Best Skateboard for Beginners Kids( Cute & Cool Child’s Skateboard)

Skateboarding is a fun and exhilarating sport and is most popular amongst kids these days. Any child can do skateboarding if they have the right equipment. They just need to know which is the best skateboard for beginners kids on the market to kick start their journey. It gives them a sense of achievement and confidence whenever they master new tricks.

The best skateboard for kids are easy to ride with cool graphic designs to inspire kids to shred the street and skateparks. This guide explains what aspects you should look for in the best skateboard for beginners kids and has listed our recommendations.

(A guide for best size skateboard for beginners kids for you to make an informed decision)


Best Skateboards for Kids


To help you find the best skateboard for beginners kids with the best skateboard size suitable to their riding style, we have listed the ten best kids’ skateboard.

Image

Model

Features

Check Price

Merkapa 22" led light up skateboard for beginner kids

Best Kids Skateboard for 5 Year old

Powell Knight Dragon- Best for 6 year old

Best Skateboard for 6 Year old

Beleeve Cruiser for Beginners- Best skateboard for 7 year old

Best Skateboard for 7 Year old

Enjoi Complete -Best skateboard for 10 year old

Best Skateboard for 10 Year old

Magento complete skateboard fo1 12 & 13 year old

Best Skateboard for Teens


Which is the Best Kids’ Beginner Skateboard?


If your child is a beginner, go for a skateboard featuring a wider deck and big soft wheels for more stability and grip. A few other factors are involved in the selection; therefore, refer to the guide best beginner skateboard for kids for more details.


Top 10 Kids First Skateboard


Here are our top recommendations of complete little kid skateboard and youth skateboards, ready to shred the streets and skateparks right away! No Assembling required !

Best Skateboards for Girls

SkateXS Personalized Unicorn Beginner Skateboard

  • Best Personalized Skateboard for Girls
SkateXS Personalized Unicorn Beginner Skateboard - Best for Girls
  • Brand M Merkapa
  • Deck Size 6″ x 22″
  • Material Polypropylene, Aluminum, Plastic
  • Durometer Hardness 78A
  • Wheel Size 60 mm
  • Light up Wheels

SkateXS offer top-of-the-line quality beginner skateboards for kids to kick start their skateboard journey with confidence. The brand offers vibrant coloured graphic skateboards for kids aged 5-12 years equipped with various colourful wheels and grip tapes of your choice.

SkateXS Personalized Beginner Unicorn Girls Skateboard features gorgeous unicorn graphics and coloured grip tape, which young girls totally adore and love. The most exciting thing about this skateboard is that your kids can personalize their boards with their names right on the board itself! Pretty cool !!!!

Plus, the name is protected by a translucent strip of clear grip tape, providing personalization and full grip coverage at the same time.

These skateboards are sized small, specifically for younger skaters to ride easily, and soft bushing makes maneuvering effortless.

The Beginner Street Complete is professionally assembled by hand per order, allowing you to customize the board with grip tape and wheel colour. Therefore every setup is unique, making it a perfect gift for young riders. I recently gifted my girl this board which she totally loved. Now she is trying basic tricks on it, and the board is still holding up really great.

SkateXS Personalized Beginner Unicorn Girls Skateboard testing

The bamboo construction makes the board lightweight and environmentally friendly too. Furthermore, the skateboard is equipped with relatively low-profile polished performance trucks features small 53mm wheels providing optimal grip for your kids to skate safely without slipping their board while attempting tricks.

The SkateXS bamboo deck offers lightweight, durability, and board pop. These are beginner-friendly yet legit skateboards, designed to go from first pushes to the most advanced tricks at the skatepark,

Pros
  • Let you kid customize their first board.
  • Cute graphics especially for girls.
  • Small size board are easy to carry by kids.
Cons
  • Size is small for teen or adults

Best Skateboard for 4 & 5 Year Old

Mini Cruiser Retro Best skateboard for 4 year old

  • Little Kid Skateboard
mini cruiser retro (little kid skateboard)
  • Brand Meketec
  • Deck Size 22.5″ x6″
  • Material Polypropylene, Aluminum, Plastic
  • Durometer Hardness 78A
  • Wheel Size 60 mm

This cute yet sturdy plastic cruiser is built with a compact body to slip into your bag easily. The deck is constructed with bendable and sturdy Polypropylene featuring a flat nose and a single kicktail.

In addition, this little kid board features a textured top surface to provide excellent traction. Therefore, help your beginner kid to stand with stability without slipping from the board.

Moreover, this Cruzer board is available in various vibrant coloured decks and wheels, letting your little one choose their favorite colour. (which is kind of a big deal for kids…:))

Your kid can easily take this board to the park, school, and road for cruising, commuting or skateboarding. The colorful wide soft 60mm PU smooth wheels, high-speed ABEC-7 bearings roll fast, quiet and smooth on all terrain. Plus, the soft cruiser wheels provide a forgiving ride, saving your kid from stumbling while riding over cracks or rough ground.

Mini Cruiser Retro skateboard closeup and testing.

Mini Cruiser Retro skateboard closeup and testing.

It is good quality, sturdy and durable, fun board for your little ones. These boards are excellent for building the confidence of young rippers to learn the sport. Moreover, they can take the beating a young skater may throw at them.

I got this mini cruiser for my youngest son, and since then, this board has been a never-ending pack of joy for him —a great way to spend some of that wonderful young energy.

Pros
  • Designs are nice and pleasing to children.
  • Stable and rolls well.
  • Durable
Cons
  • Size is small for teen or adults

Merkapa LED Light Up Wheels – Best for Beginners kids

  • Best Kids Skateboard
Merkapa LED Light Up Wheels - Best for Beginners kids
  • Brand M Merkapa
  • Deck Size 6″ x 22″
  • Material Polypropylene, Aluminum, Plastic
  • Durometer Hardness 78A
  • Wheel Size 60 mm
  • Light up Wheels

This colorful, compact, light-up wheels skateboard is very popular among young riders. It is a sumptuous, colorful, plastic beginner skateboard for kids with no prior skateboard experience. It features a good suspension design making it easier for your little one to gain balance. LED wheels are rotary-powered that light up while riding.

Merkapa 22 inch led light up skateboard for beginners kids

Soft 60 mm PU wheels and ABEC-7 bearings roll smoothly and quietly, providing an increased speed, comfortable ride, so you don’t have to worry about wheel slippage. Therefore your kids get better control and help them master new tricks easily.

The small compact size with vibrant, eye-catching graphics is designed especially to appeal to the younger children who are just getting started.

Merkapa is an extremely cute and sturdy mini cruiser skateboard with excellent maneuverability. When it rolls, the lights on the wheel are bright & colorful, adding such an extra fun element. Plus, the grip of the board is perfect/not slippery.

This funky colored small-sized board appeals to young riders, whether they are 5-year-olds sitting on their butts and being pushed around or in their teen trying out tricks…

The trucks are a bit tight for a five-year-old kid. Therefore you might want to loosen them for easy maneuverability.

Pros
  • Funky coloured designs.
  • Light up wheels
  • Stable ride.
Cons
  • Trucks might feel tight.

Overall, the Merkapa board looks way more high-end than a big box retailer penny board that you might find at any retail outlet.

Best Skateboard for 6 Year Old

Powell Knight DragonBest Skateboards for Boys

  • Best skateboard for 6 Year Old
Powell Knight Dragon Mini-Best Skateboard for 6 year old
  • Brand M Merkapa
  • Deck Size 6″ x 22″
  • Material Polypropylene, Aluminum, Plastic
  • Durometer Hardness 78A
  • Wheel Size 60 mm
  • Light up Wheels

The Knight Dragon is a sturdy, durable offering from core skateboard brand Powell Peralta for young rippers at an affordable cost mimicking the high-quality boards. Powell Dragon complete skateboards are designed smaller for entry-level youth riders, unlike standard skateboards, which are longer and hefty for small kids.

The Powell Dragon skateboard has a strong, seven-ply deck sitting on metal mini logo trucks featuring soft bushing for easy turning, making maneuverability easy for young skaters. It stands up pretty well to the abuse young skaters might throw at it, like jumps, sliding, and gliding.

With a gorgeous cool Knight Dragon graphic design on the deck, this skateboard will surely turn some heads at the skate park.

Powell Knight Dragon mini-skateboards for boys

Powell Knight Dragon Mini Skateboard Test Session

It’s a great, sturdy, mini-board with soft beginner wheels and is sized perfectly for the 6-10-year-old child. It is much less expensive than setting up a new skateboard from a skate shop. Plus, it was a Powell board equipped with high-quality components.

It also came with a DVD made by Steve Caballero, an old pro skater, showing how to do some basic tricks. All-around sized wheels are a great value for learners to ollie up concrete curbs or glide around the neighborhood.

I was looking to get my son a decent, affordable board for his birthday since he wanted one with cool appealing graphics. Therefore, I got this budget friendly board and since then my son has been skating this on rough pavement and sidewalks and having a blast. You can also get your kid the Classic Dragon T-Shirt to match your skateboard for a striking look.

Pros
  • Good for jumps and stunts.
  • Stable enough for taller beginners.
  • Cool graphics boys skateboard.
Cons
  • Wheels are bit hard for cruising.

Best Skateboard for 7 Year Old

Beleev Cruiser Skateboards for Beginners

  • Best Cruiser Skateboard for Kids
Beleeve Cruiser  cheap Skateboard for kids
  • Deck Size 8 x27 Inches
  • Material Maple
  • Durometer Hardness 78A
  • Wheel Size 60 mm

The easy-to-ride Beleeve cruiser skateboard is pre-built, ready to roll without the hassle of assembling. It features a 27″ x8″ maple deck providing plenty of room for foot placement on the deck, making it less susceptible for your kid to tumble.

The double asymmetric kick tail concave design provides easy braking and more control. The board provides a safe riding experience because waterproof grip tape offers great traction between your shoes and the board.

The board’s vibrant colored, eye-catching graphics design will definitely stand your kid out among his friends in the skatepark.

This cruiser skateboard is equipped with heavy-duty, lightweight, high aluminum alloy trucks making it light to carry around. Perfect for all-terrain, whether your kid cruises the street or performs basic tricks.
Most importantly, these soft cruiser wheels provide more grip and let kids learn to balance and perform basic tricks such as ollieing, carving, and sliding efficiently.

Moreover, the big 60mm soft (78a Duro ) wheels with high-speed ABEC-7 bearings can absorb all street bumps and sidewalk cracks therefore, giving you a smooth , quiet and fast ride.

Beleeve Cruiser  Skateboard for kids testing.

The Beleeve cruiser skateboard comes pre-assembled, ready to shred the streets, skateparks, or rough pavements. Overall, a great, versatile cruiser skateboard for beginner kids and teens to skate in style anywhere with confidence.

Finally, even toddlers enjoy sitting on it and being pushed around, especially downhills.

Pros
  • Eye catching graphics.
  • Provide stable and comfortable ride.
  • Suitable for street and skateparks.
Cons
  • Not suitable for technical skating due to big soft wheels

Best skateboard for 8 Year Old

Santa Cruz Skate Land Shark Rasta

  • Best Children’s Skateboard
Santa Cruz Skate Land Shark Rasta children's skateboard
  • Deck Size 8.8 X 27.7-inch
  • Bearings: ABEC 5
  • Wheels: Road Rider 65 mm 78A Duro(soft)
  • Built-in Bottle opener

Well, renowned skateboard brand Santa Cruz offers a new Rasta coloured Landshark for kids who like to cruise the streets or commute to the schools. It is 7-ply concave single kick Cruzer skateboard with eye-catching vibrant Rasta-style colours and graphics on the deck’s bottom.

Moreover, it features a full white top covered with durable clear grip tape to provide excellent traction for a balanced ride without compromising the graphics.

Also, the versatile Cruzer shape is ideal for tricks, hills, and more. The yellow and red Bullet B137 trucks and 78a translucent green 65 mm Road Rider Wheels make this cruiser board aesthetically a head turner and quite a conversation starter at school.

Moreover, the trucks are great on this board, and they require less effort than other boards to keep yourself going. Also, the wide, big soft wheels ride smooth like butter on all terrains. They even perform well on older sidewalks, with cracks and grass growing between each slab.

You can also get yourself Santa Cruz Youth Land Shark Cruzer to take urban adventures with your kids. The deck is wide enough to provide generous space whether you are eight years old or an adult.

Unboxing Santa Cruz Skate Land Shark Rasta.

With this board, your kid will get the feel of snowboarding or surfing down the streets. This thing “carves” so well. Even younger kids can enjoy riding this Cruzer -especially riding downhills.

Moreover, it is an ideal board for commuting to school due to its speed and compact size.
Overall, a great board for you and your kid if you want to cruise or hang out with some other friends.

Pros
  • Provides smooth and quiet ride.
  • Ideal for cruising and commuting.
  • Built in bottle opener.
Cons
  • Wheels are soft for technical skating.

PHOEROS – Best Cool Skateboards

  • Best kids first skateboard
PHOEROS - Best Cool Skateboards
  • Deck Size 8 x 31 Inches
  • Material- Aluminum Alloy, Maple
  • Durometer Hardness 95A
  • Wheel Size 53 mm
  • Bearings ABEC 11

PHOEROS pro cruiser skateboards are decent quality skateboards for beginners kids who are on a budget- perfect for pre-teen kids. The deck is 7-ply maple decorated with colorful, cartoonish graphics that will not fade or peel easily.

These standard skateboards with double warped designs make advanced skate tricks such as sharp turns, pivots, slides, and street skating easy. No-slip and waterproof grip tape provide young riders with more stability while riding.

Additionally, it comes with a sturdy carrying bag, a skate tool to adjust the trucks and wheels the way you like. In addition, two sets of spare ABEC 7 bearings- might come in handy while cleaning wheels and bearings, a sheet of stickers, and a set of colors to customize the deck- letting your kids express themselves.

Also, 95A 53mm high rebound wheels offer more traction and safety for your kids when riding different terrains such as streets, rough pavements, and skateparks.

Moreover, the decent sized let you take it in your car in the trunk wherever you go, for instance, to feel nature by cruising the countryside. Durable painting Aluminum alloy trucks give your kid a comfortable ride, making them suitable for cruising, freestyle, and downhill.

phoeros cool skateboards- best skateboard for 8 year old
Phoeros skateboards unboxing and testing.

I bought this skateboard for my friend’s son because he wanted one with wheels suitable for tricks. The wheels of this board are smaller and more suitable for doing tricks, unlike larger wheels for cruising around. My friend’s son loved it, and he’s just getting started doing tricks, and this was a perfect gift!
It’s taken quite a beating over the past 3 months and has held up well.

Pros
  • Comes with carry bag for convenient carrying.
  • Customizable skateboard.
  • Skate tool included.
Cons
  • Beginners might feel wheels bit hard and fast.

Best skateboard for 10 Year Old

Enjoi Panda Stripe Complete

  • Cute Skateboards
Enjoi Complete -Best Skateboard for 10 years old
  • Deck SizeSize 7.75 X 31.2 inches
  • Material Maple
  • Wheel Size 52 mm
  • Enjoi Trucks and wheels

A light on pocket skateboard from a reputed core skateboard brand Enjoi is Panda Stripe complete skateboard. This Complete Skateboard is a 7-ply maple wood construction with extra stiff glue for long-lasting pop. The board features vibrant colored stripes with cute, appealing panda graphics that young rippers might find attractive.

This Enjoi deck has a standard popsicle shape scaled for young riders, and medium concave with steep kick tails offers max control and prevents your kid from tumbling.

In addition, the board is equipped with a street formula wheel that performs exceptionally well for park and street and softer bushings for easier turning.

We recommend Enjoi boards to students serious about skateboarding and who want a quality board with great features to extend their limits.

Enjoi complete Skateboards -Best Skateboards for 10 Years Old

The narrow shape deck with small wheels is perfect for performing or practicing basic tricks like ollies and flip tricks. Therefore, it could be an upgrade for a kid who loves this sport and wants some sturdy, durable board to spice up his game.

Furthermore, there are other size options available with cute graphic designs in case you want a board to ride along with your kid.

Lastly, the smooth ride and easy maneuverability will make your kid feel like a pro.

Pros
  • Cute graphic designs
  • Small sturdy boards for easy maneuvering.
  • Suitable for practicing tricks.
Cons
  • Some beginners might find wheel bit hard

Best skateboard for 12 & 13 Year Old

Magneto Kids CompleteBest Skateboard for Teens

  • Skateboards for 12 Year Old
Magneto Kid Complete youth Skateboard
  • Deck Size 7.75x 27.5 Inches
  • Material Aluminum, Maple
  • Durometer Hardness 95A
  • Wheel Size 52 mm

Magneto skateboards are affordable starter skateboards for beginner kids. This is a perfect size skateboard for teen to ride and carry it easily on street and skateparks. Interestingly, advanced skaters also find these boards light and easy to flip or do tricks at the skatepark.

The board is pre-built… which means no waiting for assembling, your kid can shred the streets right away! A treat right away for impatient young rippers.

At 27.5 inches in length, the deck is a little shorter than a traditional skateboard but at the same time provides enough space for foot placement to ride it comfortably.

The deck is seven-ply featuring minimalistic cool graphics, particularly the video game graphic is extremely popular among young rippers. Additionally, the skateboard tricks such as kickflip , carving and grinds printed on the deck increase your kid’s vocabulary and inspires them to extend their limits.

Moreover, If you are also into skateboarding and want to have a blast with your kid, this board will serve you well with enough deck size.

This double-kick skateboard offers plenty of pop to get higher ollies.

Magento complete Skateboards for 12 and 13 years old kids.webp

Our team gave these boards a shot for teenagers, and we were impressed that they turned out exactly what we were hoping for. Additionally, boards were equipped with great quality components -a high traction grip tape, solid metal trucks, and soft, high traction 52mm 95A wheels for a smooth and extra stable ride.

Pros
  • Suitable for kids and adults both.
  • Perform great for street and skateparks.
  • Wheels are less susceptible to wheel bites.
Cons
  • Small wheels might not roll smoothly on rough surfaces.

Overall, Magneto Kids Complete Skateboard is the perfect first skateboard for the aspiring skater to shred streets, pavements, and skateparks.

Hikole Complete– Best Youth Skateboards

  • Skateboards for Teenager
hikole skateboard complete for teenager
  • Brand Hikole
  • Deck Size 8 x31 Inches
  • Material Wood, Aluminum, Maple
  • Durometer Hardness 85A
  • Wheel Size 50 mm

Hikole skateboards are affordable beginner kids’ boards for teens, built with excellent high-quality components. This popsicle standard skateboard features a 7 layer maple deck with modern concave offering a lot of pop. It is easy to ride and the best board to start for beginner and intermediate riders! Additionally features cool, eye-catching graphics.

Moreover, the full-size double kick concave design makes it ideal for BEGINNER teenagers trying some basic stunts such as 360s, ollies, and flip tricks. The wide boards are more stable to ride, therefore this serves great for kids learning balance. Soft truck bushings absorb shock for stable and smooth roll on curbs and rougher grounds.

Plus, super smooth, soft 50mm 85A PU wheels roll smoothly on flat grounds, making them suitable for skating streets, skate parks, ramps, pools, or even rough ground and smaller bumps. The small size wheels perform great for tricks and are less susceptible to wheel bites when your kid land on this board.

The bearings on the wheels are not super fast. So the good thing about that is that it keeps the board from slipping under your kid’s feet so that he can try tricks easily.

Overall, Hikole skateboards is a great double-kick skateboard for streets and skateparks but not for long cruising because of its small-sized wheels. It also accommodates taller or heavier teens starting the sport.

Pros
  • Small wheels are less prone to wheel bites.
  • Great for freestyle and practicing tricks.
Cons
  • Not ideal for cruising.

How to Choose the Best Skateboard for Kids?


The experts in our team suggested some factors you need to consider when shopping for the best skateboard for beginner kids. Please bear in mind these are just general guidelines for you to get started.

Before buying the best skateboard for beginner kids, you might wonder which type of skateboard I should get for my kid.

Well, in skateboarding, there are four main types of skateboards to choose from depending on your child’s age, skill level, place of skating and riding style.


Types of Skateboards


Double-Kick or Standard Skateboard

Double-Kick or Standard Skateboard

As the name implies, a double-kick skateboard features two upturned ends, i.e. nose and tail. It is also called a standard popsicle skateboard. It is the standard and most popular skateboard, suitable for various styles of skateboarding.

The standard skateboard is recommended for beginners to start their journey, whether kids or adults. Double kick skateboards let skaters efficiently perform kickflips, ollie, grind, and other tricks.

Standard popsicle skateboards are suitable for;

  • Skating streets, pavements and curbs.
  • Carving
  • Skateparks
  • Bowl/pool and vert.
  • Technical skating (Skate tricks)

Longboard

Longboards

As the name suggests, a longboard is longer than a skateboard, usually 33″ or longer. It comes fully assembled in various shapes and sizes, equipped with big fat soft wheels that provide a fast and stable ride.

However, they are long, hefty, and not the best choice for tricks and technical skating. Therefore, we don’t recommend these for pre-teen kids. Whereas, for teens and adults, they are great, especially for beginners.

Longboards are suitable for;

  • Downhill riding
  • Commuting
  • City streets cruising and off-road riding
  • Carving and sliding.
  • Surfing and snowboarding practice.

Cruiser

Cruisers

The cruiser is usually wider than standard skateboards and features an asymmetrical shape meaning a single kicktail on no kicktail. However, they are shorter and lighter than a longboard, making cruisers to carry around easily.

Moreover features high trucks and softer wheels for gentler, smoother rides. Also, the single kicktail lets the rider perform an ollie up a curb if needed during commuting.

Cruisers come fully assembled and are meant for;

  • Leisurely riding or commuting.
  • Learning balance and stability.
  • Performing basic tricks.
  • Carving and sliding downhill.

Mini-Cruiser

mini cruiser little kid skateboard

The name speaks for itself; it is a cruiser but smaller than the regular size. The decks of mini-cruisers are usually polyurethane and don’t have grip tape; instead have a textured top.

Therefore safe for little kids to ride it on their belly or their butts. Moreover, they are lighter, can fit into a back pack and are easy to carry. Therefore, making these a popular choice among little kids between 5 and 10 years old.

These little kid mini-cruisers are suitable for;

  • Learning balance and stability for skateboarding.
  • Cruising on streets.
  • Skating in skateparks.
  • Racing downhill.

Skateboard Guide for Beginners


If your child is a beginner and struggles with balancing, we recommend looking for a board with a wider deck equipped with large soft wheels for stability and more grip. Following are a few more beneficial factors to look for when buying a best skateboard for a kid.

Age of a child

It would be best to consider your kid’s age while buying a skateboard. For instance, mini cruisers are the best option for kids age five or below because they are lightweight.

Also, look at the size guide to select a board suitable to your kid’s height and shoe size for a pleasant riding experience.

Skateboard Size chart for beginner kids and teens

Skateboard Suitable to Riding style

You might consider where your kid is going to ride the skateboard and their skill level. Also, what style of skateboarding they will do. For instance, cruising around or commuting, a cruiser might be a good option.

Or, for a kid interested in learning tricks or going to skate parks, choose a skateboard according to their skateboarding style, as we discussed earlier in this guide.

Deck Material

Usually, the skateboard decks are constructed with 7 -ply maple wood, but skateboard companies have come up with other deck materials like plastic, bamboo and fiberglass technology.

Wooden or Maple Decks

The skateboard deck made of maple are usually preferred by skateboarders worldwide. A deck made of 7-ply maple are durable, solid and with a lot of pop. When buying a maple deck, please ensure it’s not birched wood, as birch decks are not durable and get pressure cracks quickly.

Pros
  • Durable.
  • Offer a lot of pop.
  • Flexible and suitable for tricks.
Cons
  • Quality maple deck skateboards are expensive.
Plastic Skateboard Decks

Over the year, skateboard companies have come up with plastic cruisers and mini cruisers made of polyurethane, similar to penny boards designed especially for kids.

Pros
  • Lightweight.
  • Beginner-friendly for little kids.
  • Affordable.
Cons
  • Not suitable for performing tricks.
  • May break depending on the quality of plastic.
Bamboo Decks

Bamboo decks have gained popularity because they are eco-friendly as bamboo grows faster than the maple tree. These decks are a great alternative to maple decks.

Pros
  • Lightweight and budget friendly.
  • Flexible and offers a lot of pop.
  • Environmental friendly.
Cons
  • Less durable than maple decks.
Fiberglass Decks

Fibreglass decks are made with maple and a few layers of fibreglass for added strength. The carbon fiber decks are designed to be lightweight and breakage resilient under extreme conditions.

We recommend not buying these advanced decks for beginner kids as they are expensive and better suited for technical skating.

Pros
  • Durable and sturdy.
  • Lightweight.
  • Suitable for technical skating.
Cons
  • Expensive.

Skateboard Wheels

Usually, the skateboard wheels size is mentioned in the product description. Complete skateboards are equipped with various wheel sizes and of varying hardness. Wheel size and hardness have an impact on skateboarding styles.

Skateboard wheels sizes are labelled in millimeters and hardness in Durometer.

  • Wheels between 49 mm-53mm are suitable for street skating, skateparks and performing tricks. Usually, complete skateboards are equipped with 52mm -54mm wheels keeping beginners in mind .
  • Wheels between 53 mm and 59 mm provide more grip and are suitable for all-around skating like cruising, street/park and vert skating. This size is ideal for beginners looking for more stability.
  • Wheels over 60mm are usually come with cruisers and longboards for riding longer distances at higher speeds. Also, these big wheels are soft and roll smoothly and quietly on all terrain.

Usually, there are two types of wheels to choose from; Soft and hard Wheels, each suitable for a particular skateboarding style.

  • Hard wheels are suitable for pros for freestyle and technical skating.
  • Soft wheels are suitable for beginners, cruising and commuting.

Also, some hard wheels are made of plastic and provide a rough, jarring experience and difficult turnings.

Experts recommend soft wheels for beginners and hard high Duro wheels for pros to perform tricks. Soft wheels offer a smooth ride as they absorb shocks from bumps on the road, hence preventing your kid from stumbling.

When buying a complete skateboard, please ensure to get one with PU wheels.

Durability and Quality Components

The quality of skateboard components impacts the durability, safety, and price of the skateboard you choose. The complete skateboard is equipped with a deck, wheels, grip tape, trucks and bearings.

Usually, pros and serious skateboarders customize their board by choosing the components of their choice. But for kids, it is recommended to go for pre-assembled skateboards.

Here are a few more things that a recreational skateboarder might consider.

Skateboard Trucks

The trucks are T shaped pieces mounted to the skateboard deck that holds the wheels and bearings. Skateboard Truck itself is made of some components such as a base plate, a hanger, and a kingpin that connects the two.
Usually, complete skateboards have aluminium trucks with steel axles. Please avoid buying skateboards with plastic trucks that may bend or break.

Bushings

A bushing is the cushioning between the base plate and the hanger of a skateboard truck. Bushings are made of urethane or silicone and are measured in Durometer.

  • Hard — 98a+
  • Medium — 92a to 97a
  • Soft — 92a and below

Medium bushings are suitable for all skateboarding styles. Soft bushings make turnings easy but make wheels more susceptible to wheel bites, whereas hard bushings are suitable for technical tricks.
For beginner kids, look for trucks equipped with medium bushings.

Tip: Always skate for an hour or two before tightening the trucks for bushings to break in.

Bearings

Two bearings are sitting inside each wheel’s wall, allowing the wheel to roll smoothly.

It is believed that bearings with higher ABEC rating are faster which is not necessarily true as many skate bearing companies don’t use ABEC rating for their bearings.

However, it is better to choose bearings of ABEC 5 or more for fast and better quality.

Aesthetic or Graphics

Skateboards feature cool, eye-catching graphics on the deck, which appeal to many people, especially many people.

You can let your child decide on the graphics as having cute and cool skateboards will build their confidence and reflect them.

Skateboard Deck’s Surface

Skateboard decks are either plastic or made from maple wood. The wooden skateboard deck is usually covered with grip tape-sand paper like tape, in complete skateboards.

The grip tape provides traction between the board and your shoes and prevents you from sliding off the board.

If you have smaller kids just entering into skateboarding and riding on their bums or bellies, getting a skateboard with grip tape would not be safe.

You may want to look for a plastic deck for younger kids—be sure it’s appropriately textured to prevent any slipping.

The Adjustability of the Skateboard

It is essential to adjust the skateboard wheels and trucks to your preference for a safe and stable riding experience.

If your kid feels trucks wobbly and wheels a bit lose, too fast or slow, you might need a few adjustments using a skate tool. It will prevent any unfortunate accidents and skate injuries.

A skate tool is a small wrench that may or may not come with your skateboard.
You can tighten or loose skateboard trucks and wheels to your kid’s preference using this tool.

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