Are you new to skateboarding and want to give a shot at this fascinating and thrilling sport? Choosing the best skateboard for beginners could be overwhelming and daunting, with dozens of skateboard choices online and in skate shops. Every beginner wishes for the best starter skateboard that is easy to ride for an incredible and unforgettable riding experience.
Most importantly, knowing your skateboarding style or where you intend to skate always comes in handy while choosing the best skateboard for beginners. Whether you are a beginner or looking for a starter skateboard for a kid, we have handpicked some of the best beginner skateboards featuring top-notch components after testing dozens of skateboards in the market.
Best Beginner Skateboards
Here is the list of best skateboards for a new ripper to shred the streets and parks.
What is a Good Skateboard for Beginners?
Well, it’s all personal preference which board you enjoy riding. Ideally, in the case of a newbie, it is recommend matching deck width to their shoe size.
However, to make selection simple, we suggest that adults choose a skateboard with a deck width of 8.0″ and young rippers can start with 7.5″ to 7.75″ width. If you have bigger feet you can go up to 8.5″ wide board.
If you are unsure of your riding style , different sizes and dimensions, please refer to our beginner skateboard guide.
Starter Skateboards
From modern street and park riding, bowl or pool skating, cruising, and commuting, we have covered it all . Here is a list of pre-assembled skateboards for beginners ready to roll.
Enjoi Whitey Panda – Best Budget Street Skateboard
Enjoi skateboard brand is known for its colorful and witty graphics decks and humorous skate videos.
Whitey panda is one of the most popular and recognizable graphics of Enjoi skateboards.
The beginner-friendly Enjoi complete skateboard comes in standard popsicle shapes in various sizes and cool, colorful minimalistic graphics. You can select the size of the board by matching the deck’s width with your shoe size. The board is pre-assembled and ready to roll straight out of the box.
The deck is 7-ply maple construction with a mellow concave and a steep kick offering a stable ride. In addition, the deck is solid with a lot of pop, hence ideal for learning flip tricks and ollies due to its lightness.
Enjoi skateboard wheels are medium-hard, providing enough grip for a stable ride, making it easy for beginners to learn stability and control. The small wheels are less prone to wheel bite; however, they are not too small to be hindered by small rocks on the street.. The combination of lightweight wheels and Tensor Trucks with soft bushings offers easier tuning, control, and stability, making the complete skateboard ideal for beginners.
To sum up, Enjoi complete skateboards are budget-friendly with excellent pop, grip, durability, and maneuverability. The board performs exceptionally well while street skating on ledges, rails, or at the skatepark.
Powell Golden Dragon – Skateboard for Teenager
Another instant classic from Powell Peralta, moderately budget Golden Dragon is a great first board for pre-teens and price-conscious advanced skaters. It features a popsicle deck with a colorful screen-printed dragon graphic on the bottom. The grip tape is excellent and provides a nice grip for a stable ride.
In addition, the board is equipped with high-rebound, hand-cast polyurethane wheels that provide a great roll and grip for street and park skating. Rookie riders might feel 99a Duro wheel hard and a bit noisy on rough surfaces as they are on the harder/trick-friendly side of the spectrum.
If you intend to cruise around and don’t want to fall every time you encounter a pebble or a crack, I recommend changing the wheels. However, these perform exceptionally well on flat grounds and are ideal for tricks like ollies flip tricks.
Remember: Softer wheels give you increased ease/smoothness of the ride, and harder wheels are better for doing tricks and rolling faster.
Moreover, the trucks are pretty decent (not metal) and lightweight, making the skateboard to carry anywhere with ease and flipping easier if you intend to learn some.
The trucks feature soft bushing for easy turning of the skateboard. Just remember, heavy riders might need to replace them with stiffer bushings instead of tightening these soft bushings beyond the limit. Bones offer great replacement bushings ( soft, medium, and firm).
Overall, an excellent choice for entry-level riders or someone who dabbles. Perform great on rough pavement, sidewalks, and gliding around the neighborhood. Powell Golden Dragon is designed for ripping in style.
[CCS] Complete– Good Beginner Skateboards
CCS brand has created the perfect high-quality, budget-complete skateboard for many years. From entry-level skaters to seasoned vets, this board offers everything you need. The complete skateboard is available in various vibrant colored decks and with excellent graphic designs in multiple sizes.
Furthermore, the CCS deck has perfect pop, the right mix of flex, stiffness, and symmetry is a huge plus beginner struggling to figure out the nose and tail. With its classic narrow shape, the board is excellent for cruising, street/ park skating, and tricks like ollieing flip kicks, as the narrow decks are more responsive and lightweight.
In addition, the complete setup comes pre-assembled ( ready to roll) with skate tool and brand CCS logo stickers hence allowing you to tighten or loosen the trucks and bearing the way you like.
The skateboard features high-quality CCS trucks, 52mm 100A white CCS wheels, and ABEC 7 bearings, great for smooth surface riding. Since the wheels are small and hard, therefore perform great for street skating and tricks.
I skated it for a while and was impressed by the stable and smooth ride. Moreover, all the components feel of quality. I would suggest buying some Bones Big Balls bearings as I felt the original bearings were slow for me. After the replacement, I could skate much further with a few pushes.
To sum up, if you don’t want to drop a ton of cash to get back into skating or figure out if skateboarding is your cup of tea, CCS complete skateboards are the best budget boards for you to get rolling.
Best skateboard for Beginners Adults
Santa Cruz Screaming Hand- Great Skateboards
Santa Cruz is one of the oldest and most popular skateboard brands, probably the most heard name in the skateboarding world because of their top-quality skate products for all skill level skaters.
The board features the “Screaming Hand” graphic designed by Jim Phillips and is also the primary and iconic logo of the Santa Cruz brand. Santa Cruz skateboard’s deck has an excellent standard popsicle shape and has traditional 7-ply Maple construction, the ultimate for strength, durability, and pronounced pop.
The deck has a medium concave, which is neither steep nor too mellow. It doesn’t have a flat feeling, and it also doesn’t hinder your flip tricks whatsoever.
The Screaming Hand Skateboard is available in various colors and sizes to fit every new skater. In addition, the skateboard is pre-assembled with high-quality, strong, lightweight cast-aluminum trucks with 90a bushings -soft bushings for easy turning and control.
Moreover, the durable 95a Duro wheels with high-rebound (response of the wheels) roll fast and smoothly on flat grounds and a bit rough surfaces. Furthermore, medium-hard wheels work great for beginners learning skateboarding in the streets, skate parks, and ramps because they provide the perfect grip required for learning the tricks, cruising, or skating.
The board withstood the street skateboarding abuse in our test sessions and held out pretty well with no pressure cracks.
Overall, it is an excellent complete beginner skateboard for ripping around the local skatepark or learning tricks in the streets. You can also try Screaming Hand T-Shirt to match your board for a standout look.
Globe Big Blazer- Cruiser Skateboard for Beginners
If you are new to skateboarding and want a board for cruising and commuting, we recommend checking out Globe Skateboards Big Blazer Cruiser. It has resin-7 hard rock maple construction featuring a mellow concave with a medium nose and a single tail kick. This exciting diamond-tail cruiser comes with a built-in bottle opener.
Large soft cruiser wheels roll smoothly on all-terrain surfaces and glide smoothly over cracks and bumpy asphalt. The wheels provide excellent grip, enabling beginners to learn skating efficiently.
ABEC 7 bearings let you skate at high speed with stability. Allow you to glide, carve or slide any surface. Large soft, high-rebound wheels spin faster, smoother, and longer with a single push making them suitable for long voyages and commuting.
The wider board offers a generous space for foot placement. In addition, generally, longer and wider cruiser boards are recommended for learning stability and control to ride a skateboard. The grip tape is also of good quality and provide enough traction for easy maneuverability.
High Tensor trucks with high-rebound 92a Duro bushings make turnings easier. Hence the cruiser is decent for carving/surfing feel. Moreover, it’s not too hard for shorter build people to push and get some speed and keep control.
Test ride of Globe Big Blazer Cruiser
Overall, Globe Big Blazer is an excellent study cruiser skateboard for a beginner or a commuter that wants something more stable and responsive.
Element Section Complete– Best Starter Skateboard
Element Section Complete Skateboard features the legendary and most iconic tree logo and brand name on the deck’s bottom. We love this brand because they are considerate of their environment.
The deck has 7 ply maple wood employing thrift construction, making it environment friendly as wood layers are not dyed. The board is durable, sturdy, and poppy without breaking the bank. It is designed to be a solid and thick board as well as lightweight with minimal flexing.
The standard popsicle shape, medium concave, and 8.0″ deck’s width all offer a perfect skateboard for beginners. The wide, round nose and tail offer enough space for foot placement to control and maneuver the board easily.
Moreover, it features top-notch Element trucks and 52mm 99A Duro wheels, making it suitable for learning tricks in the streets or at the skatepark. The smaller-sized wheels and Aluminium trucks make it a lightweight complete skateboard, allowing easy maneuvering, ollieing, and flipping the board.
If you want to learn to assemble a skateboard, you might want to try the Element skateboard complete package, including all the components required for assembling. You can watch a youtube tutorial and assemble it in no time.
I also ordered Element Star Wars VADER 7.75 complete skateboard and Tech Deck, DLX Pro 10-Pack of Collectible Fingerboards for my son that he thoroughly enjoyed.
Element Skateboards are of excellent quality and built at a great price. The board is lightweight, snappy, crispy, suitable for flip tricks, nose slides, and ollies. Moreover, it is a versatile skateboard perfect for novice rippers and pros to skate the street, park, and vert.
Budget Friendly Beginner Skateboards
Beleev – Cheap Beginner Skateboard
Another quality beginner board you can get is a Beleev complete skateboard. It has a solid 7-ply maple deck with a mediate concave that makes it an ideal choice for any tricks or street skating. The construction and components of this board make it more than a beginner board— it speed up the practice for any tricks.
The board can withstand all the abuse an amateur rider may throw. Mild and symmetric concave doesn’t sore your feet, and the board has tons of pop.
The board is equipped with 5-Inch sturdy aluminum alloy trucks making this board lightweight easy to carry. I was actually surprised by the quality and performance of the trucks. I could maneuver the board quickly and got no wheel bites due to high trucks and smaller-sized wheels.
The bearings are fantastic, and they have rolled smoothly and quietly since the beginning. After breaking them in, they went like a dream.
Moreover, the wheels are large 55mm 95A; they feel soft and let you cruise the streets quietly and smoothly. However, you can perform tricks efficiently on this board like nose slides, kickflip, and fakies.
Overall, Beleeve is a topnotch board for the price. Better than any Walmart skateboard you’re probably thinking about getting. Beautiful, stunning graphics make it an ideal choice as a gift. Suitable for all-level riders with different riding styles, cruising, commuting, tricks, and freestyling.
Letskate Skateboards for Beginners
Another budget-friendly pre-assembled board that doesn’t cut corners on the quality. The minimalistic cartoonish graphic design attracts the young rider. It is printed with a thermal transfer printing process, allowing more print durability that doesn’t chip off easily.
The board is sturdy, has decent pop, and medium concave feels good under the feet, and the 7-ply maple deck can withstand heavy riders. Our team tested this board, and so far, it has held up well with sidewalk riding, pavement riding, and even brick walkways.
Moreover, super smooth (52mm, 95A Duro ) wheels with ABEC-9 bearings offer you speed and quick response. Therefore it is the perfect choice for commuting, skate parks, ramps, pools, and other smooth surfaces or even rough ground.
In addition, these wheels offer optimal grip for learning skating and tricks. Waterproof and environment-friendly non-slip grip tape provides you with better control and traction with the board and helps you learn more tricks easily.
Overall, everything seems sturdy, and the quality is way better than we expected for the price The board comes with a skate tool to tighten and loosen the trucks for turning.
We recommend this board to young rippers, beginners, and casual riders who are just getting comfortable rolling around the street and skatepark.
WhiteFang– Top Beginner Skateboards
Look no further if you are searching for a budget beginner skateboard or don’t want to spend much on your kid’s first skateboard. White fang offers a pretty decent complete skateboard featuring various minimalist graphic designs.
Durable and robust construction, it is perfect for entry-level riders to improve their skills affordable, eye-catching design. The grip tape on the deck’s top gives your feet enough locked feeling to help you learn new tricks quickly.
High rebound PU wheels (52mm,95a) with ABEC-9 chrome steel bearings give you a smooth ride. The size and hardness of the wheel make this skateboard suitable for casual skating, commuting, skate parks, and other smooth surfaces. In addition, high aluminum alloy trucks let your skateboard roll over cracks rough grounds quickly and smoothly.
We tried a few boards from this brand, which turned out pretty decent. These boards are good for beginners and kids. It is definitely not the best option for an intermediate or pro skater, but it is all right for the price.
We managed to do some ollies and tricks on this board. However, the board tends to get pressure cracks and paint chipping under stress skating.
To conclude, it is more suitable for casual riding or maybe just ollieing. It’s a perfect starter complete skateboard to gift your kids!
Easy_Way-Skateboard with Colorful Flashing Wheels
Fear not if you’re longing to learn but are unsure how to take your first step. Easy_Way skateboards have you covered with a variety of quality complete skateboards. The brand has taken care of and offers you a preassembled skateboard with a carry bag, skate tool *1 pc, backup bearings, a set of watercolors, and stickers to customize your skateboard.
Most exciting is the PU flashing wheels that light up when you ride in a dark place, offering smooth and speed glide.
This skateboard utilizes 7 plies of cold-pressed maple featuring waterproof and durable eye-catching graphics on the deck’s bottom. The board is solid, sturdy, and can withstand heavyweight.
You might keep in mind that the board comes in two-wheel sizes. If you are a casual skater, or looking a skateboard for a kid, we suggest picking big cruiser wheels skateboard for a stable and smooth ride. Smaller wheels skateboard would be great for riders intending to skate on a smooth surface like skateparks or learning tricks like flip tricks and shuvits .
In addition, skate tool and backup bearings are handy, especially when cleaning bearings and you need replacement.
However, one downside of this skateboard is for heavy riders; the board bends noticeably more than others, which causes issues popping the board for any flip-trick. Therefore needs replacement with hard bushings for trucks.
To conclude, this board behaves like an actual, solid quality board, pivoting, rolling smoothly, and is big and sturdy. Suitable for any older kid who is serious about expanding their boundaries at the skatepark or in the streets.
How to choose a skateboard?
Skateboarding is a thrilling sport, and the ride is enjoyable and amusing as long as you are comfortable and stable. A quality and durable skateboard that you get along with is like a breath of fresh air, making skating fun and exciting.
Skateboard companies offer a variety of skateboards in various shapes, sizes, and styles. Therefore, we’ve devised a quick buying guide to make it simple for you to have an informed decision when buying your kids or yourself a skateboard. Before you tap into the Skateboarding world, you need to consider a few factors when purchasing your first skateboard.
Types of Skateboards
Three main types of skateboards can be used for most styles of skateboarding.
| Skateboard Types | Level | Kicktail | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Skateboard (Popsicle) | Beginner/Pro Decks | Double kicktail | Best for tricks in street and parks. |
| Cruiser Skateboards | Beginners and casual skaters | Single kicktail | Best for learning balance and Cruising |
| Longboards | Beginners and commuters | Single/no kicktail | Best for Cruising, carving and commuting |
Types of Skateboards
Size of a Skateboard
What size skateboard should you get?
It is mostly recommended to start with a skateboard deck width proportional to your shoe size. For instance, if your shoe size is U.S. 6.5 to U.S 9, start with a 7.5″ to 8.0″ deck’s width. If you are an adult or your shoe size is 9.5 or larger, you might try a skateboard with a deck width between 8.0″ and 8.5″.
Most importantly, the width of your skateboard matters rather than the length. Therefore, always pay attention to the deck’s width and match it to your shoe size.
Best Size Skateboard for Beginners
The best size skateboard for beginners is the one that is easy to ride. Some people enjoy riding wider boards . On the contrary , some like narrow skateboards.
Usually, standard skateboards measure between 7.5″ and 8.25″ decks width.
For beginners, we recommend to start with a skateboard of 7.5″-8.0″ width for pre-teen kids. On the other hand, we recommend getting a skateboard ranging between 8.0″ to 8.5″ wide for teenagers and adults.
Skateboard Size Chart
Wider boards are also great for casual skating and cruising because they offer a more stable ride. On the other hand , narrow boards are lightweight hence; easier to flip or to do tricks with.
These are not hard and fast rules. Remember, in skateboarding, its all personal preference.
TIP: You can always try out different deck sizes to determine which suits you best. Ideally, you can try a quarter size up or down the deck’s width.
Wheel Size
Another crucial factor you need to consider while getting your first skateboard is the wheel size.
Standard skateboard wheels are sized between 52mm to 54mm, suitable for all-terrain surfaces. If you intend to skate in the street or skate park and learn some basic tricks like ollies, this size is perfect.
However, if you want fast cruising, you might get a skateboard with bigger wheels(+ 54mm) or simply replace smaller wheels with bigger ones. Remember to use riser pads with bigger wheels to avoid any wheel bites.
Wheel Size Chart
Skateboard Deck Shape
Skateboard decks have various shapes with cool graphic designs, such as standard popsicle, old school, shaped boards. We recommend that a beginner choose a moderate-budget skateboard with a popsicle deck having mellow or medium concave.
You are just learning to balance and ride the board at the start. Steeper or deep concave decks are suitable for those doing a lot of tricks.
Once you learn the basics, you can switch to high-end, fiberglass technology skateboards. These skateboards are expensive and more durable than regular maple skateboards.
Pre-Built Completes Skateboard
If you’re looking for your first Skateboard or buying your kids their first board, we recommend going for a pre-assembled complete skateboard. They come with all installed components, usually are less expensive, and all the parts are installed keeping beginners in mind.
Custom Completes Skateboard
If you have time and can do all the research to customize your setup for your riding style, building your Skateboard will give you an extra edge in learning the sport better.
You can always replace any component according to your preference.
We recommend beginners and kids to start their skateboarding journey with a complete skateboard and later can start customizing.
Parts of a Skateboard
What is a skateboard made of?
Nowadays, many complete skateboards are available to buy straight off the shelf, ready to roll. Therefore, before stepping into skateboarding and purchasing your first skateboard, it is beneficial to learn what a skateboard is made of to understand this sport better. So, following are the main parts of a skateboard.
Deck
The deck is the standing platform usually made of 7 ply layers of maple wood. (sometimes plastic). The deck usually comes with various eye-catching cool graphics at the bottom and a plain top.
We recommend selecting a skateboard with deck width matching your shoe size for entry-level adults and kids. You may also try a wider board with bigger wheels for more stability and grip.
Grip Tape
It is a sandpaper-like sheet, usually black (or sometimes clear or with graphic designs) applied on the top of the deck, providing traction when riding the board.
Trucks
Skateboard Trucks are basically the axles of your skateboard, on which wheels and bearings are mounted. Trucks provide maneuverability of the skateboard, letting you turn right or left. They are of metallic construction and come in varying truck dimensions depending upon the deck’s width and riding style.
Wheels
A skateboard is equipped with four wheels mounted on the trucks’ axle. The skateboard’s wheels are available in various sizes and hardness allowing you to choose depending on your riding style.
Bigger wheels are faster however require more effort from the rider. In contrast, smaller wheels provide less speed but require reduced effort to get up to top speed.
Bearings
Two bearings sit inside the sides of each wheel and allow them to spin freely and keep up the speed.
Bearings vary in their precision which is represented by the ABEC rating system. It is believed that the higher the number, the more precise the bearing is and offers more speed.
We recommend quality bearings like ceramic with higher ABEC rating. However, popular skate-bearing companies such as Bones and Bronson don’t use the ABEC rating system.
Hardware
It includes nuts and bolts that hold the trucks on the deck. Having a skate tool always comes in handy whenever you feel like tightening the wheels or trucks.
Skateboarding Types or Styles
We put our heads together to give you the basic ideas of the types of skateboarding you want to do with your board. Some popular skateboarding styles are;
You can do a lot with your board, but each skateboarding type requires a particular board.
Cruising or Casual Skating
If you like to cruise the streets and looking for a board to roll around smoothly and carrying it in your bag is essential, then a Cruiser might be suitable. Cruisers are a mid-sized board featuring a single or no kick tail and a flat nose.
The deck is usually wider with a mellow concave. In addition, they are equipped with large soft (78a- 85a Duro) wheels and higher trucks for fast and stable rides. They roll smoothly and quietly over cracks, rough pavements, and asphalt.
Moreover, you can do some basic tricks like ollies or jump over small hurdles with cruisers. If you or your kid wishes to learn stability and control, we recommend cruisers are best to go for.
Street/Park/ Technical Skaboarding
Street skating is the most popular skateboarding style, and most skaters opt for narrow, lightweight skateboards for it. It is also referred to as freestyle skateboarding, where you do tricks, skate staircases, and handrails. A’ regular double kick’ skateboard is good to start for people longing to hit the streets, want to learn some tricks like flip tricks ollies, or intending to hit the local ramp or a skatepark.
The standard skateboard has a double kick popsicle-shaped deck and small or medium-sized wheels (52mm-54mm) of medium hardness. These are designed to roll smoothly on flat surfaces and streets.
Most pros you’ll find riding double kick skateboards and shredding the streets, pools, and verts.
Transportation or Commuting
A longboard is what you are looking for if you long a faster board to get to college or office while having fun sliding, gliding, and carving.
Longboards feature wider, higher, and reverse kingpin trucks, allowing for excellent stability at high speeds. In addition, the longboard’s wider deck and larger soft wheels make riding more manageable, especially for a beginner. Moreover, you can also use a cruiser for transportation or commuting since they roll fast and smooth.
Longboarding
If you love surfing and looking for a substitute when there are no waves, or you long to carve smooth lines instead of doing flip tricks, you are probably after a Longboard. You can do downhill riding, carving, gliding, and sliding or can improve surfing and snowboarding. In addition, you can go really fast on longboards since they are equipped with bigger wheels and trucks.
Vert/Pool/Transition Skating
If you plan to skate the vert, pool, or bowl, you need a wider skateboard with bigger wheels to go fast since transition skaters need speed. You can use a double kick, old-school, or shaped skateboard for this riding style as long as they have bigger wheels and higher metal trucks.
Conclusion:
When you step into skateboarding, it is better to get a moderately budget skateboard at the start. You might not wanna damage an expensive skateboard by amateur skating. You can buy a complete skateboard or buy individual components and customize your skateboard. Recommendations from our heart;
Frequently Asked Questions
What skateboard should a beginner get?
Usually, a beginner should get a skateboard with a deck width ranging from 7.5″ to 8.0.” This size is suitable for kids and adults to start with. Usually, standard skateboards with mellow concave and mid-sized wheels are ideal for beginners.
Moreover, cruisers are also considered an excellent start-up board as they offer more grip with larger, softer wheels that help beginners learn the riding.
What is the easiest skateboard to ride for beginners?
Cruiser and skateboard with wider decks are the easiest to ride as they offer optimal foot placement for standing. Also, the bigger wheels provide enough traction and prevent the board from sliding or getting out of control.
What is the best type of skateboard for beginners?
The best type of skateboard for beginners is a standard double kick with soft wheels. A beginner should consider where they will ride and their budget. It is advisable to go with a comfortable board that suits your style. At entry-level, slightly wider deck skateboards are much more stable and provide plenty of foot space.
What age is good to start skateboarding?
In our opinion, 8 – 10 years is the right age when kids can start learning the art of skateboarding and be able to balance themselves to ride confidently.
How much is a beginner skateboard?
You can get a decent beginner skateboard for around $50, depending on the brand you are purchasing from. High-end and pro brands offer quality, cool graphic complete skateboards ranging from $ 85 and $150.
Is a longboard easier than a skateboard?
Usually, beginners find longboarding easier than skateboarding because longboards are wider, longer, and have softer wheels, making it easier to keep your balance. Skateboards require a little effort to ride because of their smaller and harder wheels.
Are cruiser boards good for beginners?
Cruiser boards feature wider decks with a mellow concave offering generous space for foot placement. It enables a beginner to ride the board with stability and have control for easy maneuvering. High trucks and soft, large wheels provide fast speed and more grip for a stable ride.