Roller skate buying guide
Protective Gear That Actually Fits
Across 24 top skaters we compiled, protective gear is the one point nearly everyone agrees on: as a beginner, wear a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads from day one, with the helmet first. Derby world champions, park pros, an aggressive pro, downhill racers and slalom champions all say it or skate in it; the only dissent comes from an elite downhill racer, and it is about experts, not beginners. Then size each piece by its own measurement, not by your skate size: helmets by head circumference, and the Triple Eight Saver Series set by the hand measured around the knuckles.
Gear on this page: five products are named further down — Triple Eight Certified Sweatsaver Helmet, Triple Eight Saver Series Pad Set, JBM Adult & Kids Knee Pads, Elbow Pads and Wrist Guards, Triple Eight Wristsaver Wrist Guards, Triple Eight KP 22 Knee Pads. They are optional, the page works without them, and the links to them are Amazon affiliate links.
Method: 24 skaters and coaches whose gear or advice we found in dated sources — quad derby and park, quad rink and dance, aggressive inline, downhill, urban and slalom inline — compiled on 7 October 2026. Full compilation: the guide.
What top skaters recommend
In quad park and derby, 12 skaters skate in or recommend full protection: Bonnie Thunders, Scald Eagle, Atomatrix, Swede Hurt, Snot Rocket Science, Satan's Little Helper, Nina Erwes, Jackie Daniels, Caro Hernandez, Tia Pitman, Slam and Estro Jen. S1 helmets and 187 pads come up most often, but several of those gear lists come from S1's own blog, so that is a source bias, not a verdict.
Helmet — first, always, and a skate helmet
- Michelle Steilen ("Estro Jen"), founder of Moxi Skates and a figure of quad park skating, ranks the helmet as the most important piece in her skatepark advice for beginners (YouTube, 9 Jan 2021) [sponsor: Moxi, her own brand — she names no helmet brand there].
- Slam, founder of Chuffed Skates, asks for a certified hard-shell helmet with adjustable foam pads (Chuffed blog, 18 Aug 2022) [brand data: Chuffed is her company; she recommends S1].
- Alex Shulgan, pro skater and co-owner of In Move Skates, calls the helmet indispensable and prefers a skate helmet to a bike helmet, because skaters fall backwards (NBC News Select, 9 Sep 2024).
- Dustin Werbeski, a street, big-wheel and off-road rider (sponsors Xsjado, Powerslide, Undercover), tells beginners going off-road to wear a helmet (Big Wheel Blading interview, 2017, updated 2023).
- Downhill: Gabe Holm, inline downhill speed record holder at 132.19 km/h, races in a helmet (Big Wheel Blading, 14 Jun 2020); Noel Jarillo, Spanish championship runner-up, in a full-face helmet (Big Wheel Blading).
- Ana Coto, whose 2020 dance videos started a wave of skate buying, recommends a helmet (Paper, 11 Mar 2020).
Wrist guards — the most frequent roller injury
- Estro Jen puts wrist guards second, after the helmet, because wrist injuries are the most frequent in roller skating (2021 video).
- Ana Coto broke her wrist when she started and tells beginners to wear protection (Paper, 2020).
- Bobi Spassov, Roces pro with signature skates, wore wrist guards for his first six years; in his beginners' guide they are there for backward falls that break hands (Ricardo Lino channel, 12 May 2024) [sponsor: Roces].
- The skater behind this site: wrist guards take the forward fall, where a bare palm at speed is what breaks wrists.
Knee pads — the ones you fall onto on purpose
- Estro Jen tells park beginners to learn to run on their toe stops and then fall onto their knee pads (2021 video).
- Derby gear lists name knee pads in nearly every case: Bonnie Thunders, widely presented as the greatest player of modern derby, skated in 187 gel knee pads and a Triple 8 helmet (WFTDA, 2010); Scald Eagle, WFTDA champion 2015 and 2016, in 187 Pro Derby knee pads, Elle wrist guards and hockey elbow pads (WFTDA, 2015). These are gear lists, not advice, and some gear may be sponsored.
- Shulgan names knee pads and wrist guards after the helmet (NBC News Select, 2024).
- The skater behind this site: knee pads are what let you drop forward on purpose.
Elbow pads — the disagreement on the order
- Estro Jen ranks elbow pads fourth, last of the four (2021 video). Shulgan does not mention them in his short list (2024).
- Others include them in the full set without ranking: Spassov (2024), Klaudia, a freestyle slalom world medallist (YouTube, 3 Mar 2025), Etienne Herreros, world no. 3 in downhill time trial in 2017 (Big Wheel Blading, 2017).
- The skater behind this site puts them on the same level as the rest: elbow pads take the backward fall — "that's what you catch yourself on".
Discipline extras: shin guards, hips, gloves
- Aggressive: Spassov calls shin guards "super important" for learning grinds; Ricardo Lino, instructor, adds padded shorts for hips and tailbone (same video, 2024).
- Downhill: slide gloves (Holm, Jarillo), hip crash pads and a back protector (Herreros), leather suit when required (Holm). Herreros: learn to slide on flat ground at low speed first.
- Disagreement: Daniel Ladurner, Austrian downhill champion, says the better you get, the less you wear (vienna.at, 4 Nov 2009). For beginners, Herreros, Holm and Jarillo agree on full gear.
- No product for these extras is on this page yet.
Fit — snug, not tight, not slipping
- Slam: pads should be neither too tight nor slipping; basic pads are enough to start, higher-end pads are for heavy park use (Chuffed blog, 2022).
- The makers' charts decide the size (see the FAQ). The skater behind this site: on skates, "tight" is about the fastenings, not about buying a size down — the same logic applies to pad straps.
Amazon prices were read on the listing on 7 October 2026, for the size Amazon shows by default. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
The comparison
| Product | Price (date, where) | Who it is for | Recommended feature it meets | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple Eight Certified Sweatsaver Helmet | $54.99, Amazon.com (B077VYDVDY), 2026-10-07 | Any skater; four sizes from XS/S (51-54 cm) to XL/XXL (60-63 cm), liners to fine-tune | Certified hard-shell skate helmet with fitting pads (Slam's criteria; a skate helmet as Shulgan advises). Triple 8 is the helmet in Bonnie Thunders' 2010 list | The listing says it can feel snug at first and breaks in after a couple of hours |
| Triple Eight Saver Series Pad Set (knee, elbow, wrist), Medium | $41.00, Amazon.com (B002WTT2J2), 2026-10-07 | Adults who want the three pad types in one purchase | Wrist, knee and elbow - the three pads of the consensus set | One size for all three pieces, chosen from the hand measurement |
| JBM Adult & Kids knee, elbow and wrist set | $22.28, Amazon.com (B00GG7AYLG), 2026-10-07 | Lowest price for a full pad set | The three pads; "basic pads to start" in Slam's words. No skater in the compilation names this brand | Sizing is by adjustable elastic straps; no measurement chart quoted in the listing |
| Triple Eight Wristsaver wrist guards | $26.00, Amazon.com (B0000DZIJ6), 2026-10-07 | Replacing or upgrading wrist guards alone; three adjustable straps | Wrist guards, ranked second by Estro Jen | Wrist guards only |
| Triple Eight KP 22 knee pads | $49.99, Amazon.com (B0000ASZ8S), 2026-10-07 | Skaters who want heavier knee pads | Knee pads; the heavier end Slam reserves for intensive park use | Price of a full set for one piece |
Not covered by any product here: shin guards (aggressive), padded shorts, slide gloves (downhill).
Our pick
All four, no ranking for what to buy — but the helmet first if you buy in steps. Each piece takes a different fall: wrist guards the forward fall; elbow pads the backward fall — "that's what you catch yourself on", in the words of the skater behind this site; knee pads let you drop forward on purpose; the helmet is worn a hundred times for nothing and once for everything.
Which brand: according to Steve Settles, skate buyer at the retailer evo, Triple Eight, Pro-Tec and 187 Killer Pads have "spent decades fine-tuning" their pads, and his list includes the Triple Eight Saver Series 3-pack and Wristsaver wrist guards. His guide is written for skateboarding, not roller skating, and dates from June 2023. Among roller skaters, 187 and S1 are the most cited in the derby gear lists.
FAQ
Do top skaters really wear all the pads?
As beginners, yes. Bobi Spassov wore wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, shin guards and a helmet for his first six years (2024); derby champions Bonnie Thunders and Scald Eagle list helmet, knee, wrist and elbow pads in their gear checks. Only downhill champion Daniel Ladurner notes that experts wear less (2009).
Which piece matters most?
The helmet, then wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads — Estro Jen's order, with wrist injuries the most frequent in roller skating (2021). The skater behind this site adds: leave none of them out at the start. See what gear you need to start.
Is a bike helmet fine for roller skating?
Alex Shulgan says to prefer a skate helmet, because skaters fall backwards (2024). Slam asks for a certified hard shell with adjustable foam pads (2022).
How do I measure for a helmet?
Around your head with a soft tape or a string, then read the maker's chart. Triple Eight's Sweatsaver chart: XS/S 51-54 cm, S/M 53-57 cm, L/XL 57-60 cm, XL/XXL 60-63 cm.
How do I size a pad set, and how tight?
Follow the maker. Triple Eight sizes its Saver Series set from the hand measured around the knuckles: Junior 6.0-7.0 in, X-Small 6.5-7.5 in, Small 7.0-8.0 in, Medium 8.0-9.0 in, Large 9.0-10 in. Slam's rule for the fit: neither too tight nor slipping (2022). Our protective gear checklist tool gathers the charts.
Do I need shin guards or padded shorts?
Only for some disciplines. Aggressive: Spassov calls shin guards "super important" for learning grinds, and Ricardo Lino adds padded shorts (2024). Downhill racers add slide gloves and hip pads. For rink, park and street, the four-piece set is the consensus. Then learn how to fall safely.
What this page does not cover: kids' sizing, helmet certification standards in detail, and products for shin guards, padded shorts and slide gloves.
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.