Finding The Best Skateboard Brands
Now that Tony Hawk has joined NFTs (we apologise if this is how you found out about it), it may seem like the golden child of the skateboard industry has been slain. However, to look at things that way would be to ignore the wide variety of other skateboarding companies.
Skateboarding has had a strong presence in both the mainstream and counterculture movements since the 1990s. Many skaters were inspired by the skateboard tapes of the skate legends of the late 1980s, and even more picked up their first board after playing the Untouchable series of Tony Hawk video games.
So it’s no wonder that you, dear reader, want to get in on the skateboarding action too.
This list of the 10 best skateboard brands covers some of the most famous companies in the history of the sport, their history, their vision, their product range and much more to help you make the best choice (and hopefully not unwittingly donate money to an NFT scam).
10 Best Skateboard Brands
1. Element Skateboards
Element Skateboards owe their name to founder Johnny Schillereff’s love of the outdoors. Before he founded the company, he was a lifelong skateboarder. He was given his first skateboard at the age of four.
His overflowing passion for the sport and his interests in rap music, street art and wildlife have made Element Skateboards one of the best skateboard brands around.
They have been around since 1992 and have changed Schillereff’s life for the better. He has continued this positivity by championing an all-encompassing employee base.
Element Skateboards mainly manufactures skateboarding items such as decks, shoes and clothing. The designs of the decks often contain psychedelic and naturalistic art influences, as these bestsellers show:
- Element Solar Vibes Complete Skateboard, $110
- Element Magma Section Complete Skateboard, $110
- Element Adonis Complete Skateboard, $110
Their unique approach has allowed them to partner with big-name media companies like Star Wars and assemble an all-star lineup of professional skateboarders like Bam Margera and Tom Schaar.
Highlights
- Naturalistic deck designs unlike other brands
- Many of their items are regularly available at discount prices through their website
- Shops are located all over the world
- With the My Element rewards programme, members can receive savings on Element skateboard products as well as free shipping
2. Plan B Skateboards
Despite its name, Plan B Skateboards might be your first choice. Based in San Diego, California, the company was founded by Mike Ternasky, Danny Way and Colin McKay, who wanted to emulate the NBA’s Dream Team concept.
Each of the three men had previous experience in skateboarding or production companies before founding Plan B in 1991. They teamed up to combine their talents and use their drive to put together a team of some of the best skateboarders of the time like Mike Carrol and Rick Howard.
Today, Plan B is still carried by that momentum. Their catalogue is lean but focused, which actually makes them one of the best skateboard brands. Plan B only makes decks, wheels and skateboards, but this narrow view helps them to optimise their products.
Deck designs range from geometric designs to 60s-influenced Americana, all with a clean finish. Some of their most notable complete skateboards are the Plan B Hawaii 8.25″ Complete ($110) and the Plan B Original Team Metallic Black 8.0″ Complete ($110).
The brand‘s team building efforts are as strong as ever. Not only do they feature skateboarders like Chris Joslin, Felipe Gustavo and Tommy Flynn, but they also work with them to design their decks. This means that a Plan B skateboard is likely to be designed with a pro in mind.
Highlights
- Embodies the spirit of a skateboard team
- Free worldwide shipping on orders over $100
- Their decks are very durable due to the use of 7-ply maple wood
- An extensive roster of professional skateboarders
3. Zero Skateboards
The third entry on our list of the best skateboard brands is the brainchild of 1995 X-Games gold medallist Jamie Thomas. The wild man who invented the ‘Leap of Faith’ trick used his overflowing imagination to apply it to clothing in Carlsbad, California in 1996.
Zero Skateboards began as an apparel company, but they started making skateboards when Thomas left Toy Machine and became his own company’s first sponsored athlete.
Their history in fashion explains why so many of their products are clothing related. Zero Skateboards not only makes clothing, but also hats, caps, socks, belts and stickers.
But don’t be fooled by their fashionable look and think that they don’t care about their skateboards. Au contraire, mon frere.
Their boards are so highly regarded that they deserve a collaboration with American hardcore punk legends Misfits. The band’s iconography fits well with Zero Skateboards’ edgy art philosophy. The brand uses a lot of skulls, crossed bones, snakes and horror iconography in their designs.
Here are the prices for some of the complete boards available:
- Zero Skateboards Single Skull complete 8.0, $110
- Zero Skateboards Legacy Ransom Youth complete 7.5, $110
- Zero Skateboards Bold Youth complete 7.25, $100
Highlights
- Free shipping on all orders in the USA over $80
- Unusual imagery
- Won three King of the Road titles from 2004 to 2006 by Thrasher Magazine
- Manufactures many different sizes of skateboards
4. Girl Skateboards
Oh hello Mike Carrol, good to see you again. Apparently Carrol was busy in the 1990s, because he took the time to found Girl Skateboards in 1993, alongside other recurring figures in this list of the best skateboard brands: Rick Howard, Megan Baltimore and filmmaker Spike Jonze.
They founded Girl Skateboards in the skateboarding hotbed of California in response to the perception of other deck manufacturers. In short, they thought they could do better. And it seems they did.
Girl Skateboards is one of the most recognizable skateboarding brands in the world, but I guess that’s what you get when your logo is a female silhouette in a male-dominated market. What makes it one of the best skateboard brands is its accessibility.
As the founders were all professional skateboarders, the brand originally only made professional quality skateboards. However, they have expanded their catalog and now offer beginner-friendly decks as well.
They also have a size guide on their website so newbies can learn how certain shapes and sizes affect riding performance and which of their athletes use certain sizes.
Currently, Girl Skateboards is a subsidiary of Crailtap, which also distributes products from Chocolate Skateboards, Royal Skateboard Trucks and Fourstar Clothing.
Highlights
- One of the best brands for skateboarding beginners
- Important in shaping modern skateboard culture by sponsoring many skateboarding events
- Free shipping on US orders over $75
- Manufactures apparel, boards, decks and wheels
- Complete skateboards are on average more affordable than other brands, typically costing $100
5. Creature Skateboards
Creature Skateboards are an artistic branch of the sports company NHS, Inc. The parent company is best known for its iconic logo with the screaming hand. NHS, Inc. was founded in 1973 by three Californian surfer brothers, Richard Novak, Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman.
In fact, Creature Skateboards isn’t the only skateboard brand operating under the NHS umbrella, but we’ll cover their label mates in the next entry of our best skateboard brands,
This company excels at offering customers the opportunity to build their own skateboards. They offer three templates with increasing prices as well as a completely customized option. Their templates are as follows:
- Good (for advanced skaters, prices start at $148)
- Better (more freedom in terms of customization options, prices start at $185)
- Best (access to professional accessories and features, prices start at $228)
In addition to custom skateboards, this brand also makes decks, wheels, stumps (skateboards that skate closer to the ground for more maneuverability), hoodies and t-shirts.
What makes Creature Skateboards worthy of inclusion in this list of the best skateboard brands, in our opinion, is that they make skateboards for all ages. This means that there are boards for children between the ages of 3 and 10 as well as appropriately sized skateboards for teenagers aged 10 and up.
Highlights
- Customers can design their own skateboards according to their own wishes
- Beginner and youth-friendly models available
- Free shipping on orders over $75
- A wide range of board shapes and sizes to choose from
6. Santa Cruz Skateboards
We’re not done with NHS, Inc. just yet. It seems they’ve gone all in on the skateboard idea, which led to our earlier entry about Creature Skateboards. However, they are best known for Santa Cruz Skateboards.
This brand is one of the oldest skateboard companies in the world, as their production history dates back to the early days of NHS. They made their first skateboard in 1973 and only continued to produce it after founders Novak, Haut and Shuirman were asked by a friend to make 500 skateboards.
The boards were a hit, and NHS founded Santa Cruz Skateboards shortly afterwards. The screaming hand we mentioned earlier is the world-famous Santa Cruz Skateboards logo. But there’s more to a brand than just a screaming appendage and a handful of boards. Luckily, that’s not all there is to Santa Cruz Skateboards.
Not only do they have the usual decks, wheels, complete boards and accessories, but also an eye-catching fashion line. Unlike other skateboarding companies, they make clothing for all genders.
This doesn’t just mean that they produce unisex clothing. Santa Cruz Skateboards promotes diversity by making clothing for men, women, babies, teens and products for all genders.
Their complete skateboards are priced in the 110 dollar range, which means you don’t have to spend any extra money to get your hands on a piece of this legendary brand.
Highlights
- One of the most recognized skateboarding companies
- Comprehensive fashion line
- One of the most extensive product catalogs among the best skateboard brands
- A long history of developing skateboards together with professional riders
7. Almost Skateboards
When a company is the byproduct of two of the greatest skateboarders to ever scrape their knees on a cement staircase, you can be sure it’s one of the best skateboard brands around.
That’s what Almost Skateboards has in store. Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song, arguably the most influential skateboarder of all time and one of the best skateboarders of the last 15 years respectively, founded the company in 2003.
Mullen had wanted to work with Song for a long time, and he was the first person Mullen called when his other company, enjoi, was going through hard times.
They make three different types of decks, each with a different purpose. The Almost Skateboards Support Decks are made with 8-ply North American maple and 2 carbon fiber decks to provide durable boards with powerful pop.
The Almost Skateboards Impact Light Decks are made of 7-ply Canadian maple wood with epoxy resin glue and a die-cut carbon fiber laminate to create a lightweight deck. Finally, the Almost Skateboards Impact Plus decks combine these aspects of the previous two decks to create the company’s strongest and most durable deck.
Their complete skateboards are more affordable compared to almost every other brand on this list. They usually range between $80 and $90, even when they are not on sale.
Highlights
- Founded by two of the most influential athletes in skateboarding
- More affordable compared to other brands
- You can save 10% when you sign up for the newsletter
8. Flip Skateboards
While we can’t imagine the Queen doing a 50-50 backslide down the railings of Buckingham Palace, that doesn’t mean the UK doesn’t have its own skateboarding scene. In fact, one of the best skateboard brands is of British descent.
That company is Flip Skateboards. It started in 1987 when professional skateboarders Jeremy Fox, Ian Deacon and Graham McEachran founded the brand under the name Deathbox.
Within a few years they changed their name, moved to the United States, gained their first team riders like Tom Penny and Rune Glifberg and even got support from Toy Machine owner Ed Templeton.
During this time they are known for two of their decks, their regular models and their P2 models. The regular decks are exactly as you would imagine them to be – standardized to meet industry expectations. However, the P2 models are designed to be both more durable and thinner than regular skateboard decks.
The Flip Skateboards Team Odyssey Poppy Complete 8.1″ x 32.0″ is a great example of the former and costs $110, while the Gold Cup Snapback Yellow Skateboard Complete (also available for $110 ) is a wonderful example of the company’s ingenuity.
With their clean design, great product performance and excellent selection of decks, accessories and complete skateboards, it’s hard to go wrong with Flip Skateboards.
Highlights
- Their boards are some of the fastest skateboards on the market
- One of the few major skateboard brands founded in the UK
- Timeless designs that capture the rebellious spirit of skateboarding
9. Blind Skateboards
This skateboard brand has one of the most diverse rosters of any brand on this list. Their riders include Moroccan Nassim Lachlab, Japanese skateboarding prodigy Sora Shirai and others, showing that Blind Skateboards has one of the best active teams.
Blind Skateboards are also known for their sustainable practices. They have a sustainability plan in which they plant 3 trees for every tree they cut down to make their skateboards, make sure their labor practices are fair and responsible, redistribute their revenue to the community, and try to reduce their carbon footprint.
The company was founded in 1988 in California by Mark Gonzalez, who no longer works for the company. And if you don’t know who Mark Gonzalez is, then you’ve got a lot of reading to do after our list of the best skateboard brands.
Plus, Jason Lee from My Name is Earlhelped get the company off the ground. How about a quirky crossover?
Speaking of quirky: Blind Skateboards can be recognized by their dwarfish Grim Reaper logo. Their complete skateboards are a tad more expensive than the average board, and by tad we really only mean a little something.
10. Globe Skateboards
The final entry in our list comes from the nation Down Under, where the Wallabies play and the kangaroos skate. Globe Skateboards is an Australian company founded by three brothers, Stephen, Peter and Matt Hill.
They spent the 1980s developing products for other Australian sports brands before using their experience to start their own company in the 1990s.
The list of professional athletes includes skateboarders, surfers and snowboarders, which shows that the company’s focus goes beyond the halfpipes. However, their skateboard products are still top notch.
Globe Skateboards also makes premium apparel and is proud of its shift to more sustainable practices. They use sustainable fibers and test their items to ensure they last much longer than most fast fashion pieces.
Back to their skateboards. They make their boards using a single deck pressing process developed by Rodney Mullen to avoid inconsistent finishes that usually result from pressing multiple decks. They also use resin glue to make their boards lightweight yet durable.
Most of their skateboards, such as the Globe G1 Lineform Complete 8.25″ cost around $102, but they also have some less expensive complete boards like the Globe Goodstock Complete 8.25″ for $90.
Highlights
- Free shipping on all orders over $100
- Available in over 100 countries
- The only Australian company on this list
- Committed to the most sustainable production possible
How to Shop for the Best Skateboard
Now that you know a bit more about which companies we think embody the best that skateboarding has to offer, it’s time to sit down and pick the skateboard you like.
But don’t be blind like a crazy train driving through a blizzard of ozz. Keep the following factors in mind to make sure you choose the right board for you.
Brand
Chances are you’ve made a connection with at least one of the brands we’ve included in this list, whether it’s because of their ethos, design philosophy, practices or rider list. Whatever it may be, choosing a brand is the first necessary step to choosing the right skateboard.
Size
The two most common sizes found on skateboards are 7.5“ and 8”. They refer to the length of the deck of the skateboard. Anyone taller than 1.70 m can use a skateboard with a minimum size of 7.5”. After that, the size depends on personal preference and performance preferences.
Style
We’ve spent most of this article describing what usually comes to mind when you hear the word “skateboard”. However, there are different types of boards such as longboards, banana boards and stub boards that are sold by many of the brands mentioned above
Durability
Smashing a skateboard out of frustration may seem like the height of alpha behavior, until you realize that your board is made of 8-ply Canadian maple wood and is tougher than a home-schooled juvenile delinquent.
It’s obvious that a durable skateboard will serve you better in the long run. But you don’t want to sacrifice mobility just so you can be sure your board will never break. Look for skateboards made from 7- or 8-ply wood, as this material best combines durability and versatility.
Included parts
If you don’t want to put your skateboard together yourself and order a complete board, then just buy a complete skateboard. Otherwise, you can put together your own Frankenstein’s Monster of a skateboard by combining different decks, trucks, wheels and other accessories.
Price
Fortunately, the prices for complete skateboards do not vary greatly between brands. They all hover around the 100-dollar mark, which makes this usually decisive factor less important.
What size skateboard is best for beginners?
Fortunately for most beginners, the best size skateboard for them to earn their bearings on is the most common. Beginners would benefit most from a skateboard that measures between 7.5“ and 8”, as it gives them a good level of control.
What safety equipment is required for a skateboard?
This question can be answered differently depending on who you ask. Your grandmother will probably tell you that you need a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, a mouth guard and life insurance.
Your cool cousin Niles, on the other hand, who dropped out of high school, says the only protection you need is the courage to face your fears.
We’ll shoot in the middle and say that you should at least wear a helmet when you skateboard, because the only thing less cool than messing up a trick is a concussion.
How can you customize a skateboard with stickers
The best place for stickers is the underside of the deck, as this is the most aesthetically pleasing area of the skateboard. You shouldn’t put stickers on the top of the deck as they could interfere with the grip tape and affect your grip.
But skateboarding is all about self-expression. So if you feel like giving us the proverbial middle ground by putting stickers on the top of your skateboard, go for it. We’ll consider you an honorary Lord of Dogtown.
Final thoughts
Best skateboard brands
Skateboarding is one of the purest sports in the world because there’s no competition, no geographical restrictions, and no preconceived notions about optimal health. Anyone can skateboard anywhere as long as they have a half-decent board.
But why settle for a half-decent board when you’ve just read about the best? Skateboarding offers a portal to self-expression through movement, which is about nothing more than connecting people to their tools. There are no weight classes, gender divisions or rules. There is only one guiding principle – ride like your life depends on it.