Are you wondering if the grip tape is necessary for tricks like pop, flick, catch, mannies? Some people believe that they can skate without grip tape. This is a mistake, and you’ll never be able to do tricks properly unless your feet adhere securely onto the board itself with this simple but essential product! We believe that having the best skateboard grip tape is essential for the stability and safety of your ride. Moreover, coolest grip tape designs
Grip tape is a crucial component of your board, and choosing the best grip for skateboard and longboard can make all the difference in how you ride. But which kind? The answer might not be as easy to figure out for beginners looking at their first skateboard setup and pros who have already skated with specific brands – but we’ve done some research, so that should help! Let’s take an objective look at each type we reviewed for your ease to make an informed decision.
Coolest Grip Tape
When it comes to grip tapes, looks matters to many skaters. Many skaters like to grip their boards with the coolest grip tape designs to stand out and reflect their personality. Here are some of the coolest grip tapes.
What is the Best Grip Tape?
The grip tape on a skateboard provides an essential way for skaters to get traction while riding. The gritty, sand-papery surface is applied by skaters so that their shoes can easily stick out from the bottom of it, so they don’t fall off when going down hills or curving around corners and stop quickly without slipping off.
When it comes to finding the best grip tape for your needs, some things should be considered. For example, quality of the adhesive, grip , the grittiness of grip tape and it’s durability. This article highlights best skate grip tapes from some of the best grip tape brands along with their unique features!
Best Grip Tape Skateboard
Grip tape is available in various colors, with the most common being black. The bottom of this sheet will peel off to reveal an adhesive underneath that is designed for sticking on decks – no matter what color or pattern your grip-tape might be! Here are our top recommendations for the best grip for skateboards.
Mob Grip – Grippiest Grip Tape
Material: Silicone
Colour: Black
Size: One Sheet – 33″ x 9″
Best For: Technical and vert skating/Longboarding
Mob grip tape is the most loved grip tape by many skaters and endorsed by many top pros worldwide. These self-adhesive grip tape sheets are designed to be used on any board. These grips have a waterproof and tear-resistant backing that can withstand extreme temperatures. The super sticky adhesive will not peel off like hot glue often does in extreme conditions. It doesn’t rip when handled improperly or too roughly!
With the help of barely-invisible perforations, MOB GRIP’s gives you a perfect , bubble free grip application without any air pockets or wrinkles .We highly recommend this perforated grip tape to beginners who most likely get air bubbles while applying the grip tape for bubble-free application on their decks. Plus, it is grippy like Black Magic and lasts on your board without peeling off.
Mob Grip’s advanced tech grit formula is designed specifically for technical skateboarding. It offers a perfect balance where footholds and a quick release are needed.
It is the grip tape that I loved the most in my skating career because it has a grit level that feels just right for tricks like better pop, flicks, catches, mannies, ollies, flip tricks, and carving the pools or vert. Super grippy, and I never slide off my board while shredding bowls.
During testing this grip tape, we noticed that its coarse silicon-carbide grit tends to wear your skate shoes quite fast, but at the same time, it is the most durable and grippiest grip tape for skateboards. However, the grip tape mellows down with time, which many skaters love because it lets their feet slide up faster for flick tricks and doesn’t destroy the shoes as much.
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All in all, it is best suited for technical, vert skaters and downhill longboarders because it offers perfect tractions to keep them safe from slipping off their boards at higher speed. The company has an unparalleled variety of colors and designs of grip tapes that satisfy your tastes and create something unique for every skater.
Jessup – Good Grip Tape
Material: Silicone Carbide
Grit : Mellow
Colour: Black
Size: Multiple
Best For: Cruising , Commuting and Street Skating
Jessup was the first brand to introduce silicon carbide grip tape to the skateboard industry in the 70s’, and since then, they have been making quality grip tapes for skateboards. The brand offers excellent adhesive, easy trim without tearing, and long lasting grip tape to its customers. Available in various sizes to apply on any board, including skateboards, longboards, and cruisers.
If you just want to get the best grip for the lowest possible price, congratulations. You found the end of the rainbow!
The Jessup grip tape is made of silicon carbide grit with a super adhesive design to meet the needs of a modern skater. This skateboard grip tape offers an optimal grip for ultimate riding control in the skateparks, bowls, and the streets. The Silicon Carbide grit makes it durable and provides a stable platform for the toughest tricks, such as manuals sliding the ledges with ultimate control. Tough on tricks, however easy on skater’s shoes.
Most importantly ,while riding the Jessup grip tape, I felt perfect grip with my shoes for cruising and sliding, and it didn’t tear up my shoes. The grip tape held up firmly to my deck’s surface and didn’t flake off or peel away.
We all know that Jessup is the preferred grip tape brand of many pros and amateurs alike, but what you might not have known was why it’s so special. It turns out this affordable product offers exceptional adhesion without breaking your bank account! The grip is thin and takes no effort in poking the screwdriver while mounting the skateboard trucks.
One downside of this versatile skateboard grip tape is it doesn’t provide high grip to downhill longboarders who need more control at high speed and don’t want their boards to slide away. However, it is thinner and easier than Mob to work with and is preferred by beginners for earning tricks.
Finally, Jessup grip tape has mellow grit compared to Mob, making this grip the perfect choice for those who don’t want their skate shoes to wear off. Also, this mellow grip takes less time to break in and is suitable for cruising, commuting or skating the skateparks.
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Black Diamond -Coolest Grip Tapes
Material: 80 Grit Silicone Carbide
Colour: Multiple
Size: One Sheet – 33″ x 9″
Best For: longboarders and vert skaters
Do you like a solid-colored grip tape, or do you prefer to have a graphic that compliments your board? Whatever you prefer, Black Diamond offers it all.
Black diamond is another best grip tape brand that creates enhanced grit and durable skateboard grip tapes. It offers an 80 grit silicone, an easy-peel, and stick application grip tape. This higher grit level gives you great traction for your deck and your shoes.
This grip tape comes in various colors and graphics to choose from and can fit any skateboard, old school boards, and longboards according to your personal preference. Hence allowing skaters to customize their decks in the most creative ways.
Diamond grip tape is simple to cut, peel, and apply per your deck’s size. The grip is water-resistant, sturdy, and of the highest quality. Diamond grip tape is extremely durable and does not come off any deck’s surface because of top-notch industrial-grade glue.
This grip is a favorite of longboarders and vert skaters as they require increased traction at higher speeds. Some technical skaters might feel this grip tape bit more coarse as they need a mellow grip to easily slide their feet for tricks.
Another pro is that rubbing across the top of grip does not cause granules to fall off. Excellent adhesion and quality.
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Mr. Pen– Best for Beginners
Material: Silicone Carbide
Colour: Black
Size: One Sheet – 10″ x 36″
Best For: Street and vert skating/Longboarding
Mr. Pen grip tape comes in traditional black colour in dimension 36.4 x 10.6 inches (110x27cm) which is generous enough to fit any skateboard, old-school deck, penny board or longboard.
It is made of durable quality silicone-carbide grit and the grip of this tape is pretty impressive. It doesn’t ruin your shoes as much and has quite the same level of traction as the grippiest tapes. In addition to that, it is non-slip ,and wear resistant. The adhesion of this abrasive grip is off the bat and doesn’t peel off easily once applied.
The application of this grip is bubble-free and straightforward because it is slightly perforated to keep air bubbles from being stuck underneath it. Also, it cuts and trims easily like a paper with a utility knife or heavy-duty scissors.
I used it for my cruiser skateboard, and it was surprisingly thin compared to other grip tapes. After about a month of use, it didn’t peel off even at the edges of my skateboard.
It’s just as good as any other quality grip tape brand, even though is it is low priced. Although it is very sticky but flexible too. I had to re-adjust the grip tape and I managed to move it around without losing any adhesion.
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To sum up, if you want an adhesive grip that offers a good grip on your shoes and is affordable, this is the grip tape for you. It offers the optimal grip you need for riding.
Mob Clear- Best Clear Grip Tape
Material: Silicone
Colour: Clear
Size: One Sheet – 10” x 33”
Best For: Cruising and casual skating
Mob Clear grip tape is made of silicon carbide to provide a level of grippiness that allows skaters to skate in many different styles. This transparent grip tape features a fine-grit texture and smooth cutting like regular Mob grip tape but is slightly coarser at first. MOB Clear is optically transparent; hence your top graphic or any stickers will be visible, unlike regular grip tapes that cover the top decks.
You can use Mob clear to customize your deck by placing the stickers under this transparent tape. If you like to paint your decks, Mob clear allows you to show your art while riding the board. Not only this, it also features the same durability, grip and adhesiveness similar to regular Mob. It’s bubble-proof, sturdy, and tear-resistant.
I got this grip tape to preserve the art I made on my deck’s top! With this grip , I was able to see all of my stickers, the original woodgrain of the deck. One thing I noticed was grip tape is cloudy and not that clear, but I could see everything underneath perfectly.
If you just cruise around, you can put a little bit on the bottom of the tail on each end, so it doesn’t get all scraped up when you roll around town on it. The abrasiveness of this tape wears down much more quickly. If you do a lot of flip tricks, and ollies it will lose grip pretty fast. Better to go for Mob- 80 grit for technical skating . However, the grip of Clear Mob will last for ages for casual skaters to cruise around.
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ZUEXT- Best for Cruisers
Material: Diamond Silicon Grit
Colour: Black
Size: One Sheet -11×44 inches
Best For: Best for Cruising
Zuxet skateboard grip tape comes in standard black colour in size 11×44 inch, which is enough to cover large decks such as old school decks and longboard. The grip is made of silicon carbide, making it enduring and super sticky. It has waterproof, tear-proof backing that trims cleanly every time.
ZUEXT Grip tape is the perfect balance of grit that gives you optimal traction with your skate shoes without destroying them too fast. Super-sticky adhesive adds strength, and the tape doesn’t peel off easily even under stress skating. Wear-resistant, anti-slip and waterproof like other famous quality grip tapes. It provides enough grip on riders’ shoes, leading to better tricks and excellent safety.
I installed this grip tape on my old- school deck (slightly concave, simple curved shape), the application was easy, neat, and professional-looking, close to a factory install! No air bubbles.
Overall, we’re impressed at how well it kept its gripyness over the last six months. The grip and adhesive are just suitable for all skating levels, from beginners to pros. Zuext also offer multiple sizes and few other designs to choose from.
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Grizzly – Best Grip Tape Designs
Material: Silicone
Colour: Black
Size: One Sheet – 9″ x 33″
Best For: Technical, street and vert skating
Torey Puddwell, the founder of Grizzly Grip Tape, an American skateboarding legend, started this company in 2002 to provide top-quality grip for all types and levels of skaters alike! This leading grip tape manufacture has earned many loyal fans over short period of time and is top choice of many pro skaters worldwide.
Grizzly and Mob are probably the most popular grip tapes preferred by beginners and technical skaters worldwide. Whether you’re looking to cruise around or perform tricks, this medium-grit will hold onto your shoes so that the board doesn’t slip out from under ya!
It is the 2nd best skateboard grip tapes after Mob that I have ever skated. It’s sturdy and grippy but not too grippy where it might rip your shoes. As with any other grip tape, shoe-tearing is a problem. It gives a tremendous optimal grip for my tricks. Mob and Grizzly are my preferences when I participate in skating competitions. The grip tape is easy to cut adhered nicely to any board’s surface. It has a bubble-free application.
I have tried many grip tapes on many boards, but Mob and Grizzly never disappoint with their gripness and adherence. These allow me to pop higher, get higher ollies, and flip tricks confidently. I did notice that its coarseness can tear your socks if it comes in contact with the tape. It is not as grippy as Mob and will eventually wear down. But it depends on how you skate.
This sleek grip tape comes with cool graphics or a tiny bear cutout. You can use tape’s graphic or bear cutout to mark the nose or tail of your board. It will benefit the newbies and learners.
Grizzly grip tape is not as gritty as Mob, so your shoes are going to last longer.
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To sum up, Grizzly is grippy, sturdy, and best-looking grip tape with graphics and cutouts; even their plainer grip tapes still look super fresh, and nothing quite compares to a fresh sheet. It’s ideal for skaters who don’t like their shoes to stick too much to their boards.
Black Widow- Good Grip Tape
Material: Silicone
Colour: Multiple
Size: One Sheet – 33″ x 9″
Best For: Tricks and high speed
Skaters who like aggressive gripness to keep their feet in place on the board would prefer this super sticky grip tape. Each sheet of Black widow grip tape comes in a standard size of 9 inches by 33 inches, which fits most skateboards .
The sheet features the Black widow logo in the back. Black widow grip tape comes in long rectangular strips in various colors and patterns to customize your board as you like. It is simple to cut and easy to apply on any board.The tape possesses a fine gritty texture for optimal grip .
I bought this grip tape for testing, and I am pleased how firmly it stayed on the deck and didn’t peel off. The application was super easy, it adhered well with no air bubbles. The grip tape turned out thick, tough, and stout. It provided great traction , and the neon green color looked pretty cool on my flight deck along with Powell Peralta Rat Bones wheels. It enhanced the color scheme for my board.
One problem that I faced was that the tape had been folded during shipping. This created some air pockets that I flattened after adhesion. Moreover, the grip texture is very coarse, not as fine as I had hoped and used before.
The Black widow will take boarding to the next level if you want to outshine among your fellows. It offers an optimal grip on your shoes to keep you stable while cruising at high speeds and on sharp turns. You sure will turn the heads with your perfect ride and skate tricks.
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Shake Junt Spray- Best Grip Tape Skateboard
Material: Silicone
Colour: Black
Size: One Sheet – 33″ x 9″
Best For: Technical and vert skating/Longboarding
Shake Junt is one of the leading grip tape brands in the skate industry. Shake Junt grip tape is grippier than the Grizzly but not as grippy as Mob; hence not too coarse to destroy your specialized skate shoes.
The original Shake Junt Spray grip tape allows you to line up your feet perfectly for certain tricks such as kickflip or tre-flip, since the lettering makes it easy and perfect!
One of the best skateboard grip tapes available I have been skating for years. The Grip is pretty good, and when I get tired of looking at the plain black Grip for performing tricks, I use this vibrant green “SHAKE JUNT” printed grip on my board to give skateboarding a little more spice for me.
If you’re just getting started with skateboarding, then this is the grip tape for you. It’s easy to learn tricks because of its gritty surface, and incredible stickiness will keep your shoes secure without any risk whatsoever! The Grip maintains traction even when things get slippery from the rain.
When it comes to finding foot placement on your skateboard, there’s no need for guesswork. The Shake Junt Spray Grip Tape design makes placement easier and quicker than ever before!
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To sum up, a quality, cool graphic grip tape with incredible grip that lasts for ages and lets your shoes live a more extended life.
What is the Best Grip Tape for Skateboards?
Grip tape is also an essential part of a skateboard like decks, wheels, bearings and trucks. Grip tape is a thin rectangular sheet of sandpaper with an adhesive on one side to stick on top of any deck. It probably plays a major role in performing skateboard tricks because a skater won’t pop or land confidently and safely without it. It will be impossible for many skaters to ollie or slide or grind or carve the streets or bowls without the traction offered by grip trip to grip the rubber of your skate shoes to give stability and control while riding.
Grip tape is a great way to make your board stand out and express yourself. The added bonus of grip-tape? It can brighten any ride!
When it comes to choosing the skin of a skateboard, there are very few factors you need to consider. Honestly, in my opinion, and from my experience, you experiment with different grip tapes and see which suits you best for your style.
Grip tape is a skateboard component that is not reusable. Every time you snap a deck or change a board, you need to buy a new grip tape. Moreover, it’s not an expensive component so, you don’t need to stress out. Following are some factors that will help you select the best grip for skateboards or longboards.
Skateboard Grip Tape Size
The grip tape comes in multiple sizes to choose from to accommodate different sizes of boards. The standard Size of grip tape is a 9″ X 33″ rectangular sheet and is usually plain black. It is enough to grip a standard skateboard deck that is around 8 ” wide and 32 ” long. However for cruisers, old-school decks or for longboards, you might need a larger size like 12″ x4′.
Stickiness
The stickiness of grip tape somehow determines the longevity of a grip tape. The stickier tape will adhere to a deck and won’t peel off easily, even under extreme climates. It also eliminates the possibility of getting bubbles while gripping the deck. The stickiest grip indeed makes your skateboarding experience more enjoyable.
Perforation
Perforated grip tapes have tiny, usually invisible holes in the grip tape for bubble-free application on your deck. Therefore, most skateboard companies like make perforated grip tapes (e.g., Mob Grip Tape) for neat gripping to avoid any peeling in the future.
Easy Application
The best skateboard grip tapes should have simple and easy applications, even for beginners. You might not need special tools to apply the grip.
Best grip tape brands manufacture grip tapes that stick smoothly on any surface with no bubbles. They are thin, tear-proof, and easy to cut with a scissor, and you can sand the edges with the leftover grip to smooth.
Tip: If somehow you get bubbles while applying the grip, you can roll the skateboard wheels to remove any bubble.
Make sure to get a grip an inch larger than your deck for easy trimming.
Best Grip Tape Brands
We have tried tons of grips available in the market and noticed the grip tape from the best grip tape brands is durable and offers you the optimal grip for your skating. Top grip tape brands like Mob, Jessup, and Grizzly know the needs of a skateboarder or a longboarder and create their grip tapes accordingly.
Coarseness
Grip tape grittiness varies from brand to brand- The more coarser the tape, more grip you get .We recommend high traction grip tapes like Mob for downhill longboarders and bowl skaters to keep their feet in place at high speeds. However, medium or mellow grit grip tape for street skating or commuting is a preferable choice.
Many technical skaters and beginners prefer mellow coarse grip tapes that let them slide their feet faster for performing tricks. Grizzly Grip Tape, Jessup, and Black Widow are medium-coarse.
Grip Tape Designs
When it comes to grip tape -the looks matter to most skaters. Nowadays, we have multiple designs and colours of grip tapes to choose from. The standard and most popular grip tape comes in black color. Many brands offer vibrant coloured and cool graphic designed grip tapes.
Creative skaters like to customize their boards with unique grip tape designs. They use markers spray paints, cut the pattern designs, even print the graphics and do graffiti art on their grip tapes for a personalized look. In addition to that ,many skater use the grip tape art to mark the front side (nose) and their skateboard’s tail or kick.
Some of the coolest grip tapes in the market are Black Diamond Old School Skateboard Griptape , Powell Peralta Grip tape, Skull Skeleton Rose Flower Skateboard Grip, and Fire Skull décor in Flames grip.
Our Recommendation
We recommend assembling a Flight deck with Powell Peralta G-Bones wheels, Bones Super Swiss 6 bearings, and Powell Peralta grip tape to outshine at the skate park or turn the heads cruising down the streets.
Clear Grip Tape
Clear grip tapes have also gained popularity since skaters can show the natural wood grain of their deck or any graphic on the top. This tape is a great for displaying your artwork or your stickers placed on top of the deck to impress your fellows.
How to Grip a Skateboard
Grip tape is like the skin of a skateboard and is applied on top of the deck. Grip tape is a consumable item. Therefore, grip tape is replaced frequently and skaters must know how to grip their boards.
Before you get started, you’ll need to gather some tools:
Here are some easy steps for grip tape application.
Step 1. Firstly, Peel down the adhesive protective paper, slowly starting from one edge.
Step 2: Next, .place the sticky side on top of the deck slowly and evenly to stick the grip tape on the skateboard deck. Then press the grip down along each side of the deck using a rolling motion to push the air pockets towards the outside of the deck.
Tip: If you apply grip to any surface without thoroughly cleaning and degreasing or dewaxing the surface, the glue will fail.
Step 3. After that, use a screwdriver to scone the grip tape to make a guideline to cut along the excessive grip tap.
Step 4. Now, cut along the score mark by pulling the blade towards yourself. Use your other hand to hold the edges of the grip tight.
Step 5: Once the excessive grip has been cut, use a scrap of grip for sanding the edges to smooth them and avoid any peeling in the future.
Step 5:The last step is to poke out the hardware holes through the grip tape. You can use a nail or a screw to poke the hardware holes to mount the skateboard trucks.
Now your board is ready to roll. Once you’ve mastered gripping boards, try making custom patterns to customize your board for unique look.
Grip Tape Care
Whenever and wherever you skate, the grip tape inevitably gets dirty. Some skaters don’t clean their grip tapes rather, they buy new grip. If you want your grip tape to last longer, you might need to keep the grip clean and avoid skating in puddles and rain. Cleaning the grip , wheels and bearings increases the life of your skateboard. There are some products available in the market to clean the dirt of your grip tape like Black Diamond- Grip-Cleaner.
Clear grip tape can show more dirt than black grip tape. Cleaners like rubber erasers are preferably used by many people to remove dirt and grime from the grip tape.
Final Thoughts
We have tested tons of the best and coolest grip tapes in our sessions to determine which performs exceptionally well. Most grip tapes from the best grip tape brands turned out grippy and durable. We recommend four outstanding grip tapes; Mob, Jessup, Grizzly and Shake Junt Spray. These exceptional tapes are also preferred by many pros worldwide.
To sum up, it all depends on personal preference which grips tape you get used to. It also depends on your style, which grip tape suits you best. Technical skaters, vert skaters, and downhill longboarders need the grippiest grip tapes for more grip and control; however, these grip tapes destroy their shoes pretty fast.
On the other hand, mellow and medium coarse grip tapes are suitable for cruising, commuting, and skate tricks. Now it’s time to grip the board and impress your friends. Happy skating !!