11 Best Cruiser Skateboards – Bought & Tested + Video

Ever since I launched this site I started buying cruisers and tested them to the best of my abilities. I think it’s time to share a list of the best cruiser skateboards (or longboards) so you can make an educated choice. Cruisers sit right between skateboards and longboards. They aren’t for tricks or for long-distance riding, but great for riding shorter distances like commuting around urban areas.

You know many sites list a bunch of boards and the writers have no clue what they are talking about, it’s time to get rid of that nonsense and give you a real list. I spend a lot of money and time on this and I hope it will help you pick the right cruiser.

It’s still difficult to pick a cruiser but I’ll try to explain the differences. I added beginner cruisers, nimble aggressive cruisers, and some more expensive stuff. In the end, it comes down to your personal preference and you won’t know what you like until you ride a cruiser yourself. If you like this post, share it so I can do these more often.

Note that this page contains links that can earn me a commission at no additional cost to you.

Contents

11 Best Cruiser Skateboards & Longboards

Here’s the short version:

1. Best cruiser skateboard for beginners: Arbor Oso or Landyachts Tugboat
2. Best cruiser skateboard for experienced riders: Arbor Pilsner
3. Cheapest cruiser that just works: Magneto Mini Cruiser
4. Best nimble Cruiser: Landyachts Dinghy

Is a cruiser a skateboard or a longboard? While some look more like skateboards and others have some similarities to longboards, I’d say the best way to describe it is a cruiser board. Something with the responsiveness of a popsicle skateboard and the feeling of riding a longboard, but not exactly. Just a bit of both I guess, great for short commutes but not for cruising hours on end.

Some are responsive and aggressive, others more balanced and most aren’t suitable for popping ollies and kickflips. Cruisers are a ton of fun to ride, easy to carry around, and great for those who would like a comfortable ride and still hop a few curbs.

This list is in order of testing, most of the cruisers have their own review so if a cruiser seems like a good fit, make sure to read the entire review. I’m still working on a couple of reviews and videos, hang tight they are coming!

Since this blog post is quite lengthy I’ll give you the lowdown. These are the best cruiser boards I tested:

• Beginner-friendly cruisers: Globe Big Blazer, LY Tugboat, Arbor Oso, Fireball Cruiser
• Fast, nimble, aggressive cruisers: LY Dinghy, Arbor Pilsner, Arbor Pocket Rocket
• Best of the best: Comet Cruiser, Arbor Pilsner
• Cruising and Tricks: Stoked Ride Shop Cruiser Complete
• Best value for money: Fireball Cruiser

1. Landyachtz Dinghy

In my opinion, the Dinghy is a bit overhyped BUT that doesn’t mean it’s not a great cruiser! It’s pretty on par with the Pilsner and a joy to ride. The Landyachtz Dinghy was my first cruiser and it really made me curious about other brands. The LY Dinghy is the reason that this article exists.

The Dinghy is also a very nimble and responsive cruiser and great for people who already know how to ride and want something fast and aggressive. Beginners will find this board challenging and it will take a bit longer before you can ride it with confidence.

If you are a beginner, you might want something with less concave like the Globe Blazer. In a season or two, you’ll have enough skills to go for an upgrade. However, if you like a challenge or already know how to balance on a skateboard I don’t see why you should skip the Dinghy. Check Amazon for prices or read my detailed Dinghy review.

• One of the most popular cruisers
• Not a huge fan of the wheels and bearings
• Great for aggressive cruising
• Harder for beginners, great for somewhat experienced riders

Specs:

• 7-ply maple wood deck with a medium concave 
• Square shaped kicktail and short oblong-shaped nose
• Wheel wells to prevent wheel bite
• Width: 8.0″.
• Length: 28.5″.
• Wheelbase: 14.6″.
• Two 4″ bear trucks 
• 1/4″ rubber riser pads to absorb shocks
• Four Hawgs wheels size 63mm with a durometer of 78A
• Eight Bear Spaceballs 8mm ABEC7 Bearings with integrated spacers

Spaceball Bearings

The Dinghy (and any other LY boards) comes with Spaceball bearings with integrated spacers. They are fine but if you want more out of this board an upgrade is recommended. I have a couple of street skaters testing these bearings and they seem to like them so far. They also work well for cruising but aren’t perfect, again I would recommend Bronson Raws or Bones Swiss 6 Balls.

Bear Trucks

The 108mm Bear trucks perform well and the stock bushings hold up fine, you might need to tweak them a little depending on your weight. 

Make sure to break-in the bushings before you tighten them, just ride it for 30 minutes and adjust them to whatever feels right for you. usually, a bit tighter helps but for the lightweights adjusting them might not be necessary.

Fatty Hawg Wheels

The wheels deal well with rough surfaces, pebbles, rocks, and cracks but lose a bit of grip under wet conditions. The deck has quite some concave which is a bit harder to get used to for beginners but helps to deal with aggressive turning and rapid movements.

Maple Deck

The kicktail works well when you want to hop a few curbs but I don’t see the point of the nose just yet. Pretty difficult to do manuals with such a small nose. It comes in many designs but all Dinghy are equal. I own the Summit with transparent grip tape and the regular one with black grip tape. No difference in performance, it’s a matter of what design you like and availability.

2. Arbor Oso

One of the most stable cruisers I own and yet it’s able to go fast and turns really well. What I like about this cruiser is that’s it’s a great board for both beginners and experienced riders. Beginners will love the stability and real estate it provides and experienced riders will love its carvyness and mellow concave.

It’s not perfect though, the one thing I don’t like is the stock bushings, but you can easily replace them and bushings are cheap! This also depends on your weight and I’ve only tested the Oso Foundation so I don’t know how the artist performs.

The Oso is a bit of an old school board with bowl riders in mind, I personally would ride a different setup but it can be used for carving bowls. I think it’s better for a relaxed cruising experience and it accelerates fast. Ever since I swapped the wheels it feels like a solid and fun cruiser.

This cruiser is comparable to the Landyachtz Tugboat but offers more stability. It has way less concave and I like the Paris trucks better, not a huge difference but I feel like they are a bit better at carving.

This board is a great choice for beginners and experienced riders who want a smooth and stable ride. Heavy and taller riders will really appreciate the mellow concave and real estate, lots of room for your feet!

Another thing I didn’t like was the rather small wheels, it seems like Arbor already changed them to bigger softer wheels so that should fix this issue. Want to learn more? Check out my full Arbor Oso review. It also has a few upgrade tips!

For prices check Amazon, they might have a few available.

Here are the specifications:

• Length: 31.5″
• Width: 9.5″
• 169mm wide Paris trucks
• Wheelbase: 14.5″
• Arbor Abec 5 bearings and spacers
• 1/8″ riser pads
• Concave: Radial – Depth: Medium
• Griptape: Clear, Spray-On
• Flex Level: Stiff
• Wheels: 78A – 61mm 
• 7 Ply Maple | Premium Wood Topsheet

Deck

Super wide stable deck (10″) with a huge kicktail, it’s rather heavy but it’s still easy to carry around. The medium concave makes this a very stable board and very suitable for beginners.

There is plenty of room and people with large feet or taller, and I’m positive heavy riders will appreciate this deck. The huge steep kicktail helps you to really dig in and prepare for some rough terrain you might encounter.

Paris Trucks 169mm

The 169 mm wide Paris trucks are quite wide which adds to the overall weight of this cruiser but also makes this ride very stable. They turn well once you’ve broken in the bushings but it took me a while. They are rather hard which is great for heavier riders, but not for lightweights.

EasyRider Bogart 61 mm 78A Wheels

The Arbor EasyRider Bogart wheels perform surprisingly well for stock wheels. I like them better than LY Fatties, they just offer a smoother ride. They accelerate fast and keep rolling for a while, no issues rolling over cracks or whatsoever.

Bearings

Just standard bearings, they do the job and help to make this board go faster but you can always get better bearings. I think for a complete Arbor offers one of the better bearings and only if you really want to get the most out of this board you could consider replacing them after a while.

3. Arbor Pilsner

I’ve been riding the Arbor Pilsner for about a year now and I think this is one of the best cruisers you can buy, it’s my second favorite. It may be a bit more challenging for beginners but once you feel comfortable riding this board it will never let you down.

If I had to criticize one thing it would be the wheels, even though they ride buttery smooth they have less grip than the standard Landyachtz Fatty wheels. Still, I like them much better than the Fatties. Other than that this board is very responsive yet offers the needed stability and is slightly wider than the Dinghy.

It has quite some concave for a more aggressive stance, has no issues with small objects like pebbles, twigs, or cracks. It’s not meant for downhill and will get unstable if you go too fast and lean a bit to make a turn. If you keep it straight, you will have fewer issues with speed wobbles.

Check Amazon for availability. Want to learn more about this cruiser? Check out my detailed review.

• Loose trucks
• Feels great right out of the box
• Awesome quality components that work well together
• Wheels are great, soft, and forgiving
• Standard bearings are great but could be better

Specs:

• 129mm Paris street trucks, top-mounted
• 7 Ply Canadian Maple with a Premium Palisander Wood Finish
• Wheels: 61mm/78A, 36mm contact patch (might vary per type)
• ABEC 5 Bearings with Spacers
• 1/8″ Hard Risers

Bogart Easy Rider Wheels 61 mm 78A

So the Pilsner comes with Bogart wheels, size 61mm/78A, and a 36mm contact patch. Great wheels that can deal with a lot of stuff but sometimes they feel less grippy than I would like them to be. Overall I think they are great stock wheels but once I swapped them for OJ Superjuice wheels, it really improved the riding experience.

Paris Street Trucks 129 mm

The trucks are made by Paris and great for cruising, the Paris Street trucks are great all-around trucks and can deal with impacts from ollies and are suitable for grinding. Wouldn’t recommend it though, but it is possible.

ABEC-5 Bearings

The ABEC-5 bearings perform well but if you want to get more out of this board an upgrade is recommended. Completes usually come with basic bearings and it’s up to you if you want to keep them or not. I personally upgraded the bearings to Bronson Raws which makes quite a difference in performance.

7-Ply Maple Deck

The Arbor Pilsner has quite some concave which makes it more difficult to keep your balance if you’re absolutely new to riding a cruiser. The benefit is that you can take a more aggressive stance when doing basic tricks like fakie shuvits, ollies, and power slides.

The kicktail is quite large compared to other cruisers so you’ll have enough room for placing your push foot when you want to ollie a curb, do a manual, or run into gravel.

Depending on the version you pick you either get black grip tape (Arbor Pilsner Photo) or transparent Glass Re-Grit grip tape (Pilsner Foundation).

4. Globe Big Blazer

The Globe Big Blazer is a great board for beginners but experienced riders should probably skip it. This doesn’t mean it’s a crappy cruiser, not at all! It’s just a bit boring if you already know how to ride.

The bushings are quite soft so you might want to break them in a little and tighten them using a skate tool or wrench.

Beginners should pay attention though, this board is great for you because it hardly has any concave, this means it’s easier to balance and won’t make any sudden turns when you’re slightly off-balance. 

It feels a bit sluggish and doesn’t respond as well as the other cruisers listed here but this is perfect for inexperienced riders. You want something predictable and not something that reacts really fast, so you certainly don’t want the best cruiser board deck.

You’re able to take a more aggressive stance because of the kicktail and plow thought gravel and patches of grass with ease, given you lean backward and know what you’re doing.

I’ll try to approach this one from a new rider’s experience, because like I said it a bit boring for riders who know their stuff.

The good news is that it feels like a very comfy ride and the wheels deal well with all kinds of stuff, I tested this board a couple of times and the video is from a date when Autumn was knocking on the door.

Puddles, twigs, acorns, mud, and all that and the Globe Blazer has no issues dealing with that stuff but make sure you lean a bit backward and place your push foot on the kicktail. Be careful with ledges that stick out, anything over 1.5 or an inch might block the wheels and the board will send you.

It blazes through gravel, no issues with grass of really rough terrain but you want to keep it straight and not make any sudden turns. I experienced speed wobbles on a mellow slope when it reaches its max speed. You won’t notice this when you go in a straight line but as soon as you want to correct your path just a little, the back starts to wiggle.

You can ollie this board just a little but it’s rather heavy and bulky so a minor hop will work but you can feel how heavy and nonresponsive it is. This is the first board that made me eat sh*t but to be honest, it was my own fault. Should have zigged when I zagged.

All considered, this is a great beginner cruiser. Decent components like the large soft wheels, bearings that hold up well, Tensor trucks turn okay, and lot’s of stability because of the flat deck.

Here’s my Globe Blazer full review with all the details you need or check prices and availability on Amazon. Don’t forget to check out the other boards, this isn’t the only one that’s great for beginners.

• Very stable board, beginner-friendly
• Super fast and pretty carvy considering the components
• Lots of room for your feet
• Boring for experienced riders, lacks concave

Specs:

• Standard Tensor alloy 6″/152 mm hanger, 219 mm axle
• Slant wedge (angled) riser pads
• 7 Ply, 32″ tall and 9″ wide, Canadian Maple deck, Premium Palisander wood finish
• Globe conical-shaped wheels, 62 mm/78A wheels
• Globe ABEC 7 Bearings and Spacers
• 17.7″ wheelbase which can’t be adjusted

Deck

Not a very exciting deck to be honest but that depends on what you want to do. It’s rather flat and has a slight camber and a small kicktail. Great for beginners, less exciting for those who know how to ride.

I like the detailed graphics at the bottom, one of my favorites, and the bottle opener is a great gimmick. The nose is pointy and flat which makes nose manuals quite challenging, but hey this is a beginner board.

Tensor Alloy Trucks 219 mm

The Globe cruiser comes with standard Tensor alloy trucks and soft bushings. They might feel a bit loose at first, just ride it for 30-60 minutes and break in the bushings first. After that, you can decide to tighten the kingpin nut or leave it as is.

The trucks feel okay and they allow for deeper carving but not as much as the other boards in this article. Its predictable behavior makes this a lot easier to learn to cruise.

Globe Conical 62 mm 78A Wheels

The Globe conical-shaped wheels come at 62 mm and 78A hardness. I personally had no issues with the wheels and think they are perfect for this board. They do what the’yre supposed to do and you don’t have to worry about small pebbles or cracks. They really handle all that stuff well.

Bearings

Nothing to get excited about, the bearings are fine for beginners. Not too fast and they hold up fine after extensive use. Like always, standard cruiser completes usually have standard bearings that aren’t top-notch but do the job.

5. Landyachtz Surfskate

The Landyachtz Surfskate is more of a cruiser-surfskate hybrid but a ton of fun to ride. This board is not for riders who like to go hard and gnarly, this is a board for people who love carving but still like to cruise short distances.

At first, I didn’t really like this cruiser, mainly because of its jittery movement and I really had to get used to the front truck which has a reversed kingpin. It’s also quite high, there is a lot of room between the deck and the surface which is very noticeable if you’re used to regular cruisers.

It grew on me though, I’m just not used to the surf skating style but once you adapted and ride this board like you’re supposed to ride it you’ll love it. Very deep carves, sharp turns, slides on slick surfaces, it’s all possible.

It also has no issues dealing with cracks, pebbles, or anything that gets in the way as long as the objects are small. Ollies, nose manuals, and power slides feel unstable because of the loose front truck. They Might be available on Amazon.

I’m not really into surf skating but for those who love deep carving combined with steady cruising it’s a board to consider. Check out my full LY Surfskate review.

• Great for deep carving
• Not very stable, it takes some time to get used to the front truck
• Steady cruising but it’s not very fast
• Rather heavy
• Great design, really dig the look of this cruiser

Specs:

• Length: 31.2″
• Width: 9″
• Wheelbase: 17.1″
• Griptape: foam griptape
• Wheels: Soft Glossy Fatty Hawgs at 63 mm and 78A durometer (hardness)
• Deck: 7-ply maple deck with a slight camber and kicktail, hardly any concave
• Trucks: Bear Banger SurfSkate Truck and Standard Bear trucks at 155 mm
• Bearings: Spaceball bearings with integrated spacers

Deck

The non-flexy deck is wide enough for most riders and feels really solid. The grip tape is interesting as it consists of foam with grip tape on top, perhaps this is more comfortable when riding it barefooted.

It has a really slight camber and the kicktail is quite small, enough room to place your push foot but there’s hardly any angle to it. It feels comfortable to ride once you get used to this board.

Bear Banger RKP & Standard Rear Truck 155 mm

This is the most interesting part about the LY Surfskate, especially the front Bear Banger reversed kingpin truck. If you’re used to a regular cruiser you’re in for a surprise. At first, the front will feel very unstable and you will be looking for the right way to place your front foot.

The reversed truck gives you that surfy feeling and allows for really sharp turning but it makes the board very jittery and unstable at first. You’ll adapt soon enough and then this board becomes a really fun ride. This is the only cruiser on this that can make really sharp turns (though the Comet can also pull this off).

Fatty Hawg 63mm 78A Slick Wheels

As always LY cruisers come with Fatty Hawgs but these have a slick profile. They are easy to slide on slick surfaces or when the streets are a bit wet after a rainy day. The downside is that it’s hard to keep your balance though because of the loose front truck. It wasn’t meant for sliding or trucks but for carvy surfy rides and cruising.

Spaceball Bearings

Spaceball integrated bearing, not much to add since I already covered this. Not the best bearings but they work.

6. Comet Cruiser

I ordered the Comet Cruiser right before the outbreak and it took nearly 9 months before it finally arrived. When it finally arrived I was as excited as a kid in a candy store. This board is something else, I just can’t believe how awesome it is and this baby doesn’t get boring.

It’s narrower than most of the cruisers mentioned here and it will take some time to get used to its flexy nature. Once you know how this board rides you really don’t want anything else. Out of all the cruisers listed here, this is by far the best one.

If you really want something next level, go for this board but if you’re new to cruising and unsure about what board to pick, skip it. It’s not a low budget board and not for beginners. Experienced riders will love it though, check my full review.

I really like how responsive and nimble it is, despite being longer than the average cruiser. It turns really well, comparable to the Landyachtz Surfskate (totally different cruising experience though), and offers lots of grip. I still need to ride it a bit longer to test its limits but so far I haven’t experienced any speed wobbles or jittery behavior.

• This is the ultimate cruiser
• Fast, nimble, carvy, stable
• Flexy board helps to really put your weight in when carving
• Absolutely zero cons so far

Specs:

• Trucks: 108mm Paris
• Bushings: 83a / 88a Venom SHR
• Wheels: 69mm Powell Snakes 77A
• Bearings: Zealous
• Risers: 7º Soft Wedges
• Griptape: Jessup
• Length: 34”, 3.5” nose, 5.75” tail + skid plate
• Width: 7.875”
• Wheelbase: 20.25” 

Let’s take a look at the Comet cruiser’s components. I’m still working on a full review, will update this blog post once it’s ready.

Deck

The deck’s construction is very interesting, it made of a vertically laminated core with 3 types of mahogany stringers and basswood. On the top and bottom of the deck, you’ll find two triaxial fiberglass sheets that are water-resistant (not sure if they are waterproof, I don’t want to test this honestly).

The wheel wells look gorgeous, they’re CNC’d into the core and look super slick. There quite a lot of room for your feet because it doesn’t have any concave. Sure, the deck is quite narrow but you’ll get used to that in no time.

This is the only cruiser in this list that has a flexible deck, this really helps you to dig in when carving and took me some time to get used to, now I really love its flex.

The 20.25″ wheelbase makes this a very stable board but also increases its flexibility. You have about 6″ more distance between your front and rear truck compared to a regular 32″ skateboard.

The tail is protected by a skid plate so you can safely practice those manuals without having to worry about razor tail.

Paris Trucks 108 mm + Venom  Bushings

I love the trucks, they are super turny but quickly snap back into position, you can really lean in and not lose balance or grip. Comet Skateboards upgraded the stock bushings to Venom SHR 83a and 88a.

The angled risers help this board for even more aggressive turning. Overall the combination of the Paris Trucks, Venom bushings, and the angled risers make for a superb cruising experience.

This makes a huge difference in how the trucks handle and perform. I’m going to order a couple of these bushings and test them out on my other cruisers and see what happens. Stay tuned.

Powell Snakes 69 mm 77A Wheels

Luckily I already own a set of 69mm Powell Snakes, so I always got a spare in case I destroy the Snakes by practicing power slides. Powell snakes feel very stable and roll very well, great drift, and easy to slide. They will wear from sliding obviously but luckily they are easy to replace. 

I love Snakes, they just feel super comfy and you can roll over cracks with confidence, they handle small objects way better than most of the cruiser wheels. Even though they are 69 mm you won’t get any wheel bite because of the CNC’d wheels wells.

Zealous Bearings

I still need to get more familiar with the Zealous bearings, so far they don’t disappoint but I’m going to swap them and test a bunch of other bearings to see if I can get some performance gain. So far they feel great, no ratling sounds and they are super fast.

7. Landyachts Tugboat Captain

The Landyachtz Tugboat is perfect for those who are on the fence about the rather small size and narrow shape of the Dinghy. I ride the Tugboat Captain and I feel I get more out of it than the Dinghy. I like a bit of board real estate and the Tugboat gives you that little extra room to make you feel more comfortable.

Beginners that are in doubt between the Dinghy and the Tugboat should definitely go for the latter, the extra room and stability make it worth the extra $. Despite it being a bit bigger, it’s still very aggressive and has no issues with rough surfaces, just check the video.

Pumping is a bit hard because of the stiff board but you can pull it off when you’re skilled enough. It’s funny, I’m an experienced rider but I love this cruiser more than the Dinghy. It just offers a calmer riding experience and deals well with rough surfaces.

You have a lot of room and the steep concave might feel weird at first but you’ll love it after a while. It allows for a really aggressive stance but there’s enough room for a more comfortable stance in the deck’s pockets.

This is a great board for beginners because of the stability it offers but like I said, experienced riders will also enjoy this board. It really sticks to the surface and only when you want to make really sharp turns it will slide away under you.

If you’re a heavier person or tall this is a really solid choice. Check out the full Tugboat review, or check Amazon for availabilty. Still working on a video, here a short edit:

Specs:

• Deck: 7-ply maple with wheel wells and “W” concave,  shaped with square tail and short oblong nose.
• Griptape: Black die-cut
• Wheels: Fatty Hawgs 60mm 78a
• Trucks: Bear 4″ trucks with 1/4″ rubber riser pad in the rear, larger riser in front.
• Bearings: Bear Space Balls Abec 7 bearings.
• Width: 9.0″
• Length: 29.5″
• Wheelbase: 18.5″

Deck

Very wide deck with steep concave and despite its aggressive shape it still feels very stable when cruising around. The huge steep angled kicktail offer a lot of room to really dig in. Though LY specifies the concave as mellow, I personally feel like it’s actually quite steep.

Bear Trucks 222 MM Axle

Landyachtz always comes with Bear trucks, they are carvy but when performing very sharp turns the board has the tendency of slipping away under you. Because the trucks are rather wide this cruiser feels really stable and won’t make any unsuspected movements.

I did manage to get some minor wheel bite when testing its maximum turning ability but I didn’t notice, just a bit of scraped off the paint on the back left wheel well. Nothing to worry about, this will only happen if you carve really deep and you will notice the board wasn’t made for that.

Fatty Hawg Wheels 60mm 78A

The 60mm Fatty Hawg wheels are okay, there are better wheels out there but beginners won’t notice. I do like the size, I think at 60 mm LY made a great choice and I feel like they perform better than the 63 mm Fatties.

You can slide on slick surfaces and they offer decent grip unless you really push the limits of this board. They are fast enough to maintain rolling speed for a while and quickly accelerate because of the smaller size.

At 78A they handle cracks, pebbles, or any small object really well and sometimes they actually launch small rocks.

Spaceball Bearings

Standard Spaceball bearings with integrated spacers, pretty basic bearings that do the job but there are better bearings out there. There’s no harm in getting better bearings in time but they are fine for a few seasons. You’ll notice improvements once you upgrade the bearings.

8. Fireball Cruiser

Time for a cruiser on a budget and it used to offer the most bang for your buck, nowadays prices increased and it falls a bit short. it used to be only 120 bucks, now it’s around 160 but you still get a great cruiser with Fireball Tinder wheels, Paris trucks, and Fireball bearings..

It’s not as wide as the Oso and not as small as the Dinghy. For people who are on the fence about the rather narrow deck the Dinghy offers, this is a good (and cheaper) alternative. At 8.5″ you should have enough room to cruise comfortably while still having a snappy responsive board.

It really depends on what you prefer but for those who want something stable and still a bit nimble, this board is one to consider. Other than that, this cruiser is a great choice for beginners who don’t want to spend an arm and a leg but still want a decent board.

The concave is a bit boring, not as boring as the Globe Cruiser. Avoid if you are an experienced rider. Beginners will like it though. Check Amazon for availability.

Specs:

• Length: 29.5inch
• Width: 8.5inch
• Trucks: Paris Street Trucks 129mm
• Wheels: Fireball Tinder 60mm, 81a
• Griptape: Mobgrip
• Bearings: Fireball Dragon Endure
• Hardware: Fireball

Deck

The deck itself lacks wheel wells but the concave is shaped in a way so that it provides some extra clearance. At 8.5″ wide you’ll be able to cruise comfortably while still hopping curbs without too much effort.

I like the different designs they offer, they only make 100 of each design so by the time you read this there are probably new designs out there. You’ll have something rather unique so that’s a plus.

You’ll feel the concave and it might take some time to get used to, still, there is enough room to comfortably place your feet. I used to ride 7.75″ popsicles before I started riding wider setup so I’m used to its size already.

Paris Trucks 108 mm

It comes with Paris RKP trucks that turn great and offer the needed stability. I personally really dig Paris trucks for cruising purposes but they also perform well when cruising down mellow slopes. I haven’t experienced any speed wobbles so far but I wouldn’t bomb the hills with this board anyway.

The bushings need some time to break in and can feel a bit stiff. You just have to break them in or tweak the trucks a little.

Fireball Tinder Wheels 60 mm 81A

The Fireball Tinder wheels perform great, even though there is less urethane compared to other wheels they offer a smooth ride and accelerate fast. They are a bit harder than most of the cruisers here (81A) but I didn’t notice this so much. You can slide them and they don’t feel that bouncy when you pop an ollie or hop a curb.

Fireball Endure Bearings

Remember me going on about crappy stock bearings you get with most complete cruisers? Well, not this time! The Fireball Endurance bearings are awesome! Superfast straight out of the box, really no complaints here. They also come with integrated spacers.

9. Arbor Pocket Rocket

It doesn’t exactly fit in your pocket but it is quite small at 7.75″ wide and 27″ long. The Pocket Rocket is a fun board for people who know how to ride but can be very challenging if you’re new to skateboarding.

The good news is that the mellow concave makes it easier to keep your balance, heavier riders and taller riders (or people with large feet) should probably skip this one though.

The first thing I noticed is how stiff the bushings feel, you really have to make an effort to turn this board. It’s easy to fix this by making the trucks a bit looser but I would recommend breaking them in first. After a while, they will work better.

Overall a very fun cruiser to ride, I really like how it performs and how fast it reacts. The wheels provide a very smooth ride and you can feel that this is a quality setup.

Once you break in the bushings or adjust them, this really is one of the mini cruisers you can buy. It’s the lightest and smallest cruiser in this line-up and feels very comfortable but it might be a bit hard to ride for beginners because of its small size.

It’s not only narrow but also has a slight camber for better carving and just a tiny bit of concave.  An experienced rider who is looking for a really small cruiser will like it though. It’s not even that expensive,

• The harder bushings require some time to break-in
• Very portable and lightweight
• Fast acceleration but you need to push more often to gain speed
• Not for beginners, taller riders, heavy riders

Specs:

• Deck: kicktail, nose, mellow concave
• Length: 27″
• Width: 7.75″
• Wheelbase: 14″
• Trucks: Paris Street 108mm
• Arbor Easyrider: 61 mm /78A, 36 mm contact patch
• ABEC 5 Bearings with Spacers
• 1/8″ Hard Risers

Available at amazon , check it out.

Deck

Super tiny deck, a tiny bit of concave, slight camber, a kicktail, and a pointy nose. The kicktail is small (obviously) which only has room for a part of your sole. The slight camber helps when riding in a more aggressive stance and because of its small size and it responds very quickly.

Paris Trucks 108 MM

The 108 Paris street trucks are great for cruising but the bushings are rather stiff. It will take some time to break them in, once you do it will turn a lot better. It feels stable though, it doesn’t instantly turn when you make a minor mistake.

They will get better over time, but you can always replace them. Softer bushings will make this board turn better.

Wheels

I really like the stock wheels Arbor provides. They are fast, soft, and deal well with small objects, just make sure to lean back if you come across rocks or cracks. The wheels can handle it but the small size of this board means less weight to divide.

Bearings

I’m pretty content with the stock bearings, the work well out of the box, and keep going for a while. There are better bearings out there but overall nothing to complain about.

10. Cruiser-Trick Complete

Currently unavailable.

Honorary mention, I know many of you want cruisers that are great for commuting and tricks but the truth is, most cruisers are meant for – you guessed it – cruising. For tricks, you need a popsicle deck and small hard wheels. For cruising, you need soft big wheels and a cruiser shaped deck.

Fireball offers a cruiser-trick hybrid. It consists of a quality maple deck, Paris trucks, great bearings, and Fireball Tinder cruising wheels.

The wheels are a bit harder compared to the rest so it feels less bouncy when you ollie or do flip tricks. Though flip tricks are more difficult because the wheels are still quite soft, an experienced rider can pull it off.

Still, board slides, shuvits, and other not too technical tricks can be done.

You also don’t have to worry about damaging your deck because it’s a blank complete that’s easy to replace, and the decks are just under 30 bucks! I’m still testing this board so expect an update but really cheap option for those who want to cruise and do tricks.

11. Magneto Cruiser

For those of you on a budget and just want to cruise, the Magneto Cruiser might be an option. To be fair, this is more of a kid’s board and not a superb quality cruiser, but decent enough considering its price. You still get a cruise out of it though but it isn’t on par with the rest of the boards.

Why mention it then? It’s really cheap! Even though it’s not a top-quality board you still can experience a relaxed ride but you need to work a little harder.

Magneto mentions that because of the kicktail and nose this board is suitable for doing tricks, I find that bit misleading, to be honest. Sure you can do manuals, but ollies and kickflips? No way! Yes, you can hop curbs but I wouldn’t recommend flip tricks or other technical stuff. This board wasn’t made for that.

Now that we got that out of the way, I think you get lots of value for the money but if you’re used to quality cruisers this one might be a bit frustrating to ride. It also has super soft bushings and you’re all over the place when you first step on it. You really want to tighten them to increase stability.

It rides okay and if you never cruised before I think you’ll have lots of fun until you try a real cruiser. Check out my full Magneto Mini Cruiser review for all the details or check for prices on Amazon.

Specs:

• Length: 27.5″
• Width: 7.5″
• Wheelbase: 18.5″
• Canadian maple wood (7-ply) deck including wheels wells
• Double kick tails
• Sand grit finish 
• Wheels: 63mm, hardness unknown
• 8x Abec 11 | 608 bearings + 4 metal spacers
• 2 trucks from an unknown brand
• 2x 1/8″ riser pads

Recommended Upgrades

Buying a longboard, cruiser or skateboard usually means a compromise between costs and parts. I think Lanyachtz is a good example, you get decent parts but I always get the feeling the wheels and bearings could be so much better.

It’s the price you pay for being lazy, or usually, you don’t have a clue how to assemble your own perfect cruiser. It doesn’t have to be hard though, it’s a matter of buying the right parts that match. so can assemble your own cruiser. It can be more expensive depending on the parts you buy but just a basic cruiser doesn’t have to cost that much.

Anyway, let’s talk about upgrades. It’s all in the wheels and bearings!

Wheel Upgrades

Most cruisers in this list instantly provide a better cruising experience once you change the stock wheels for OJ Super Juice wheels. The only cruisers that don’t go well with these wheels are the Comet Cruiser (which is already perfect) and the LY  Surfskate (too much clearance). I think the LY Surskate will ride much better on Powell Snakes or Orangatang Fat Free wheels.

Anything between 60 mm and 65 is usually a safe choice, bigger might cause wheel bite so consider adding thicker risers.

Bearing Upgrades

There are a couple of bearings that will increase your speed so you don’t have to push as often. Consider Zealous Bearings (great bearings for cruising!) or Bronson Raws (even better). If you have the budget you also might want to take a look at Bones Swiss Six Bearings but those can’t handle water or dirt very well.

Quality bearings really make a difference and fewer pushes mean you can go on for longer!

Final Thoughts

That’s it, I hope you enjoyed this post, a cruiser is a fun way of commuting and a good workout. Cruisers aren’t made for tricks, so if you’re in doubt between picking a cruiser or skateboard, just remember that tricks are easier on a skateboard and cruisers offer a smoother ride.

If you have a cruiser that you think should be on this list, let me know! I’ll consider adding more boards in the future but right now I’m gonna stop spending for a while. Thanks so much for visiting and thanks for reading!

I’m an aged skateboarder and I still shred responsibly. I started skateboarding 25 years ago but also love surfing, snowboarding, or anything that involves a board.