Top Tips on How to Choose the Right Electric Longboard
Top Tips on How to Choose the Right Electric Longboard
Especially for new riders, choosing the right electric longboard can be a daunting task. The electric skateboard industry has exploded in recent years. Thousands of boards from hundreds of brands might make it seem almost possible for a newbie to come to a conclusion about which board is right for them.
Luckily, the tight-knit community surrounding e-skating has worked to make it easier than ever for riders to discover the perfect board. Countless resources exist online, and the industry and its leading brands have become more specialized than ever. That being said, the best way to find your perfect board is to search for boards that are specialized for your needs.
What do you want out of a board? Do you plan to ride for an extended amount of time, or speed through streets and carve-up hills? Are you a commuter? All of these questions and their answers will help you to determine the right longboard. Our guide will help to clarify the most important considerations as you search for the right electric longboard for you.
Ask yourself what kind of board you need
This is likely the most important first step for anyone looking to find the perfect electric longboard. As e-skateboard technology continues to develop and the community continues to grow, boards are becoming more and more specialized. Longboard companies might market their board as the ideal commuter board, for example, while other manufacturers make boards made specifically for high-speed carving.
Still, you might want to go for a board with multiple applications. Maybe you enjoy riding at high speeds, but you also want all-terrain capabilities and a solid range. That’s okay! Many companies also produce boards that can be used for multiple purposes. We’ll cover these allrounder boards in this section as well.
Allrounder Boards
For most new riders, an allrounder board is an extremely safe bet. Allrounder boards typically don’t excel very much at any particular performance spec. Rather, these boards generally offer solid performance in nearly every metric. An Allrounder board can come with a variety of features, especially when it comes to things like wheels and deck designs. But at their core, these boards provide riders with a good all-around board that can be used for nearly anything.
Allrounder boards will usually provide a sufficient range for most activities, as well as relatively impressive top speed. You shouldn’t expect to hit incredible speeds on most allrounder boards, although some lean towards higher top mph numbers. Your primary goal when searching for an allrounder board should be to find a device with relatively high stats in most categories, but no exceptional stand-out numbers.
All-Terrain Boards
If you anticipate riding over a wide variety of surfaces or skating off-road, an all-terrain board might be perfect for you. To start with, all-terrain boards will usually feature large rubber wheels. Wheels that are too small might have trouble retaining traction on rough surfaces. More importantly, small wheels might make a board a bit shaky on the legs as they glide over rough pavement, manholes, or sidewalk cracks.
But there’s a bit more to consider in an “all-terrain” than just the wheels. To minimize the shaking created by rough surfaces, you’ll also want a relatively large, solid deck. Boards considered “all-terrain” can vary greatly when it comes to top range, so be sure to consider this when buying your all-terrain longboard.
Small Boards
Compactness might be a big consideration for some riders. Compactor small boards are most often used when you imagine traveling or carrying your board for extended periods of time. Commuters, for example, might consider looking for a board that’s small enough to easily carry on the bus, in the car, or even on an airplane.
Luckily, a wide array of specialized boards often come in small or compact versions. Some compact boards can even offer extreme top speeds, and others can travel for twenty miles or more on a single charge! When searching for a small or compact electric longboard, look for a model that offers you the specs you need without seriously increasing its weight.
High-End Boards
Of course, some riders want the best of the best. High-end boards are often able to provide their riders with impressive qualities and specs in nearly every category. The most popular high-end brands of the board can easily offer a compact and streamlined structure while hitting top speeds of 25 mph or more and ranges of 20 miles or more.
The main downside to high-end boards will always be the price. In the electric skateboard industry, you get what you pay for. The most popular high-end brands can easily run up costs to over $1,200 for a board. This makes it unlikely that new riders will want to look for the high-end boards that the e-skateboard industry has to offer. Additionally, we generally advise new riders to stray away from most high-end boards because their high top speeds might be unfriendly to newbies. However, some of the high-end board manufacturers might also sell new rider-friendly models, so high-end skateboards are never really out of the question.
Budget Boards
On the other end of the spectrum, some riders might be looking to find a solid device without breaking the bank. As the electric skateboard industry expands and new companies fight for their share of the market, cheaper boards will almost always be available. The main consideration here is quality. When it comes to cheaper boards, you really want to make sure that you’re dealing with a company with a proven track record of solid specs and performance.
Beware of boards that sound too good to be true. It’s unlikely that you’ll find a quality board with high-end specs for a truly low price. Still, it never hurts to keep a budget in mind. As long as you’re dealing with a reputable distributor and your budget board still offers the technical specs you need, buying on a budget is always possible.
Do the Research
The great thing about the growing e-skating industry is the incredibly informational community that’s constantly being established and expanded. Resources are available all over the internet to help you find reviews, guides, and information about the top e-skateboard brands.
Blogs
Blogs might be your best bet for consistent information on the brands, news, and developments driving the e-skating community. In particular, the e-skateboarder blog is a constantly-updated resource for guides, product reviews, and more. When searching for a blog, be sure to consider the potential biases of the author, as this can influence the nature of the advice the site provides.
Social Media Platforms
The exciting e-skating community has solid roots on multiple social media platforms, namely Reddit and YouTube. The electric skateboarding subreddit, for example, has over 33,000 active members. The subreddit provides a place for e-skaters to gather, discuss their builds, and clarify any questions they may have. Veteran e-skateboarders are always willing to lend a hand to newbies, making Reddit an excellent resource as you look for a new board.
YouTube is likely your best bet when it comes to specialized, individual reviews of specific boards. This is an important part of your research, and content providers all over YouTube make their livings off of reviews of electric skateboards. Like we mentioned with blogs, be sure to check the potential endorsements and biases of your YouTubers before taking their perspectives to heart.
Hit the Road!
Many boards come with extended warranties in the case of customer dissatisfaction, so be sure to extensively test the board you choose with your own eyes. After all, the road is the ultimate decider of whether or not a skateboard is worth the money.