If you’ve stumbled across this article rather than actually searched for it, let us first explain what a double drop longboard is. It’s a longboard with a drop-through mounted deck with the trucks fixed downward from the upper side of the deck, AND with a deck that is dropped down from the trucks.
As such this type of board ensures that your feet are positioned far far closer to the ground than any other longboard on the market. And as you can imagine, this has some remarkable benefits and advantages.
We love double drop longboards for their super low centre of gravity. With these beauties you can stay cruising smooth and stable no matter how high your speed.
You also get more comfort for foot placement, and better control to boot. And being so close to the pavement makes kick pushing noticeably easier.
What’s not to love? Amazing for freeriding or going downhill. Even absolute beginners can cruise around real easily with this type of board!
We’ve been scouring around checking out some of the best double drop through longboards out on the market today, and after much deliberation we’ve handpicked our Top 5 Picks.
Our reviews on these are coming up shortly, and after that to help make your choice that bit easier, we’ve also got a super handy buying guide for you which walks you through everything that you might want to think about before you buy.
Then we top that off with a brief section where we answer some of your most frequently asked questions.
Drop through longboards are easy to get hold of, as are drop deck longboards, but drop through longboards that also have a dropped deck are another story altogether. But we have managed to find some and we’re excited to tell you all about them.
Best Double Drop Longboard
OUR TOP PICK
Now, this baby is our favorite! The Switchblade was designed to conquer big mountain terrain and World Cup podiums - and it shows!
The drop through design keeps the deck super close to the ground, and better yet the deck drops down ever so slightly too. And there’s handy foot pockets at the drops, you can push off really easy and stay comfy and stable however long you’re cruising for.
It’s fantastic for freeriding and going downhill, responsive and forgiving. And a great choice for cruising around campus or commuting through the city.
The deck of the board stays completely stiff, with its 9 ply thick real Canadian maple construction. So easy to control.
This one is quite long at 40 inches, and the wheelbase is long too, coming in at 31 inches (we talk more about wheelbase in our buying guide). And it’s 10 inches wide, so even taller riders will be perfectly comfy on this board.
But it’s not just the deck that makes it so cool. It uses Gen 6 Grizzlies trucks - the best performing cast trucks on the market today.
The wheels are Mini Zombies, and they are 70mm in diameter, which we feel is the optimum for longboards. But better yet you can select what level of hardness or softness you want in the wheels, so you can go for a higher durometer wheel that will roll super fast, or go for something softer which will have more grip and allow easier control.
And there’s Spaceball bearings to boot, so you ride smooth, straight and fast!
We love the artwork on the underside of the deck, scenic, geometric, light, bright and dark, all in one.
The other thing we love, about this whole brand, is that they plant one tree for every single board they sell - how great is that! So good for the environment.
Pros:
- 9 ply real Canadian maple
- Foot pockets at the drops
- Great trucks and bearings
- Environmentally friendly
- Stunning artwork
Cons:
- Premium product at a premium price
EDITORS CHOICE
We love this board - both for it’s high end look and for its performance.
It has a super sturdy deck, thanks to the 9 ply real Canadian Hardrock Maple, but has a much darker and richer look which is almost like a Mahogany and this is thanks to its premium palisander finish on both sides of the deck.
And in keeping with this smart and sophisticated look, even the wheels have the same coloring on them.
The drop through trucks, combined with the dropped deck ensure that when you’re riding it you get a super low centre of gravity, and no matter how high a speed you’re cruising along at, the ride will remain stable and your feet secure.
It’s a tad smaller then some of the other double drop longboards in our Top 5 picks we’ll admit, with a length of 38 inches and width of 9.75 inches, and the wheelbase, at 29.25 inches, while slightly shorter than others in our Top 5 picks, is actually quite long for this length of deck.
The wheels are designed for carving and cruising, and their larger shape increases rolling speed. They are 69mm in diameter, which is in keeping with a deck of this size, and they have a contact patch of 44mm, so you get plenty of contact with the ground, which comes in handy for grip on the road when you’re going downhill.
The wheels have a very healthy durometer rating coming in at 78A, which provides the perfect balance between softness and grippiness. And they have ABEC 5 bearings with spacers for fast & smooth riding.
The wood used comes from sustainable sources, and the manufacturer donates to restoring Hawaii’s forests with every single of a board. Even the wood by-products are reclaimed for use in other products. So good for the environment.
Pros:
- Very high end look
- Sturdy 9 ply maple deck
- Sustainably sourced wood
- Designed for carving & cruising
Cons:
- Smaller deck than the rest of our Top 5 picks
- Premium product at a premium price
BEST VALUE
Here’s another great longboard you should take a look at.
The trucks are dropped through, AND it’s a dropped down deck, and overall you get a super low center of gravity, which is great for stability and balance - great for freeriding and going downhill, and cruising around long distances.
It’s a nice size too, 39.75 inches long and 9.75 inches wide - even the tallest of us can ride comfortably on this beauty!
It has large 76mm BIGfoot wheels, which makes it fantastic for going over uneven terrain and rougher surfaces.
It also has ABEC 7 bearings in the wheels, which goes some way to explaining why the board is so expensive. But you get a very fast and smooth ride.
We also love the black grip tape on the board’s deck - you get plenty of grip. And that together with the double drop down design makes it a very stable board for nervous and beginner riders who are relatively new to longboarding.
Pros:
- Great grip tape on the deck
- Great for beginners
- Great for uneven terrain
Cons:
- Premium product at a premium price
RUNNER UP
Now this is a striking eye catching double drop longboard!
All thanks to the bright yellow wheels and the racing pinstripe on the decks upper side with the super sticky grip tape.
It’s a nice size deck, 39.75 inches long by 9.75 inches wide, so is comfortable even for tall riders who need a lot of foot room.
The wheelbase is also long, coming in at 30 inches - something we talk a bit more about in our buying guide which is coming up shortly.
With both the drop through trucks AND a dropped deck you get a super low center of gravity, so you can basically guarantee a real stable ride no matter what speed you go, and easy push off too. Great for cruising and freeriding, whether it’s around campus or through the city streets.
The board’s stability is also helped by the sturdiness of the deck, which is made up of a thick 9 ply of real Canadian maple.
It uses large 76mm wheels, which means it can tackle any terrain, and there’s a large contact patch on the wheels to boot, meaning you get plenty of grip on the ground surface, to give you that bit more control, so it’s perfect for going downhill.
Pros:
- Eye catching design
- Large all terrain wheels
- Perfect for going downhill
- Large contact patch on wheels
Cons:
- Premium product at a premium price
RUNNER UP
Love the shape of this board!
With the trucks dropped through the deck, and then sporting a dropped deck to boot, you get a super low centre of gravity. You can push off easily, fly around super fast, and remain completely stable the whole time, even going downhill. You won’t lose your balance on this beauty.
It has a large and sturdy deck, made of real maple. And it’s big enough even for taller riders, with a length of 39.75 inches and a width of 9.75 inches, so you get plenty of room for your feet, and it feels all the more secure because of the dropped deck and the sticky grip tape.
The wheels are very large, coming in at 76mm in diameter, which means you can easily glide over cracks and through rougher surfaces and terrain.
There are cut outs for the wheels, so you don’t have to worry about getting any wheelbite.
And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s also ABEC 7 bearings to boot, so you get a very fast and smooth ride.
Pros:
- ABEC 7 bearings
- Large all terrain wheels
- Funky looking wheels
- Great sticky grip tape
Cons:
- Premium product at a premium price
Best Double Drop Longboard Guide
OK, let’s get straight to the nitty gritty.
What to look for in a double drop longboard
One of the main reasons people like to go for double drop longboards is because they want to generate some pretty high speeds, without any danger of losing their balance. So any aspects that can aid this are great to have, whereas anything that hinders it, tends to spoil it.
For example, wheelbase length (that’s the length between the wheels’ trucks) is key when it comes down to a longboard’s stability, and boards with longer wheelbases (and wider decks) generally provide more stability at speed.
How well a double drop longboard performs comes down, not just to rider ability but also to the nature of the board’s component parts, namely things like deck length, deck width, deck flex, the trucks, the wheel size, the wheel hardness, and the bushings.
Let’s look at these aspects more closely.
Deck size
The length and width of longboard decks kind of go hand in hand, because shorter boards are generally narrower, while longer boards are usually wider.
What deck width and length to go for all comes down to the rider’s height, shoe size and riding style. Our recommendation for taller skateboarders is to go for a longer deck, since bigger length promises more width and more room for your feet. Especially if comfortable feet placement is what’s attracting you to the idea of a double drop board in the first place.
Wheel set up
Since a double drop through longboard has it’s trucks mounted across the deck through dedicated holes, you may be concerned about getting wheelbite, which is when the wheels rub against the deck.
The best way around this is to have cutouts in the deck to give the wheels space. But that’s not the only way to avoid wheelbite on such a board. For example, you should also ensure that the trucks move the wheelbase outward rather than inward.
Wheel size
Normally, we recommend that longboarders get their completes with larger wheels, since these can better handle rougher terrain, but unless your double drop longboard has cutouts for the wheels, then this is to be avoided like the plague, because it means you will keep getting wheelbite.
Luckily, all of the longboards in our Top 5 Picks all have cutouts for the wheels, so you can kiss goodbye to wheelbite.
Budget
We’re going to level with you here. Unfortunately double drop down completes are known for being that bit more expensive than their counterparts, and you can generally expect to pay anywhere between $200 and $400 for a good quality complete.
If you already happen to have some good longboard parts at hand, you could opt to put a board together yourself to save yourself some money. Any additional parts you might need you will find readily available from a number of good online retailers such as Amazon.
Heads Up
We thought we’d give you a heads up on buying yourself a double drop down longboard, and let you know that this type of board, while being great for cruising long distances, doesn’t have quite the same maneuverability as the more regular alternatives. Just in case you didn’t already know, we don’t want you to end up disappointed with your longboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, drop through trucks or a dropped deck?
We know what you’re thinking - these double drop completes are pretty expensive. And with so few double drop decks on the market you may be considering a board that has just one of these features. But which is the best?
This all comes down to your level of experience and skill. We recommend that beginner longboarders start off with a drop through board because they offer better traction and are the safest bet as you learn to check your speed before your turns.
Drop downs meanwhile, are a better option for more experienced longboard riders who want to master their freeride discipline, due the board’s ease of sliding.
Of course, the whole point of either type of board is to establish the lowest possible centre of gravity, and hands down the best way to achieve this is to get yourself a double drop board like the ones we’ve shown you in our Top 5 picks.
Are double drop down longboards good for beginners?
We have touched on this here and there already, but just for a little further clarification, the lower centre of gravity on a double drop board makes it far far easier for riders to keep their balance on a board, even when cruising at a very high speed. And this makes it a great choice for beginners who are interested in learning to cruise and freeride.
However, they don’t provide the same level of maneuverability, and can be a little difficult for trying to learn tricks on. Moreover, beginners may feel more comfortable learning to longboard on a more affordable deck, just in case they don’t grow in enthusiasm with the sport. But that said, for beginners who want to concentrate on longboarding for distance and/or commuting, they make for an excellent choice, due to just how stable they are.
If in any doubt about whether to go ahead and buy, if possible try to have a go on a friends board first.