How to choose a skateboard
Updated June 2026Independently researchedNo paid placement.
Choosing a skateboard starts with understanding your riding style: street, park, cruising, or longboarding. Pick a deck width that matches your foot size, trucks that are the same width as the deck, and wheels with a durometer suited to your terrain (soft for rough roads, hard for smooth parks). A quality complete from a reputable brand is the smartest first purchase, avoid the cheapest options and you’ll have a reliable board to learn on.
What type of skateboarding should you do?
Before you look at any parts, decide where and how you want to ride. Street skating (rails, ledges, stairs) demands a lighter, more responsive setup with harder wheels and a symmetrical deck. Park or vert skating calls for a similar board but often with slightly wider trucks for stability on ramps. Cruising and commuting are a different world. You’ll want softer, larger wheels, a wider deck, and possibly a longboard or a cruiser shape. Longboards are ideal for carving and downhill, while a mini-cruiser is easy to carry on transit. Picking a category first saves you from buying a board that doesn’t suit your actual riding.
How to choose the right deck size
Deck width is the most important dimension. Most street and park boards range from 7.5 to 8.5 inches wide. Narrower decks (7.5–8.0) are easier to flip for tricks but feel twitchy for beginners with larger feet. Wider decks (8.25–8.5) give more landing space and stability, making them popular for park riding and bigger riders. Deck length is less critical, most popsicle-shaped boards are around 31 to 32.5 inches. Shape also matters: a classic popsicle is best for tricks; a cruiser deck has a raised tail and a wider nose or a kicktail for easier turning. For longboards, drop-through decks offer lower ride height for pushing, while pintail shapes are smooth for carving.
What about trucks and wheels?
Trucks should match the deck’s width as closely as possible. Most trucks are labeled by axle width (e.g., 5.0, 5.25, 5.5 inches) and correspond to deck widths. Heavier or more aggressive riders prefer tighter bushings, while lighter riders need softer ones to turn easily. You can adjust tightness with the kingpin nut, but bushings make a bigger difference. Wheel durometer (hardness) is crucial. Soft wheels (78A–87A) grip well and absorb vibration for rough pavement, great for cruising. Medium wheels (88A–95A) are all-around for street and park. Hard wheels (96A–101A) slide easily and are best for skateparks and technical street skating. Wheel diameter (usually 50–60mm for street, 55–65mm for cruisers) affects speed and clearance, bigger wheels roll faster but may need riser pads to avoid wheel bite.
Do bearings and hardware matter for beginners?
Bearings determine how fast and smoothly your wheels spin. ABEC ratings (1–9) indicate precision, but a high ABEC rating doesn’t guarantee durability. For beginners, a mid-range bearing from a reputable brand (often rated ABEC-5 or ABEC-7) is plenty. Cheaper bearings often have poor tolerances and slow down quickly, so don’t skimp here, better bearings make a board feel more responsive. Hardware (nuts and bolts) is simple: standard 7/8-inch or 1-inch bolts with a 3/8-inch socket size. The length depends on whether you use riser pads. Nylon locking nuts prevent loosening. Though small, stainless steel bolts resist rust better than zinc-plated ones. It’s a small upgrade that saves headaches later.
Should you buy a complete board or build your own?
For a first skateboard, a complete from a well-known brand is almost always the better choice. Brands like Element, Enjoi, and Santa Cruz offer completes with properly matched components. They are reliable, often well-reviewed, and cost less than assembling a custom setup piece by piece. Many completes nowadays use decent trucks and wheels, not just cheap no-name parts. Building your own makes sense once you understand what you like, you can pick a specific deck shape, truck width, and wheel durometer. But for a beginner, the risk of mismatched parts (trucks too wide for the deck, bearings that don’t fit wheels) is real. Start with a complete from a reputable skate shop, and after a few months you’ll know what you want to change.
How much should you spend on your first skateboard?
A quality complete from a known brand sits in the mid-range, a few hundred dollars, while budget boards can cost less but often have inferior wheels and bearings that frustrate learning. Avoid the absolute cheapest department store boards; they are heavier, have plastic components, and don’t turn well. Spending a bit more on a proper skate shop board gives you a much better experience. If your budget is tight, look for last season’s deck graphics or sale items from online skate shops. Many offer ready-to-ride completes that are just as good as the current season’s models. The key is to invest in decent wheels and bearings, those two parts affect your ride the most at the start.
Frequently asked questions
What size skateboard should an adult beginner get?
Most adult beginners do well with an 8.0 to 8.5-inch wide deck. If you wear a shoe size 10 or larger, lean toward 8.25 or 8.5 for more stable landings and easier pushing. Smaller adults or those with a shoe size 8 or 9 may prefer 7.75 to 8.0.
Soft or hard wheels for a beginner?
That depends on where you skate. If you’re mostly on rough sidewalks or asphalt, choose soft wheels around 78A–87A for a smooth, quiet ride. If you plan to skate at a park or on smooth pavement and want to learn tricks, choose medium-hard wheels around 88A–95A. Avoid the hardest wheels (100A+) until you are comfortable sliding.
Are complete skateboards good enough for learning?
Yes, but only if the complete comes from a reputable skateboard brand, not a generic toy or sporting-goods board. Brand completes from Element, Plan B, Almost, or Santa Cruz offer consistent quality and are perfectly fine to learn on. Many pro riders started on a complete.
How often should I replace skateboard bearings?
It depends on use. If you ride frequently and through dirt or water, bearings may need replacing every few months. With light use and occasional cleaning, a set of quality bearings can last a year or more. Listen for grinding or a rough spin, that’s your cue to swap them.
Can I use a longboard to learn street tricks?
Not easily. Longboards are longer, heavier, and have softer wheels that make flip tricks nearly impossible. They are designed for cruising, carving, and downhill. If you want to learn ollies, kickflips, or grind tricks, stick with a standard popsicle skateboard.
What’s the best beginner skateboard brand?
There isn’t a single ‘best’ brand, but several stand out for quality components at a fair price. Element, Enjoi, Almost, Mini Logo, and Santa Cruz all produce reliable completes at reasonable price points. The most important thing is to buy from a dedicated skate shop (online or local) rather than a big-box retailer.