Entered the longboard industry since 2005, up to now, Atom has gained a sizeable market share of entry-level niche. Known for unbeatable prices and excellent performance, Atom longboards are the best longboard brand for those who are in a tight budget.
In this article, I’ve listed out the 7 best Atom longboards based on a specific feature and besides, are detailed review and explanation to help you pick the most suitable model. Don’t overlook!
Table of Contents
- What Should I Choose Atom Longboards Over Other Brands?
- What Types of Atom Longboards Exist? What’s the Best One?
- Top 7 Best Atom Longboards Reviews 2019
- 1. Atom Drop-Through Longboard, 40-inch – Best overall
- 2. Atom Drop-Through – 41 Inch – Best for downhill
- 3. Atom Pin-Tail Longboard (39-Inch) – Best for cruising
- 4. Atom Drop Deck Longboard – 39 Inch – Best for speed
- 5. Atom Drop Deck Longboard (41-Inch) – Best for beginners
- 6. Atom Kicktail Longboard – Affordable
- 7. Atom Lowrider Longboard – Best for carving
- Conclusion
What Should I Choose Atom Longboards Over Other Brands?
Despite the affordability, Atom doesn’t persist making poor-quality longboards
If you’re wondering how Atom can limit their price range at such that low, the secret lies in their deep knowledge in longboarding. Actually, they have a design team who is also longboarding riders.
For that reason, they know which components can be spent less to save money and which areas don’t. Besides, Atom is a Mr. Giant in this industry. A large-scale manufacturing process also helps them decrease the producing cost significantly while retaining the board’s quality and performance.
Meet a wide range of riding styles
Atom is good at making entry-level longboards and their product lines are also vast enough to cover any riding styles. From carving, cruising, to freeriding, Atom is a reliable choice that’s not friendly to your bank but also your riding experience.
Their longboards focus on two factors: Maneuverability and Smoothness, which is the secret for their versatilities.
A good overview of wheels
80% of Atom drop-through longboards are crafted from 65mm 78A durometer wheels while the pintail lines are from super high-rebound 70mm urethane models.
The point here is for each riding style, the wheels are custom-made to fit snugly all requirements. As you can see, in the drop-through lines which are mainly for cruising, the wheels are kept grippy and soft to run over road imperfections smoothly.
Double barrel bushings
Unlike other brands, Atom delivers double barrel bushings to leverage its stability when you’re carving or cruising.
What Types of Atom Longboards Exist? What’s the Best One?
In terms of Atom longboards, there are three major lines:
Kicktail & pintail longboards:
Most of them are designed with surfing inspiration in mind while emphasizing a perfect performance blend of carving and cruising.
Drop-deck longboards:
Designed to be more down-to-Earth, the drop-deck lines of Atom highlight better feel of the flow and excel the stability to make it only easy to push but also catch higher speed. A perfect choice for cruising/kicking around town or long-distance commuting.
Drop-through longboards:
Another low-profile line. While delivering the same benefits as the drop-deck longboards, it’s distinctive based on the extra 10-inch deck length that prevents wheelbite during a carving performance.
The graphics collection is also more variable and with different price ranges, it ensures their customers can pick the most suitable model for both their preference and budget.
Top 7 Best Atom Longboards Reviews 2019
1. Atom Drop-Through Longboard, 40-inch – Best overall
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 40 x 10 x 4.5 inches |
| Weight | 7.9 pounds |
| Deck | 40” Maple/Bamboo hybrid laminate |
| Trucks | Navigator Drone trucks |
| Wheels | Atom AREA 51 - 70mm diameter - 51mm wide - 78A - SHR |
| Bearings | ABEC 9 |
| Highlight feature | -40 degrees of the baseplate -Maple and bamboo deck |
Pros:
- Decent stability level to avoid wobbles at high speeds
- Give perfect flex and stiffness to fit variable riding styles
- Coarse and grippy tape
- Curved, strong, and flexible deck
Cons:
- Some adjustments are needed at some components for better performance
- Can’t do tight turning radius
Atom Drop-through 40-inch isn’t the cheapest longboard in this list, in turns, it brings the highest value of money for the components’ quality that it buys you.
This is the only Atom drop board that’s crafted from a material blend of 2-ply bamboo and 7-ply maple, giving a perfect compromise of flex and stiffness to stay durable against all weathers.
Come out of the box with some metal Navigator Drone trucks, the most highlight feature about this component is baseplate angle. It’s a mere 40 degrees to elevate the board’s stability level during difficult maneuvers or at high speeds.
All you need to do is tightening/loosening them a little bit due to your riding style. Then, they are now really for a great board performance that turns on a dime.
2. Atom Drop-Through – 41 Inch – Best for downhill
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 41.7 x 4.7 x 10.6 inches |
| Weight | 7.8 pounds |
| Deck | 41” Full maple laminate deck |
| Trucks | reverse King Pin trucks |
| Wheels | 70mm urethane wheels |
| Bearings | ABEC 9 bearings |
| Highlight feature | -9.6” perimeter with unique shape design - low-profile deck |
Pros:
- Ultra-low-profile deck for more stability
- Smooth and control in sharp turns with no wheelbite
- Excel energy efficiency
Cons:
- Not high-quality bushings
- Need to adjust the trucks for better performance
Another 41” drop-through longboard from Atom and in this case, it’s designed to be extra-down to Earth, highlighting a decent stability level.
If you’re looking for a good downhill longboard, look no further than this.
While boasting an ultra-stiff low-profile deck, the combo of large 70mm urethane wheels and high-speed ABEC-9 bearings is like a perfect addition. This interesting combination excels the energy efficiency in every push while keeping minimal wears and tears on the board itself.
In my opinion, this Atom Drop-Through 41-inch is a versatile longboard that you can try different riding styles, from downhill to carving and cruising.
The 9.6” perimeter with unique shape design will help your performance better in every turn. It creates an incredibly tight turning radius while avoiding wheel-bite like a dream.
If you want it to be more versatile, some replacements might be needed, however, I bet the total cost will be much cheaper than a specialized model.
3. Atom Pin-Tail Longboard (39-Inch) – Best for cruising
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 39 x 9.4 x 6 (LxWxH) |
| Weight | 7.2 pounds |
| Deck | 39” Maple Laminate Deck |
| Trucks | 8.5 inches Aluminum Trucks |
| Wheels | 65mm / 78A Urethane Wheels |
| Bearings | ABEC 5 |
| Highlight feature | -Pintail at the end of the board |
Pros:
- Additional pintail for decent performance at cruising, freeriding and carving
- Soft wheels to go over cracks or rocks with ease
- All good components while keeping the price incredibly affordable
Cons:
- Need to loosen trucks
Designed with cruisers in mind, that’s why the Atom Pin-tail 39-inch Longboard delivers a modest speed in comparison to two 41” models above.
While featuring ABEC-5 bearings, the wheels are designed smaller with the same durometer of 78A urethane wheels to be more sensitive to speed but still ensuring the maximum stability.
This is a safe choice when choosing a cruiser longboard. It provides enough speed to avoid leaving you behind any long-distance races but don’t go too fast to lose balance. With adequately soft durometer, though it’s not an all-terrain longboard, it’s good at riding on small cracks or rocks.
In cruising, that is really important and luckily, the Atom 39-inch works it best.
4. Atom Drop Deck Longboard – 39 Inch – Best for speed
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 39 x 9.5 x 5.5 inches |
| Weight | 7.6 pounds |
| Deck | 9-ply Maple laminate deck |
| Trucks | reverse king pin - 50-degree base - 7-inch trucks |
| Wheels | atom area 51 - 70mm diameter x 51mm wide - 78a wheels |
| Bearings | ABEC 9 |
| Highlight feature | - 50-degree baseplate - coarse 46 grit grips |
Pros:
- ABEC-9 bearings to catch speed better while causing no wobbles or squeaky noise
- 50-degree baseplate for decent balance capability
- Coarse grip tape to lock your feet in at high speed
- Good maneuverability and turning capability
Cons:
- Grip tape is easy to peel off (compared to other Atom longboards)
- Turning joints need lubricating
Atom Drop-Deck is a 39-inch longboard with the same wheel design as the Drop-through 40-inch model above – 70mm diameter x 51mm wide, 78a durometer.
What truly makes it distinct from the other brother is not only in the 1-inch difference of deck’s length but also the trucks. In this drop-deck longboard, they are reverse kingpin with leverage in baseplate angle – up to 50 degrees for extra stability.
For that reason, it doesn’t wobble or squeaky when riding your board downhill. Like other Atoms, the wheels are pre-lubricated to give precise speed and, in this case, ABEC-9 rating is arguably fast enough to give any riders the best satisfaction.
Don’t worry about safety, the board is equipped with coarse 46 grit grips with ultimate traction to lock your feet in nicely at high speed.
5. Atom Drop Deck Longboard (41-Inch) – Best for beginners
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 41.7 x 4.7 x 10.6 inches |
| Weight | 10.14 pounds |
| Deck | 41” Full maple laminate deck |
| Trucks | reverse King Pin trucks |
| Wheels | Wide-Lip 70-by-51-millimeter super high rebound (SHR) urethane wheels |
| Bearings | ABEC 9 |
| Highlight feature | - symmetrical shape deck - wide wheels, sturdy deck for stability |
Pros:
- Keep wears and tears away from the board
- Symmetrical shape deck to keep balance better and easy to learn to ride
- Ultra-durable to bear daily wears and tears better
Cons:
- Grip tape is easy to come up
- Trucks need adjusting and lubricating
- You should remove the spacers
Take a look at the Drop-deck Longboard’s description and you can tell it: This is a heavy item. I don’t intend to deny that fact but still, I highly recommend Drop-deck for beginner riders because of these reasons:
It is constructed with drop-through shape to lower the center of gravity significantly, hence, giving more stability for novice riders confidently stand on and start to ride it.
41” deck length is a two-edged sword. It’s bulky while providing enough foot stance for riders to get the best comfort during a ride. The unique design of this component also helps to limit wheel-bite efficiently.
Unlike the Pin-tail, this highlights asymmetrical shape to give one less concern for you about which side should be forward.
While looking so cool, the board is claimed for its phenomenal performance for cruising. Seem like the extra-wide wheels have worked their best in this issue. The only one thing you should consider is its limitation in taking a tight turning radius. So, for carving, this is a no-no.
6. Atom Kicktail Longboard – Affordable
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 39 x 9.5 x 4.5 inches |
| Weight | 7.4 pounds |
| Deck | Maple Laminate Deck |
| Trucks | 8.5 inches Aluminum Trucks |
| Wheels | 65mm / 78A Urethane Wheels |
| Bearings | ABEC 5 |
| Highlight feature | - 90A - HR suspension - die-cast aluminum hanger and base |
Pros:
- High-quality suspension to make a quick stop when in need while ensuring safety
- Leveraged quality in base and hanger to last longer
- Affordable -> Great to start with
Cons:
- Wheels need loosening
- For higher riding level, trucks should be replaced
Move on to the next Atom longboard which is also the cheapest out of a bunch. With a mere $63, this Classic Kicktail model has got no remorse from me in terms of the quality and performance.
90% of components are superior-quality and designed with novice riders in mind. Focus on delivering extra stability, you can see the extra-wide 8.5-inch trucks, the adequate-speed ABEC-5 bearings, and soft, smooth 78A wheels.
While eliminating your fears of keeping balance on the 4-wheeled board, I’m sure you will get lots of fun memories with this.
I love the sturdy maple laminated deck with full coverage grip-tape. They not only deliver smooth feel when running over cracks or ribs but also keep your feet stay firmly when riding at high speed.
The extra 90A – HR suspension is the last-but-not-least bonus I’d like to talk to. They take a role in pausing the bearings’ rotation quickly but safely when in need, ensuring your safety from A to Z.
7. Atom Lowrider Longboard – Best for carving
Product Specifications:
| Dimensions | 39 x 11 x 6 inches |
| Weight | 7.3 pounds |
| Deck | 9-ply maple wood laminate deck |
| Trucks | Standard Skate trucks |
| Wheels | 70-millimeter/78A wheels |
| Bearings | ABEC 5 |
| Highlight feature | - super low-profile geometry deck -extra-large 70mm wheels |
Pros:
- Upgraded pintail to deliver extra easy pushing and energy efficiency
- Extra-large 70mm wheels for more balance and steadiness to stand on and at high speed
- Allow doing tricks and sharp turns
Cons:
- Not good steering
Designed with a pintail, now, you might be wondering about the difference between this and the Pintail 39” drop-deck longboard above, right?
Well, the most basic difference is the purpose of use. While its previous sibling is mainly for downhill carving, this model is for lowrider street carving only. That’s why its wheels’ diameter is leveraged up to 70mm to ride through pavements or cracks easily.
The pintail itself also has some upgrades. With a new design, it (combining with the super low-profile geometry deck) gives incredibly easy pushing.
Compared to other carving longboard brands, this is outstanding in terms of energy efficiency, especially in long-distance rides.
Conclusion
Above are 7 best Atom longboards that are chosen from my 7-year longboarding experience. And I believe that other experts will agree with me that in entry-level longboard world, Atom deserves to be the king for their perfect compromise of performance, budget, and style.
Therefore, if you’re a beginner who doesn’t intend to pay a bunch of money on the very first longboard, this is best to go.