Ripstiks have become very well-known and popular nowadays. That is why, in order to meet the demands of the users, manufacturers have released several models over the last couple of years.
So that you can find the best one that suits your style, we have reviewed the Ripstiks which have proven to be the most functional, agile and affordable.
The Ripstik has proven to be one of the most enjoyable ways of gliding through your neighbourhood or local park, very similar to a snow – or surfboard. If you really want, you can even take them down to the skate park for a spin.
Although totally different from cruiser skateboards, they are equally as fun for riding around. Get a cruiser if you want something closer to a skateboard.
We know some of you might like to get your kids a Ripstik. Sharing the experience with them would be a great way of bonding and spending more quality time with your family.
The market offers a variety of brands of Ripstiks with different features, and the brands are totally different from skateboard brands. So be prepared for some new names.
What is a Ripstik?
Some of you are probably like: what the hell is a Ripstik?! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
A caster board, vigorboard, J-board or Ripstik is basically two narrow decks which are joined by a metal beam. Each deck has a wheel attached to a caster so that the wheels can move independently.
Because these wheels move independently, the movement of the board required the rider to twist back and forth between the two decks. This makes the movement completely different from a normal skateboard, or an electric skateboard, although the balance remains the same.
People have compared the movement to that of riding inline skates or rollerblades.
The name Ripstik essentially just comes from the most popular brand of caster board. However, other popular brands include Razor, Whiptide, Urban Riders and Street Surfing.
Best Ripstiks Reviewed
Let’s jump right in! Below are some of our favorite models of the Ripstik, with a little bit of key information about the design and performance.
After we’re done reviewing our favorite models of Ripstik boards, we will share our guide on how to rides Ripstiks and get some sick tricks on them!
1. Blue Razor Mini Ripstik
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The Blue Razor Mini Ripstik comes with a Razor Punk Ramp as well as an extra set of 68mm Red Ripster replacement wheels. All are original Razor Brand. This product has a perfect 5 rating on Amazon, making it a great contender for the top position.
2. Razor DLX Mini Ripstick
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Razor DLX Mini Ripstik comes with Caster Trucks, Urethane Wheels, and a Concave Deck. Now, you can flip higher with the new lighter weight design. You can carve faster because it has high-speed bearings and uses a grip tech system.
Land in style after performing those tricks with the all-new riser pads. This Ripstik has a 4 rating on Amazon.
3. Razor Ripstick Air Caster Board
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The Razor Ripstick Air Caster Board is lightweight. It has a single-piece construction for sick air flips, and tricks. This Ripstik Air caster board has a self-centering caster spring for super solid landings. You can carve like a snowboard or surfboard on dry land!
It comes with 76mm polyurethane wheels along with high-performance ABEC-5 bearing casters. When you purchase this product, you will get a “How To Ride” DVD for free! This ripstick has a 4.2 rating on Amazon.
4. Razor Ripstick Air Caster Board Blue
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The Razor Ripstick Air Caster Board Blue is very light. It has a single-piece construction which makes it easy for you to do air flips, and tricks! This Ripstik Air caster board comes with a self-centering caster spring so as to perform super solid landings.
It has 76mm polyurethane wheels along with high-performance ABEC-5 bearing casters. For each box, you get a “How To Ride” DVD for free! It has an average 4.2 rating on Amazon.
5. Razor Ripstik Bright Caster Board
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The Razor Ripstik Bright Caster Board has a dimension of 27.2 x 8.9 x 4.3. It has a minimum weight capacity of 45 lbs and a maximum weight capacity of 143 lbs. It is lightweight and weighs 5.6 lbs.
This Razor Ripster Brights caster board is a compact version of the RipStik Classic. The shorter wheel of the base is perfect for riders with a narrower stance or for those riders who want to do more tricks. It has a perfect 5 rating on Amazon.
6. Razor Ripstick Bright Caster Board Orange
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The Razor Ripstik Bright Caster Board Orange is the Classic Ripstik caster board. Now, it comes in vibrant contrasting colors. It has a high tech polymer with removable deck plates.
It comes with inclined 360-degree caster trucks and pivoting deck. It features slip-resistant concave deck platforms and high-grade urethane wheels and rubber padded steel torsion bar. It has the a rating of 4.8 on Amazon.
7. Razor Ripstik Bright Caster Board Pink
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The Razor Ripstik Bright Caster Board Pink is a classic Ripstik caster board in vibrant contrasting colors. It features high-tech polymer with removable deck plates.
The Bright Caster has inclined 360-degree caster trucks, a pivoting deck and slip-resistant concave deck platforms along with high-grade urethane wheels. It also has a rubber padded steel torsion bar. It has an average rating of 4.8 on Amazon.
8. Razor Ripstick Bright Pink
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The Razor Ripstick Bright Pink has a dimension of 34in L x 9in W x 4.5in H and weighs 8 lbs. You’ll surely enjoy its inclined Caster Trucks and Pivoting Deck which provide Snowboard-Like Carving Ability.
Its unique Design Allows Acceleration and Turning Without Pushing. It has a concave Deck for Increased Foot Control. It comes with 76mm Urethane Wheels and ABEC 5 Speed Bearings to give you a smooth ride. It has a rating of 4.8 on Amazon.
9. Razor Ripstik Brights
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Razor Ripstik Brights Red and Blue measures 27″. This Razor Ripster Brights caster board is a compact version of the Ripstik Classic. The shorter wheel of the base is perfect for riders with a narrower stance or for those riders who want to do more tricks. It has a perfect 5 rating on Amazon.
10. Razor Ripstick Brights Teal Pink
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Razor Ripstick Brights Teal and Pink is a compact version of the Ripstik Classic. The shorter wheel of the base is perfect for riders with a narrower stance or for those riders who want to do more tricks. It has an average rating of 4.7 on Amazon.
11. Razor Ripstik Caster Board Red
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The Razor Ripstik Caster Board Red has inclined caster trucks, traction plates, 76-mm urethane wheels, and high-performance ABEC-5 bearings. It also has a concave deck platform, kicks nose, kicks tail and rubber padded torsion bar. This product measures 34.1 x 9.0 x 5.2.
It comes with a pivoting deck and 360 degree inclined casters in order to give it a carving motion when moving forward. It weighs 8.1 lbs. This ripStik has the ability to hold riders up to 220lbs.
12. Razor Ripstick DLX Caster Board Red
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The Razor Ripstick DLX Caster Board Red is a red-colored deluxe Ripstik. It weighs 8.4 lbs.
13. Razor Ripstik Limited Edition
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The Razor Ripstik Limited Edition Caster Board – CROW has a dimension of 6 x 34 x 12 inches. It weighs 7.3 lbs. It has a perfect rating of 5 on Amazon.
14. Razor RipStick Ripster
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Razor Ripstik Ripster is shorter than the original Rip-Stik. It comes with a high-tech polymer with removable deck plates. The Ripster features slip-resistant concave deck platforms and high-grade urethane wheels.
This board also has a rubber padded steel torsion bar. It is recommended that riders should wear safety equipment such as a helmet. It has an average rating of 4.7 on Amazon.
15. Ripstik Caster Board
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The Ripstik Caster Board is a Groundbreaking caster board that acts like a skateboard/snowboard hybrid. Coming with a pivoting deck and 360-degree caster trucks which can enable snowboard-like carving, this board also features spiked traction pads, kick tail and nose, and concave deck design.
The caster board also has 76mm polyurethane wheels and precision ABEC-5 bearing casters. It is designed for children 8 years and above, however, it can support up to 220 lbs. This board also has an average rating of 4.6 on Amazon.
16. Ripstick DLX Caster Board
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The Ripstick DLX Caster Board is a Groundbreaking caster board that acts like a skateboard/snowboard hybrid. It has an aluminum centre tube for extreme grinding. It features a pivoting deck and 360-degree caster trucks that enable snowboard-like carving.
This ripstik has carbon fiber deck graphics, kick tail and nose, and concave deck design. It can support up to 220 pounds and has an average rating of 4 on Amazon.
17. Ripstik G Grind Caster Board
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Ripstik G Grind Caster Board is a Groundbreaking caster board that acts like a skateboard/snowboard hybrid. It has a spinning aircraft-grade aluminum centre tube for extreme grinding. It features a pivoting deck and 360-degree caster trucks that enables snowboard-like carving.
You’ll surely enjoy its spiked traction pads, kick tail and nose, and concave deck design. The rider must have a maximum weight of 220 lbs. It has an average rating of 4.6 on Amazon.
How to Ride a Ripstik
Well, we hope that our reviews helped you come to some sort of decision. If they did, now you’ve got a Ripstik board or mini board on the way. But what’s the use in that if you don’t know how to use a Ripstik or how to do tricks on them?
Foot placement on the other hand is similar to when riding a skateboard. When learning how to use a ripstik, foot placement is key. Place your feet above each wheel, front first, then give it a little speed with your back foot before then placing it.
Remember to not place your back foot too quickly, doing this will just slow down your progress as a beginner.
Riding ripsticks and waveboards can be fun. As you can see in the video above, you can go very fast on ripstick and even learn awesome movements similar to skateboard tricks, like a kickflip, fakie, frontside 180 heelflip, and many more.
If you are still a beginner then it may be hard at first. But if you are already an expert then it will be very easy for you to pick up Ripstik tricks quickly. One good way to improve quickly is to invest in your own skateboard ramp for your back yard!
If you want to know more about how to ride one of these boards then look up some videos on Youtube, or even just pick up your board and give it a go!
Final Thoughts on Ripstiks
Ripstiks, or waveboards, are a pretty good choice if you’re looking to get into board sports as a first timer. They’re also great if you’re at an intermediate level and looking to mess about with something new.
We think that they’re a great all round board for anybody looking to cruise around, do some tricks, and hang out at the park. Any of these boards we reviewed will just about do the trick, and we really hope that we’ve helped you reach your decision of which Ripstik to choose.
One thing to remember is that these things aren’t skateboards. Because of this, they can’t take anywhere near as much abuse. Be careful when doing tricks, and don’t try and grind these guys on a rail!
Besides that, just stay safe, and happy riding!
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