Drop-down aka drop deck longboards have a special shape that makes the section of the deck where you stand on (aka the standing foot platform) closer to the ground than the truck mount points. A drop-down deck curves and drops down between the trucks so your feet sit lower to the ground than the mount holes.
Therefore, your center of gravity is lower on a drop-down longboard than on other longboards, including some drop-throughs. These are 5 of the best and most popular drop-down longboards out there:
1. Loaded Trip Collab
2. Sector 9 Fault Line 39.5″
3. Atom Drop Deck 41″
4. Globe Bannerstone 41″
5. Santa Cruz 36″
6. Landyachtz Switch 40″
Let’s deep dive into these 5 best drop-down longboards. I’ll also briefly
discuss what makes drop-down longboards so special.
Note: If you’re not sure whether a drop-down is what you need for your riding style(s), check out How to Choose the Right Longboard for Me for an overview of what to look for based on riding style.
See also our Longboard Selector, the most comprehensive longboard database on the web with advanced filters:
1. Loaded Pantheon Trip Collab 33.25″ drop-down longboard review
The Loaded Pantheon Trip Collab is a compact (33.25″) drop-through & drop down longboard with a wide and very stable 21.6″ dropped platform.
It has a wide symmetrical outline with large wheel cutouts, with small tail and nose wingtips where the trucks are mounted.
The platform’s significant drops makes the Trip ride very low to the ground for pushing efficiency. It can also run very large wheels wheelbite-free for high-speed, super comfy riding.
The Trip Collab is drop-through – the trucks are mounted through large wholes cut inside the tail and nose, further lowering the deck.
The Trip is designed specifically around RKP trucks. The default setup comes with 165mm Paris RKP trucks (50º).
The stock RKP trucks have just enough flex for a comfortable ride, absorbing cracks and bumps very nicely. This reinforced by a vibration damping cork layer.
The stock 165mm trucks fit the huge 85mm Orangatang Caguama wheels without wheelbite. These are are super smooth wheels with lots of grip than will roll over anything.
See also my in-depth review (including test ride) of the Loaded Pantheon Trip.
2. Sector 9 Fault Line 39.5″ drop-down longboard review
The Sector 9 Fault Line is a popular longboard drop-down construction well-suited for beginners. At 39.5″ by 9.75″ with a solid 29″ to 31″ wheelbase, this midsized longboard has a comfortable foot platform.
The drop-down construction gives the Fault Line a really low ride, great for pushing and for long commutes. This board also has a medium concave that gives you snug foot placement and a secure feel when riding faster.
The soft (78A) 70mm Nineballs wheels are fast and smooth-rolling with high-quality urethane (like all Nineball products). The softness gives you good cushioning for rough terrain. The wide contact patch offers good grip in tight turns. The 10″ Gullwing Reverse trucks are reputed for their responsiveness.
Beginners looking for a comfortable and fast longboard for daily commuting will benefit from the Fault Line’s low ride, and its quality construction and components.
3. Atom Drop Deck 41″ drop-down longboard review
The Atom drop deck is extremely popular because of its very affordable price (around $100) and pretty decent quality. I’ve included it here because it’s a very good low-riding drop-down option for a beginner or a more experienced rider looking for something that’s very easy to push and commute, carve downhill, or learn to slide on.
Sized 41″ by 9.5″, the Atom Drop Deck is a large sturdy (relatively heavy) deck built from solid 9-ply maple. It has a significant drop which makes it very low to the ground, hence super stable at speed and uber-comfortable for distance pushing.
The Atom is also a nice carving board because of the large wheel cutouts which allow tight turns with no wheelbite. The 50º RKP trucks are good quality knock offs that make the ride smooth and responsive despite the Atom’s size.
The 70mm wide lipped Atom wheels are fast and grippy, well-suited for downhill carving and commuting. Their soft 78A durometer, combined with the Atom deck’s slight flex, helps dampen the ride quite well on uneven pavement and sidewalks.
Overall, the Atom Drop Deck is a good quality drop-down longboard for commuting and freeriding. The effective deck shape and decent components make it a responsive, stable, and comfortable board to carve and travel on. It’s not the most portable longboard, but that’s not what it’s designed for.
Pro tip: lubricating the bearings with speed cream improves the board’s performance noticeably.
See the Atom Drop Deck price and reviews on Amazon.
4. Globe Bannerstone drop-down longboard review
The Globe Bannerstone is a comfortable 41″ by 9.75″ drop-down longboard with an ample 32.5″ wheelbase designed primarily for distance and speed. This dropped platform is very low riding and provides the stability you need for going fast downhill. It makes pushing over long distances easy.
The 1″ slanted drop gives you secure foot lock-in for throwing big slides at higher speeds with confidence. The deck is made of bamboo, which makes the Banerstone a very attractive board. It also gives it a bit of flex albeit without affecting stability at speed. The deck also has a slight side-to-side concave, adding to the secure feel when riding fast.
A small caveat to this board is that the bottom of the deck can sometimes touch the ground if you hit a big bump.
The Bannerstone comes with 180mm Slant 50º Reverse Kingpin trucks which make the board smooth and responsive for commuting and pushing distance. The trucks are also stable and responsive enough for going fast on steeper hills. The large 72mm wheels are fast and soft enough (78A) for riding smoothly over all kinds of terrain.
In short, a great comfortable drop-down longboard for freeriding and sliding at higher speeds and for efficient distance commuting.
5. Santa Cruz 36″ drop-down longboard review
The last board I’ll look at here is this great looking 36″ x 9.3″ Santa Cruz longboard, a smaller drop-down option for a more all-around type of riding compared to the previous boards.
This Santa Cruz board with the Screaming Hand design is a cool-looking, micro-drop deck. It’s shorter and narrower than the Atom, Bannerstone, and Switch, with a smaller 29″ wheelbase. the smaller size makes this board a bit more nimble and easier to carry than the previous ones without giving up the low ride.
The Santa Cruz 36″ offers a durable, thick, and stiff deck made of 9 plies of maple hardwood, stiffer than the bamboo Bannerstone. The platform has a smaller drop and hence is not as low to the ground as the others. The Santa Cruz has deep wheel cutouts which give it a lot of clearance for deep carves at speed (wheelbite is dangerous!)
This drop-down longboard is well-suited for a versatile mix of distance pushing (no deck rub here), intense carving, and freeriding. Similar to the Atom and Bannerstone, the slight concave on this Santa Cruz gives you a comfortable ride and some support for sliding while still offering freedom of movement for casual cruising.
This Santa Cruz 36″ board comes with responsive 180º Bullet RKP trucks and quality 72mm 78A Road Rider wheels. This is a very nice all-around drop-down board including for comfortable commuting.
See the reviews and price for the Santa Cruz Screaming Hand on Amazon
6. Landyatchz Switch 40″ drop-down longboard review
The Landyachtz Switch should be included it here because it’s a premium drop-down longboard designed primarily for serious freeride. It’s been around for years and is ahighly-regarded freeride board.
At 40″ long by 10″ wide, the Switch is wider than the Bannerstone and the Atom (though 1″ shorter) giving it an ample standing platform for maximum comfort when riding fast downhill. It also makes this board well-suited for taller riders with large feet.
The Switch has a significant drop (this ain’t no micro drop!) for a very low and stable ride when going fast. One of the things that
The Switch’s shape boasts huge wheel cutouts which allow very deep turns, including downhill. The deck is made from highly durable maple. As always with Landyachtz, the 180mm Bear Grizzly trucks are impressively strong and
The Switch offers the comfort, support, and confidence needed to take the rider’s skills to the next level. The low ride, comfortable deck, and ultra fluid trucks also let you push and commute fast and smooth with minimal effort.
What’s a drop-down longboard?
A drop-down longboard is a deck with a lowered standing platform between the trucks, due to the deck being curved near the mount points.
A drop-down deck is also called a drop deck or a drop platform (or dropped platform). These terms all refer to the same thing.
Drop-down vs drop through
However, drop-down is different than drop through. A drop-through deck means the trucks are mounted across the deck through cutout holes in it, so that the baseplate of the truck sits above the deck and the hanger below it.
While a drop-down deck has a
Drop-down longboards offer more stability than other types of boards due to their riding low to the ground. This is particularly true at speed.
Drop-down vs rocker
A
Drop deck vs micro drop
While older drop decks like the Landyahtz Evo or the Globe Geminon used to have large drops, today’s trend is toward “micro drops”, which simply refer to a subtle drop in the deck. A micro drop still results in the deck being lower to the ground and providing good foot lock-in, but with a lesser impact on wheelbase length, truck leverage and responsiveness (see next section).
Pros and cons of drop-down longboards
Pros of drop-down longboards
- As I mentioned, drop-down longboards ride lower to the ground and bring your center of gravity lower, providing greater stability
especially at speed. - In addition to stability, drop-downs make good freeride and downhill longboards because the front drop creates a comfortable wedge for tucking your foot, resulting in a secure stance at speed. Front and rear drops can also help secure your speed tuck in downhill.
- A dropped platform also has nice advantages for sliding. The ability to secure your feet on the deck drops makes sliding more comfortable. Top-mounted decks with micro drops can provide a very comfortable stance.
- Slide initiation is also made easier on a drop-down because the lower center of gravity results in less traction, i.e. less resistance and less tip from the board when you push it sideways, and when hooking back up after the slide.
- Drop deck longboard shapes also generally have large wheel cutouts allowing them to run very big wheels without wheelbite. Bigger wheels (e.g. in the 75-85mm range) allow for higher speed.
- Last but not least, a drop-down longboard being closer to the ground makes it easier to push and commute longer distances since your foot doesn’t need to drop as much to kick the pavement. Foot braking is also easier when riding low.
- The stability of drop-down longboards is also ideal for newer riders who are working on their balance and basic riding skills.
Drop-down longboard cons
- Traditional drop-down longboards tend to be larger and bulkier with a longer wheelbase compared to other boards as the standing platform sits between (and lower than) the trucks – you can’t stand directly on top of the trucks.
- This also results in less leverage on the trucks due to the distance to your feet. Your weight is distributed differently onto the trucks compared to decks without drops. This can result in a less responsive board and less sharp turning e.g. for speed racing.
- If you’re a smaller rider, the added weight of some drop-down longboards can also make it harder to break into a slide as more weight throwing is required. Likewise, you may find it harder to control your slide after initiation due to the weight of the board.
- These shortcomings, however, are not as much an issue for micro dropped decks since a smaller drop typically allows these boards to boast a shorter wheelbase and lighter weight.
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Photo credits:
Featured image “DSC03388” (CC BY 2.0) by Rob Cruickshank
“Longboard Larry Pusher 2.0 longboard” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Robert Thomson
Product photos: Atom Longboards, Landyachtz, Santa Cruz, Globe
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Thursday 13th of January 2022
2chichester