Globe boardsports may have started in one corner of the world in sunny Melbourne, Australia, but they sparked a phenomenon that has now spread worldwide.
Globe skateboards are well loved in the skateboarding community - and for good reason too.
First off, they are known for their strong and durable decks. A rare find in such an affordable skateboard. The layers of each board are pressed using epoxy resin glue , rather than industry standard water based glue, and this makes them not only stronger, but also less prone to delamination and warping.
Strangely however, and very much in their favor, globe skateboards are more lightweight than their counterparts. And moreover, each deck is individually pressed, so you get a nice consistent concave shape each and every time.
But that’s not even the best bit. Globe skateboards all come with the company’s own in-house Tensor (TKP) skateboard trucks which are built using premium lightweight aluminum and magnesium alloys and include high-rebound bushings and Grade-8 kingpins. The trucks themselves even come with their own lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects.
With this top quality construction, you get a really good skateboard that’s suitable and stable enough for beginners and novices to the skating world, and at the same time is also really good for intermediate level skaters looking to improve on their various skills and perfect their techniques in various tricks.
More advanced skaters can make good use of the board too, but by that point they might want to invest in harder wheels and upgraded bearings.
In terms of their appearance, Globe skateboards are rather understated, and as such never look out of place. Besides, the novelty value of an eye catching graphic soon wears off over time and use.
You might also be interested to learn that in addition to their skateboards and longboards, Globe also does shoes and clothing too. Like their skateboards, these collections are also rather understated and conventional, while the quality is high calibre.
Their popularity also in part at least comes down to the price point. They’re usually noticeably more affordable than the pricier boards on the market, but offer far superior quality than the cheap boards that flood out the retailer’s stocks. Their mid price value is somewhat of an optimum between the two extremes.
It may also interest you to learn that Globe’s parent company Globe International is home to several leading skateboard brands, such as Enjoi and Darkstar.
OUR TOP PICK
We’ll kick this off with a fine example of a Globe skateboard.
The Blazer Cruiser, as the name suggests, is great for cruising around town or campus. It’s made with the gold standard of deck materials, real Canadian Maple. And as we discussed earlier, the deck layers are pressed via resin rather than water based glue, and this makes it a good, strong and durable board.
We love the mellow concave shape which is the go to choice for street skaters since it allows the perfect foot placement. Plus we love the double kicktail at front and back - perfect for working on your tricks etc.
We also love the trucks - Globe Skateboards own in-house constructed trucks. They’re 5.375 inches which is great, and they’re constructed with hollow kingpin, which makes them lighter, and this in turn means you can make your board pop higher, and flick faster.
The deck is 26 inches long, and 7.25 inches wide, with the front and back wheels set 13.75 inches apart from each other. Pretty much the size of a cheap penny.
The wheels are composed of urethane, which means they’re super resistant to scratches, so they will really last, and better yet they give a really good grip with the ground.
Globe Skateboards Review
If you’re looking for an affordable skateboard for a beginner, who wants to start off just cruising around, then this is a great one to go for.
It has a stronger and more durable deck than your typical maple skateboard, because it’s 7 ply rather than 6 ply. You may not think it but that can make a huge difference.
And again the layers are resin pressed for improved strength and durability, and all the while being lighter than you’d expect.
It has a good length, coming in at 31.6 inches, and a good wheel base, coming in at 14 inches.
We love that the deck’s shape is a full concave, because it means you can put more pressure on the edges of the deck, which not only helps with steering, but also helps you to flip your board more easily.
It uses Globe Skateboards own in-house constructed 5.25 Tensor alloy trucks, which are not only more lightweight than many other trucks but are also more stable and responsive.
The wheels themselves are urethane, which means they’re super resistant to scratches, so they will really last, and better yet they give a really good grip with the ground.
BEST VALUE
If you have a bit more money to spend for a skateboard for cruising and simple tricks, then this is certainly one to think about. And it’s one that will last you too.
With it’s 7 ply rather than 6 ply deck, it's noticeably stronger and more durable than your typical Maple deck. Better yet, the layers are all resin pressed for strength, durability and lightness.
It’s a good size for a cruising skateboard, with the measurements coming in at 31" x 9.25" x 16.75" WB.
The mellow concave shape of the deck is just right - it allows the perfect foot placement.
We also really love the double at the back - perfect for working on turns and tricks.
Even the wheels are great. They are super resistant to scratches, so they will really last, which is thanks to their urethane construction. And better yet they give a really good grip with the ground. Perfect for beginners.
Globe Skateboards Review
In the interest of inclusivity, we felt it was well worth including a longboard amongst all these skateboards, because longboards are cool too, right?
You want your longboards to be long, and this one is, measuring a full 43 inches in length. It’s also nicely wide for a longboard too, with the width coming in at 9.5 inches. The wheelbase meanwhile is a nice long 28.75 inches.
It has a nice flex to the deck, and the deck has a slight concave shape which makes foot placement much easier than it otherwise would be.
The Byron Bay has responsive 180mm Slant trucks, which can be reversed. And the wheels are great too, all urethane for good grip on the street, and built to last.
All in all you get a very smooth ride for cruising around and you can do some wicked curve hopping, thanks to the kicktail design.
EDITORS CHOICE
We also decided to include a kid’s skateboard for good measure, especially seeing as how well this brand goes down with kids.
Of course, as it’s designed for smaller skaters, it’s overall size is noticeably smaller, measuring 29.3 inches in length, and 7.6 inches in width.
And while it’s made for kids, there’s been no skimping in the quality of its construction. It has a 7 ply maple deck, put together with Globe skateboard’s resin pressing to make the deck super strong and durable, but all the while keeping it quite lightweight.
And of course, coming from Globe, they have great trucks too, made with heavy duty yet lightweight aluminum, with grade 8 steel kingpins and axles.
The wheels are a nice 52 mm in diameter, making them large enough to glide over most surfaces provided the cracks aren’t too big. And they have a durometer rating of 99A so are very hard, which makes them great for use in skateparks and half pipes. The wheel’s bearings are also quite something, and allow the skater to go super fast. Arguably they’re amongst the best Abec 5 rated bearings on the market.
There is one “issue” with it and that’s that it often comes unassembled. But that’s not always a bad thing, because some kids find it quite fun to put together and learning about the different parts of the board that makes the skating possible helps them appreciate the equipment all the more.
Conclusion
Globe skateboards, and longboards make for a great choice of board, particularly for beginners and improvers. Unlike a lot of the cheaper skateboards on the market, these boards can take a considerable amount of usage and will really last.
In fact you may find it tricky to pick which one to go for! And to be honest it was hard enough to narrow down our favorites to just these few. But there’s plenty to choose from and you’re spoilt for choice.