What Should I Look For in
a Skateboard Wheel?

A skateboard wheel is a simple piece of equipment, but don't be fooled. All wheels are not created equal. So, what should you be looking for?

If you're just starting out you'll probably be buying a complete board. But if you want to replace your wheels, or build your own set up, here's what you need to know.

Always buy urethane wheels. Some cheap boards come with plastic or rubber wheels.

Plastic is too hard and has no give or grip. You will slide all over the place and could end up having a serious fall.

Rubber is too soft and will eventually shred.

Size

The diameter, or height, of a skateboard wheel is usually measured in mm. The size of the wheel you choose depends on the type of skating you want to do. The larger the wheel, the faster it will go.

Hardness

The a-scale is used to measure durometer, or hardness, of the wheel. The softer the wheel, the less grip it will have and the better it will handle rougher surfaces.

As with size, the hardness you need depends on the type of skating you will be doing.

Some manufactures don't use the a-scale to grade their wheels. Bones, for example, make specific wheels for specific purposes such as their Skatepark Formula, Ditch Tech Formula and Street Tech Formula.

A wheel size of about 52mm or 54mm with a hardness of 99a should be a good starting point for a beginner. As you progress and want to try out other types of skating you will want to tailor your wheels to your style.

Skate Parks and Ramps

You'll need a bit of speed to skate ramps so you will want bigger wheels. When you first start out you won't want to go too fast though, so try a diameter of about 60mm and as you improve you can go up to about a 65mm.

A durometer of 95a to 100a will work well on ramps.

Street Skating

Street skating involves getting the board up in the air a lot. For ollies and flips, smaller wheels make the board lighter and lower which makes the tricks easier.

50mm to 55mm with a hardness of 97a to 101a work well for street skating and tricks.

A Word on Colour

Skateboard wheels come in lots of amazing colours and you would be forgiven for thinking that you choose your colour to match your board, or just because you like it.

But the colour can actually make a difference to the durability of the wheel. Clear wheels are made of pure polyurethane which lasts longer.

Coloured wheels have dyes and, in some cases, plastics added to them to produce the colour. These additives can slightly reduce the durability of the wheel.

Pure polyurethane wheels tend to have a bit more grip to them, some skaters say a bit too much.

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