Is your son or daughter asking for a skateboard for their birthday? We will discuss types of kids skateboards that you should definitely consider.
As a parent, you would obviously want to give your child the best performing skateboard while also keeping an eye on safety and budget. And, this is why we will review some of the most popular types of kids skateboards. This will help you understand what is best for your little one.
Types of Kids Skateboards
There a lot of skateboards available in the market. Some of them are really toys while others are legit skateboards that could be skated at a skatepark. Toy skateboards tend to be of a low quality and aren’t generally recommended. If your boy or girl really wants to skate, consider getting a skateshop quality board.
High quality skateboards come in following types –
Traditional Skateboards (aka Street, Trick, or Shortboard)
These are one of the most common types of skateboards. Regular skateboards are generally used for skating on the streets or at skate parks. They roll nicely and are a great platform for learning tricks like Ollies and Flips and maneuvering on obstacles like the ramps and rails at skateparks. These are the types of skateboards ridden by skaters like Tony Hawk and used in competitions like the X-Games and the Olympics. Just remember that traditional boards aren’t one size fits all. The vast majority are designed for teens and adults so do take the time to look for a hight quality kids skateboard in a smaller size for smaller skaters.
Longboards
Next on the list are longboards. Longboards are designed for either longer distance riding or downhill speed riding. Generally a longboard isn’t recommended as a skater’s first board unless they are already part of a group of longboarding family or friends that will be all skating together. Longboards are a lot of fun, but the access to higher speeds tends and longer distances tends to be more applicable to more experienced riders.
Cruiser Skateboard
Cruiser Skateboards are analogous to Beach Cruiser Bicycles. You don’t usually do wheelies or jumps on a beach cruiser, nor do you set new land speed records. You just go out for a nice ride. Cruiser skateboards are the same way. They tend to have bigger wheels that can ride on rough surfaces nicely. Some small plastic cruisers appear very kid friendly as they use bright colors and look very small. These smaller boards can be tricky for beginners as they are top heavy, hard to balance on and can also roll faster than a traditional board. Those types of cruisers are really designed for teenagers to be able to stash a board in a locker. Consider a cruiser between 26-30 inches long to provide a bit more stability for a beginner. We would tend to recommend the traditional board as a better starter board for most kids. A cruiser is a good choice however, if it is clear the skater really has no interest in tricks and just wants that option to cruise around the neighborhood. Cruisers aren’t really appropriate at the skatepark.
Bottom Line
Choosing the best skateboard for your kids is certainly driven by the type of skating your child wants to do. Unless they have siblings or friends already skating longboards or cruisers, we almost always recommend starting with a correctly sized traditional skateboard. The traditional board tends to be closer to the ground, is more stable and has a more manageable speed. Each skater can decide if they want to focus more on just riding around or start learning tricks.
Consider looking at a brand that specializes in making high quality skateboards just for kids like SkateXS.
