Arbor Longboards Review - A brand guide - 80s Skateboards (2023)

Arbor began in 1995 in Venice Beach, California. The organisation has since defined itself as a brand that focuses on providing environmentally friendly skateboards. There are many Arbor longboards for sale. Our Arbor Longboards Review will help you discover if you want one.

If you are on the market for a longboard you may face a difficult choice of whether to select an Arbor versus other brands such as Landyachtz.

In this review, we will take you through a genuine test drive of an Arbor longboard and compare it to other longboards on the market. There are many Arbor longboards for sale. Our guide and reviews will help you discover if you want one.

About Arbor Longboards

Arbor describes themselves as a collective of growing cooperative of designers, artists and friends. Whose shared goal is building rideable and wearables things from the best stuff possible”

Arbor takes the environment very seriously, and rightly so. Their programs such as “Returning Roots” and developing decks from recycled materials is exactly what you would hope from a morally aware company.

In addition to longboards. Arbor also produces standard skateboards, cruisers, downhills boards and freestyle setups. They even produce snowboards.

Arbor Longboard Pricing

Arbor Longboards range from $90 – $220 online (Amazon) and from $150 – $400 at skate shops.

This is in the middle to high range for a longboard.

Arbor Skateboard Range

Arbor creates a range of decks and completes to choose from.

• These range from:
• street decks
• Pintails
• Cruisers
• Mini-cruisers
• Free-ride
• Down-hill.

Arbor decks are chiefly made using maple ply.

Arbor Longboard Series

Arbor organizes their boards into aesthetically pleasing ‘series’. For 2017, these seriesare:

• Groundswell Collection
• PhotoCollection
• BambooCollection
• Artist Collection
• Flagship Series

Arbor Longboard Parts

All of the Arbor complete longboards come with ABEC5 bearings, with the exception of the Flagship and Groundswell Series boards, that come with ABEC7.

The Griptape is Jessup or Grizzly

The designs of the deck change according to the model and we will break down what you can expect from each series here.

Arbor Longboards Review – AXIS 40 AC – Artist Collection Series

There comes a time when you look across the room and you see a skateboard you have to have. The 2017 Arbor Axis Artist Collection 2017 Complete Longboard is a new model andwe have taken it for an in-depth test.

The Specs:

DECK:

• 8 maple plies
• Wood material comes from sustainable sources of supply
• Wood by-product is reclaimed for use in other products
• Decks are produced using eco friendly water-based sanding sealers

COMPLETES INCLUDE:

• Trucks: Paris 50° 180mm – Reverse Kingpin
• Wheels: Arbor Sucrose Initiative – Outlook Series
• Designed for carving and cruising the streets
• Fun for all-around town performance
• Size: 70.0mm
• Durometer: 78a
• Contact Patch: 36mm
• Offset: 0.0mm
• Core: Momentum – Low profile for a smoother ride
• Formula: Fusion – Performance, durability, reduced petroleum
• *Amber Formula: Thane – Slide and Slip
• Bearings: ABEC 5
• Grip: Jessup

The Arbor Axis 2017 has an unreal attention to detail. The cutout of the griptape is perfect and the logo appears like a window on the top of the deck. The wood grain finish peeking from behind this makes it look extra classy.

The concave is mellow and precisely what you want from a longboard.

We really like the deck graphic, with obvious influences from Japan. The design elements are almost categorized like different food elements to a Bento Box.

Standing still on the board you will feel a fair amount of flex on the board.

The Ride

Wow. For once we have a longboard right out of the box with appropriate truck tension. The wheels were also spinning freely. We are not sure if this is just a coincidence. Nevertheless, make sure you have a trusty skate tool for your adjustments.

The wheelswere also spinning freely. We are not sure if this is just a coincidence. Nevertheless, make sure you have a trusty skate tool for your adjustments.We are not sure if this is just a coincidence. Nevertheless, make sure you have a trusty skate tool for your adjustments.

On the flat this ride is SMOOTH. We have to say this again – SMOOTH.
The softness of the wheels mixed with the extra stability from a nicely flexed board will build up confidence quickly for a beginner very well. We tested it on some pretty nasty pavement holes and it just seems to ignore the fact that you should feel a sharp bump.

On turns you can make sharp turns quite easily.

Of course, since this is a longboard, don’t expect to turn as tight as on a popsicle deck. Nevertheless, the front and tail of the deck are arranged to not only prevent but completely disregard wheel bite.

We have bombed some medium hills in it and have not experienced speed wobble. We will be trying out some larger hills in future and will let you know how it runs.

PROS

• Good stability
• Beautiful design
• Super smooth ride
• Drop through mounting system for easy pushing
• Wheel cut out design providing good clearance for wheels and removing potential wheel bite.
• Stable construction

CONS

• Maple construction can be at more risk of chipping and water logging than some other materials

Arbor Longboard Review Summary – AXIS 40 AC – Artist Collection Series

We are a big fan of the Artist Collection which is part of the reason we invested the money in doing a real test drive.

The Arbor Longboard AXIS 40 AChas such a smooth ride, you will feel like you are snowboarding. The 2017 range will suit any rider but it is particularly great for anyone new to longobarding.

Arbor bamboo series

In accordance with their strong environmental theme, Arbor produces bamboo decks AKA “their Bamboo collection”.

Bamboo is a supremely strong, light and renewable material and has different characteristics to maple. The weight is the most noticeable characteristic, and it will most definitely suit heavy riders.
A pleasant element to the Bamboo Collection is the preservation of a woodgrain finish to the board – keeping it natural.

Specs

DECK:

• 6 maple plies with a bamboo deck ply
• Wood and Bamboo material comes from sustainable sources of supply
• Wood and Bamboo by-product is reclaimed for use in other products
• Decks are produced using eco friendly water-based sanding sealers

COMPLETES INCLUDE:

Trucks: Gullwing Sidewinder 9.0”

• Double Kingpin
  Wheels: Arbor Sucrose Initiative – Outlook Series
• Designed for carving and cruising the streets
• Fun for all-around town performance
• Size: 70.0mm
• Durometer: 78a
• Contact Patch: 36mm
• Offset: 0.0mm
• Core: Momentum – Low profile for a smoother ride
• Formula: Fusion – Performance, durability, reduced petroleum
  – *Amber Formula: Thane – Slide and Slip
• Bearings: ABEC 5
• Risers: 1/8” recycled plastic
• Grip: Lucid Grip – clear spray-on grip made from crushed recycled glass

Arbor Groundswell

The Groundswell Series has a great range of decks all inspired by surf cultures.

The designs are particularly clean, and the top of the deck has a bit of an old school look.

They come in different sizes – ranging from 30.50″ cruisers to 42″longboards.

Check them out:

• Rally
• Sizzler
• Mission
• Fish 37
• Timeless 42

We were a big fan of the mission. Read the specs below or read more information here.

Specs

DECK:

• 7 maple plies, with our premium wood top
• Wood material comes from sustainable sources of supply
• Wood by-product is reclaimed for use in other products
• Decks are produced using eco friendly water-based sanding sealers

COMPLETES INCLUDE:
Trucks: Paris 50° 150mm Reverse Kingpin
Wheels: Arbor Sucrose Initiative – Mosh Series

• Perfect mix between quick acceleration and roll speed
• Good for freeriding on all size boards
• Size: 65.0mm
• Durometer: 78a
• Contact Patch: 36.0mm
• Offset: 0.0mm
• Core: Momentum – Low profile for a smoother ride
• Formula: Fusion – Performance, durability, reduced petroleum
• *Amber Formula: Thane – Slide and Slip
  Bearings: ABEC 7
  Risers: 1/8” Paris
  Grip: Lucid Grip – clear spray-on grip made from crushed recycled glass

The Arbor Photo Collection features the work of Nick Liotta. The Collection is a yearly collaboration with a photographer that Arbor admires.

2017 features some of the interesting landscapes Liotta captures while circling the globe shooting the best surfers in the world.

The Collection brings together 5 of Arbor’s best-known shapes:

• Timeless
• Axis
• Dropcruiser
• Rally
• Pilsner.

Each deck is made with a sustainably sourced Black Walnut deck and Hardrock Maple plies.

There are many good decks in the Photo Collection Range. We quite like the Timeless 42 because of the way the central photo image looks like an eye from a distance. It’s a super surfy design and a really versatile deck.

In comparison to the other series, we are not a massive fan of the Photo Collection. But they still has some charm.

DECK:

• 7 maple plies, with our premium wood top
• Wood material comes from sustainable sources of supply
• Wood by-product is reclaimed for use in other products
• Decks are produced using eco friendly water-based sanding sealers

COMPLETES INCLUDE:

• Trucks: Paris 50° 180mm -Reverse Kingpin
• Wheels: Arbor Sucrose Initiative – Outlook Series
• Designed for carving and cruising the streets
• Fun for all-around town performance
• Size: 70.0mm
• Durometer: 78a
• Contact Patch: 36mm
• Offset: 0.0mm
• Core: Momentum – Low profile for a smoother ride
• Formula: Fusion – Performance, durability, reduced petroleum
• *Amber Formula: Thane – Slide and Slip
  Bearings: ABEC 5
  Risers: 1/4” Paris
  Grip: Lucid Grip – clear spray-on grip made from crushed recycled glass

Arbor Flagship

The Arbor Flashship Collection is a series with a really clean and well-balanced design.

The series features a range of decks with some really cool designs:

• Catalyst Flagship
• Axis 40 Flagship
• Axis 37 Flagship
• Dropcruiser
• Minstate
• Zeppelin Flagship

Arbor Axis 37″ Flagship Complete

We really like the design and cut of the 37″ Flagship. It’s wide and also a good length for cruising and cutting tighter corners.

DECK:

• L: 37.00” W: 8.50” WB: 27.40”
• 7 maple plies, with a Red Gum Wood Top
• Wood material comes from sustainable sources of supply
• Wood by-product is reclaimed for use in other products
• Decks are produced using eco friendly water-based sanding sealers

COMPLETES INCLUDE:

• Trucks: Paris 50° 180mm – Reverse Kingpin
• Wheels: Arbor Sucrose Initiative – Outlook Series
• Designed for carving and cruising the streets
• Fun for all-around town performance
• Size: 70.0mm
• Durometer: 78a
• Contact Patch: 36mm
• Offset: 0.0mm
• Core: Momentum – Low profile for a smoother ride
• Formula: Fusion – Performance, durability, reduced petroleum
• *Amber Formula: Thane – Slide and Slip
• Bearings: ABEC 7
• Grip: Lucid Grip – clear spray-on grip made from crushed recycled glass

Arbor Longboard Review Summary

It doesn’t matter what level of rider you are, Arbor has a longboard that will suit you.

This is a brand which provides so many interesting designs that you may have trouble rounding it down. This brand is still fresh and has an attention to detail that can be discovered just by sight.

From our real test drive of the Arbor brand, you can see that they have a solid build quality.

If you are looking for a quality deck that will turn heads, give Arbor a go. There are many Arbor Longboards for sale.