College is the perfect time to have an electric longboard.
What better way to commute to your classes than by carving up the campus streets, remote in hand and backpack over your shoulder as you fly by the rest of the students who are forced to walk everywhere. You’ve just hacked one of the most annoying parts of college: spending less time getting around campus.
There are a lot of good electric longboards out there that can be used for college, but which one is THE BEST?
This article is intended to help college students pick the right electric longboard for their needs. For those who are not convinced we’ll cover why you should invest in a longboard (HINT: they’re super convenient) before moving on to what you need to consider before buying one and which board we think is best.
We’ve even thrown a tip or two to help you crush it on campus while riding.
Class is now in session.
Why use an electric longboard for college?
1. It makes going to class more fun
Going to class can be a drag, especially if the classroom is located on the other side of campus. Sometimes, it can be downright exhausting (take it from someone who used to walk 30 minutes to get from Western Civ 101 to Italian 202).
Arriving either in poor spirits or out of breath is no way to start the lesson.
Riding an electric longboard to class can help curb those bad moods and keep you fresh. You’ll get a bit of exercise in, stimulate the brain, and will appreciate the campus more.
You’ll also absorb more in class too when you arrive happily! Studies have shown that students actually learn more when they’re in a good mood.
2. Longboarding is faster than walking
The average student walks about 12,000 steps per day. For the average pedestrian, that equates to about 2.5 hours of walking.
Whilst we’re all about the health benefits of electric mobility, dedicating 2.5 hours a day walking – especially when students already have 6 hours of class and several hours of homework on top of that – is a bit too much.
Wouldn’t you rather spend a little extra time socializing with friends and riding around the college?
Riding an electric longboard on campus can more than halve your commute. That means less time worrying if you’re going to be late and more time to yourself. Go ahead and shoot the shit if you want at the student annex – you’ll have plenty of time to get to class with your electric longboard.
3. Using an electric longboard on campus is convenient
College campuses are usually well organized and designed with pedestrians in mind. Granted, some campuses are enormous and require some real effort to get across but the way is still straightforward.
In actuality, college campuses are perfect for electric longboards. Everything is paved, the pathways are flat, and vehicular traffic should be limited as much as possible. All ideal conditions for boarding.
Riding on campus isn’t like commuting to work – this is a safe, easy, and pleasant place to be riding an electric longboard. So take advantage of it!
4. Electric longboards are relatively affordable
College tuition is already expensive enough.
Looking down the barrel of a $60,000 tuition? Want to add the aforementioned car expenses on top of that and make it an even six figures?
Screw that. Young adults don’t need any more debt as it is.
Don’t add to those college expenses unnecessarily. Use a cheaper mode of transport, like an electric longboard, while attending. You won’t have to bug mom and dad to pay for insurance or maintenance. You’ll just need to pay for the extra electricity to charge the battery and that will be a matter of cents, not hundreds of dollars.
5. You don’t need a car
Having a car while attending university is often more painful than convenient. Parking is a nightmare, gas is expensive, and friends have a tendency to latch on to the one with the car (“Can I hitch a ride to the liquor store, bruh?”)
My own experience of having a car while in college should be enough to deter you. One car broke down, another was stolen, and a third was towed after a party. All-in-all, I must have wasted $10,000 over the course of three years by having one.
Honestly, college students don’t need to have cars as they’re more of a liability than anything. Rather, having an electric longboard while attending college is much cheaper, safer, and way more convenient.
Things to consider when looking for the best electric longboard for college
Buying an electric longboard, especially if you’re a starving college student with limited funds, can be a big deal.
We’re here to help you with your decision though. Here are some things that you need to keep in mind when buying a new electric longboard.
Range and battery life
You’ll want to make sure that your electric longboard lasts at least the entire day on campus. Most electric longboards should have the ability to do so, considering that the average student walks 5 miles per day and the average longboard battery lasts at least 10 miles.
Still, a little extra juice in the caboose wouldn’t hurt, so having an extra battery would be convenient. That way, you could use the electric longboard after your academic day has wrapped up.
Insider tip: make sure your board is fully charged in the morning before starting class. Running out of battery wouldn’t be the end of the world – you can always charge during class (if allowed) or just kick and push it like a regular board. But saving yourself the hassle is always best.
Price
Without a doubt, price is the number one factor for college students when looking to buy an electric longboard. Universities ain’t cheap and so the last thing students need are more unnecessary expenses.
The average electric longboard should cost around $500. It is possible to find boards that cost less but these will most likely be poor quality and will be more likely to break. Cheap batteries can’t hold a charge either for very long.
A good electric longboard, if cared for properly, can survive for years – long enough to last for all of college, even in the case of super seniors!
Do yourself a favor a spend the extra money. You’ll be ensuring yourself and the board for the future.
Portability
After price, portability is arguably the next most important thing to consider when looking for a good electric longboard for college. Why? Because you’re going to be going in and out of different classrooms a lot and the last thing you want to be is that awkward person trying to find a place to put your board.
Picture this: you’re late to class. Your teacher is an asshole. You walk into the lecture hall as quiet as a mouse. The moment you try to shuffle past to your seat though, disaster strikes. Your board knocks into the chairs, you step on toes, there’s no way to lay your board down without giving it its own seat. Meanwhile, the professor looks like they’re about to start slinging a severe scolding. This is what hell must be like.
Make sure your longboard is light, reasonably sized, and not too cumbersome to carry. If you want the most portable electric longboard possible, buy a foldable one like the Linky. Foldable longboards can be slipped easily into a backpack or underneath a seat, two things that college students should college students will be using very, very often.
Durability
Let’s be frank: college students can be hard on their property. God knows I crashed my bike plenty of times riding home drunk from a party.
If you want your electric longboard to last for your entire college duration, you’ll want to make sure that it can take a heavy blow or two and can still run. Make sure to check the reviews of the board before buying it just to make sure that there are no hidden or ridiculous defects. Boards made out of carbon fiber and heavy-duty plastics will be among the strongest.
Insider tip: when riding your electric longboard around campus, be careful on those bumps and offroad routes. Sudden impacts to the battery compartment can cause it to malfunction.
Why Linky is the best electric longboard for college students
The one thing that a college student needs from an electric longboard is convenience. Speed is not that important; having something reliable that will make your life easier is.
The Linky electric longboard checks all the boxes.
A joy to ride? Absolutely.
Long-lasting battery? 10 miles is more than enough.
Easy to pack and carry around? Now we’re cooking with gas.
The thing that makes Linky stand out from other electric longboards is its foldable design. Hell, it is the world’s ONLY foldable electric longboard for that matter. For college students, this ability is a game-changer.
Foldable means no more angry professors bemoaning you for leaving the longboard propped against the wall. It means not having to trip over it in your college dorm, which is already cramped enough as it is. It means you have the ability to take the board almost anywhere because it fits conveniently in your backpack.
So yee, call us biased, but we really believe that Linky is the best electric longboard for college students. Truth is, we made the board specifically with them in mind because personally, we were tired of having to deal with cumbersome fixed boards. We hope (and are sure) you will also enjoy having one too.
Tips for getting around campus with an electric longboard
Already have your longboard picked out and ready to go? Here are some extra tips for riding around the university safely and enjoyably.
1. Avoid riding through crowded areas
Riding your electric longboard around campus when there are lots of people around can be very frustrating. Pedestrians can make random moves, block the streets, and get in your way when it’s least convenient.
Worst case scenario you crash and someone gets hurt or your board is damaged. More likely, you’ll just have to dismount and walk with your board, which is super annoying.
Ultimately, people are just extra hazards to worry about.
Avoid the busier parts of campus. That includes public spaces like the student center and popular meeting places as well as sidewalks and other walkways that pedestrians generally use.
2. Know your rights before riding
Every college has its own set of rules when it comes to riding electric longboard – or any form of personal mobility for that matter – around campus. Before you start using one, make sure you know what these are.
For example, some colleges may require that longboards only be ridden in bikes lanes. Also, some states may actually consider personal mobility devices, like electric longboards, as vehicles, which means if you’re caught riding one while intoxicated, you could get a DUI.
If you ride in a respectful way, it will help ensure that longboards can continue to be used on campus and the rules remain fair. Ride recklessly and people will also start to think all boarders are dicks.
Don’t get hit with a hefty fine and don’t jeopardize the longboard community – know the rules before you start riding.
3. Avoid hills and steep sections
Although hills are less of a problem with a motorized longboard, they should still be avoided if possible. This is because inclines require a lot of power to climb and will very quickly drain the board’s battery.
Know where all of the problem spots are on campus and try to find alternative routes. Stick to flatter sections that will be faster and easier to ride on. Your battery will last a lot longer if you do.
4. Find the best roads and plan your ride
Foot traffic, hills, and rough roads can all make your ride less enjoyable. Rather than dealing with them on a daily basis, you should be looking for the best route possible.
Do a bit of research ahead of time and find out where the good paths are. Look for quieter backways and smooth pavement to reduce your travel time and the risk of getting in an accident.
Riders might even consider planning entire routes ahead of time, much in the same way that commuters do. Once you have a system in place, your life on campus will become much easier.
5. Have a good place to put electric longboard during class
Not every teacher or professor is going to let prop up your longboard in class. Some may not even let you bring it into the room at all!
Before starting class, you’ll probably want to ask the professor, assistant, or some sort of faculty member where would be the best spot. Some buildings may have some sort of secure sharing space, like a room or a locker. The teacher could always be nice and let you prop it out of the way and in the corner as well.
Really though, electric longboard backpacks are a godsend for college students. Having one will allow you to travel with your board in a less obtrusive way and will give you more options for stowing it away, such as hanging it on a sturdy hook or a secured chair. Just make sure the person behind you can still see!
Foldable longboards are even more convenient. You can store these in even more places, such as underneath a seat or in a regular backpack. To give you an idea, Linky longboards, once folded, are about the size of a small stack of textbooks.
6. Know how to ride an electric longboard in the first place
A lot of freshmen may think that going to college is the perfect opportunity to try out electric longboarding for the first time. Whilst we are stoked to see new riders being born, they should still know what they’re doing before zooming around the university.
As we’ve already mentioned, college campuses can be super busy. To avoid crashing into someone or something else, you’ll need to know how to turn and break on a dime. You should probably avoid hills too until you know how to go down them properly or throttle back. I’m sure every single longboarder can tell you about their first time riding down a big hill – it’s scary as hell!
Practice riding your electric longboard on gentle terrain and in a controlled environment before riding in the controlled chaos of campus. Understand how your longboard functions and the proper riding techniques in order to become a confident rider. You’ll be less likely to eat shit if you do.
Entry-level riders can study up by reading our introductory article on how to ride an electric longboard.
7. Always wear a helmet
We’ve all seen them: the daredevils who ride through campus, completely at ease and riding without a care in the world. They ride effortlessly between people, often standing straight-legged with shoulders back whilst texting on their phones, completely oblivious to any obstacles ahead. They look so damn cool these Valentino Rossis of the longboard…
Until they eat shit after hitting a pebble and go tumbling forward headfirst. That’s how you end up on Reddit’s Hold My Feeding Tube thread.
Forget looking cool or acting like you don’t care: wear a helmet and protect that precious brain of yours. You never know when that crack in the pavement is just large enough to launch you or when you might lose control on a particularly steep hill. It’s not worth going to the hospital for stitches or a potentially fractured skull.
At the very least, wear your helmet while you’re still learning how to use your board and the layout of the college. Longboard accidents are a serious concern on college campuses, more so than skateboarding.
Wrapping up
It should also be said that students can take this opportunity to help to preserve the environment. By not using transport that runs on fossil fuels, you can help to break the cycle and curb global warming.
The personal mobility revolution is upon us and the campus streets are where we can get the message out.
Do you have a funny or interesting story from riding your longboard around campus? Leave a comment below and let us hear about it!
