Penny Board vs. Oxelo Yamba

I wanted a small skateboard for transport and a little bit of fun.  I'm new to skateboarding and didn't want to pay too much, in case I found that it wasn't for me.  I borrowed my niece's 2-year-old Penny Board, and after a while, decided that pink wasn't really my colour, so I bought an Oxelo Yamba from Decathlon, which is a Penny knockoff.

Top: Oxelo Yamba; Bottom: Penny 22"

From the outside, there didn't appear to be much difference.  They are both roughly the same length, 22", although the Yamba is a little shorter, as you can see in the image above.  The Penny weighs 1920g and the Yamba weighs slightly more at 1980g.

Orange Yamba Wheel left; Green Penny Wheel right

They both use the same ABEC 7 bearings, but the Penny cruised far longer than the Yamba.  When I spun up the wheels, the 2-year-old Penny bearings spun for longer.  Since my niece got a new Penny and didn't want the old one anymore, I took the old Penny bearings and installed them on the Yamba.  When I spin up the wheels, the transfered Penny bearings on the Yamba spin for longer, but strangely, when I ride the boards, they both now go about the same distance, so something else is going on that works in the Penny's favor, and I suspect it may be the wheels.  Read on...

Yamba Hardware, 20g

Penny Hardware, 15g

Quality wise, the Penny seems better made all around.  Penny's wheels have an inserted hard plastic cup where the bearings go, and the Yamba's wheel is just molded rubber.  The cushions/bushings are taller on the Penny, and the mounting hardware (bolts, nuts, washers) weighs a little less on the Penny.

2-Year-Old Penny cushions left; Brand New Yamba bushings right

Performance wise is where is starts to get interesting.  The biggest difference is in the deck.  While they both flex, the Penny holds its rigidity better in the middle.  I weigh 65kgs, and the Yamba sags under my weight.  While I got used to it, if you are new and hop on the board, the sag is just one more movement variable you need to compensate for in addition to the forward movement, and side-to-side roll.  I also prefer the grippier waffle pattern on the top deck of the Penny compared to the smoother, wave pattern on the Yamba.

Penny left; Yamba right

The wheelbase on the Yamba is a little longer, and I found that it is not as maneuverable as the Penny.  The Yamba tends to understeer, the Penny turns just where I want it to go.  The upside is that because I put my feet on top of the trucks, the longer wheelbase actually gives my feet more room on the deck.

The Penny turns better, rolls better, and because of the more rigid deck, feels more stable too.  Bottom line is that I prefer the Penny.  The Penny costs twice as much as the Yamba though, and if you are lighter weight rider, or are riding to get to someplace as opposed to riding for fun, the Yamba can be good value.  If you can afford it though, go for the Penny.

Amazon usually has the best prices for Penny Boards.
Oxelo Yamba boards are available from Decathlon.com