So, you’ve decided to commute to work on a longboard. Maybe you have been doing it for a while and need an upgrade, or maybe the prospect of saving money on transport and car maintenance is an attractive one for you.
Whichever it is, there’s a lot more to consider when choosing longboards than many may think. They’re just boards of wood, so how much do you need to be aware of, right?
A lot, it turns out. We know because we’ve already done the legwork for you and have compiled a list of our favorite five longboards that should make your commute as smooth and relaxing as possible.
There’s also a buyers’ guide so you can read which factors went into our ranking decisions, and there’s an FAQ where common questions about longboarding have been answered by yours truly
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Want to get commuting in style ASAP? If you want your purchase to be a fast and simple one, we have the longboard that topped our ranking right here.
Our top board was the Loaded Boards Icarus Bamboo Longboard, a versatile and capable board that works very well in urban environments, and so should serve well in the most chaotic of commutes.
Here are some other reasons you should check this board out below:
- Versatile performance product created for maneuverability and with snowboards in mind, combining fiberglass with bamboo and cork for a lightweight, durable and force-dampening longboard.
- Paris 180mm, 50-degrees trucks enable smooth turnings, and you can choose Kegel or Durian wheels for added speed or control respectively.
- Cambered profile and variable edge concave create a precise riding experience, and you can look good whilst riding thanks to the muted but colorful graffiti-style design on this board’s surface that fits well in urban areas.
In a hurry? This is Our Winner!
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Best Longboards For Commuting – Comparison Table
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Best Longboards For Commuting – Reviews
The first product we’ve chosen is the Loaded Boards Icarus Bamboo Longboard, a versatile longboard designed for performance with particularly attention paid to its maneuverability, making it ideal for urban commuting.
Its design is inspired by snowboards, and it is constructed from a combination of bamboo and fiberglass to be as lightweight and durable as possible for easy carrying.
It’s also bottomed out by a cork underside layer that dampens any impact vibrations from jumps or forceful turns, which serves to protect your feet and legs from fatigue.
It has a cambered profile with a variable edge concave that’s designed to give you as much control as possible for a precise riding experience, perfect for carving through alleyways and backstreets.
The trucks are Paris 180mm, 50-degree trucks that enable smooth turnings too, and you have a choice of which wheels are on those trucks with your options being either 80mm Kegels or 75mm Durians.
The Kegels are better for speedy but smooth rides for if your commute is a rushed one, and the Durians are better for balance and control when your commute passes through compact areas.
- Versatile performance longboard created for maneuverability, ideal for urban commuting
- Snowboard-inspired composite construction from bamboo and fiberglass to be durable and lightweight, and cork bottom layer dampens vibration
- Cambered profile and variable edge concave create a precise riding experience
- Paris 180mm, 50-degrees trucks enable smooth and controlled turnings ideal for busy cityscapes
- Choice of Orangatang wheels, 80mm Kegels if you’re looking for speed and smoothness, 75mm Durians if you need balance and control
- Stylish, graffiti-style surface decoration fits well into urban environments
- Can bottom out if you weigh more than the average person
The next product on our list is the Hana 42-Inch Longboard by Magneto Longboards. We recommend the pintail-shaped longboard variant, but you may prefer the cruiser or twin styles.
The pintail is perfect for cruising regardless and is composed of stained bamboo on the outside around a core of hard maple that gives a durable foundation.
As is necessary with a pintail design, the wheel wells are cut to accommodate the wheels and prevent unwanted immediate stops on your commute.
The wheel trucks themselves are high-angled at 70mm, and the board itself is at a W-concave, and these both work very well to make a board that’s very responsive and easy to control, allowing for fast carving and easy transportation.
The W-concave keeps your feet locked onto the board, and this is aided by a sand grit finish so that you don’t have to use grip tape. The sand grit finish works well with the Hana beach design, named for the beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui, but doesn’t gel that well into an urban environment.
- Pintail-shaped board made of stained bamboo and hard maple core for a flexible outer layer and a strong and durable foundation
- Wheel wells are cut to prevent wheel biting
- High-angle Paris-style trucks and 70mm wheels ideal for transportation and carving
- W-concave makes this board very responsive and easy to control
- Sand grit finish is designed to keep your feet on the board and lessen the use of grip tape
- Little shock absorption, trucks may need tightening after use
- Beach inspired decoration may not fit into urban environments
Next, we chose the White Wave Bamboo Cobra Longboard, the best budget option on this list. It’s much like the previous entry of this list in that it’s multiple layered with both lightweight and flexible bamboo and Canadian maple hardwood that adds durability to the board.
The White Wave decal on the board is heat transferred so that it’ll stay on after this longboard sees much use.
The trucks beneath that board are made of aluminum to continue the lightweight construction of this longboard and are fitted with ultra-high rebound bushings so that they carve through the streets much more effectively.
High-rebound urethane wheels and ABEC-9 Hellion 2 bearings provide durability and reduce the grip of the wheels on the ground so that you can get where you need to go faster.
- Composed of multiple layers of Bamboo and Canadian Maple, for hardness and softness where they count
- 180mm aluminum trucks with ultra-high rebound bushings for carving and cruising
- 70mm X 50mm high-rebound urethane wheels with ABEC-9 Hellion 2 bearings provide durability and reduce wheel grip
- Heat transferred graphics mean that this board will keep its stylish decal after much use
- Cheapest product on this list
- Very fast pick speed
- Not ideal for beginner longboarding
At number four is a longboard for those whose commute is a bit more chaotic than the average. It’s the ANCHEER Pintail Cruiser Longboard, and it’s formed from nine-ply maple Canadian maple hardwood that’s very durable and can bear a lot of weight, making it suitable for all ages.
The graphic on it is also heat transferred to survive heavy use. The board’s grip tape is OS780 black grip tape which packs a lot of adhesive power for the downhill longboarding that these boards are designed for.
78A SHR polyurethane wheels have anti-shock capabilities, meaning they reduce impact vibrations from rough rides. The forces acted upon your feet and legs are also mitigated by ABEC-11 chromed steel precision high-speed bearings which lessen vibration and increase the responsiveness of this board.
The wheels themselves are also able to deliver a consistent performance due to anti-bite tech that ensures the wheels, and you, don’t fall victim to sudden stops.
- Made from high-density nine-play Canadian maple hardwood, very durable
- Double row anti-shock super smooth polyurethane 65mm wheels reduce impact vibrations
- Precision high-speed chrome steel ABEC-11 bearings give the rider more control
- Anti-bite tech ensures a smooth and consistent ride
- Built with a low center of gravity and with downhill longboarding in mind
- Very few ratings on this product’s Amazon listing
At number five on our list is the SCSK8 Professional Speed Drop Down Longboard, a strong and durable board that supports up to 220lbs of weight. This makes this the ideal option for heavier riders who have trouble with bottoming out other longboards and skateboards.
The board itself can support this thanks to the fact it’s a solid construct made from seven-ply maple hardwood, and on top of the board is SCSK8 Pro black grip tape that ensures your feet are rooted to the board during movement via friction.
The wheels of the longboard are 70mm polyurethane wheels that are fitted with SCSK8 Precision ABEC-9 red bearings which, as the name implies, gives you some more control over this board.
However, the fact that this longboard is heavier also makes turning more of a chore. This is because it’s made to support heavier weights which makes the board itself heavier than others, so if you’re not experienced with heavier boards you can have some problems commuting with it.
- Seven-ply maple hardwood construction makes this board strong and durable
- 70mm polyurethane wheels fitted with SCSK8 Precision ABEC-9 red bearings
- SCSK8 Pro black grip tape ensures that your feet stay on the board
- Supports up to 220lbs of weight, so a good choice for heavier longboarding
- This is a heavier longboard that you may not be used to
- The fact it’s heavier makes turning harder
Best Longboards for Commuting – Buyers Guide
What makes the best commuter longboard
This buyers’ guide will go through the considerations you should have when looking for a longboard for commuting.
First, we’ll run through the two main types of longboard, and then we’ll be running through the deck material, size, bearings, stability, wheels, maneuverability, and push factor of longboards.
Types of longboard
The main two types of longboard you’ll encounter are downhill longboards and cruiser longboards. Downhill longboards aren’t for beginners and are instead for the special kind of person who wants to rush headlong down a steep surface, gaining incredible speeds.
They have harder edges, longer wheelbases and rough grip tape to better keep you on when going at high speeds. We’d imagine that’s not how your commute works, so these designed-for-speed longboards are of little use to us now.
The other type of longboard is the cruiser, which is a novice-friendly type of board that has increased security and stability. As the name suggests, these are better suited to commuting through the streets and getting to where you need to go without pulling off anything too fancy.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be an enjoyable experience though, weaving through alleyways and the like, which is more interesting than everyone else’s commutes, at any rate. For that reason, this type of board is the kind you’ll want, but even without commuting in mind these kinds of boards are the quintessential beginner longboards.
Deck Material
What your longboard is made of is obviously a significant factor in how it performs and what it is best at. It’s also the source of most of your durability. For now, let’s tackle the main two, maple and bamboo.
Maple is the most common material used to make longboards and is very sturdy, so it gives you plenty of room to attempt, fail and later succeed at any tricks without having the deck break.
Maple decks are the default but reliable option that allows both beginner and master longboard riders to harness their potential.
Bamboo decks are on the up as of late, as more people are opting for them for a variety of reasons. They’re obviously more lightweight than maple, being made of a flexible grass rather than hardwood, but they have strength at the same time.
This means that they’re strong enough to flex the board during all sorts of activities from cruising to dancing and, yes, commuting. Bamboo is also an eco-friendly option if sustainable living weighs on your consciousness, and if you haven’t realised yet, is slightly more suitable for commuting than maple in our opinion.
Size
Since you’ll be covering large distances, you should be preferring the longer, bigger longboards for your commuting needs. Longboards usually come in universal lengths, but you’re in luck as longer and wider boards are able to serve better with heavier loads.
You must also consider your feet as if they’re bigger then you’ll need to increase the board’s length so that your foot can sit comfortably on it.
Bearings
We would recommend what most people you ask would recommend, trusty steel bearings. If your bearings are right then you should have a smooth ride, and stainless-steel bearings are good for this.
You can check out our reviews of the best skateboard bearings HERE.
Stability
How your longboard performs in the balance department determines how able your board is on rough and uneven surfaces. If you know what you’re doing on a longboard, then you should have no trouble with many boards but if you’re new to longboard commuting then you’ll want to buy for stability.
If you are insecure enough in your longboarding skill that stability is a factor in your purchase, then let us take this opportunity to remind you that you should be wearing protective headgear and pads on the primary joints on your limbs.
Wheels and Wheelbase
The larger and softer wheels of longboards are much more suitable to tackling a variety of surfaces than your average skateboards. Their bigger wheels manage to cover more distance in less time, meaning that the longboard is faster and gets to where it needs to be much quicker.
The wheelbase is more important for factors like load and curving, but like the length of longboards the wheelbase sizes tend to conform to a universal standard. If you can get your hands-on longer wheelbases then you can benefit from stability, something you’ll need if your commute is a particularly long one.
If that is the case for you, you should keep an eye out for boards with long wheelbases.
You can check out our reviews of the best skateboard wheels HERE.
Maneuverability and Push
When stability and maneuverability is needed, longboards with longer wheelbases are the best, especially if you’re really going the distance for your commute. The right longboard where push is concerned should give you longer riding time output for less pushing input than your average skateboard.
If you don’t end up having this then we hope you’ve never skipped leg day, as it’ll be a bigger strain on your leg if you need to kick your board forward more often.
Diameter
Longboard diameter depends on your personal preferences and the way you want to ride your board. Diameter is often correlative to the size of your wheels to equalize the stability of your board.
Smaller wheels are better for beginners and may be good for you depending on how intense your commute to work is. If your commute is a rushed one, then you’ll want bigger wheels to achieve higher speeds and get there more quickly.
Durometer
Durometer is just the measurement of the longboard’s wheel’s toughness. Harder wheels can achieve speed faster than softer wheels, though softer wheels have more grip, and so more stability, for weaving through the streets on your way to work. This means that the choice is down to you over whether you want more speed or a more stable and chilled commute.
FAQs
What are the differences between skateboards and longboards?
The first thing that you’ll notice is different is the shape, since the overwhelming majority of skateboards curve upwards at both ends whilst longboards have more variety in their forms and don’t have any distinct curves.
If you were looking for some metrics, longboards range from being about 35 inches to 60 inches long and 10 inches wide. Skateboards are small in comparison, never breaching the lowest length that longboards come in, and longboards have larger wheels than their smaller skateboard cousins.
What are the benefits of commuting to work on a longboard?
Firstly, it’s free and will save you money rather than paying to maintain a car or commute on public transport, which should save you money in the long run. If you buy a longboard that has a bit of trick potential, then you can also find a new hobby in longboarding for leisure.
This way you can get both practical functionality and some hobbyist enjoyment out of your board and serve as a form of some exercise for you.
Can longboarding be good for exercise?
It can! Longboarding enthusiasts see longboarding as a recreational activity that can contribute to a workout routine since it has positive effects on the body. It burns about five calories a minute, give or take your longboard and your physical fitness. However, the main fitness benefits are for cardio and strength exercises, mainly in the legs.
If used in the right way longboarding can be a great aerobic activity, and if you’re new to skateboarding and similar activities then the process of training with a longboard will toughen up your legs after a few falls and scrapes.
What do you think? Please leave a comment below or send us a message. We’d love to hear from you!
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