Magneto is a newer, up and coming brand in the longboarding industry. Based in Carlsbad, California – where the history of skateboarding started. The Magneto tradename was bought back from a UK company by a team of experienced product engineers who have been successfully relaunching the longboard brand.
Magneto builds quality longboards and cruisers which are very competitively priced (under $150) offering very good value for the money. The feedback from Magneto longboard owners is overwhelmingly positive, which is quite astonishing since we know from experience lower price usually means lower quality.
In this post, I review some of the longboards in Magneto’s product lineup and help you make sense of what each board works best for and how well it can match your needs.
Important note: although Magneto also develops and markets an electric skateboard line, this post only focuses on regular longboards.
Magneto cruiser longboard review
The Magneto mini-cruiser is a 27.5″ by 7.5″ short longboard with a tight 18″ wheelbase – compare that with the 29″ wheelbase of the Laguna pintail for example. It has a surf-style directional cruiser shape with an ample functional kicktail and a nose kick. The double kick gives it high maneuverability allows for easy ollies and flip/kick tricks.
With its small size (smaller than a street deck) and small weight (5 lbs), the mini cruiser is designed to be a fun, portable, convenient everyday city commuter and slasher that can be easily carried everywhere.
Most versions of the Magneto mini-cruiser are built with 6 plies of Canadian Maple, making for very durable decks. An additional version has 5 plies of maple sandwiched in 2 layers of carbon-infused bamboo, giving it a very attractive finish. Like most Magneto longboard decks, the cruiser has invisible sandblasted grit which works very well when carving and slashing- no added griptape necessary.
Like all Magneto longboards, the mini-cruiser comes with good quality components, including 5″ gravity cast aluminum Magneto trucks (medium-stiff bushings) and high-rebound urethane 60mm soft Magneto wheels (78A) for comfortable cruising over cracks and bumps and plenty of grip for carving and slashing. The deep wheel wells on the deck bottom, combined with the risers between the deck and trucks, allow for wheelbite-free tight turns.
Riders keep raving about the Magento mini-cruiser, loving every aspect of it including the compact size and portability, the riding comfort and convenience, and also the awesome design and looks of the deck and the graphics.
Check out the reviews and price for the Magneto mini-cruiser on Amazon.
Magneto bamboo + fiberglass longboard reviews
Bamboo is very strong – as strong as steel lengthwise – and extremely flexible due to its cellular structure with long fibers. Bamboo is weaker across the grain, however, and combining bamboo laminates with fiberglass creates very strong and highly flexible decks. Let’s take a close-up look at Magneto’s bamboo & fiberglass longboards.
Magneto Bamboo drop-through CRUISER 42″ review
The Magneto Bamboo cruiser longboard is 42″ long by 9″ wide with a 34″ wheelbase. It’s a nearly symmetrical cutout shape with drop-through truck mounts, making it a low-riding, stable and easy-to-push longboard for comfortable distance cruising.
The Magneto cruiser deck is made from a blend of 3 plies of bamboo and 2 plies of fiberglass, giving it both outstanding strength and astonishing flexibility. The top sandblast coating on the deck top removes the need for grip tape (very grippy and attractive look).
The deck profile is slightly cambered, which, combined with the soft flex of the bamboo + fiberglass, gives the board an energetic and springy feel and good response in turns and carves – this helps you maintain speed with less effort:
The Magneto Bamboo Cruiser has large cutout wheels for maximum clearance (no wheelbite) and subtle radial concave for moving your feet swiftly when cruising or carving. It also has small kicks for doing quick turns and small hops.
This Magneto longboard comes with Paris-style 7″ aluminum trucks with medium bushings, versatile for most terrain. The Magneto trucks are made with heavy-duty, gravity cast aluminum making them strong and stable when riding. They have a 50º kingpin angle which provides a good balance between quick turning and stability for all-around riding styles.
The Bamboo Cruiser, like most of the longboards in the Magneto lineup, comes equipped with 70mm x 53mm Magneto cruiser wheels made from a quality SHR urethane. The wheels have a soft 78A durometer, offering smooth rolling and good grip for cruising and carving.
Riders who bought this longboard love the carving and the smoothness of the ride on this cruiser. Many praise the quality of the stock trucks and bearings and the deck to be durable. The Magneto Bamboo Cruiser is also very well-suited for beginners due to its comfortable size, stability, maneuverability, and good rolling over rocks and cracks.
Everyone agrees this cruiser longboard handles speed well and has a very attractive look. It’s also very competitively priced.
Check out the Magneto Bamboo cruiser 42″ here on Amazon.
Magneto Bamboo drop-through CARVER longboard 38.5″ review
This Magneto longboard is also a symmetrical drop-through cutout shape build from the same high-performance blend of bamboo and fiberglass as the 42″. This board, however, is specifically designed for carving, being shorter at 38.5″ (an optimal deck length for carving) and equipped with higher angled trucks for much tighter turning.
The Magneto Bamboo carver, although shorter, has the same 9″ width than the 42″, aligning with truck width for comfortable foot placement. Like its big brother, it also offers energetic flex (medium soft this time) which pushes you out of the turns. It also has a slight camber for a nice springy feel when carving.
Unlike the 42″, this carver does not have upturned kicks due to its smaller length, being primarily focused on carving.
Similar to the 42″, riders praise the Magneto Bamboo Carver 38.5″ for its smoothness and durability – some even feel it’s the best longboard in their quiver. While most riders are happy with the quality of the components (the same as the 42″ cruiser), some choose to upgrade them e.g. to Bones Reds, Paris V2 50º, and Shark Wheels Sidewinders for even better performance.
Everyone is happy with the board’s build, style, and look of this Magneto longboard. The 38.5 format also makes it easier to carry around when using it to commute.
See the (super affordable) price for the Magneto Bamboo drop-through carver 38.5″ on Amazon.
Magneto bamboo + maple longboard reviews
Aside from the bamboo + fiberglass super-flex decks, Magneto also produces a line of longboard decks using a mix of bamboo and maple. Maple wood is extremely dense and strong and can be bent and shaped without losing resistance. The Magneto bamboo maple decks are built with 7 to 10 plies of maple which are cross-beamed and hydraulically pressed, cut, sealed, and printed. These boards offer a different feel from the composite deck discussed above:
Magneto Bamboo Maple TWIN longboards review
The Magneto Bamboo Maple Twin is a versatile starter longboard with a symmetrical cutout shape and a drop-through mount. It has a solid 8-ply construction with a hard maple core sandwiched between attractive bamboo plies.
The Magneto Bamboo Maple Twin comes in two flavors:
- The Hana Bamboo Maple is 42″ x 9.5″, with a 32″ wheelbase
- The Laguna Bamboo Maple is 36″ x 9.5″, with a 28″ wheelbase
Although both versions are primarily designed for cruising, the Hana Twin 42″ is also suitable for wide carving and some freestyle thanks to its slight flex and small kicks.
The Laguna 36″, on the other hand, is stiffer, more compact and more maneuverable, so it works best for commuting and tight carving around town.
The Hana Twin and Laguna Twin are both very responsive, although with a different feel. The large wheel cutouts prevent wheelbite even in tighter turns. Both decks are as wide and comfortable at 9.5″, and offer some foot lock-in thanks to a slight W concave.
Both versions of the Magneto Bamboo Maple Twin boast beach-style graphics with racing stripes and bamboo finish on the deck top and bottom. The bamboo veneers on the 42″ Hana Twin, however, are much darker than those of the Laguna.
Riders rate both versions of the Magneto Bamboo Maple Twin favorably, namely citing the looks of the Hana and the compact size and the maneuverability of the Laguna.
Check out the price for the Magneto 42″ Hana Bamboo Maple Twin or the 36″ Laguna Twin on Amazon.
Magneto Hana Bamboo Maple 42” CRUISER longboard review
This one may get you a little confused as at first sight, as it seems quite similar to the Hana Twin above. However, it has some important differences:
- The Hana Cruiser has a longer wheelbase of 34″ vs 32″ for the Twin
- This board is slightly narrower at 9″ vs 9.5″ for the Twin, with a tapered contour in the middle
- Due to its slightly different shape, the Hana Cruiser is significantly flexier than the Hana Twin
As a result of the greater wheelbase and increased flex, the Magneto Hana Cruiser 42″ is suitable for energetic cruising and deep carving, as well as for some freestyle and dancing provided you have a preference for high flex – best suited for certain types of freestyle riding but not hardcore kick tricks.
Besides the much higher flex, the Magneto Hana Cruiser has essentially the same features as the Hana Twin, include the same mellow W concave, the small kicks, and the dark bamboo finish.
See the price for the slimmed-down Hana Bamboo Maple Cruiser 42″ here on Amazon.
Magneto Laguna Bamboo Maple 36″ CARVER longboard review
Here again, the Magneto Laguna Carver 36″ looks a lot like the Laguna Maple Twin. In this case, however, it has one major difference: the Laguna Carver is a topmount version of the Twin. It also has a slightly longer wheelbase at 29″ (vs 28″).
The topmount trucks make the Laguna Carver more responsive compared to its drop-through sibling. It’s designed for hard slashing and carving in the city. It’s best suited for more experienced riders as it rides higher and offers a less comfortable pushing experience compared to the drop-through Twin.
The topmount design of the Magneto Laguna Carver longboard also provides better responsiveness at speed, and the slightly longer wheelbase gives you improved stability at higher speed (downhill) compared to the Twin.
Another subtle difference is the Laguna Bamboo Maple Carver has a direction shape (tail and nose slightly different) as opposed to the Twin’s fully symmetrical deck.
Riders who purchase the Magneto Laguna Carver tend to become big fans of the board due to the quality, smoothness, and responsiveness. Be aware that the Laguna Carver longboard may be slightly harder to learn on than the Laguna Twin.
Check out the Magneto Laguna Carver Bamboo Maple 36” on Amazon.
Magneto pintail longboard reviews
Magneto has two pintail versions in its longboard lineup, the Hana Bamboo Maple 42″ and the Laguna Bamboo Maple 36″. Pintail longboards are generally topmount and designed primarily with stylish and relaxed cruising in mind, and Magneto’s pintails are no exception.
The Hana Pintail (above) is 42″ long by 9.5″ wide with a 31″ wheelbase – a bit shorter than the Hana drop-throughs I discussed earlier. Like the drop-throughs, the deck on the Magneto Hana Pintail boasts an 8-ply bamboo and maple construction, making for a sturdy board with medium flex (great with carving).
The Laguna Pintail, on the other hand, is 36″ x 9.5″ with a 29″ wheelbase (2″ shorter than the Hana). While the Hana Pintail is well suited for cruising in wider spaces such as parks and bike trails, the Laguna pintail is even more responsive and portable due to its compact shape. It’s also stiffer than the Hana, and its wider aspect ratio allows you to take it down some small hills.
Light their drop-through siblings, the Magneto Hana and Laguna pintails have a slight W-concave for foot tucking. The larger deck on the Hana is a good option for beginner longboarders.
Check out the Magneto Hana Bamboo Maple Pintail and the Laguna Bamboo Maple Pintail on Amazon.
Magneto downhill longboards reviews
Magneto Carbon Fiber Downhill longboard review
This is a technologically advanced composite board built from a high-quality blend of bamboo, fiberglass, and 3K carbon fiber designed specifically for downhill high speed. This material mix makes the deck both lightweight and super stiff, which is crucial for stability when going fast.
Fiberglass and carbon also have significant dampening properties which reduce the vibrations at high speed and make the ride much easier on the feet.
The Magneto Carbon Fiber longboard is 37″ long and very wide at 10″ for comfort and secure foot positioning when bombing hills. The deck features a pronounced W-concave across its length which provides secure foot lock-in and greatly helps with speed checking and sliding at high speeds. The medium-grade grip tape also adds to the deck’s overall comfort feeling at speed.
The Magneto Carbon Fiber is top mounted for optimal responsiveness and more precise speed lines. The deck has flat recesses at the mount points for improved truck performance and stability during high-speed slides.
Riders who own this downhill longboard rate it very highly, praising the stiffness and width and the level of craftsmanship it offers. At around $150, it’s also very good value. Many riders feel in control up to 45mph on this Magneto board. Some, however, suggest upgrading the trucks and wheels to something like Seismic before taking it to higher speeds.
Overall, longboarders are impressed with the design and functionality of the Magneto Carbon Fiber, and many use it on a daily basis.
See reviews and pricing for the Magneto Carbon Fiber Downhill longboard on Amazon.
Magneto Tesla downhill longboard review
The Magneto Tesla is a highly versatile 35″ x 9″ directional topmount board with a cruiser-style shape and a large kicktail. Aside from the versatile middle size, what sets the Tesla apart from the other boards in the Magneto lineup is 1) the extra stiff flex, 2) the prominent wheel flares and raised contours for extreme turns, and 3) the deep concave which makes it suitable for high-speed downhill.
The deep concave and aggressive wheel flares on the Magneto Tesla make it a great longboard for serious carving. The deep foot pockets on the maple deck provide very secure foot locking as well as strong feedback when making very tight turns. The wheel clearance resulting from the raised flares remove any chance of wheelbite.
The wheel flares and foot pockets make the Tesla a very suitable board for deep carving and distance pumping. They also contribute to the deck’s extra stiffness, making the Tesla a good match for fast freeride and downhill. The deep foot pockets also give you confidence and support when sliding at high speed, and the flares provide good reference points for your feet.
The Magneto Tesla comes with 7″ high-angle trucks which allow for easy riding in tight corners – higher degree trucks result in more turn (vs lean). This, combined to easy kick tail turns, makes the Tesla a capable city slasher and commuter, adding to the board’s carving, pumping, and downhill abilities.
Riders appreciate the ride height on the Magneto Tesla as it gives it strong carving capability. They also praise the stability of this board when going fast downhill and also when pushing distance. They enjoy the Tesla’s size, optimal for both carrying it around and riding comfortably including for bigger riders. For many, the Tesla is not their first Magneto longboard.
Check out the Magneto Tesla price and reviews here on Amazon.
3protestant
Wednesday 12th of January 2022
2genetic