While it’s true that you could grab a plastic skateboard for under $40 at your local big box store or even Amazon, when it comes to buying a longboard, our philosophy is, “Damn the man, save the empire.” Ok, for real though, a plastic skateboard will get you from your door to your neighbor’s door, but not much else beyond that, and the standing platform on those things is pretty damn uncomfortable too. So, when asking, “How much should a longboard cost?”, consider the following:
There is no right answer to exactly how much a should a longboard cost, mostly because there are so many different ways you can ride a longboard, each of which makes different components (and the quality of those components) more or less important to having more fun riding your board on your specific local hill, street, or skate park. Needless to say, that cheap plastic $40 board ain’t it, my friends.
Find a longboard that is within your overall budget?
The truth is, money doesn’t grow on trees (or maybe it does, who knows), and while you may have big dreams of a custom longboard, you have to be realistic about your overall budget and find something that fits your budget and your needs.
Here are a couple of good longboards at various price points based on ride styles:
- Best Cruising/Carving Longboard: Pintail Series
- Best Freeride Longboard: Arbiter KT
- Best Freestyle Longboard: Apex 40 DiamondDrop
Find a longboard that fits your riding style
The type of riding you’re getting into will dictate the price point, and again, we know money isn’t limitless for most people.
If you’re looking for a pure cruise/carve commuter board to get you from point A to point B, getting a wood deck will cost about $180. It should also last a solid amount of time for what you’re looking to do.
For fast freeride, freestyle, and downhill, on the other hand, you’ll want to make the upfront investment–about $350-$500–and get a board made from durable materials like quad-axial fiberglass.
At one point, we accidentally rode a car over the Apex (Hey, it happens), and the board still survived. That’s bang for your buck, but kids, don’t try this at home.
Ride styles like fast freeride, downhill, and especially doing tricks, freestyle, and dancing mean that your board naturally takes more hits. For tricks, buying a quad-axial fiberglass board like our Apex DiamondDrop puts you at about $350. It’s an upfront cost, but our team riders find that the quad axial fiberglass boards last longer than a wood board at about 4-1. While the wood board does technically cost less up front (let’s say $120), when you purchase that 4 times in one year, you’re already spending $480, which is more than $350...because...math. The same applies to fast freeride and downhill.
How tall and heavy are you?
Buy a Longboard that fits your weight/height.
….And finally, consider the standing platform of a 22”-27” plastic skateboard, you know, the ones we alluded to earlier. Now consider how tall you are. Likely, a comfortable stance for you is much larger than that. While less materials cost less money, that doesn’t always mean it’s better for riding. When you’re asking how much to pay for a good longboard, you want a custom longboard to fit YOU, how you want to ride, and your weight/height.
The process of buying a longboard can be overwhelming. Hopefully, this helps you narrow down the cost of a longboard when it comes to your specific needs. If you still have questions, email our customer support, and we’ll be sure to get back to you or browse our selection of longboards. Go longboard!