While freestyle skating requires skill and fit, it also requires the best freestyle longboard. That’s what this article is all about. Showing the most important features of a freestyle longboard via 7 amazing freestyle longboards for the beginner, intermediate, and pro-level skater.
I have divided each product according to skill, fit, and style. Whether you’re looking for a balanced and lightweight longboard. Or something more agile and accurate, these are the reviews you need to consider.
A good freestyle longboard can make or break your body movements. No matter how skilled you are at freestyling, a longboard should be high-impact and sleek.
So start with these longboards to hone your freestyle techniques without error.
7 Compelling Product Reviews for The Best Freestyle Longboard
1. Slendor Longboard Skateboard 42-Inch Drop Through Deck – Best for all-round use
If you’re looking for a solid pick that’s worth every penny, the Slendor Longboard should be your first choice. It is good for beginners as well as intermediates. It’s a dedicated freestyle longboard that runs quietly and feels sturdy and supportive everywhere.
When you’ve used longboards for as long as I have, you’d hate wasting your money on something that wasn’t good for what it’s built for. And the Slendor is one of the few longboards that is good for a variety of longboarding styles.
Though I don’t recommend it for going downhill. It’s great for freestyling, cruising, and even around deep curves, bends, and corners on the road.
The credit for such versatile performance goes to Slendor’s ABEC-11 bearings that support the 85A PU wheels with rock finish. These wheels are soft in that they do not groan when you’re riding fast. It does support relatively faster longboarding speeds with cushioning and shock absorption.
The longboard feels safe and sturdy for children as well as adults. It has a simple and good-to-look-at design. Though the bottom side of the deck does feature a very graphic and bright design. But the top is easy on the eyes.
The deck also comes with a few adjustments that make freestyling a comfortable experience. You can adjust the aluminum trucks to 50 or 45 degrees which allows more maneuverability and control in directional speed.
2. Volador 42-Inch Freeride Longboard Cruiser – Best longboard for beginners
In contrast to the graphic design of the previous pick, the Volador Longboard Cruiser looks subtle and attractive. It turns very smoothly too. For a freestyle longboard, it’s a perfectly useful longboard. With 7-inch kingpin trucks, 8-ply deck, and ABEC-9 bearings.
What this is good for is carving, freestyling, and cruising. The deck turns well with a comfortable turn radius. I mean, it hits sidewalks and performs up to 110-degree angle turns quickly and accurately. All this you can do without decreasing speed, so it’s a stabilizing longboard with durable flex.
Speaking of flex, the deck offers some tension resistance with little flex. But you won’t notice this when you’re riding on relatively uneven surfaces. It helps in maintaining a good speed over large cracks and gravels.
Even if you’re above 200 pounds, this board will provide incredible support. It feels lightweight but comes with wider wheels and trucks for balance. It’s lightweight enough to carry with a single hand which makes portability easier.
Lastly, unlike the previous pick, the Volador has a secure and powerful grip tape. It prevents slipping or sliding. And you won’t find any shoe marks or scratches around it because the tape is very grippy and strong.
3. INNOWEIGH 41-Inch Longboard Skateboard – Best longboard for children and adults
The INNOWEIGH is a versatile and all-in-one longboard for freestyling. It features more durable parts and can take on heavier riders without a fuss. I’m talking about the 80A PU wheels, PU shock absorb ring, and ABEC-11 high-speed bearings of the INNOWEIGH.
The deck is made up of 8 plies of cold-pressed natural maple with a maximum rider weight of 330 pounds. It even features a frosted and sturdy anti-skid surface that stabilizes at maximum speed for freestylers of all ages.
This longboard is good for people who need something for cruising and freestyling. You can adjust it to suit your personal style. It features the tools required for making adjustments as well so you don’t need to pay for it separately.
The wheels are well-protected, thanks to the ABEC-11 bearings. It keeps your feet balanced, energized, and offers some directional control around corners for carving.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn some new freestyle tricks on this longboard or an intermediate unwilling to spend a lot of money, the INNOWEIGH is compatible and amazing.
4. Magneto Bamboo Carbon Fiber Longboard Skateboard – Best for carving with fiberglass design
The Magneto Bamboo runs very smoothly. It has a foolproof design with great aesthetics, a 46-inch long deck, and 3 plies of bamboo and carbon fiber blend. So it can take on some pretty intense longboarding style. Especially freestyling for which it is most popular.
The best feature of this longboard is the dual kick tails that let the rider perform a variety of tricks. Freestyle involves a lot of spontaneous but calculated moves. So while you can smoothly glide on this longboard, it is also able to perform flips, shoves, and manuals without a fuss.
You will have to tighten up the bearings a bit. After which, it glides and carves without a worry. The wheels are softer with medium stiffness. This is good for turning on hard turns and carving.
The trucks are very responsive, especially because the deck is shaped like a shallow concave which makes dancing, cruising, and freestyle a breeze.
The trucks are 7-inch wide with some but a lot of tension resistance. This means you can easily glide on gravel or coarse surfaces without worrying about losing your balance. The softer wheels allow more forgiveness on uneven surfaces.
5. MINORITY Downhill Maple Longboard Skateboard – Best for intricate design features
Freestyle involves both street pavement and skate park riding. This means you require a sturdy and balanced longboard with flexible features. In the case of MINORITY, this means a maple wood deck and 7in reverse kingpin trucks, and 78A PU wheels.
The MINORITY is the shining example of what longboards can do for beginners. It is also perfect for angled riders who have many corners to cut. If you know what I mean. It’s accurately suited for freestyle riders because it can perform well on all surfaces without trouble.
The wide and sturdy PU wheels with shock-absorbing design have something to do with this. You can also make the most of the longboard with the reverse kingpin trucks that come with 50 or 45-degree angle adjustments.
Whether you’re jumping over a crack, riding up or down curbs, or over smooth roads. This board feels very fluid and supportive for long-standing use. It doesn’t vibrate too much on coarse surfaces.
The upshot of using this entry-level longboard is that it performs well right out of the box. And it has a grip tape that works like a dream for stabilizing your feet. It’s a decent and reliable longboard when you’re unsure about what to buy and want something worth its caliber.
6. White Wave Bamboo Longboard Skateboard – Best for experienced riders
The White Wave is a dream longboard for anyone enthusiastic about freestyling. It feels sturdy and comes with fully-equipped and powerful features.
Starting with the high-quality deck, it has a custom shape that reduces vibration and glides smoothly. The wheels are made of ultra-high rebound urethane that stabilizes and offers more directional control.
The bearings are made up of aluminum so they are fast and strong. And the extra spacing between them, thanks to the built-in spacers, makes all the difference in precise control and fast movement.
The deck is made of bamboo and maple which offers durability with a dash of flex. This flex is supportive enough for experienced riders to take full control of. It’s not much but it does what it has to do, prevent wibbles and make the ride comfortable yet fast.
This expert longboard also supports heavier riders, above 250 pounds even! It’s best for cruising, carving, and freestyle kicks. And it’s built to last for a long time as long as you know how to maintain a longboard like a pro.
7. Santa Cruz Impact Drop Down Cruzer – Best for traction and stability
The Santa Cruz Impact is a good choice for freestyle, cruising, and downhill riding. Kudos to the excellent grip tape and long deck design. The deck is made of 7 plies of maple which provides strength and balance on a variety of surfaces.
It has a low center of gravity. This contributes to its stability for downhill as well as freestyle longboarding. The trucks are 5-inches tall making it a versatile pick for tall and heavy riders as well.
The bullet trucks and high-quality wheels come with soft padding which reduces resistance and noise while riding. Whether you’re riding on gravel or smooth pavements, the wheels don’t squeak or vibrate under pressure.
For softer landings, and smooth and comfortable rides, the ABEC-5 bearings are precise and feel very supportive. It promotes better adaptability on increasing speed for newcomers and intermediates.
Your Go – To Buying Guide for The Best Freestyle Longboard
Now, it’s time for the technical stuff. But I’ll try to be as quick and accurate about it.
But before we begin, answer me this: what’s the first thing you look at when you see a longboard?
Length, shape, trucks, or wheels? Or you’re simpler than that and you notice just the design of the longboard?
All these are necessary when considering a freestyle longboard.
Starting with…
1. Size
The deck size of a longboard is a combination of different features. It’s a hybrid which means it’s longer than a skateboard and also wider.
Many lengths suit the needs and skills of a freestyle rider. You can pick a deck that is 42-inches long or even 46-inch. Though a 46-inch deck is more suited to downhill longboarding than cruising or freestyle.
For freestyling, you crave more control and traction. That’s why picking between a 41-inch to 43-inch length deck is the perfect range for the best freestyle longboard.
Moving on to height, 9-inches is a standard size for longboards. Nothing complicated about it. It’s also what pro-level riders prefer for freestyling.
2. Shape
Most longboards feature a symmetrical shape on both ends of the board. This twin symmetrical shape allows better movement, speed control, and angling. It’s also the more flexible choice for freestyle riding. You can perform a variety of freestyle tricks on a longboard with a twin symmetrical shape.
3. Trucks
Trucks come in different shapes and designs on a longboard. For freestyling, however, I recommend kingpin or reverse kingpin trucks. The former is good for performing expert freestyle tricks. While the latter is more suited to riders who want more control and stability at higher speeds.
Drop-through trucks are also good for freestyle. It encourages better maneuverability for casual freestyling. But for those who love to perform technical tricks, the kingpin offers maximum support and better durability.
4. Wheels
Medium-firm stiffness is ideal for freestyle longboards. Don’t go for softer wheels or stiffer wheels. Softer wheels won’t be able to take on street pavements. And they don’t last as long. While extremely stiff wheels will skid more as you’re freestyling.
To optimize stability and improve foot movement and control, go for wider wheels that allow you to jump quickly with your longboard. Starting from 57mm up to 70mm – this is the range that you pick from according to your style.
Smaller wheels that are stiffer offer great cruising control for freestyle riders. Whether you choose a drop-through deck or kingpin trucks, it’s also another very popular choice for beginners to get more control out of their speed.
5. Flex
This feature doesn’t get discussed as much. It should because it plays a very important role. You can determine the flex of a longboard by its deck material.
Deck materials vary from maple, bamboo, fiberglass, and a few others. These are the most common (and popular) ones for freestyle longboards.
Maple is durable and stiff. It’s also the most commonly used material for inexpensive longboards. If you’re looking for less skidding, more stability, and balance, a maple deck offers a comfortable flex.
Bamboo has more bounce and breathability. It is great for freestyle when it’s in combination with something tough like fiberglass. Then it offers the rider more control, flexibility, and springiness. Not the best choice for high speed though.
Fiberglass is stiff and more forgiving and agile. It can take you to higher speeds. And its flex properties are unique in that it is resistant to pressure. This property of fiberglass is unparalleled and that’s why it costs more than maple and bamboo.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What’s the best mount type for freestyle riding?
Mount types are also known as mount styles. The mount refers to the trucks that are attached to the deck board. The trucks hold the wheels that stabilize the deck board.
Depending on the mount type, the center of gravity of a deck will be either higher or lower. This also affects how balanced your feet feel on the deck.
A lower center of gravity is good for freestyle riding. Drop through mounts, drop decks, and double drop decks are good for bridging the gap between the ground and your feet.
They are good for stability but very accurate for maintaining high speeds. For high speeds, you can go for a composite deck mount with reverse kingpin trucks and a longer longboard length.
2. Are concave decks necessary for the design of freestyle longboards?
gripping and stability on the deck. For freestyling, a shallow concave is essential. The deck is more flexible and you have better control of the longboard while freestyling and performing tricks.
3. Do freestyle longboards weigh too much?
When considering portability, weight is important. The weight of a standard longboard, for example, is anywhere between 8 to 10 pounds. Some freestyle longboards come with longer decks and a wider wheelbase, they weigh more – 2 to 3 pounds more than standard longboards.
But the heavier longboards are good for cruising, carving, and dancing.
Final Thoughts
I hope everything about the best freestyle longboard is clear as day for you to understand. How well can you use a longboard for freestyle riding? Can you use a freestyle longboard for downhill longboarding? These questions are just as important as the ones we usually ask about longboards.
Along with the important features of a freestyle longboard, do read up about safety gear. Purchase the correct gear to protect your face, knees, and other exposed parts of the body while skating.
Do not forget to leave a comment by letting us know your most essential freestyle tip & trick to get more out of the longboarding experience!
Hello all skateboarding enthusiasts. I’m Frank Nasworthy- The Founder and Author at MegaSkateboard. My goal is to provide the best of skateboarding knowledge: buying guide & review, tips, tricks, tutorials. In addition, I also write a lot of articles about longboards. I have been skateboarding for 10 years and my writings on skateboarding and longboarding are from my skateboarding experience. From there help the skateboarders increasingly progressive and get the right skateboard products.