Longboard
Buying Guide
Longboard
Buying Guide
Buying Guide
Whether you're buying your first or second longboard, it can be an overwhelming experience. No worries, we are here to give you a helping hand and find you the ride of your dreams. In this guide we will be boiling down your options to give you several categories to narrow down your decision and give you the knowledge you need to get on board.
Unlike skateboard, longboards have several subtleties in their design and setups that can drastically change the riding experience, from one to another.
CARVING
Carving longboards are created with flex in mind using unique concaves and outlines shapes. These boards offer the rider a high performance ride making every trip around your town or to the shops and adventure!
With a line up of two different types of carving boards - the top mounted and the Drop Thru.
TOP MOUNTED:
Top mount carving boards offer a blend of modern longboarding design and high performance flex patterns that are usually found in snowboards. This form of carving board provides you, as the rider, with responsive turning and a spacious standing platform to move around on. If this sounds like a bit of you, definitely check out the Loaded Bhangra V2 and the Arbor Groundswell Fish longboards.
DROP THRU:
Designed to give the ride the most comfortable and sufficient ride for pushing and commuting. Sharing many similarities and performance to the top mounted carving boards, drop thru boards differ by being significantly lower to the ground to reduce ride height and fatigue from pushing. The Loaded Icarus, Loaded Pantheon and Ram Lokz are some of the carving longboards we have that have a drop thru setup
DANCING
Dancing longboards feature spacious standing platform meaning you can practice your fancy footwork maneuvers. Though most dancing longboards can feel heavy, the Loaded Bhangra V2, and, the new addition, Loaded Mata Hari are designed to give you an agile ride and a unique riding experience thanks to their different flex patterns.
HYBRID
Combining the elements of traditional skateboards and modern longboard design and construction. Hybrid longboards provide the rider with the ability to snap ollies or do other skating tricks but also provide a longer wheelbase making commuting and standing on board more comfortable. For those who are looking for a an easy to carry, small board check out the Loaded Poke. Wanting a more robust, yet modern take on the traditional skateboard, have a look at the Loaded Kanthaka.
DOWNHILL & FREERIDE
The Loaded downhill and freeride longboards are designed to be very stable at high speeds. Compared to other longboards, these focus on keeping the rider glued to the top of the board. All downhill boards are top mounted to allow for leverage and control, but also feature a rockered platform to keep you slightly lower to the ground and cradled wheel flares to fit larger wheels and provide you with a reference point for your feet. Often with a 'W' concave that provides a lump through the center of the board to aid in slide control. The Loaded Tesseract family (Truncated and Cantellated) and the Loaded Chubby Blood Slayer are ideal boards for experimenting going fast and busting out big slides.
We hope that this has helped you decide which board will solve your quiver or which board to start your longboard adventure with. Though most boards are designed to excel in a certain style of riding, many of them can cross over into other styles, expanding your versatility and riding experience.
The Blood Slayer is stiff for downhill, but it's spacious platform makes for a fun dancing experience. The Bhangra is long and flexible, but the stiffer flexes make for a fun sliding experience. Don’t feel confined to ride a certain way, explore what styles you like the most and you might just find yourself having more fun than you originally intended.
Check out our collection of longboard completes to find your next board.
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