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Buying your first skateboard shouldn't feel like guesswork. Search online and you'll find dozens of guides that all say the same thing: "just get an 8 inch board." That's not wrong, but it's not the full picture, and it doesn't help a parent buying for a seven year old, or an adult who hasn't stood on a board since school.
This guide gives you the same reasoning we use in the shop when someone asks what skateboard to buy. It covers age, height, deck width and the difference between buying a complete skateboard and building your own. By the end you'll know which collection to head to.
A complete skateboard is a fully built board: deck, grip tape, trucks, wheels and bearings all put together and ready to ride out of the box. Building your own from separate parts is a different route entirely, and it's not the one we'd recommend for a true beginner.
Here's why. Building a custom setup means choosing a deck shape, deck width, truck size, wheel hardness and bearing rating, then getting it all assembled correctly. That's a lot of decisions for someone who doesn't yet know what they like. Most riders don't know if they prefer a stiffer or softer deck, or looser or tighter trucks, until they've actually ridden for a while.
A complete skateboard removes that problem. It's built with sensible, proven components that suit learning: a stable deck, mid-range trucks, and wheels that roll well on pavement and at the skatepark. You get on it and start learning to push, turn and balance, instead of getting stuck before you've even started.
Once you've ridden for a few months and know what you want to change, upgrading a single part, say, swapping wheels for something softer, or trucks for something looser, is easy. Starting that way from day one just adds friction you don't need yet. If you want the deeper version of this, our how to choose a skateboard: our full beginner's guide covers deck shapes and construction in more detail.
Size comes down to three things, checked in this order: age, height, and how the person plans to ride. Shoe size gets asked about a lot, but it's the last thing to consider, not the first. Any deck width is technically rideable with any shoe size.
| Rider | Typical age / height | Starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Junior rider | Under 5ft, usually 3-10 years old | Junior complete, around 29" long, 7.25-7.5" wide |
| Transition-age rider | Roughly 10-13 years old | Full-size complete, 7.75-8.0" wide |
| Teen beginner | Most teenagers | 8.0" complete |
| Adult beginner / taller child | Taller riders, adults, parents | 8.25" complete |
| Adult cruiser / park rider | Adults mainly cruising or rolling around a park | 8.25-8.5" complete |
If you're still unsure after reading this, our best skateboards for kids: size guide breaks it down further with more examples.
Deck width is genuinely personal, and it's worth understanding the trade-off rather than just picking a number.
Wider decks feel more stable underfoot, giving more room for your feet and more confidence at speed. The trade-off is that they're heavier and harder to flip or ollie. Narrower decks are lighter and easier to flip, but you lose some of that stability and foot room.
For most beginners starting on a full-size board, 8.0 inches is the sensible middle ground. It's not too wide to feel unwieldy, and not so narrow that it feels twitchy underfoot. Once you've ridden it for a while, you'll know whether you'd prefer something wider for stability or narrower for tricks. That's a much easier decision to make once you've actually ridden a board than before you've bought one.
As a rough guide by use:
Don't treat any of this as a strict rule. It's a starting point, not a limit.
For kids under 5ft, a junior complete is almost always the better starting point over a full-size board. Junior boards are shorter and narrower, typically around 29 inches long and 7.25 to 7.5 inches wide, which makes them easier for smaller riders to pick up, carry, stand on and turn.
There are smaller boards out there than junior size, but we wouldn't push a parent towards one unless it's something we actually sell. At this age, kids are learning to stand, push and feel comfortable rolling. They're not attempting technical tricks, so an ultra-small setup usually isn't necessary.
Between roughly 10 and 13, most kids move into full-size territory rather than staying on junior boards, but a 7.75 inch complete is a good shout if they're on the smaller side. It keeps the board lighter and easier to learn on while still being a proper full-size setup.
Our junior and mini youth complete skateboards collection is a good place to start browsing once you know roughly what size fits.
The core advice doesn't change much for adults. You still start with a complete, and size still depends on height and intended use rather than age. What does change is that adults are usually taller and heavier than junior or teen riders, so a wider deck tends to feel more comfortable.
For most adult beginners, 8.25 inches is a sensible starting point. It gives a bit more room and stability without feeling oversized. If you're mainly planning to cruise around or roll about the skatepark rather than learn flip tricks straight away, 8.5 inches works well too.
Adults sometimes assume they need something more advanced than a beginner setup because they're not a child. That's not really true. The same logic applies: learn on a stable, well-built complete, then upgrade parts once you know your preferences. Our beginner skateboards for adults collection is built around exactly this.
Buying a toy-shop board. Boards sold as toys often use poor quality trucks and wheels that don't turn properly or roll smoothly. They make learning harder than it needs to be, and most people who start on one end up frustrated and quitting, or replacing it within weeks anyway.
Buying based on shoe size alone. Shoe size is a minor factor at most. Age, height and how you plan to ride matter far more.
Going too wide or too narrow because it "looks cool." Deck width should suit the rider, not a favourite pro's setup. A mismatched width just makes learning harder.
Skipping protection. Falls are part of learning to skate. A helmet and pads make those falls less painful and help build the confidence to keep practising. Have a look at our skateboard protection: helmets and pads if you're buying a first board for a child, or for yourself.
Assuming you need to build a custom setup to get something decent. As covered above, a well-specced complete skateboard is genuinely good enough for learning. You're not compromising by starting there.
Our buying your first skateboard: a beginner's guide goes into more detail on avoiding early mistakes if you want a deeper read.
A complete skateboard from Skatewarehouse arrives with the deck, grip tape, trucks, wheels and bearings all fitted and ready to ride. You won't need to assemble anything before your first session.
If you ever do want to understand how it all fits together, useful once you're maintaining or upgrading parts, our how to assemble a skateboard guide walks through it step by step.
To find the right board, start with your (or your child's) height and age using the table above, then browse the matching collection: shop complete skateboards for beginners for kids and teens, or beginner skateboards for adults if you're buying for yourself. Both are filtered so you can compare width and size without wading through boards built for experienced riders.
What is the best first skateboard for a beginner? A complete skateboard sized to your height and age is the best starting point for almost every beginner. It arrives ready to ride, with sensible parts that suit learning, rather than requiring you to guess at custom specs before you've even ridden a board.
What size skateboard should I buy if I'm a beginner? It depends on height and age more than anything else. Under 5ft, start with a junior complete around 7.25-7.5 inches wide. Teenagers usually suit an 8.0 inch complete. Adults typically suit 8.25 inches, or 8.5 inches if you're mainly cruising rather than learning tricks.
Should I buy a cheap skateboard to start with? Be careful here. There's a difference between an affordable complete skateboard and a toy-shop board. A properly built beginner complete at a reasonable price will roll and turn far better than a toy board, and will actually help you learn instead of getting in the way.
Is a complete skateboard good enough for a beginner, or do I need to upgrade parts? A complete skateboard is genuinely good enough to learn on. You don't need to upgrade anything to start riding properly. Once you've ridden for a while and know your preferences, upgrading individual parts like wheels or trucks is straightforward.
What skateboard should I buy for an 8 year old beginner? Most 8 year olds are under 5ft, so a junior complete around 29 inches long and 7.25-7.5 inches wide is usually the right starting point. It's easier for them to carry, stand on and control than a full-size board.
Do adults need a different skateboard to kids when starting out? The buying logic is the same: start with a complete, sized correctly. The main difference is that adults are usually taller and heavier, so they tend to suit a wider deck, typically 8.25 to 8.5 inches, compared to a child's 7.25 to 8.0 inch range.
