Today’s article is on the best commuter longboards.
Whether you’re looking to quickly zip down to your coffee spot or push as fast as you can across the city, there’s gonna be a right board for you.
Check it out below to find out more.
Best Commuter Longboards
Landyachtz Dinghy
The Landyachtz Dinghy is easily the most popular cruiser after the Penny board. If you’re in the market for a mini-commuter longboard, this might be the right one for you.
The Dinghy is quite small. It comes in at 28.5inches in length and is 8inches in width. It has a single kicktail and an upturned nose.
In terms of concave, it has a very mellow, comfortable shape. For components, it comes with high-quality Bear trucks, Bear Spaceball bearings, and 63mm tall Fatty Hawgs wheels.
Like all mini-cruisers, the Dinghy has been designed with portability and maximum storage capability in mind – which is why it is as small as it is.
If you have to carry or put it away anywhere, it’s going to be easy. It’s small size and shape make the Dinghy discrete.
The portability is the Dinghy’s strongest feature. But when it comes to riding it does pretty well too. But because of its small wheels and shape, it’s a board that is best for shorter rides.
The small wheels pick up speed quickly but don’t coast for long. You’re going to end up pushing a lot and exhaust yourself if you have to skate a considerable distance.
If you’re riding for over 3miles, you’re going to want a bigger, comfortable board (with bigger wheels) like the Sola Bamboo.
User Reviews:
Check out the Dinghy here on Amazon.com.
Sola Bamboo Longboard
The Sola Bamboo is a great budget cruiser. Whilst you get exactly what you pay for, you can’t complain – the board has both great looks and a great price!
The Sola longboard is made out of 7plys of maple and bamboo.
The bamboo gives the board a lot of strength and durability and adds to that nice “surfy” look. The Sola is a drop-down longboard. This just means that the standing platform is lower than where the trucks are fixed on.
This makes the board more stable and easier to push – which is what makes this such a good commuter longboard. You can push for longer without getting as tired as you would on a pure top mount board.
When it comes to components, the wheels are 70mm tall, 78a wheels, the bearings are cheap Chinese bearings and the trucks are 7inch aluminum trucks. Out of all the components, the trucks and the bearings are the worst.
The trucks won’t turn the smoothest, but that’s what you get on a budget complete.
This board is great for those looking for a commuter board on a budget.
It doesn’t break the bank but it has important features that you need if you want to commute on a longboard.
User Reviews:
Check out the Sola Bamboo cruiser here on Amazon.com.
Loaded Tan Tien
Now, this is a high-quality premium board. Coming from Loaded boards, the Tan Tien is one of the best commuter longboards you can pick up. It is a bit pricey, but what you’re getting is absolutely quality.
The Loaded Tan Tien is 39inches long and 8.75inches wide. It’s made from vertically laminated bamboo and fiberglass. This allows for an ultra-thin and lightweight deck. But despite being super thin, the deck can hold a ton of weight.
You can choose from 3 flex options, with the heaviest one being good for riders as heavy as 270lbs and more.
The deck is also drop-through, which brings it closer to the ground, adding a bit of stability and making it easier to push too.
Finally, the deck has a bit of flex too. This means it flexes under your weight, and this allows it to “bounce”. This essentially acts like suspension when you go over cracks and rough bits in the road and adds to the smoothness of the ride.
Components wise the Tan Tien does not disappoint. It has high-quality Paris trucks and big 70mm Orangatang Stimulus wheels.
It comes with great Loaded Jehu Bearings as well. The Paris trucks are strong and durable. They have high-quality bushings and pivots to ensure a smooth controlled turn.
The above said the Tan Tien is quite expensive. If you’re on a budget, a board like the Drop Cat below would be a cheaper option.
User Reviews:
Find out more about the Tan Tien here on Amazon.com.
Landyachtz Drop Cat 33
The Landyachtz Drop Cat 33 is a pretty small board. It bridges the gap between the large commuter boards and mini-cruisers. If you want a low to the ground, easy to push commuter, that is also a bit more portable – this is a great choice. It’s good for kids and smaller riders too!
The Drop Cat comes in at 33inches in length and 9.6inches in width. It has a drop-through board that features rocker. This just means that the Drop Cat rides quite low to the ground – it only sits about an inch off the ground when you stand on it.
This combination of features makes the Drop Cat easy to push, stable, and easy to footbrake on. It’s a board that requires little effort to ride which is exactly what you want in a commuter.
When it comes to components, the Drop Cat has quality parts. It comes with 72mm tall Plow King wheels, Bear Gen 6 trucks, and Bear Spaceball bearings.
Like the Paris trucks in the Tan Tien, the Bear trucks are strong and come with high-quality bushings and pivots to ensure a smooth lean and turn.
If the Tan Tien is too expensive for you, the Drop Cat is your next best choice. It’s quality at a more accessible price.
User Reviews:
Check it out here on Amazon.com.
Minority Downhill Longboard
This is the board that heavier riders with smaller wallets should go for. It’s been designed to be strong and affordable.
The Minority comes in at 40inches in length and 10inches in width. Its deck is made with 8plys of maple.
This makes it a bit stiffer – which means it’s great for heavier riders. Because it is stiffer, heavier riders can be confident it will hold their weight without breaking. If you’re 200lbs+, you can ride this board with full confidence.
Finally, the Minority is a drop-down board. It works similarly to a drop-through board. You’re gonna be closer to the ground, and the board will be more stable to ride. It will also be easier to push and footbrake on it.
As for the components, they aren’t so good. It is a budget board after all and you can only expect so much. The wheels are pretty ok but the trucks and bearings are bad. The 7-inch aluminum trucks aren’t that great.
They use low-quality bushings and they are prone to bending after use. I recommend you replace the trucks if you can with higher quality ones.
For the price, you pay you can’t complain. If you’re a heavier rider on a budget, the Minority board might be the commuter longboard for you.
User Reviews:
Check it out here on Amazon.com.
How to Pick a Commuter Longboard
This next section talks about commuter longboards and what you should consider when you’re looking to buy one.
Are mini cruisers good for commuting?
Mini-cruisers aren’t the best for commuting. They’re great for short rides and if you need one to help you get over a short distance quickly they’re pretty great.
For example, if you need a board to get you from the bus station to your workplace, a mini-cruiser could be ideal.
However, for rides over 10minutes or over 3miles long, mini-cruisers start to not feel so great. They usually come with small wheels and these are exhausting to push over a distance.
Yes, these pick up speed quickly, but they also lose speed quickly. They don’t coast for very long and you have to keep pushing to keep a significant speed up.
Finally, mini-cruisers are super nimble. This is nice for obstacle avoidance and a fun ride but it also means that you have to actively work to keep them going straight.
You might not consciously be doing it, but after a while, your ankles/feet just get exhausted. And to add to that, not all of them are the most comfortable to stand on for too long.
So yeah, in summary, mini-cruisers are ok for short distances but aren’t good if you’re gonna be skating far. You’d be better off with a board that is lower to the ground and has bigger wheels.
What boards are best for commuting?
The types of boards that are best for commuting have the following features (but are not limited by them):
- A flexible deck
- Big wheels 70mm+ (the bigger the better)
- A long, wide comfortable (deck) standing platform
- A low to the ground (deck) standing platform
- Quality components.
A longboard that has these features is going to allow you to commute distances upwards of 3miles/5kms with ease and comfort. Some people even use these sorts of boards to skate 50km distances. They’re built to be comfortable and efficient for long distance rides.
What makes a board good for commuting?
A flexible deck
The flexible deck is gonna allow for a comfortable ride. It will cushion you from a lot of road vibration, smoothening out the ride.
This comfort will just mean you can ride for a long period without being affected much by what’s on the road surface. It’s gonna allow you to ride comfortably on a ton of different road surfaces too.
Big wheels
The big wheels are gonna coast for longer. Because they’re larger, they can also roll over all sorts of things (pebbles, small rocks, cracks), whilst also providing a smooth ride. Perfect for urban environments where the conditions are unpredictable. And if they’re large enough, they can even allow you to roll up small curbs and such.
A long, wide comfortable platform
A long and wide enough deck is simply going to be comfortable. And if it has a simple, mellow concave, that is going to make it comfortable too.
A long and wide enough deck is going to allow you to stand in a comfortable shoulder-width position with your feet across the deck.
If you’re standing on a deck for miles upon miles of skating, you don’t want something that will make your feet hurt.
Low to the ground
A board that is low to the ground is simply going to be easy to push. The lower the board is, the less of a distance you have to reach down to push it. It’s that simple. And this translates to you saving a lot of energy when skating a considerable distance – it actually makes quite the difference.
Finally, the board will be more stable because of the position of this standing platform. It’s likely going to sit lower than the trucks.
This just means the board won’t be twitchy and reactive. It will be smooth and react slowly to your inputs.
Boards that are low to the ground are:
- Drop down boards
- Drop through boards
- Boards with rocker
- Platform boards made to be used with brackets.
Quality components
Quality components just mean better overall performance. A smooth ride, smoother turning, more control, etc.
You might be able to get away with one or two cheap components but for the most part, quality components are going to give the best performances.
At the very least, get quality trucks and wheels. High-quality trucks ensure maximum control and balance – they come with high-quality bushings and pivots which allow for good control.
You can also buy aftermarket bushings (tuned to your weight) and pivots for better performance from your truck.
What do you think? Are you going to pick up a commuter longboard?
Longboarding is a great way to get anywhere, but of course, every longboard has its best and worst uses and you need to be careful what you use it for.
Not every longboard is going to be great for commuting, so you gotta pick the right one.
I hope this guide has been useful and you’ve found a product to suit your needs.
