Roller skate buying guide
Outdoor Skate Wheels: What to Buy
Across 19 skaters, coaches and industry figures we compiled — from derby and skatepark quad to slalom, speed and downhill inline — everyone who talks about hardness ties it to the surface: soft wheels for rough pavement, hard wheels for smooth floors and skateparks. For a beginner on the street that means wheels around 78A-85A (quad roughly 62-65 mm, inline around 80 mm), which is also the band the skater behind this site has always used outside.
Gear on this page: 7 products are named further down — 78A Quad Roller Skate Wheels with ABEC-9 Bearings, 8 Pcs, Riedell Radar Energy 62 mm 78A (4-pack), Sure-Grip Boardwalk wheels, 65 mm (set of 8), Tanzfrosch 8 Roller Skate Wheels with Bearings Installed, Hydrogen 80MM 85A Wheels (8 Pack), Hydrogen 84MM 85A Wheels (8 Pack), Rink only: 58x39 mm 95A indoor quad wheels (8 pack). They are optional, the page works without them, and the links to them are Amazon affiliate links.
Amazon prices were read on the listing on 7 October 2026. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
What top skaters recommend
Hardness: soft on pavement, hard on smooth floors
- Soft outside, especially for beginners. Carolina "Caro" Hernandez, Colombian bowl skater and Moxi rider, rides her street skates on the stock soft "gummy" wheels and says they are easy on the knees and great for beginners on unpolished ground (Moxi video, 07/10/2020) — sponsor: Moxi. Lisa J (coach, 35 years on skates, self-declared) recommends soft wheels for beginners (boardwalkskater.com, 2023). Coach Dirty Deborah Harry (Dirty School of Skate) says any wheels will do at first because they swap: hard indoors, soft outdoors, hard at the skatepark (video, 21/06/2022).
- Inline numbers that confirm 78A-85A. Jan Welch (editor of Big Wheel Blading, 30 years in the industry, owns Dream Urethane wheels) gives 80A-85A for recreational skating (bigwheelblading.com, updated 14/04/2026). Alexandre Lebrun (president of the International Inline Downhill Association) uses 85A for downhill (rollerenligne, 2013/2020). Casper, presenter of Powerslide's channel (brand video), gives 80A-88A as the usual range: softer grips and damps vibration but wears faster (video, 11/03/2024).
- Speed skaters say the same. Viktor Hald Thorup (two-time Olympic speed skater, Rollerblade World Team, owns a skate shop) advises soft wheels for rough roads, rain and training, hard for a smooth track (video, 25/07/2023). Ewen Fernandez (multiple world champion) answered "soft" when asked his preference, without naming a surface (rollerenligne, before 2018).
- Where hard wheels belong. Derby on indoor floors: Scald Eagle (two-time WFTDA champion) gives 88A-92A on polished concrete and 95A-98A on sticky wood (Bont blog, 14/09/2020 — Bont text, exact attribution not verified); Jackie Daniels (Windy City Rollers) rode 93A-95A (WFTDA, 2010). Dance skater Kim Manning keeps 96A wheels for indoors and a separate softer set for outdoors (listed in the video description, 11/05/2020, not spoken).
Where the 78A-85A rule is nuanced:
- Skateparks are outside but want hard wheels. Michelle Steilen "Estro Jen" (founder of Moxi, signature RollerBones wheel) tells beginners not to bring soft gummy wheels to the park: 92A or harder from the start (video, 09/01/2021) — her own brand. Kid Ace (Moxi team) rides 101A (video, 25/09/2020); Caro goes to 103A on ramps.
- Aggressive and slalom inline sit a little higher. Street bladers ride 88A-92A as a base (at least 11 setups in our compilation); Gabriel Talamantes (Chicago scene) runs 92A on the street and 88-90A in the park (Be-Mag, 08/12/2023), while Bryce Orfield picks the hardest he can for durability (Be-Mag, 11/07/2023). Slalom world champion Lorenzo Guslandi rides 86A (Powerslide team page) and Kim Sung Jin 85A (rollerenligne, 11/01/2011) — both sponsored.
Diameter: what a beginner should start on
- Inline: about 80 mm, 90 mm at most — one dissenting voice. Welch: 80 mm to start, and reports an instructor calling 80 mm "perfect" for a beginner. Asha (Skatefresh coach, London) gives four 80 mm wheels or three 90-110 mm for fitness (skatefresh.com, 2021). The Thisissoul shop channel (Amsterdam, a seller) says never above 90 mm for a beginner (video, 20/09/2020). Disagreement: Thorup suggests 100 mm for adult beginners — "I suggest 100 millimeters for adult beginners" — from a speed-skating angle.
- Big wheels roll rough ground better, small ones reassure. Casper: large wheels pass rough surfaces more easily, small wheels lower your centre of gravity.
- Quad: 62 mm is the common beginner pick. Estro Jen would choose 62 mm over 57 mm for a beginner at the skatepark: more speed for less effort (video, 31/01/2021) — her signature wheel. Kelly, instructor at Skate Base London (local reputation), gives 62-65 mm for adult beginners (blog, 09/09/2024).
Bearings: not the upgrade
- Thorup: ABEC 7 or 9 is enough; good bearings don't win races, bad ones are just a nuisance. Casper and Thisissoul: keep the stock bearings at first. Nobody in the compilation links a higher ABEC number to beginner speed.
Wheels are the cheapest thing to change — but the skate comes first
- Dirty Deborah Harry: you can keep the same skates and just change wheels. Casper: choose the skate for the boot, not the wheels, and prefer a removable frame (165 mm standard or Trinity) so you can change wheel size later. Asha: technique matters more than wheel size.
The comparison
| Wheels | Price (date, where) | Who it is for | What it meets | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78A 65x35 mm quad wheels with ABEC-9 bearings, 8 pcs (CLAS FOX listing) | $36.90, Amazon.com (B09WR3DS2F), 2026-10-07 | Quad skaters moving outside | Soft outdoor wheel (Caro, Lisa J, Dirty); 65 mm is at the top of Kelly's 62-65 mm beginner range | Check your plate takes 65 mm; the ABEC-9 rating says nothing about speed |
| Riedell Radar Energy 62, 78A, 4-pack | $40.00, Amazon.com (B01N7TRWOK), 2026-10-07 | Quad skaters who want a known outdoor wheel at 62 mm | Soft outdoor wheel; 62 mm is the beginner size Estro Jen and Kelly name | 4-pack only: buy two for a full set; brand named by shops (Pigeon Skates, Sucker Punch), not by a skater in our compilation |
| Sure-Grip Boardwalk wheels, set of 8, 65 mm | $77.99, Amazon.com (B00US7HCFQ), 2026-10-07 | Quad skaters on rough pavement | 62-65 mm range (Kelly); recommended as an outdoor wheel by Pigeon Skates | Hardness not stated in the listing bullets — cannot be checked against the soft-wheel advice |
| Tanzfrosch 8 quad wheels with bearings installed + 2 toe stoppers | $28.99, Amazon.com (B08XQHHSQW), 2026-10-07 | Quad skaters who want wheels and bearings in one box | None confirmed: hardness not given in the listing title | Buy only if the listing confirms a soft hardness |
| Hydrogen 80 mm 85A, 8-pack | $69.99, Amazon.com (B0CTQXCVNX), 2026-10-07 | Inline skaters on 80 mm frames | 80 mm (Welch, Asha, Thisissoul); 85A within Welch's 80A-85A and Casper's 80A-88A | 85A is the firm end of the outdoor band |
| Hydrogen 84 mm 85A, 8-pack | $72.99, Amazon.com (B0CWMHC5RQ), 2026-10-07 | Inline skaters whose frame takes 84 mm | Under the 90 mm ceiling (Thisissoul); 85A as above. Downhill record holder Gabe Holm races on Rollerblade Hydrogen wheels (Big Wheel Blading, 14/06/2020) | Only for frames that accept 84 mm |
| Rink only: 58x39 mm 95A indoor quad wheels, 8 pack | $18.16, Amazon.com (B08HMZNVQL), 2026-10-07 | Smooth rink floors | Hard indoor wheel, in line with derby skaters (Scald Eagle, Jackie Daniels) and Kim Manning's 96A indoor set | Not for pavement: 95A transmits every crack into your feet |
What the skater behind this site adds
Stay in 78A-85A outside. That band comes from the skater behind this site. The compilation confirms it for pavement (Welch 80A-85A, Lebrun 85A, soft wheels for beginners from Caro, Lisa J, Dirty and Thorup) and nuances it in two places: skateparks want hard wheels even outdoors, and street aggressive and slalom setups ride 85A-92A.
Bearings are not the upgrade they look like. ABEC is a machining tolerance written for industrial spindles; it says nothing about how fast you will roll, and an ABEC-9 on a cheap bearing is a sales argument. Thorup, Casper and Thisissoul all say the stock bearings are fine.
FAQ
What hardness should outdoor skate wheels be?
Soft: roughly 78A-85A on pavement. Jan Welch gives 80A-85A for recreational inline, Casper (Powerslide) 80A-88A, and Caro Hernandez, Lisa J, Dirty Deborah Harry and Viktor Thorup all advise soft wheels for rough ground. The hardness is printed on the wheel as a number followed by A; try the wheel hardness picker and see outdoor vs indoor wheels.
Should I use soft wheels at the skatepark?
No. Estro Jen tells beginners to bring 92A or harder to the park, not soft gummy wheels; Kid Ace and Caro ride 101A-103A on ramps.
What wheel size should a beginner start on?
Inline: about 80 mm, 90 mm at most (Jan Welch, Asha, Thisissoul); Viktor Thorup disagrees and suggests 100 mm for adults. Quad: 62 mm (Estro Jen) to 65 mm (Kelly, Skate Base London). Your plate or frame sets the maximum — Sure-Grip's LoRide plate takes 37, 47 or 57 mm depending on the riser, Rollerblade's Blank frame takes 58 mm (Inline Warehouse product pages). See big wheels lift you higher.
Can I use outdoor wheels on a rink?
Yes, according to Riedell, but soft wheels "may feel sluggish/grippy on smooth floors". Skaters who ride both keep two sets: Kim Manning uses 96A indoors and softer wheels outside.
Do expensive bearings make me faster?
No. Viktor Thorup says ABEC 7 or 9 is enough; Casper and Thisissoul say to keep the stock bearings. See skate bearings explained.
Do I need new skates to skate outside?
Usually not. Dirty Deborah Harry: keep the skates and change the wheels. See when to replace wheels and, for inline, rotate your wheels — Gabriel Talamantes rotates his too.
How we compiled this: 19 skaters, coaches and industry figures across quad derby, skatepark, street, dance and rink, and inline street, slalom, fitness, speed, downhill and aggressive; compiled 7 October 2026 from their videos, team pages and interviews. Several are sponsored by the brands they ride — noted above. Full method and every source: the compilation guide.
What this page does not cover: speed-racing wheel setups, wheel profiles, and installing wheels step by step.
Keep going: this is one of the buying guides that sit next to the full Roller Skating for Beginners guide — sizing, gear, stopping, and where to skate, in one page. Free, no sign-up, nothing to buy.