Finding The Best Skateboard Brands
Now that Tony Hawk is involved with NFTs (we apologize if this is how you found out), it might seem as though the golden child of the skateboarding industry has fallen. However, such a view would ignore the wide variety of other skateboarding companies out there.
Skateboarding has maintained a strong presence in both mainstream and countercultural movements since the 1990s. Many skaters were inspired by the skateboarding videos of the skate legends of the late 1980s, and even more picked up their first board after playing the iconic Tony Hawk video game series.
It’s no surprise that you, dear readers, are interested in entering the world of skateboarding.
This list of the 10 best skateboard brands includes some of the most famous companies in the history of the sport, their history, their vision, their product range, and much more, so you can make the best choice (and hopefully not unknowingly lose money to an NFT scammer).
10 Best Skateboard Brands
1. Element Skateboards
Element Skateboards owes its name to founder Johnny Schillereff’s love of nature. He had been a skateboarder all his life before founding the company and received his first skateboard as a gift when he was only four years old.
His exuberant passion for the sport, as well as his interest in rap music, street art, and wildlife, made Element Skateboards one of the best skateboard brands.
The company has been around since 1992 and has positively changed Schillereff’s life. He has continued this positive attitude by hiring a diverse workforce.
Element Skateboards mainly produces skateboarding items such as decks, shoes, and clothing. The designs of the decks are often influenced by psychedelic and naturalistic art, 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 enabled them to form partnerships with renowned media companies such as Star Wars and assemble an all-star team of professional skateboarders such as Bam Margera and Tom Schaar.
Highlights
- Naturalistic deck designs that stand out from other brands.
- Many of their items are regularly available at discounted prices on their website.
- Stores are located all over the world.
- With the My Element rewards program, members can receive discounts on Element skateboard products as well as free shipping.
2. Plan B Skateboards
Despite their name, Plan B Skateboards could 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 concept of an NBA dream team.
The three men had already gained experience in skateboard or production companies before founding Plan B in 1991. They joined forces to combine their talents and used their momentum to assemble a team of some of the best skateboarders of the time, such as Mike Carrol and Rick Howard.
Plan B still benefits from this dynamic today. Their catalog is lean but focused, making them one of the best skateboard brands. Plan B only manufactures decks, wheels, and skateboards, but this narrow focus helps them optimize their products.
Their deck designs range from geometric patterns to 60s-influenced Americana motifs, all with clean workmanship. Among 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 such as Chris Joslin, Felipe Gustavo, and Tommy Flynn, but they also collaborate with them to design their decks. This means that a Plan B skateboard is likely designed with a pro in mind.
Highlights
- Embodying the spirit of a skateboard team
- Free worldwide shipping on orders over $100
- The decks are particularly sturdy thanks to the use of 7-ply maple wood
- A long list 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 medalist Jamie Thomas. The wild man who invented the Leap of Faith trick used his boundless imagination and applied it to clothing in Carlsbad, California, in 1996.
Zero Skateboards started as a clothing company, but when Thomas left Toy Machine and became the first sponsored athlete of his own company, they began manufacturing skateboards.
Their history in the fashion industry explains why so many of their products are related to clothing. Zero Skateboards not only manufactures apparel, but also hats, beanies, socks, belts, and stickers.
But don’t let their fashionable look fool you into thinking they don’t care about their skateboards. Au contraire, mon frere.
Their boards are so highly regarded that they have achieved a collaboration with American hardcore punk legends Misfits. The band’s symbolism fits well with Zero Skateboards’ offbeat art philosophy. The brand uses many skulls, crossed bones, snakes, and horror symbolism in their designs.
Here are the prices of some of their available complete boards:
- 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 over $80 within the US
- Unique designs
- Won three Thrasher Magazine “King of the Road” titles between 2004 and 2006
- Manufactures skateboards in many different sizes
4. Girl Skateboards
Hello Mike Carrol, it’s great to see you again. Carrol was apparently very busy in the 1990s, because in 1993 he founded Girl Skateboards together with other recurring personalities on this list of the best skateboard brands: Rick Howard, Megan Baltimore, and filmmaker Spike Jonze.
They founded Girl Skateboards in the skateboarding stronghold of California in response to their perception of other deck-making companies. In short, they thought they could do better. And man, it seems like they did.
Girl Skateboards is one of the most recognizable skateboard brands in the world, but we suspect that’s normal when your logo is a female silhouette in a male-dominated market. What makes them one of the best skateboard brands is their accessibility.
Since their founders were all professional skateboarders, the brand originally only produced professional-quality skateboards. However, they have since expanded their range to include beginner-friendly decks.
Their website also features a size chart so newbies can learn how different shapes and sizes affect handling, as well as information on which of their athletes use specific sizes.
Girl Skateboards is currently a subsidiary of Crailtap, which also distributes products from Chocolate Skateboards, Royal Skateboard Trucks, and Fourstar Clothing.
Highlights
- One of the best brands for beginner skateboarders
- Important in shaping modern skateboarding culture by sponsoring many skateboarding events
- Free shipping on US orders over $75
- Creates apparel, boards, decks, and wheels
- Their average complete skateboards are more affordable than other brands, usually costing $100
5. Creature Skateboards
Creature Skateboards is the artistic branch of the sports company NHS, Inc. The parent company is best known for its iconic screaming hand logo. NHS, Inc. was founded in 1973 by three Californian surfer friends, Richard Novak, Doug Haut, and Jay Shuirman.
Creature Skateboards is not the only skateboard brand operating under NHS, but we will introduce their label mates in the next post about the best skateboard brands.
This company is known for offering its customers the opportunity to build their own skateboards. There are three templates with increasing prices, as well as a fully customized option. The templates are as follows:
- Good (for advanced skaters, prices starting at $148)
- Better (more freedom in customization options, prices starting at $185)
- Best (access to professional accessories and features, prices starting at $228)
In addition to its custom skateboards, this brand also produces decks, wheels, stumps (skateboards that run closer to the ground for greater agility), hoodies, and T-shirts.
What ultimately 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. By this we mean that they offer boards for children aged 3 to 10, as well as skateboards in suitable sizes for teenagers aged 10 and above.
Highlights
- Customers can create their own skateboards to their specific preferences
- Beginner and youth-friendly models available
- Free shipping on orders over $75
- A vast array of board shapes and sizes to choose from
6. Santa Cruz Skateboards
We’re not done with NHS, Inc. yet. It seems they’ve focused entirely on the skateboard idea, which led to our previous 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 its production history dates back to the founding of NHS. They made their first skateboard in 1973 and only continued to produce it after founders Novak, Haut, and Shuirman were challenged by a friend to make 500 skateboards.
The boards were a hit, and NHS founded Santa Cruz Skateboards shortly thereafter. The aforementioned screaming hand is the world-famous logo of Santa Cruz Skateboards. But a brand is based on more than a screaming appendage and a handful of boards. Fortunately, that’s not all that Santa Cruz Skateboards is about.
They offer not only standard decks, wheels, complete boards, and accessories, but also an eye-catching clothing line. Unlike other skateboard companies, they make clothing for all genders.
By this, we don’t just mean that they make unisex clothing. Santa Cruz Skateboards promotes diversity by making clothing for men, women, babies, and teenagers, as well as products for all genders.
Their complete skateboards are priced at around $110, so you don’t have to spend extra money to purchase a product from this legendary brand.
Highlights
- One of the most famous skateboard companies
- Inclusive clothing line
- One of the most extensive product catalogs of any leading skateboard brand
- Long tradition of developing skateboards in collaboration with professional riders
7. Almost Skateboards
When a company is the byproduct of two of the greatest skateboarders who ever scraped 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 to offer. Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song, arguably the most influential skateboarders of all time and one of the best skateboarders of the last 15 years, 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, ran into trouble.
They make three different types of decks, each serving a different purpose. Almost Skateboards Support Decks are made from 8-ply North American maple and 2 carbon fiber discs to provide durable boards with powerful pops.
Their complete skateboards are cheaper than almost every other brand on this list. Even when they’re not on sale, they usually cost between $80 and $90.
Highlights
- Founded by two of the most influential athletes in skateboarding
- Cheaper than other brands
- You can save 10% when you sign up for the newsletter
8. Flip Skateboards
Even though we can’t imagine the Queen doing a 50-50 backslide on the balustrade of Buckingham Palace, that doesn’t mean the UK doesn’t have its own skateboarding scene. In fact, one of the best skateboard brands comes from England.
That company is Flip Skateboards. It was founded in 1987 when professional skateboarders Jeremy Fox, Ian Deacon, and Graham McEachran launched the brand under the name Deathbox.
Within a few years, they changed their name, moved to the United States, gained their first team riders such as Tom Penny and Rune Glifberg, and even received support from Ed Templeton, the owner of Toy Machine.
Today, they are known for two of their decks, their regular models and their P2 models. Their regular decks are exactly what you would expect – standardized to meet industry expectations. However, their 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 Y9. ellow Skateboard Complete (also available for $110) is a wonderful example of the company’s innovative spirit.
Highlights
- Their boards are some of the fastest skateboards available
- One of the only major skateboarding brands that started in the UK
- Timeless designs that capture skateboarding’s rebellious spirit
9. Blind Skateboards
This skateboard brand has one of the most diverse rosters of any brand on this list. Its riders include Moroccan Nassim Lachlab, Japanese skateboarding prodigy Sora Shirai, and others who demonstrate that Blind Skateboards has one of the best active teams.
Blind Skateboards is also known for its sustainable practices. The company has a sustainability plan in place that involves planting three new trees for every tree cut down to make its skateboards, ensuring fair and responsible labor practices, giving back its profits to the community, and working to reduce its carbon footprint.
The company was founded in California in 1988 by Mark Gonzalez, who is no longer involved. And if you don’t know who Mark Gonzalez is, then you have a lot of reading to do after reading our list of the best skateboard brands.
Jason Lee from “My Name is Earl” also helped get the company off the ground. How do you like that bizarre connection?
Speaking of quirky, Blind Skateboards were recognizable by their logo featuring a dwarf grim reaper. Their complete skateboards are a bit more expensive than average boards, although “a bit” really only means a little bit.
For example, the Blind Logo Glitch First Push Skateboard costs $114, but when you consider that the brand puts the money it earns toward protecting our
Highlights
- Diverse skateboarding roster
- Robust sustainability practices
- Founded by one of the greatest skateboarders of all time
- Skateboards are designed for street skating and vert skating
10. Globe Skateboards
The last entry on our list comes from the land Down Under, where wallabies play and kangaroos skate. Globe Skateboards is an Australian company founded by three brothers, Stephen, Peter, and Matt Hill.
In the 1980s, they developed products for other Australian sports brands before using their experience to start their own company in the 1990s.
Their professional athletes include skateboarders, surfers, and snowboarders, showing that the company’s focus extends beyond halfpipes. Nevertheless, their skateboard products remain top-notch.
Globe Skateboards also manufactures high-quality apparel and prides itself on its transition to more sustainable practices. The company uses sustainable fibers and tests its products to ensure they last much longer than most fast fashion items.
Back to the skateboards. They are manufactured using a single-deck pressing process developed by Rodney Mullen to avoid the uneven surfaces that typically occur with multi-deck pressing processes. 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 there are also some cheaper complete boards such as 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 keeping their manufacturing as sustainable as possible
How to Shop for the Best Skateboard
However, don’t go blindly like a crazy train racing through a snowstorm in Ozz. Keep the following factors in mind so you can choose the right board for you.
Brand
You probably have a connection to at least one of the brands we’ve included in this list, whether it’s because of their ethics, design philosophy, practices, or roster of riders. Whatever it may be, choosing a brand is the first necessary step in selecting the right skateboard.
Size
The two most common sizes for skateboards are 7.5“ and 8”. These refer to the length of the skateboard deck. Anyone taller than 5’3“ can use a skateboard with a length of at least 7.5”. After that, the size depends on personal preference and performance requirements.
Style
We have 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, which are sold by many of the brands mentioned above.
These types differ in size, weight, and capabilities. Some are better suited for transportation, and none are as ubiquitous as the standard skateboard.
Durability
Smashing a skateboard out of frustration may seem like the ultimate alpha male behavior until you realize that the board is made of 8-ply Canadian maple wood and is more robust than a home-schooled juvenile delinquent.
Of course, a durable skateboard is more advantageous in the long run. But you don’t want to sacrifice mobility just to be sure the 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 customize your skateboard and want to order a complete board, simply buy a complete skateboard. Otherwise, you can assemble your own Frankenstein monster of a skateboard by combining different decks, trucks, wheels, and other accessories.
Price
Fortunately, there are no major price differences between brands when it comes to complete skateboards. They all cost around $100, which makes this normally decisive factor less important.
Final Thoughts
Skateboarding is one of the purest sports in the world, as it is independent of competitions, geographical restrictions, and preconceived notions of optimal health. Anyone can skateboard anywhere, as long as they have a reasonably decent board.
But why settle for a halfway decent board when you’ve just read about the best boards? Skateboarding offers a way to achieve self-actualization through movement, where nothing else matters but the connection between the person and their tool. There are no weight classes, no gender separation, and no rules. There is only one guiding principle: ride like your life depends on it.
How we selected the best skateboard brands
Before deciding on a brand, we search the internet and all major online retailers to ensure we are aware of all the options available on the market. We look at customer reviews, star ratings, brand ethos, processes, materials, accessibility, and much more. We weigh the pros and cons so you don’t have to, helping you make informed purchasing decisions.
