Roller skate buying guide
Quad vs Inline Skates: Which to Buy First
Across 23 skaters and coaches we compiled, none tells a beginner that one family is simply better: the inline voices push a supportive boot and small wheels for an easy start, the quad voices push a leather or suede boot, a metal plate and soft wheels outside. So buy inline for the easiest first sessions, buy quads to keep every door open (quad to inline is easy; inline to quad means relearning almost everything), and buy quads straight away if you already know you want a rink or dance.
Gear on this page: seven products are named further down — Bladerunner Advantage Pro XT Women's, Rollerblade Zetrablade Women Fitness Inline Skate, Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD, Impala Quad Skate, Moxi Beach Bunny Roller Skates for Women, Triple Eight Certified Sweatsaver Helmet, Triple Eight Saver Series Pad Set. They are optional, the page works without them, and the links to them are Amazon affiliate links.
Method: 23 named skaters, coaches and skate-industry figures across inline urban, fitness, slalom, aggressive and speed, and quad rink, dance, jam, park and roller derby, compiled 7 October 2026 from their own videos, team pages and interviews. Full compilation: /guide/.
What top skaters recommend
No skater in our compilation compares quads and inlines head-to-head for a first purchase. That gap is real; we do not fill it. What they do say, family by family, is below.
Boot
- Inline — a boot that holds the ankle. Asha, coach at the London school Skatefresh, says almost every adult should start in a rigid boot; in her experience beginners in soft boots are "twice as likely to pronate" (skatefresh.com, 2021). Alex Shulgan, professional skater and co-owner of In Move Skates (own business), also says rigid boot first (NBC News, 2024). Jan Welch, 30 years in the industry and editor of Big Wheel Blading (owner of the wheel brand Dream Urethane), calls a rigid boot more stable (Big Wheel Blading, 2026).
- Disagreement: Casper, presenter of Powerslide's own channel, finds a soft boot acceptable unless your ankles collapse inwards (YouTube, 2024). Ricardo Lino, a pro since the late 1990s, says the label hard/soft tells you little: support comes from the shell and the cuff height (YouTube, 2017).
- Quad — leather or suede, firm and padded. Lisa J, a coach with 35 years of skating (self-declared), calls the boot the most important part (boardwalkskater.com, 2023). Dunbeezy, who teaches rhythm skating on YouTube, puts a leather boot first among three things that separate a good cheap skate from a bad one (YouTube, 2024). Dirty Deborah Harry, coach behind Dirty School of Skate, says the boot should fit "like a slipper" and that ankle support exists at entry level too (YouTube, 2022).
Plate (quad) or frame (inline)
- Quad: aluminium, never plastic — Lisa J and Dunbeezy (sources above). Eight more derby and park skaters in our compilation ride metal plates: Bonnie Thunders, Suzy Hotrod, Scald Eagle, Swede Hurt, Snot Rocket Science, Juniper Simonis, Satan's Little Helper (WFTDA featured-skater pages, 2010-2016) and Moxi rider Kid Ace (2020).
- Inline: metal frame, and a removable one. The Amsterdam shop channel Thisissoul (a seller, not a star) prefers metal to plastic (YouTube, 2020); Welch and Casper want a removable frame (165 mm standard or Trinity) so the skate can change wheels later.
Wheels
- Inline: about 80 mm, 90 mm at most, four wheels. Asha, Shulgan, Welch, Thisissoul. Hardness 80A-88A (Casper), 80A-85A for leisure (Welch).
- Disagreement on three big wheels: Thisissoul says no for a beginner; Casper says three wheels are not necessarily a bad choice; Asha says choose for the skating you will do most (YouTube, 2022).
- Quad: soft outside, hard inside. Carolina "Caro" Hernandez, Colombian bowl skater and Moxi team rider, says soft wheels are "amazing" for a beginner on the street and easier on the knees (Moxi on YouTube, 2020 — sponsor's channel). Dirty Deborah Harry: any wheels will do at first, because wheels can be swapped — hard indoors, soft outdoors, hard at the skatepark. Kelly, instructor at Skate Base London (local reputation), suggests 62-65 mm for an adult beginner (skatebaselondon.com, 2024).
Bearings
- Keep the stock bearings — Casper and Thisissoul. Kelly suggests ABEC 7 for a beginner quad. No top skater in our compilation makes bearings a buying criterion.
Brake
- Inline: Asha says keep the heel brake until you master one, ideally three, other ways to stop.
- Quad: Dunbeezy wants an adjustable toe stop; Dirty Deborah Harry says a fixed "bullseye" stop marks an entry-level skate, an adjustable one is more comfortable as you progress.
Size and fit
- Inline: snug. Heel locked, toes may touch — Casper ("think ski boot"; he went down a size), Thisissoul, and Klaudia of the channel Klaudia & Michał, who presents herself as a slalom world champion (identity not verified), warns that skates stretch with time (YouTube, 2025). Welch: measure your foot in centimetres (Mondopoint) against the brand's chart.
- Quad: comfortable first. Dirty Deborah Harry: the foot does not grow longer; if the width pinches, go up a size. Not quite the same advice as the inline side — fit rules differ between the two families.
Protection
- Helmet first, then wrist guards (the most common injury), knees, elbows — Michelle "Estro Jen" Steilen, founder of Moxi and park skater (YouTube, 2021 — own brand's wheels discussed). Shulgan: a skate helmet rather than a bike helmet, for backward falls. Ana Coto, whose 2020 dance videos started a quad buying wave, broke her wrist early on (BuzzFeed News, 2020).
Do not buy too cheap
- Oumi Janta, the Berlin jam skater whose 2020 videos went viral, warns that very cheap skates do not last and are dangerous to dance in (Kaltblut, 2020). Dunbeezy's three checks for a cheap quad: leather boot, aluminium plate, adjustable stop.
The side-by-side
| Inline (4 wheels in a line) | Quad (2x2 wheels) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stability | Higher: a rigid boot locks the ankle, so leg and skate move as one | Lower for a beginner; built for turning, not for holding a line |
| Turning and pivoting | Wider turns | Tight turns, pivot on the toe stop |
| Comfort early on | Rigid shell can hurt even in a good skate; stops hurting once broken in | Often a soft, shoe-like boot, usually kinder to feet |
| Braking | Heel brake behind you, T-stop, plough | Toe stop is a point that does not roll, not a brake; T-stop, plough |
| Outdoors | Natural fit; 78A-85A wheels | Built for rink floors; outside is harder, not impossible |
| Best for | Fitness, commuting, balance | Rinks, roller dance, artistic skating |
| What skaters recommend first | Supportive boot, ~80 mm wheels, snug fit, keep the heel brake | Leather/suede boot, aluminium plate, adjustable stop, soft wheels outside |
The skates, checked against those recommendations
| Model | Type | Amazon.com price (2026-10-07) | For whom | Recommendations it meets | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bladerunner Advantage Pro XT Women's (B01LY9WUYQ) | Inline | $89.23 | Cheapest inline start | 80 mm wheels (Asha, Shulgan, Welch, Thisissoul) | Composite frame, not metal (Thisissoul); hardness not stated |
| Rollerblade Zetrablade Women's (B0DSLVFQWP) | Inline | $139.99 | Easy fitness start | Model named for beginners by Welch | Soft boot — against Asha, accepted by Casper; listing specs not checked |
| Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD (B08BXNVY8M) | Inline | $170.46 | Fitness skaters who want speed | Three 100 mm wheels fit fitness setups | Disputed for a first pair: against Thisissoul's "never above 90 mm" |
| Impala Quad Skate (B07N7PZ84S) | Quad | $91.36 | Outdoor quad start | Aluminium plate (Lisa J, Dunbeezy); soft 82A wheels outside (Caro, Dirty); ABEC 7 (Kelly) | Fixed stop — entry-level sign for Dirty and Dunbeezy; 58 mm, below Kelly's 62-65 mm |
| Moxi Beach Bunny (B0781889KN) | Quad | $119.20 | Outdoor-capable first quad | Named for beginners by Lisa J | Plate and boot material not checked by us |
| Candi Grl Sabina (B08KGVCD83) | Quad | $79.99 | Price only | None verifiable: key specs unpublished | Fails Oumi Janta's and Dunbeezy's "not too cheap" test until specs are shown |
Amazon prices read on the listing on 7 October 2026, default size and colour. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
What the skater behind this site adds
It depends on your question. If you want the easiest first sessions, start on inline. If you want to keep every option open, start on quads: moving from quads to inline is easy, moving from inline to quads means relearning almost everything. If you already know you want rink or dance, quads.
Standing on one line of wheels looks scary and feels solid once you bend your knees and lean slightly forward. The mechanism is the boot: a rigid shell holds your ankle, which is also why loosening the laces on inline skates makes them worse, not better.
Quads win in three cases: you will skate mostly on a rink; you want to dance or do artistic skating; or a soft boot matters more to you than a held ankle. A quad's front stop is a fixed point: you can pivot on it, steady yourself on it and push off it, but it does not slow you down.
Whichever you choose, wheels matter more outside than the type does: 78A-85A outdoors, 95A and up for rinks. Pain comes from poor quality and wrong size, not from the type.
These points come from the skater behind this site, who has mostly skated inline. The quad-specific points on our other pages come from Najete Kada, a French champion in artistic roller skating and Flaneurz ambassador.
FAQ
Are quad skates easier than inline skates for beginners?
For balance, inline is usually easier: the inline coaches we compiled (Asha, Shulgan, Welch) all start beginners in a supportive boot on about 80 mm wheels. Quads are kinder to the feet early and turn tighter. See are inline or quad skates easier for beginners.
Can I switch later?
Quad to inline is easy; inline to quad means relearning almost everything (the skater behind this site). So inline is the easier start, quads keep both doors open.
What should I check on a cheap pair?
On quads, Dunbeezy's three checks: leather boot, aluminium plate, adjustable toe stop. On inlines, a boot that holds the ankle and wheels of about 80 mm (Asha, Welch, Thisissoul).
Do I need different wheels outside?
Yes for quads: soft wheels outside, hard ones indoors (Caro Hernandez, Dirty Deborah Harry). Inline wheels of 80A-88A cover most outdoor skating (Casper). See quads were built for the rink floor.
How do I stop on each?
Inline: keep the heel brake until you master other stops (Asha). Quad: the toe stop is not a brake; learn the plough and T-stop. See how do you stop on roller skates.
What gear do I need either way?
Helmet first, then wrist guards, knees, elbows (Estro Jen). See protective gear checklist.
What this page does not cover: speed, aggressive and park skates, kids' skates, and which model fits wide feet (see best roller skates for wide feet).
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.