Getting into longboarding requires an adequate amount of research. More specifically, asking yourself what types of riding styles you’ll be performing on your longboard and figuring out which longboard suits your needs and preferences requires patience and research.
How do we know? We spent tons of hours reading up about longboarding and the different types of longboards around when we first wanted to get into and learn more about the world of longboarding. One of the things that was always researched on was which were the best longboard brands out there today.
Why Consider the Best Longboard Brands?
One of the best ways to pick out a longboard for yourself is by looking at the best longboard brands of 2015. Understanding which longboard brands are highly rated among longboarders as well as which longboards are the best longboards in the market today are both key in narrowing down your search for an ideal longboard. Why is a good longboard brand important? Well, some longboard brands have been in the skateboarding business for decades and therefore have tons of experience in crafting out longboards that people enjoy riding. In addition, because of their reputation in the market, longboards that are well branded tend to have an overall greater customer satisfaction, whether it is in terms of performance, durability or value.
A good analogy to the whole process of purchasing a longboard is the process of purchasing a smartphone. Say you’re trying to purchase your first ever smartphone – out of the hundreds of different smartphone models out there today, which one will you pick? For most people, they’ll be inclined to go for an Apple iPhone or a Samsung smartphone. Why? Because they are well-known and reputable brands in the smartphone business. The same goes for picking out a longboard. There are literally hundreds of different longboards which you can pick from, however, starting off by looking at the best longboard brands can not only save you tons of time and energy, but also make your longboard selection process more fun rather than frustrating.
What about smaller but promising brands? On the flip side to just looking at the longboard brands that are reputable, it is also important not to forget those brands that are rising to the top and are promising. In the electric car industry a few years back, this would equate to considering Tesla Motors cars rather than just Toyota cars for example.
In the past few months, we’ve spent a TON of time to dig deep and research the numerous skateboarding company profiles and the longboards that they have manufactured. More specifically, we looked at the longboards in the market today which have the best features, ratings and price. From these list of longboards, we then went on to determine which longboard brands had the best overall score. We know this information will be extremely valuable for those of you trying to pick out a longboard because we certainly considered the brand of our first longboards before we bought them.
In this article, we’ll go over the 5 best longboard brands that we’ve found, as well as go over one of the best-selling longboards for each brand. Without further ado, let’s go over some of these amazing longboard brands.
Sector 9 Longboards
Brand Profile
Sector 9’s cofounders first started making skateboards in 1993 in the backyard of a home in La Jolla, California. Cofounded by Steve Lake, Dave Klimkiewics, Dennis Telfer and Tal O’Farrell, Sector 9 has been a subsidiary of Billabong International since 2008 and is currently headquartered in San Diego, California. Sector 9 has been manufacturing different longboard parts including decks, trucks and wheels; each of which have different “series.” For example, Sector 9’s wheel products include the Dual Duros, Race Formula, Top Shelf, Slide Formula, Park Formula and Nine Ball Formula series. In addition to skateboards and longboards, Sector 9 also has products in surfing and snowboarding. Sector 9 has been one of the leading brands in the skateboarding and longboarding world for the past few years.
Best-Selling Sector 9 Longboards
The Sector 9 Aperture Sidewinder Drop Through longboard is one of the best-selling Sector 9 longboards. This Sector 9 longboard not only looks great, but is suitable for many different types of riding styles including cruising, carving, freeriding and downhilling. Its drop through and concaved deck means extreme stability for riders who ride on this 36-inch longboard.
>>CLICK here to checkout the Sector 9 Aperture Sidewinder Drop Through longboard<<
Santa Cruz Longboards
Brand Profile
Founded by Richard Novak, Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman, the Santa Cruz Skateboards brand is one of the most well-known brands in the skateboarding world. The Santa Cruz brand is manufactured by NHS, Inc. which is a sports equipment and outfit company based in Santa Cruz, California. Note that the Santa Cruz brand products have been distributed by NHS, Inc. since October of 2013. Aside from skateboarding and longboarding products, NHS, Inc. also designs and manufactures snowboarding gear and surfing equipment. Santa Cruz is one of the longest running companies in the skateboarding world, operating for more than 40 years since 1973.
Best-Selling Santa Cruz Longboards
One of the longboard masterpiece by Santa Cruz is the Santa Cruz Lion God Rasta Drop Thru Cruzer longboard. This lightweight, 40-inch longboard has a great and vibrant looking artwork design. Its red, yellow and green colors in addition to the Lion Rasta artwork make this board stand out in crowds. This longboard features the use of top-notch Santa Cruz bearings and trucks for maximum riding performance.
>>CLICK here to checkout the Santa Cruz Lion God Rasta Drop Thru Cruzer longboard<<
Yocaher Longboards
Brand Profile
While Yocaher isn’t a brand that is as well-known or famous as Sector 9 and Santa Cruz, it has been manufacturing longboards which have been highly rated by many longboards. Based in Chino, California, Yocaher started out in the skateboarding world in 1975, where they manufactured and distributed skateboards. Fast forward to today, Yocaher still focuses solely on skateboarding products. Yocaher longboards are used by pro skaters such as Doug Brown and Tom Fain. Both Doug and Tom, now in their 40’s, have been in the skateboarding world quite a while now; more specifically, since they were teenagers.
Best-Selling Yocaher Longboards
The Yocaher Punked Lowrider Drop Down Through longboard is one of Yocaher’s top-rated longboards. One standout feature of this Yocaher longboard is that it has a double down deck mounting configuration. In other words, this longboard makes use of both the drop through and the drop down deck mounting configurations for maximum stability. Another thing that’s nice about the Punked Lowrider Drop Down Through longboard is that it comes in 29 different colors and designs for you to choose from.
>>CLICK here to checkout the Yocaher Punked Lowrider Drop Down Through longboard<<
Quest Longboards
Brand Profile
The Quest brand which features skateboarding and longboarding related products is a Made by Mars company. Made by Mars is based in California and specializes in “Action Sports Lifestyle” products. Since its huge success and popularity in the United States, Quest has since made its debut in the United Kingdom in 2014. The mission statement of the Quest brand is to “help you add excitement and find adventure regardless where life is taking you.” Many of the longboards by Quest feature beautiful natural artisan wood finishes on their decks which adds a sense of elegance to these boards.
Best-Selling Quest Longboards
Quest has many beginner suited boards which are not only affordable, but at the same time, are highly rated by a significant number of longboarders. The Quest Super Cruiser Artisan Bamboo longboard is the best-selling Quest longboard for quite a while now. Just head on over to Amazon and you’ll find that it has 600+ reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Among features that make this Quest longboard such a hit include its hybrid hardwood maple and bamboo deck construction, the inclusion of a kicktail and more importantly its price point. Currently on sale for about $70, it is definitely a longboard to look out for if you have a budget that is under $100.
>>CLICK here to checkout the Quest Super Cruiser Artisan Bamboo longboard<<
Atom Longboards
Brand Profile
Atom Longboards was first launched in 2005 with the goal of offering a great variety of longboards at great prices. One of Atom Longboards’ key focus in their approach to designing and manufacturing longboards is that the longboards have to be affordable yet ride well. Atom Longboards’ designers are longboard riders themselves and therefore have firsthand experience in knowing where it’s okay to save money and where it’s not. Aside from pre-assembled longboards, Atom Longboards also manufacture their own bearings, wheels and truck bushings.
Best-Selling Atom Longboards
The Atom Longboards Bamboo Drop Through longboard is a longboard that is highly regarded by many, including ourselves. Its deck features a maple and bamboo hybrid laminate with a photo heat transfer graphic that not only looks amazing, but has a classy feel to it. This 40-inch longboard is versatile and is suitable for those who want cruise, downhill ride and freeride on this longboard. This gives this Atom Longboards a major advantage as it is suitable for any individual – with or without experience.
>>CLICK here to checkout the Atom Longboards Bamboo Drop Through longboard<<
What’s Next?
Having a longboard that is designed and made by a well-known brand is important as such longboards are great performing, high quality and durable. Knowing the good longboard brands allow you to quickly narrow down the longboards you’ll want to look into. So now that you have a list of the best longboard brands in the market today, what do you do next?
For a start, be sure to check out the longboards listed in this article as they are handpicked to be the best-selling longboards for these well-renowned longboard brands. Secondly, be sure to check out the Brands page on Longboard Hub to see the best longboards for each brand. Lastly, for those of you who are in a hurry, head on over to check out the best longboards of 2015 here. Remember that your experience in longboarding is often times limited by how well your longboard rides. Therefore, having a good longboard right from the start can really help you get into longboarding as a hobby for the long run.