Today’s article is on the best longboards for heavier riders. Some of these boards can support riders over 270lbs!
If your weight is something that concerns you, then this article will be a great read for you. Check it out.
Best Longboards for Heavier Riders
Landyachtz Evo
Landyachtz Evo is a board that has been around since the early 2000s. It’s been the go-to board for heavy riders, beginners, long-distances skaters, and downhill skaters as well. It’s legendary, to say the least.
What makes the Evo great is how low it rides to the ground, it’s a drop-down longboard. This just means that the standing platform is lower than where the trucks are mounted. Finally, it also has a wedged front and dewedged back.
This just makes it very stable – you can skate quite fast before getting speed wobbles on it.
In terms of components, you get high-quality Bear trucks and Hawgs wheels.
This is simply a high-quality complete, and that means it’s expensive. But if you want a high-quality board that rides great out the box, this is a good choice.
Check it out here on Amazon.com.
Santa Cruz Lion God Rasta
Coming in at 40inches and 10inches in length and width, the Santa Cruz Lion God Rasta is a classic and popular complete. Santa Cruz is a popular Californian brand, they’re well known for their skateboards and cruisers – they make some good longboards too.
The Lion God Rasta is a drop-through board. This means the trucks are mounted on top of the deck, and this lowers the standing platform making the board easy to ride – it’s going to be easier to push and footbrake on this deck because it is so low, it’s more stable too. This is great for beginners.
When it comes to construction, the Lion is made with 8plys of maple. It’s gonna be good for riders about 250lbs. If you’re heavier than that, you can ride it, but you run the risk of breaking it.
Components wise, it has high-quality Road Rider trucks and Road Rider wheels. It is on the expensive side of things, but it is a quality board that’s worth the money.
Quest Native Spirit
A little bit on the cheaper side, the Quest Native Spirit is gonna be a good option for those on a budget. It looks great, but the components let it down.
The Quest Native Spirit comes in at 41inches in length and 9inches in width. It is similar to the Evo as it is a drop-down board too – the standing platform is lower than where the trucks are mounted. But the Quest doesn’t have any wedging or dewedging like the Evo – it’s going to be good for mainly cruising.
In terms of construction, the Quest is only made with 7plys of Maple. It’s not going to be the sturdiest board, but it will be good for riders about 250lbs.
The components let the Quest down. The trucks are cheap 7inch aluminum trucks. The wheels are cheap Quest wheels and the bearings are cheap Abec 7 bearings.
They’ll perform ok, but the board will not be as smooth and as stable as possible. You get what you pay for.
Check out the Quest Native here on Amazon.com.
Landyachtz Drop Cat 38
The Drop Cat 38 is one of the best cruiser boards around. It’s great for heavier riders and beginners alike. However, it is a bit pricey – but you get quality parts.
The Drop Cat comes in at 38.6inches and 9.9inches. It comes with quality Bear 852 trucks and big 72mm Plow King wheels. The bearings are Bear Spaceball bearings.
The Drop Cat features both rocker and a drop-through. The drop-through means the trucks are mounted on top and through the board.
The rocker is simply a gentle curve from tip to tail, lowering the board even further – the center of the board sits the lowest. This leaves the Drop Cat only about an inch off the ground when you ride it. This just makes it easy to push and very stable.
When it comes to construction, the Drop Cat is made with 8plys of maple. It’s going to be strong enough to carry riders weighing up to 250lbs. It’s also a bit flexible, adding comfort to the ride (it allows the board to absorb some road vibration).
It is a bit pricey, but worth it as it rides great.
Check out the Drop Cat here on Amazon.com.
Magneto Longboard
The Magneto bamboo cruiser is a fairly good board and affordable too. But like the Quest above, the components let it down.
The Magneto comes in at 42inches in length and 9inches in width. It comes with 7in aluminum trucks and 73mm tall wheels.
The trucks and wheels aren’t the best – but you get what you pay for. Fortunately, the deck of the cruiser is of great quality.
You get a drop-through deck that is flexible but can also hold up heavy riders – it has a max weight of 275lbs.
The deck is strong because it is made of vertically laminated bamboo and fiberglass. This allows it to be flexible, strong, and lightweight. If you’re in the market for a flexible, drop-through cruiser, this might be your best option.
Given the price and the quality of the deck alone, this is easily one of the best options out there – too bad the components aren’t as good.
Check out the Magneto cruiser here on Amazon.com.
Loaded Dervish Sama
The highest-quality and most expensive board on my list, the Dervish Sama is the board to pick if you’re looking for something that will last forever.
What’s great about the Dervish Sama is that it has options for riders of all weights. You can pick between 3 flexes, heavier riders can choose the Flex 1 option that is good for riders 170-270lbs+. It will still be flexible, but sturdy enough to not break on you. You can ride it with confidence.
The Dervish Sama comes in at 42.8inches in length and 9inches in width. It is a drop-through board, with the deck being made out of vertically laminated bamboo and fiberglass (just like the Magneto). It comes with high-quality Paris trucks, Loaded Jehu V2 bearings, and big 75mm Orangatang wheels.
Whilst it is expensive, you get something great to ride straight out of the box and that would outperform the most boards on the list.
Check it out here on Amazon.com.
Powell Flight Deck
Not a longboard per se, but if you’re a heavier riding wanting a strong popsicle deck for tricks, the Powell Flight is your best option.
Unlike regular popsicle decks, Powell Flight decks are made with composite materials. This allows them to be lightweight and unbelievably strong.
These decks are strong enough to be rolled over by cars without breaking – Powell has several videos showing this.
Apart from being composite, they are also lightweight. They also feel pretty much the same as popsicle decks do. Some composite decks don’t have the right feel – they don’t pop the way normal 7ply maple decks do, and a lot of people don’t like them because of that.
The Powell Flight deck is made with a patent fiber, 5 layers of maple, and epoxy. Naturally, they are also quite expensive.
A Powell deck will set you back about $100. Most maple decks should work ok for really heavy riders to be honest, but if you want something super strong, this is the best available.
Check it out here on Amazon.com.
What to look for in a board for heavier riders?
What makes a board good for heavier riders?
A board that is good for heavier riders will have several different features. It’s going to feature a sturdy, strong deck and high-quality components. There are several different ways a board can have these features.
Avoid 7ply longboards
7ply longboards tend to be weaker than most. They are usually sturdy enough for most riders up to about 200lbs but tend to not be the most reliable for most weights after that.
Smaller 7ply boards are usually strong though. Most popsicle skateboard decks for doing tricks tend to be ok for heavier riders. You don’t have much room to stand and most of your weight is placed directly over the trucks, as opposed to the middle of the deck.
Because longboards are long, your weight isn’t applied directly over the trucks, the deck has to do a significant job of supporting you.
Extra plys means more strength
The more plys your board has the stronger it will be. A board with 7plys is going to be weaker than a board with 9plys. A board with 9plys is going to be super sturdy and won’t flex much. It will be able to hold up a lot of weight.
More plys simply means more strength. It’s as simple as that.
Of course, this is only in the case of maple boards. Boards made with different composites (like carbon, fiberglass, aluminum, flax, etc.) might use considerably fewer plys but can end up being much stronger. The same goes for vertically laminated boards.
What brands make boards with extra plys?
Zenit makes boards with more plys on request. Pantheon and Loaded boards make boards specifically for heavier riders. Most small brands can add an extra ply to your board if you want it to be stiffer, you’ll just have to email them and see what they have to say.
Try to get composite or vertically laminated boards
Composite boards tend to be very strong and lightweight, but they also tend to be more expensive.
If you don’t want a board that is too thick (think 9plys and more), a composite board is the way to go. You’ll get a board of regular thickness that can support you. Composites often used are carbon and fiberglass.
Quality boards tend to be stronger
Boards manufactured by high-quality brands tend to last longer and hold more weight. These brands simply use higher-quality materials and have better manufacturing processes.
For example, the wood plys they use might be higher-quality. They come from healthy, strong trees that are usually stored and handled better. Low-quality plys are usually weak and crack with use – they aren’t very strong.
Finally, most boards are pressed individually, ensuring that all the plys and epoxy stick together. Cheaper boards are often pressed in batches and they sometimes don’t cure fully. Leading to delamination and breakages later on.
What are good components for heavier riders?
A major component in a strong board is going to be quality components.
High-quality trucks
High-quality trucks are not going to bend after use. The hangers on cheaply made completes tend to bend easily – if you’re over 250lbs, they can bend even after a few riding sessions.
Trucks that are not bent ride better. You get a smoother turn and more control. They also ensure your wheels wear down evenly.
High-density wheels
These wheels are going to roll well. They are going to pick up speed quickly and coast for longer. Low-density, low durometer wheels are going to be gummy and slow.
Finally, higher duro wheels might be better for a heavier rider. They are stiffer so they roll a bit quicker. Consider replacing your wheels if they feel too slow.
Harder bushings
Most completes aren’t going to come with appropriately hard bushings. The bushings in most complete are going to feel too soft for most heavier people. They end up making the truck feel too loose and too soft. This can make the truck feel twitchy and lead to speed wobbles at higher speeds.
I’d recommend you invest in aftermarket bushings to get the right feel from your trucks. You can get harder ones better suited to your weight. They will allow for better control, feedback, and stability when you skate.
What do you think? Which board is right for you?
If you’re a heavier rider you should not feel intimidated.
Skateboarding is for everyone and there is a board out there for you.
If you’re still on the fence, I’d suggest going with the Quest Native spirit if you’re on a budget, or the Landyachtz Drop Cat 38 if you have a bit more to spend.
Thanks for great article! My weight should never be a hindrance to riding longboards. Longboarding is for everyone. There’s no problem with being an adult who weighs like a kid or the other way around.