In the market for a new caster board?
Let’s take a look at the Ripstik Caster board to see if it is worth your money and you, or your kid’s, time. We will be taking a look at all the unique aspects of the product, the downsides of purchasing one, pricing, other people’s reviews, and how it compares to other boards in a similar price and quality range.
Before getting a caster board, it is important to look at overall quality, the wheels, design, and the ability to balance on the board. Keep these qualities in mind as we review the Ripstik Caster Board.
What is the Ripstik Caster Board?
First, let’s go over what makes a board a caster board.
- The Razor RipStik Ripster’s lightweight and compact size is perfect for riders with a narrowerstance
- Inclined, 360-degree caster trucks and concave deck provide a one-of-a-kind, twist-and-carve ride
- Slip-resistant deck platforms deliver maximum grip
- High-grade urethane wheels with ABEC-5 bearings deliver a smooth ride
A caster board is similar to a skateboard only because it’s something that is powered by you standing on it. It’s a board with wheels, like a skateboard. However, it is vastly different as well.
This type of board is made up of two narrow platforms, which are referred to as decks. They are connected to each other by a torsion bar – this is a metal beam with a rubber coating that is used to house a very strong spring. As for the wheels, they are made of polyurethane like a skateboard or longboards, and they are mounted one to a deck with a caster. This ensures that they can move independently, as they have a steering axis that is tilted back from the vertical.
Because of this unique design, the movement of the board is quite different from a skateboard as well. In fact, people are more likely to compare it to snowboarding and surfboarding because of the fluid movement.
Your feet do not need to leave the board to propel it, as the decks can move independently of one another. Since the board is able to be twisted back and forth, the motion used to actually propel you and the board forward is very similar to what someone wearing inline skates would do. Instead of pushing off the ground with your feet like you would on a skateboard, they pretty much stay in the same place on the decks for the whole ride. The process simply involves a lot of twisting between your hips and your legs.
Now, to get into the specifics of what a Ripstik caster board is. This is a caster board created by the company Razor, who has a lot of skating and athletic products to offer. In the next section, we will take a look at what makes their products unique.
What Makes the Ripstik Caster Board Unique?
The Ripstik caster board features include a few different qualities that set them apart from other companies, let’s take a look.
Slip-Resistant Concave Deck
Razor’s Ripstik board offers a concave deck with several ridges and designs etched into the board. This is beneficial for the rider simply because it allows them a much better grip and improved foot control. It also gives the board an interesting design when you look at the decks as well.
360 Degree Inclined Casters
Another unique aspect to this board is the 360 degree inclined casters. What this means is that the caster trucks and pivoting deck are inclined by 360 degrees, giving the board a more snowboarding-like feel when you ride it. This quality also ensures faster speeds and far more ease in turning and taking the board on hilly rides.
Rubber Padded Steel Torsion Bar
Next, we have the rubber padded steel torsion bar. This is a feature we had mentioned when talking about caster boards in general – most of them do have the bar covered in rubber. However, for the Ripstik, Razor uses a unique formula that allows for easier turning and acceleration without having to push down too hard on the board with your feet.
This part of the board looks to be very high quality, which is very important for what is basically the backbone of the entire product. Since it does hold everything together, we are glad to see that the torsion bar is great quality.
76-Millimeters Urethane Wheels
The Ripstik also comes with 76-millimeters urethane wheels. These wheels have ABEC-5 bearings which provide the person standing on the board with a much smoother ride.
Pricing
This board will cost anywhere from around $30.00 to several hundred dollars, depending on the retailer and the particular model you end up choosing.
In comparison to other caster boards, this is pretty standard. Razor is responsible for a large majority of high quality caster boards, and since they offer so many there is a large range in pricing.
For example, their Razor Ripstik Air Caster board in blue will cost a bit expensive on Amazon, while the Razor Ripstik DLX caster board will cost you affordably. They all have a very similar or the same design, the different choices just offer you different features, sizes, and colors.
Public Perception (Other Ripstik Caster Board Reviews)
Next, we are going to take a look at what other reviews of Ripstik caster boards say. Overall, there were
positive reviews for this product, with only a few negative comments here and there. To make sure we give a full overview of what buyers thought, we will separate the positive and the negative.
Positive
The first upside that was mentioned in a huge amount of reviews was how easy it was for children to adapt to using the boards. These products are said to be for children 12 and up and are used more often by a younger group of people because of how easy they are to use and the weight limit (220 pounds). A lot of the reviews written by parents simply mentioned that their children had an extremely easy time getting used to the board and that it was always the toy they reached for first. Ripstik boards were also mentioned to be a lot safer and easier to balance on for kids and preteens as well.
Another aspect of these boards that was reviewed very positively was the pricing, and the price to quality ratio. Depending on the style, color, and size that you get, the price varies quite a bit. Yet on reviews for each individual version of the Ripstik caster board, people were mentioning that they thought the price was totally fair for the product they were purchasing. Many mentioned that even though these were more expensive than a knock off brand, they would rather pay for a Ripstik every time because of the quality.
The durability of the board also came up quite frequently in the reviews online. A lot of parents with kids that used their Ripstik constantly mentioned that even with hours and hours of use a day, it was still in great shape after a year or two. Even kids or adults that were especially rough on their boards had little to no negative comments about the quality lacking after a long period of time. With other companies making similar products at cheaper prices, users said they had to replace the boards and components of the boards much more frequently.
This board also has an incredible amount of variety, which did not go unnoticed by those who bought the product. Whether you are a young child of ten years old or a full grown adult, there is a size that will work well for you when it comes to the Ripstik caster board. This also goes for colors too – there is a huge variety on Amazon and other retailers offering a rainbow of options to choose from.
Lastly, a lot of the parents who purchased this product for their children raved about how much more time they spent outside on this board. This wasn’t really a comment on the board quality itself, but a large amount of reviews mentioned how happy they were to find a product that got their kids outside and exercising for hours and hours every single day. Definitely something to note if you are a parent with children who don’t want to play outside as often.
Negative
There were only a few downsides to the board that we could dig up online. One of them being the quality of the wheels. A decent amount of users had mentioned that the wheels on the board wore out more quickly than they would have expected. Within a few months, the reviews mentioned needing to replace them and then to continue doing so every couple of months after that. This is definitely an aspect to keep in mind, especially if you or your child is going to be riding this for extended periods of time every day.
Something else to note if you are wanting to ride this as an adult, the product does have a weight limit of about 220 pounds. It is generally targeted towards a younger audience, so if you are heavier than the weight limit you may have to look at another product. A few reviews did mention that they found that the product wasn’t appropriate for a large adult.
One other negative aspect that was brought up in a few of the reviews online was simply the fact that this may not be the best product to purchase if you are no longer a beginner when it comes to riding this type of board or any other type. Since these are geared towards younger users, you may want to look at other boards like Timberwolf products, as these are made for more advanced moves and tricks.
However, if you are a beginner, and you or your young child is trying to ride this, it may be difficult at first. A few reviews mentioned that this was a board that seemed a little too advanced for their 8 to 10-year olds. Make sure to keep your child’s (or yours) ability in mind when purchasing this and trying it out.
Last of all, and this isn’t really a downside as much as it is a warning, make sure that you or your child dress in the appropriate safety gear before riding. Many different reviews mentioned that these could, of course, be harmful if the proper safety precautions were not taken.
What We Think
Overall, this is definitely a board that we would recommend. Whether it is for a young child who needs an incentive to get outside and play, or an adult who wants to join in on all the fun a caster board has to offer – this is a great product.
As long as you make sure to follow safety procedures and protect yourself, this is a safe, fun product for riders of all ages. The Ripstik caster board is of high quality, fantastic design, and has enough variety in its size and colors to make it enjoyable no matter how old you are.
If you have a Ripstik, what are your thoughts on the quality and design?