Mini-skateboards or mini-cruisers are a great way to commute to your school, college, office, or any other short distance. You may wonder why mini-cruiser despite there being many other different types of skateboards?
Well, the answer is, that mini-skateboards are easier to stop and carry around. Especially if you live in an urban area, there are many crowded areas where you have to carry the skateboard. Sometimes you will have to stop suddenly. That’s exactly what mini-cruisers are for, as they are lightweight, smaller in size, and have a steeper learning curve.
They will easily fit in any skateboard backpack or may even fit in your regular backpack. They are fun to ride too. You can also teach skateboarding to your kids or younger siblings with these mini-cruisers because of the convenient size of the board. What can be better when both you and the younger ones in the house can cover up in the same budget!
But it is pretty tough to choose the best one for you. There are thousands of products in the market that may leave you puzzled. We have picked the 10 best mini-skateboards after spending a long time in research and analysis. Let’s dig into the article to learn more about mini-cruisers and determine which one matches your preferences best.
How to Choose the Best Mini Skateboards
Before you plan on getting yourself a mini-skateboard, have a look at our buying guide. It will help you ensure getting the best mini-skateboard that will ultimately make your riding experience fun and safe. You may also use it as a checklist while buying your desired small skateboard.
1. Your weight
The first thing you need to do while buying a mini-skateboard is to check how much weight it can hold. Many mini-skateboards are manufactured just for kids or young adults. Thus, the capacity of those mini-cruisers to hold weight is made that way. Putting too much weight on that may make the truck and wheel break. It can lead to a serious accident.
While buying a particular small skateboard, check the manufacturer’s specification and description to find the weight limit. If you are going to carry a backpack or shopping bag while skateboarding, keep that weight into consideration too.
2. Mini-cruiser skateboard wheels
Wheels are one of the most important parts of a skateboard. Skateboard wheels differ in color, size, and stability. For the wheels, you mainly need to check the material and diameter, and the durometer of the wheel. You may need to read a different guide on skateboard wheels to understand them. But as that isn’t the topic today, we are keeping it short.
Wheel material and durometer
Skateboard wheels are usually made of polyurethane. There is no natural way to make sure of the quality of the wheels before buying them. You may ask the seller about the materials and quality you are looking to buy your mini skateboard. Though there is a good chance they may not even know. It would be best if you could get them cored.
And about the durometer or hardness of the wheel, it gets harder with the increasing durometer numbers. Harder wheels go fast but are difficult to turn. While the soft wheels do the opposite. And absorbs the vibrations and bumps better. Usually, soft wheels are recommended for cruising as it requires less effort to turn or speed up. They also provide more grip. From 77A to 87A are considered soft wheels. You may choose one according to your preferences.
Wheel size or diameter
Diameter defines the size of the wheel when unhurried from top to nethermost. The size or diameter of the wheel affects the way of skating. It is a substance of personal preference and skateboarding style.
All Skateboard wheels are usually measured in mm. The lesser the number, the smaller the wheel your board has. Smaller wheels are much slower, whereas bigger wheels are faster and require less pushing. 50mm or under is considered as smaller wheels. While 55mm or more is considered bigger wheels.
3. Mini skateboard bearings
There are many mini-skateboard bearings options in the market. Just make sure that they are ABEC rated, about 5 or 3 or so, depending on your chosen skateboarding style. If you go through the best reviews on mini-skateboards, it’s possible that you can get a cheaper yet good quality bearing set from top brands for only a bit more money. But that isn’t necessarily true everywhere. Even if you end up buying a cheap one, don’t lose heart. If you clean your skateboard bearings regularly, they will last longer.
4. Mini skateboard trucks
A Skateboard truck is of great importance that you need to consider before you think about having the best small skateboard. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to judge since there are so many skateboard trucks on the market, which can be challenging to distinguish. It doesn’t necessarily mean that cheap skateboard trucks are not of good quality. Regardless of price, you need to ensure quality.
Truck size
Skateboard trucks are T-shaped metal pieces that mount onto the base of the skateboard deck. When selecting mini skateboard trucks, the width of their truck axle should closely match the width of your small skateboard deck. The truck size can be measured by the width of the hook or the width of the axle. Every shortboard skateboard requires two trucks.
Numerous parts make up the cruiser board trucks. The axle is the pin that turns through the trucks to which wheels will attach. Generally made of metal, the hanger is the central part of the skateboard truck that is somewhat triangular. The axle goes through the hanger. Finally, the kingpin is the large bolt that holds these parts together and fits inside the skateboard bushings.
When buying, you will receive the two trucks essential to assemble your skateboard. Skateboard trucks come in many sizes and colors, and Granary Skateboards carry a massive assortment of brands to fit your partiality.
Truck profile
The truck profile is the distance between the bottommost of the skate deck and the hanger. A midsize truck does well for most skaters, but sometimes the high or low trucks may be favored for different styles of skating.
- HIGH
Great for cruising and carving, designed for large wheels (56mm+ wheel size recommended)
- MID
Good all-around profile for street or park (53-56mm wheel size recommended)
- LOW
Provides extra stability for flip tricks, designed for small wheels (50-53mm wheel size recommended)
Are Mini-skateboards or Mini-cruisers for you?
Yes, if you are looking for a skateboard to go short distances. It can be for going to the office, school, shopping or just enjoying the view of your area. It’s also very portable and fits almost everywhere. It is also a great choice for kids and younger adults.
But it’s a no if you want to go a longer distance, like more than 7 kilometers. Because you need to push them repeatedly. Electric longboards or a simple longboard can be a better option for that. Also, it may be a bit challenging for adult beginners with bigger shoe sizes to balance on a small skateboard. As we already know, standard skateboard sizes are different for different individuals. Cruiser skateboard can be a better option for those who want to roam around the city and have a bigger shoe size.
Conclusion
Mini-skateboard is thick enough and lightweight, and durable at the same time to carry everywhere. It is a great option for going around the city. It can be a really good gift for your skater friend, co-worker, or underaged rider. Surprise them with one of the best mini-skateboard on the market.
If you still have any doubts or want to know more about mini-cruisers or any of these products, please leave your question in the comment section below. We will be back to you as soon as possible.
Until then, happy skateboarding!
