Carbon vs Bamboo: Which deck is the best for electric skateboarding?
Bamboo, carbon, bamboo, carbon? This is an old debate and we need to tell you that there isn't one correct answer, that's why we made two boards. Each electric skateboard deck is super capable of what the other can do. Full speed on the bamboo feels great while carving on the carbon is pretty fun too. It all comes down to personal preference and what you are looking for. We’ve put the two versions of our electric skateboards, carbon and bamboo, head to head to compare four different aspects and what they mean to you.
Which deck is the best for electric skateboarding: Stability
The carbon electric boards are the longest board in the Evolve range. In practical terms, you can put your feet further apart on the deck, and that will give you more stability for your ride. It also means it has a slightly bigger turning circle than the other boards. Being made from carbon fibre means that it's going to have less flex than bamboo boards. So, if you are after a board that has a lot of flex, the bamboo electric skateboard is great for you. However, if you want stability, especially at high speeds, the carbon version is fantastic.
The bigger and heavier you are, the more you're going to make the bamboo flex. Generally speaking, we recommend heavier riders go for the carbon board, as it's a bit more consistently stable. The bamboo has a concave design, meaning that edges are raised to lock in your toe and your heel. This provides an edge to push on while carving in and out of turns. The carbon deck features a dropdown, so it locks in your feet, front and back. This is especially good for hard acceleration and braking when riding bumpy or hilly terrain and by lowering your centre of gravity.
Which deck is the best for electric skateboarding: Customisation
In terms of customisation, there are a bunch of options, especially when it comes to wheels. The carbon electric skateboard accepts all sorts of wheels, from the really fast street wheels to the AT off-road setups. The same as the Hadean and GTR with a bamboo deck. The carbon is much harder to customise the deck, whereas the bamboo can be quite customisable. All you got to do is sand back the grip and then apply a design of your choice.
With carbon, you can't quite do this. You are limited to changing the grip tape, and if you want to change the deck look, you'd probably have to look at that option. All the boards pretty much have a great strain conversion option. What that means is that they're great in a whole bunch of circumstances.
Which deck is the best for electric skateboarding: Battery
While there’s not much difference in the battery, the electronics of the two decks have two different configurations that make them fit. The bamboo has an external case that bolts to the bottom of the deck, while the carbon houses everything internally and is accessed from the top cover. The carbon board has a power button and charge port at the back end of the deck. The bamboo, on the other hand, has them on either side of the battery case, which allows room for USB or E-FOC ports and can power our LED prism strips.
Summing up...
The carbon is handmade from carbon fibre sheets. It is a sleek matte finish and a full hex grip pattern. The bamboo deck is three-ply bamboo, two-ply fiberglass with a raw bamboo finish and utilizes both traditional and spray on the grip. The wheels, trucks, gears and remote are all the same too. When considering getting an electric skateboards have in mind what will be the main use of it and what type of experience you are looking for.
