Best Skateboards For Kids

Before the Baltimore Ravens’ AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots in January 2012, the Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was advised to try learning skateboarding! He was told that it would improve his reflexes and mobility. In the end, he had a better game statistically than his rival Tom Brady, even though his team lost the game by a score of 21-17. (Flacco won the Super Bowl the following year, and was the MVP of Super Bowl 47.) A skateboard might not make your child a Super Bowl MVP, but a skateboard for kids can help their development considerably.

Besides using a skateboard for just getting around and going to school, there are also skateboards that are special for performing all sorts of jumps and tricks. We’ll also see which skateboard is best for your child’s age and weight, as well as which materials and dimensions are best for your child’s needs. Once your child gets familiar with skateboarding, there’s a chance that they’ll prefer it to a bike, hoverboard, or scooter!

Looking at the Best Reviews Guide list of skateboards for kids, you’ll see a number of differences in the size of the board, the diameter and width of the wheels, the materials used, and more. But, we can say that there are primarily three types of skateboards:

• Park/street skateboards: These are intended mostly for going fast on smooth surfaces, but can also be used for tricks and stunts. If you see a double-kick street skateboard, they will typically have a steeper nose and a mellower tail (that way, you can tell which is the front of the skateboard.) They will employ smaller wheels made from a harder material. An example is the Island Skate 30” Street Skateboard.

Island Skate 30” Street Skateboard

• Cruiser skateboards: These are designed for harder, rougher surfaces, with softer yet larger wheels. An example is the Magneto Mini Cruiser Skateboard. It measures 27.5” in length and 7.5” in width.

Magneto Mini Cruiser Skateboard

There are also micro-cruisers, which are smaller, measuring only around 25” in length. These might be better for a younger child beginning to use a skateboard.

• Longboards: The longboard is primarily for older skateboarders, with the ability to race on a skateboard. They’re also primarily for travel and commuting, and aren’t as conducive for performing tricks or for use in a skate park. Longboards have wheels ranging from 60-75 mm in diameter, and with a hardness of 75-85a (the softest of all three types). The Magneto 40+ Inch Kicktail Cruiser Longboard Skateboard is suitable for teens as well as adults. It measures 44 inches in length and 9 inches wide.

Magneto 40+ Inch Kicktail Cruiser Longboard Skateboard

We went over some customers’ impressions of the kids’ skateboard that they bought:

• Worth paying extra for quality: Customers who bought the SkateXS Beginner Unicorn Girls Skateboard said that it was a bit more expensive (being around $119, vs. other boards that can be as low as half the price). But, they felt it was worth the expense because the board had a good response to their 5-year-old’s weight. It was also easy for her to operate. First impressions are important, so if a child is impressed at first, the chances are good that they will use the skateboard for years to come!

• Weight limit: Some users note that the wood of their skateboard wasn’t able to withstand heavy riding or tricks. But make sure that your child doesn’t exceed the weight limit for the skateboard. The Meketec Mini-Cruiser Skateboard has a maximum weight limit of 200 lbs, so that’s good for most adults! But other boards don’t have such a high tolerance.

Here are some features that are worth looking for when selecting a skateboard for kids:

• Materials of the board: You’ll notice that skateboards can be made from several layers of wood, typically maple or bamboo. Bamboo is considered a more lightweight material of the two. There are also boards made from plastic, such as polypropylene.

• Single-kicktail and double-kicktail boards: The “kicktail” is an upturned end to a skateboard. There are single-kick boards, where the tail is upturned and the nose of the board is flat and double-kick boards, where both the tail and nose are upturned. Certain tricks are easier on a single-kick board, while others require a double-kick board.

• Parts of the skateboard’s truck: The truck of a skateboard allows you to steer your skateboard. It includes a base plate that is attached to the bottom of the board by means of a kingpin, that can be tightened or loosened according to your preference. A pivot is attached to this plate, and an axle is attached to the pivot, connecting the two wheels together. Here is the truck on the WhiteFang Beginner Skateboard, made from magnesium alloy. Some skateboards have a hollow kingpin so that it is lighter and more maneuverable.

Trucks on the WhiteFang Beginner Skateboard

You can buy trucks separately, to experiment and see your skateboard’s responsiveness.

• Skate tool: Some skateboards come with a T-tool to make adjustments to the skateboard if you like, such as changing the wheels or truck. It will include a wrench, Allen key, and socket wrenches.

Final Verdict

We went through some of the best skateboards for kids. Besides the technical aspects of the materials, the shape, and the responsiveness, a young person will also want a skateboard with a cool, sleek appearance, or with flashy colors or decals. The manufacturers of these kids’ skateboards make their products with a young person’s aesthetics in mind. Look over the list of the Best Reviews Guide’s skateboards for kids with your child or grandchild. They’ll certainly find something that suits them!