We definitely think so, but don't take our word for it. Here's what one customer, Jan Xue said:
"The penny board is the ultimate utility board, it far outperforms all other boards (and most lightweight transportation tools) in commuting, practicability, style and travel without equal.
For reference, I am 6′ with size 10.5 shoes, so “too tall” for a Penny Board (22"). 5 years ago I first got a full sized long board, but I quickly realised it was not that practical for carrying around.
So I purchased a Nickel Cruiser (27″). It became my primary board and got about 90% of my riding. I carried it with me everywhere, including airplane trips across the country.
I tried out a penny board (22″). And I feel sad having to “retire” my Nickel cruiser that I have so many memories of, but it simply could not compete with the (22") Penny board.
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The grip tape on wooden boards which many people love, scratches EVERYTHING, I have accidentally scratched my hand, pants, sunglasses, etc. Plus I have to be careful even holding my board because I could cut my hand. The plastic grid grip on the penny board means I won’t even have to worry about hurting my hand while lugging it around, I don’t have to divert attention to hold the board properly. The plastic grip offers enough grip, but it offers far more practicality.
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It’s waterproof. I can step in a puddle or wet pavement and then get back on the board without fear. I don’t have to worry about damaging my board if my hands are ever wet. How about grabbing the board after washing my hands? I don’t have to worry about spilling food/drink on it. AND I can even wash it with water when it gets too dirty. My mini cruiser still has mud stains on it because it’s virtually impossible to clean, I can’t even scrub it because of the grip tape. With a wooden board I have to baby sit it in order to not damage it with water.
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It’s smaller, leaner and lighter, Nickel boards are 27″, Penny boards are 22″, simply put it's more practical. A full sized long board that is sitting at home because it’s just not practical enough for that day is worthless compared to a Penny I carry almost everyday.
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The narrow board means I can put larger wheels on it, due to the angle of a turn. I just placed 70mm wheels on my Penny without wheel bite, try that with a wider board.
For all the naysayers who say Penny's are “too small” for an adult male. I am proving them wrong. Simply put, get better at riding. Now I won’t recommend a Penny 22" as a first board due to its difficulty in riding. But I see it as the highest level of skate commuting. For a start, go with a 27" Nickel board.
When I have children, I’ll be teaching them Long board (36") —> Nickel Board (27") —> Penny board (22")"
