Everything to Know About Skateboard Deck Rails
                     At first you might think there isn’t much to skateboarding deck rails, they’re 
just plastic strips with holes, look the same, and serve only one purpose. 
After some digging I found out that most of the rails you can buy are of 
inferior quality and decent rails are limited.
The title of this blog might be a bit pretentious, because it’s more about all I
know and could find out about deck rails. The first rails, for example, where 
made of wood and called Grab Rails. It didn’t take long before someone 
introduced plastic rails.
I could only track down a few brands that offer high-quality rails. 
Fortunately there are a couple of brands you can pick from that are usually 
in stock. Let’s check out what rails are, who should consider them, and the 
best spot to place them.
What Are Skateboard Deck Rails
Skateboard deck rails are injection-molded plastic strips that are attached 
onto the bottom edges of a skateboard deck. Their main purpose is to slide 
your skateboard further but also protect the deck graphic. They are usually 
around 14.5″ and long, 0.5″ wide, and 0.5″ tall.
Back in the days the ability to slide a skateboard was challenging because 
skateboard decks lacked concave. Sliding a flat deck is hard because there
is so much friction and surface tension. caused by the larger surface that 
comes into contact with rails or copings. Adding plastic rails made a huge 
difference.
Rails where originally used to grab a skateboard when airing in verts and 
bowls. With the introduction of plastic rails, skaters were able to slide 
boards more efficiently. Nowadays it’s also a good way to protect your 
graphic, if that’s important to you.
The Pros and Cons of Deck Rails
One of the things I find most annoying is that you have to constantly tighten
them. Maybe it’s because I have crappy cheap rails and am still waiting for 
the reall stuff, but I hear this more often. Another con is that you can mess 
up when you attach them.
I used an electric screwdriver because I was lazy resulting in a screw that 
keeps spinning and doesn’t properly attach. The lesson learned is that you 
need to use a regular screwdriver to prevent this. You can just move them 
a little and re-attach the rails which solves the problem.
Types Of Deck Rails
There isn’t much difference between deck rails since most are made of 
cheap injection-molded plastic. It wouldn’t even surprise me if many come 
from the same factories. The only minor difference is size and quality.
Some are wider or longer than others, so make sure to pick a set that fits 
your skateboard’s wheel base. In theory, a slimmer rail should result in less
friction, but the difference is so small, I’m not sure if you’ll notice at all.
Rails cost between $10 USD and $20 USD and come in different colors. 
Some brands like Shake Junt, Enjoi, and Santa Cruz come with 5 wood 
screws instead of 4. Santa Cruz also offers slimmer rails just like 
asymmetrical Candy Sticks from Welcome.
Do they slide better? I have no idea because honestly I haven’t tested 
them. Since NHS (Santa Cruz) knows how to market their products, they 
are probably made from the same cheap plastic like all the others.
Recommended Skateboard Deck Rails
The best skateboard deck rails are made of UHMW. Brands like Welcome, 
Pig, H-Street, and Powell Peralta sell UHMW rails. I recommend Candy 
Bars Rails from Welcome. These are produced by PS Stix and are exactly 
as the original. They last around 5 to 6 decks but are hard to come by 
because of the increasing demand.
Most of the other deck rails are made of cheap injection-molded plastic. 
You can pick any color or graphic you like but paying $20 USD for injection-
molded rails is a bit too much. All of the stuff you see in shops are of poor 
quality, so far I can only count the best deck rails on two fingers. Here’s a 
list of skateboard deck rail brands that offer lower quality rails:
● Santa Cruz (HSR Rails are garbage)
● OJ
● Shake Junt
● Creature
● Enjoi
● Madness
● Snot
● Heritage
● Rad Railz
● etc.
Conclusion
Skateboard deck rails have made a comeback and are pretty hot right now.
For a while rails seemed like a relic from the past but more and more 
skaters are discovering the benefits