that contribute to a bad longboard experience. These issues are usually present when brands try to cut costs.
Longboard Decks
The deck is the most commonly flawed part of bad longboards:
- Poor Materials: Cheap materials lead to a lack of durability and warping.
- Inadequate Design: Decks are often designed for casual cruising, not for more advanced riding.
- Risk of Snapping: These decks are prone to breaking under stress, especially when doing tricks.
Longboard Trucks
The trucks are crucial for a longboard’s handling and maneuverability:
- Copycat Designs: Poorly made trucks often copy skateboard trucks, which aren’t suitable for longboards.
- Incorrect Configuration: Longboards need “Reverse Kingpin Trucks” (RKP) for better agility, but cheaper boards use “Traditional Kingpin Trucks” (TKP).
- Incorrect Truck Width: Bad truck widths can lead to instability or reduced maneuverability. 150mm is best for cruising while 170-180mm is suitable for downhill but require proper grip.
Longboard Wheels
Wheels impact a longboard’s smoothness and shock absorption:
- Poor Materials: Bad wheels, often made of plastic, don’t absorb shock effectively.
- Vulnerability to Cracking: Cheap wheels are prone to cracking on impact.
Other Components
Other components like bearings and bushings also impact the quality of a ride. Low-quality components from bad manufacturers can detract from your experience.
Why Are There Bad Longboards?
Several factors contribute to the prevalence of bad longboards:
- Online Shopping: The distance between sellers and shoppers reduces accountability.
- Profit Over Quality: Many companies prioritize economic gains over product quality.
- Newbie Enticement: Bad longboard brands target new riders with low prices and a lack of concern for performance.
- Corporate Takeovers: Some once reputable brands have been acquired by corporations that prioritize profits.
What To Do With A Crappy Longboard
If you end up with a bad longboard, you have several options:
- Return it: Return the board if it is defective, especially if purchased from a physical store.
- Write a Review: Warn other users about your experience by writing reviews.
- Swap It: Trade with other skaters as the features that don’t work for you might be useful to others.
- Fix It: Replace poor components like trucks and wheels with better options.
Conclusion
Investing in quality longboard gear is crucial for a safe and enjoyable ride. By avoiding the worst longboard brands, you’ll save money in the long run, as cheap boards break easily and require constant replacement. Choose a reputable brand and ensure you get the best quality components to maximize your skateboarding experience.
