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The drop down longboard design is a very popular alternative design for boards where the board’s ends are higher than the middle section.
Review Longboards has reviewed a number of drop down longboards and our personal top 3 longboards in that category are listed below. These all make the list because their combination of price, quality components, and a great riding experience, make this boards the longboards to beat.
Top 3 Drop Down Longboards
| Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
SCSK8 Professional Speed Drop Down / Drop Through Complete Longboards (Natural, 41.25 x 9) |  (9.2 / 10) |  |
Atom Drop Deck Longboard (41-Inch) |  (9 / 10) | |
Yocaher Professional Speed Drop Down Stained Complete Longboard, Natural |  (8.6 / 10) | |
Drop Down Longboard Advantages
- A longboard with a drop down design is incredibly stable. Because the middle section is lower than the ends, there’s a “cradling effect” that protects riders from speed wobbles as they go downhill. You can see this effect in more detail in our review of the Yocaher Drop Down Longboard.
- Generally, this deck design has less flex than other designs such as the top mount. This is because most drop down longboards are made out of hardwood such as maple, unlike other boards which sometimes use bamboo such as the Loaded Flex 3.
- Because of the dropdown middle section, riders have a very secure grip on the board and this makes it very easy to initiate and control slides.
- As this board is so close to the ground, pushing is easier because your foot does not have to go as far. This makes the drop down design ideal for long distance traveling.
Drop Down Longboard Disadvantages
- The lower design also means an increase in bottoming out. While this isn’t a concern with regular riding, if you try to go off a sidewalk or a bump while riding around in the city the board will bottom out and abruptly stop.
- Similar to the Atom Drop through Longboard, this design does require stiff trucks because the trucks support the main weight of the deck and the rider. This makes it a lot harder to make sharp turns which is inconvenient at times.
The Verdict: Drop Down Longboards
Overall, the main advantage that drop down longboards offer is their superb stability. The drop down design is ideal for downhill longboards as the design prevents speed wobbles at high speeds.
It is also ideal for freeriding boards because the shape of the drop down deck provides footholds to the rider during especially hard slides.
However, this design does prevent very quick turns which a pintail design would give you. It is simply a tradeoff between stability and quickness. For beginner riders looking to achieve high speeds on a longboard, the drop down design is for you.
