A Curb Cover is a piece of angled galvanized steel specifically designed to rest on the corner of a curb so you can grind and slide it. The main benefit of using a curb cover is that you don’t need to wax the curb. It also protects the curb from being damaged.
Here is my full review of the Curb Cover skate rail.
The 7.5′ Curb Cover
Pros:
- You can turn any curb into a skate spot without damaging or waxing the curb.
- It is easy to grind and perfect for beginners.
- It’s lightweight and durable. The whole rail is 18lbs and made of strong galvanized steel
- It is easily portable. The 7.5′ rail fits most standard sedans with the back seat. You can take it with you and rest it on the curb to skate it.
- It is skateable as a stand-alone rail, even without a curb
- It is relatively inexpensive. For less than $200, you can take a lightweight skate ledge everywhere.
Cons:
- It works better on some curbs than others. I had to adjust it less on shorter, more rounded-off curbs. If you’re going to be skating curbs that are closer to 90 degrees and taller than 5 inches, get the Ledge Cover instead of the Curb Cover.
- Can leave red paint on trucks and wheels
Video Overview:
Sizes:
The Curb Cover is available in three sizes. Here is their length and weight 7.5 ft /18lbs. – 9 ft/24lbs. (8lbs.x3) – 12 ft/32lbs. (8lbs.x4)
The Ledge Cover (has a 90-degree angle and more to slide on top) is 6ft/10lbs.
First Impression of the Curb Cover
My first impression of the Curb Cover was that it sounded like an awesome idea. It is essentially portable coping for any curb. I ordered it to see what it was like.
My Curb Cover arrived within four days of ordering it, and I was surprised at how lightweight it was. The entire 7.5′ Curb Cover rail is only 18lbs. That is lighter and longer than any skate rail I owned, so I first tested how easily the entire shipped box would fit in my car so I could take it with me on street skating missions. Fortunately for me, it fits in my Hyundai Elantra with the back seat down. It winds up extending far enough to rest right over the top of my center console.
As for the Curb Cover itself, it looked exactly as I had hoped. The surface has a glossy, pre-waxed coating that looked like it would grind easily (and it does). When I flipped it over and looked at the underside angle, I noticed that it was slightly rounded off. That feature is useful because it means the cover is versatile enough to be used on most curb types.
The Curb Cover came with 12 sticky foam pads and a one-page, seven-step set of instructions that looks like this.
It basically says, “stick the foam pads on the underside of the Curb Cover, put it on a curb, and skate it!”
Here is what the underside of mine looked like after applying the foam pads.
My overall first impression was that this thing is awesome, and I am excited to try it on every single curb I find.
So How Does it Skate?
Simply put, it skates like butter.
Imagine if you could put an angle iron on a new skate spot instead of taking the time to wax and brick rub it until its perfect. Well, that’s how this skates. It is so smooth to grind right out of the box.
I found that it does require some wax to slide it. However, to practice your grinds, it is perfectly slick right out of the box. Rest it on a curb and skate it.
Why Did I Buy the Curb Cover?
I am an older skateboarder who doesn’t have a local park to go to. I look for places where I can skate with little risk of getting kicked out or fined.
Over the year, I began collecting skate rails and boxes that could fit in my car so that I could take them to a school close to my house. That’s where the Curb Cover came in. I already have a transformer rail that fits in the back of my car. I was looking for another lightweight rail I could take with me whenever I go skating.
My main hesitation in buying the Curb Cover was that I thought it would be the same as buying an angle iron and simply resting it on the curb. However, once it arrived, I saw that there was more to the Curb Cover than that. The Curb Cover is designed specifically to stay on the curb while you’re grinding it without requiring any way of fastening it. If you were to buy an angel iron to do the same task, you would find that its weight and angle require you to fasten it in some way to stay in place.
What Do I Like About the Curb Cover?
It Lets You Skate Unwaxed Curbs Anywhere
The Curb Cover allows you to turn any unwaxed curb into a full-blown skate spot. When you’re done skating, you can pack up your Curb Cover and leave without leaving any trace that you were there.
I’ve used the Curb Cover at a local school that has been kind enough to never ask me to leave. I use the Curb Cover to practice my grinds while still being respectful of not damaging the school’s property. I want to think that this mutual respect has allowed me to skate in the school’s lot longer. In an area with no skatepark, finding skate spots with a low risk of getting kicked out is crucial to your ability to progress as a skateboarder.
The Curb Cover is perfect for anyone who has a curb near their house and they don’t want to stare at wax stains on it.
It Is Beginner Friendly and Very Easy to Grind
The Curb Cover has such a buttery smooth grind to it. This detail is beginner friendly because you don’t need to go fast to get it to grind. You can go at your pace, get the feel of the trick, gain confidence, and speed it up. You can use the Curb Cover as your training laboratory, and when you have your trick dialed, take your newly learned trick to a skate spot or park.
I’ve been skating with my friend Travis who is just learning to skateboard. I watched him gain the confidence to learn 5050 grinds in a single day, thanks to the Curb Cover, and the very next day, he started to land frontside 180s out. Here is a clip of Travis on his first day learning grinds.
It’s Lightweight and Durable
The whole rail is 18lbs and made of strong galvanized steel. The entire time I’ve skated it, I’ve not seen it dent or bend in any way. The Curb Cover is lighter and longer than most other portable skateboard rails on the market.
It Is Easily Portable and Fits in Cars
The Curb Cover is available in three different lengths. The 9′ and 12′ versions come in connectible 3′ sections that can easily fit into the trunk of any car. For this review, I bought the 7.5′ rail. It is one solid rail and still fits in my car easily with my back seat down. It winds up resting right on my center console.
The 7.5′ version fits in most sedans with the back seat down. As a pro tip, keep the box it arrives in and use it as a Curb Cover transportation sleeve to help keep your car neat. To do this, open your Curb Cover box by slicing one of the sides and slide it out. By doing that, you can easily slide it right back into the box every time you’re done skating it.
It Is Skateable as a Stand-Alone Rail, Even Without a Curb
While the main reason most skaters would want the Curb Cover is to skate it on curbs, you can skate it without a curb too. If you rest it on the ground with the curve pointing upwards, you can easily ride into a grind on this rail (similar to a slappy grind).
It Is Inexpensive & a Better Value Than Comparable Rails
For less than $200, you can take a lightweight skate ledge with you everywhere.
I still enjoy skating my Element Flat Bar, which costs around $169. However, I’ve gone through two of them now. The legs occasionally crack and break off from the stress of skating them for a few months. Element has been great with warrantying them. However, I know it will break out of its warranty period at some point, and I’ll need to buy another one for another $169, which means I would have spent $338 for two of them.
With the Curb Cover, there are no legs or welded parts that can break off. One solid rail rests on top of concrete for its support structure. It is incredibly stable, and for the $30 more, it is the better deal in the long run for a portable skate rail.
What Do I Dislike About the Curb Cover?
It Works Better on Some Curbs Than Others
When I first got my Curb Cover, I didn’t realize that I put it on a curb that was too tall and pitched at the wrong angle for what the Curb Cover was intended for. I incorrectly assumed that all curbs were designed to the same dimensions. Here in Pennsylvania, that is certainly not the case. Some of the curbs are taller than others and built at more of a flatter, 90-degree angle.
It isn’t that the Curb Cover won’t work when the curb is too tall or has a flatter angle. It absolutely will. However, I found that I had to adjust it less to put it back on the curb when I put it on a curb closer to the curb cover’s dimensions.
The first curb I put the Curb Cover on looked like this where it was sticking up.
The Main Pro Tip: When the curb cover can stand against the ground and rest on top of the curb, you can skate this for hours, only needing to adjust it back onto the corner of the curb a handful of times. When the curb is too tall, it will still be grindable, and you will have to adjust it back onto the corner of the curb often because it moves as you grind it.
The main takeaway here is that if you’re primarily going to be skating curbs taller than 5 inches and closer to 90 degrees, get the Ledge Cover instead of the Curb Cover.
It was built with more surface at the top of the cover and an angle of 90 degrees to hang flat against the side of the ledge. The extra surface at the top and 90-degree angled side work together to allow the Ledge Cover to remain in place for you longer than the Curb Cover would on a taller object.
Can leave red paint on trucks and wheels
It Leaves Paint On Your Trucks and Wheels
This one is a minor detail that will likely stop happening the more I skate my Curb Cover. When you first get this, you will get paint marks on your trucks and wheels.
It is a small price to pay for an insanely fun skate object.
Who are Curb Covers Good Fit For?
The Curb Cover is perfect for beginner skaters and anyone looking to progress their grind trick variations.
If you are a beginner skater, you will learn how to do your first 5050 in a few hours. It will help build your confidence so you can take your new skills to the skatepark or your local street spots.
If you are a skilled skater, the Curb Cover is excellent for you too. You will love landing new variations that you probably wouldn’t have tried on a grittier, slower grinding curb
Overall Rating of the Curb Cover
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 |
|---|---|
| Grinds | 5 |
| Durability | 5 |
| Easily Portable | 4.6 |
| Fun Factor | 4.8 |
| Overall Quality | 4.8 |
Editor’s Rating: 
Would You Recommend the Curb Cover?
Hands down. Yes!
I would recommend the Curb Cover for any skater with a curb nearby who wants to progress their grind tricks.
Where Can You Buy the Curb Cover?
You can buy the Curb Cover and Ledge Cover on Curbcover.com.
The 7.5′ Curb Cover
Looking for more skateboard reviews? Check out the other reviews I’ve written
- Transformer Skate Rail Review
- Element Flat Bar Review
- Comparing the Strongest Skateboard Decks
- Element Complete Skateboard Review
- Best Skateboard Ramps for Home
- Powell Peralta Flight Deck Review
- Girl Pop Secret Deck Review
- Santa Cruz VX Skate Deck Review
- Cariuma Skate Shoes Review
- Comparing the Best Skateboard Shoes
- The Best Skateboard Ramps for Home
Steve Weber is an avid snowboarder and skateboarder. He has been snowboarding for 26 years, skateboarding for 20, and is always looking for a new board sport to try out. When he is not riding or skating, he runs a marketing agency. Board of the World is Steve’s blog for skateboard and snowboard gear reviews. The blog’s goal is to help people find the right board for them and encourage people to have fun outside.