Roller skate buying guide
Skate Plates and Frames: Aluminium or Plastic?
Aluminium (or another metal) for almost every beginner: 10 of the quad skaters we compiled ride or recommend aluminium or metal plates and none a plastic one, and on inline the Thisissoul shop and speed skater Viktor Thorup both choose metal frames. The one place plastic is defended is aggressive skating, where the frame is built to grind. Beyond the material, the skaters add two things to check: the plate or frame length, and whether the inline frame can be removed so the skate can grow with you.
Gear on this page: seven complete skates are named further down, sorted by what their plate or frame is made of — Impala Quad Skate, Moxi Beach Bunny, Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD, Rollerblade Zetrablade, Bladerunner Advantage Pro XT, Riedell Dart, Candi GRL Sabina. 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, for the size and colour Amazon shows by default; other sizes and colours can cost more or less. Retailer prices are given with their own dates. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
What top skaters recommend
Features first, brands only where a skater names one. Many of the setups below come from sponsored skaters riding their sponsor’s gear; we say so where we know it. A setup someone rides is not the same as advice to a beginner, and we keep the two apart.
Quad plates: aluminium or metal, not plastic
- Advice to beginners. Lisa J (Lisa Jaspers, coach with 35 years of skating by her own account; her site likely earns from affiliate links) says a metal plate, aluminium or magnesium, never plastic (Boardwalk Skater, 25 Apr 2023). Dunbeezy, who teaches rhythm skating on YouTube (reputation off YouTube not verified, no sponsor mentioned), gives three checks for a cheap skate that is still good — leather boot, aluminium plate, adjustable stop — and says “the difference between levels in skates are those three features” (Dunbeezytv, 12 Aug 2024).
- What champions ride (setups, not advice). Roller derby’s best-known jammers list competition metal plates in their WFTDA profiles: Bonnie Thunders, four-time World Cup winner and eight-time WFTDA champion (RollerBones signature wheel), on Powerdyne Reactor plates (WFTDA, 1 Aug 2010); Suzy Hotrod, 2008 WFTDA champion and Team USA, also on the Reactor (WFTDA, Nov 2011); Scald Eagle, 2015 and 2016 WFTDA champion (Bont gear), on Infinity plates (WFTDA, 1 Oct 2015); Swede Hurt, MVP for Sweden at the first World Cup, and Snot Rocket Science, Team USA 2011 and 2014, both on Roll-Line Killer plates (WFTDA, 18 Aug 2016; WFTDA, 4 Oct 2016); Juniper Simonis, 2015 WFTDA champion, on Crazy Venus plates (WFTDA, 10 Jul 2016); Satan’s Little Helper, three straight titles with the Arizona Derby Dames, on Boss plates (WFTDA, 10 Jun 2016).
- Park and bowl. Carolina “Caro” Hernandez, Colombian bowl skater (Moxi, Powerdyne, RollerBones, S1), rides an aluminium Powerdyne Reactor Pro with narrow trucks and medium cushions (S1, 6 Dec 2021). Kid Ace, park, ramp and street quad skater (video published by Moxi), rides the same plate with its stock trucks and says it has never broken despite hard use (Moxi, 25 Sep 2020). The Reactor and Reactor Pro are the most cited plate in our compilation: four skaters.
- Plate length. Kid Ace felt more stable and faster when she moved to a longer plate, and says to choose plate length with care. Gap: no one we compiled gives a length rule for quad beginners.
Inline frames: metal, low, and about your foot’s length
- Metal over plastic. The Thisissoul skate shop channel (Amsterdam; presenter not named, a seller) prefers a metal frame to a plastic one and says plastic is only justified for grinding (Thisissoul, 20 Sep 2020).
- Aluminium over carbon, too. Viktor Hald Thorup, Danish world-level speed skater, moved from carbon frames to extruded aluminium: heavier (about 240 g against 140 g) but stiffer and more durable, after a carbon frame went soft in the heat (Viktor Thorup, 21 Apr 2021).
- Low and compact. Thorup wants the frame as low and compact as possible: closer to the ground means more control and less ankle effort (Viktor Thorup, 25 Jul 2023).
- Length, two reference points. Thisissoul: about the length of your foot, or 1-2 cm shorter. Casper, presenter of Powerslide’s official channel (Powerslide staff): a long frame is stable, a short one agile but nervous and less reassuring for a beginner (Powerslide, 11 Mar 2024). They do not contradict each other, but they do not give the same yardstick.
Removable frames: so the skate can grow with you
- Three sources. Jan Welch, editorial director of Big Wheel Blading with 30 years in the industry (owner of the wheel brand Dream Urethane), wants a 165 mm mount so the skates can evolve (Big Wheel Blading, updated 14 Apr 2026). Casper wants a removable frame (standard 165 mm or Trinity) to change wheels later, and warns that a riveted or one-piece frame locks you to one wheel size. Klaudia, freestyle slalom skater who presents herself as a world champion (identity not independently verified), recommends skates whose frame switches from flat (city) to rocker (slalom) in a few minutes (Klaudia & Michał, 3 Mar 2025).
- Thorup says the same from the other side: on adult fitness skates the frame is often not changeable, so pick the wheel size when you buy; a 4×110 frame leaves room to grow (2023 video above).
Aggressive skates: the exception
- Bobi Spassov, Israeli pro with signature Roces models, and Ricardo Lino, a pro since the late 1990s with one of the largest skating channels (reputation as a competitor not verified), agree that what makes an aggressive skate is the soul plate and the frame, not the boot (Ricardo Lino, 12 May 2024). Spassov rides his Roces signature skate (sponsor). Lino rides four equal wheels on an aluminium frame and says he cannot say which setup is better.
- So the material question flips: for grinding, the plastic frame is the point, and the Thisissoul shop names grinding as the one case where plastic makes sense. Our first aggressive skates guide covers flat vs anti-rocker.
Disagreements and gaps
- Frame length: Thisissoul gives a number (foot length), Casper gives a trade-off (stable vs agile).
- Aggressive frames: aluminium or plastic is not settled. Lino rides aluminium; the plastic-for-grinding view comes from the Thisissoul shop, not from a pro.
- Gaps: no skater we compiled explains how quad trucks and cushions should be set for a beginner, gives a quad plate length rule, or compares nylon and aluminium quad plates on weight. Several inline voices are sellers or brand staff (Thisissoul, Casper), which we flag each time.
From the skater behind this site
- No rule of his own on plates. He has none on plate material or trucks, so this page rests on the skaters above.
- Quad or inline: a rigid inline boot holds the ankle; quads are often built soft, like sneakers. He skated inline and only learned on quads, so take his quad points with care.
- Size: follow the brand’s own chart and its advice; sizes vary a lot between makers. Tight means the fastenings, not the size.
- Wheels on whatever frame you choose: 78A-85A outside, 95A and up on a rink floor.
Complete skates, sorted by plate or frame
We looked for stand-alone plates and frames on Amazon on 7 Oct 2026: the Powerdyne Reactor Pro listing was unavailable, and no listing came up for the Sure-Grip Avenger, a Powerslide Trinity 165 mm frame or the Ground Control Featherlite, so none is linked. These are complete skates, so you can see which ones already pass the metal-plate check.
| Model | Plate or frame | Price seen (date, where) | Recommended features it meets | Who it is for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impala Quad Skate | Quad, aluminium plate | Amazon.com $91.36 (B07N7PZ84S), read 2026-10-07; $107 (black), 2026-10-06, impalarollerskates.com | Aluminium plate (Lisa J, Dunbeezy) | Quad beginners on a budget | Fixed toe stop: fails Dunbeezy’s adjustable-stop check |
| Moxi Beach Bunny | Quad, aluminium plate | Amazon.com $119.20 (B0781889KN), read 2026-10-07; $149 at rollerskatenation.com, 2026-10-06 | Aluminium plate and adjustable stop (Lisa J, who names this skate; Dunbeezy) | Quad beginners who want the plate and the stop right | Boot material not checked against Dunbeezy’s leather test |
| Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD | Inline, aluminium frame, 3×100 mm | Amazon.com $170.46 (B08BXNVY8M), read 2026-10-07; $179.97 at inlinewarehouse.com, 2026-09-28 | Metal frame (Thisissoul, Thorup) | Adults who already want a longer, faster fitness skate | Three big wheels: Thisissoul would keep a beginner at 90 mm or less |
| Rollerblade Zetrablade | Inline, composite frame (Elite spec) | Amazon.com $139.99 (B0DSLVFQWP), read 2026-10-07 | Four 80 mm wheels; not the metal frame | First-time adults rolling outside | Plastic-composite frame, against Thisissoul’s advice |
| Bladerunner Advantage Pro XT (women’s) | Inline, composite frame | Amazon.com $89.23 (B01LY9WUYQ), read 2026-10-07 | 80 mm wheels; not the metal frame | Tight inline budget | Composite frame; removability not checked |
| Riedell Dart | Quad, nylon plate | Amazon.com $175.00 (B00655ZG0I), read 2026-10-07; $174.99 at usaskates.com, 2026-10-06 | None on the plate: nylon fails Lisa J’s and Dunbeezy’s check | Buyers set on a named rink brand | Costs more than two aluminium-plate quads above |
| Candi Grl Sabina | Quad, nylon composite plate | Amazon.com $79.99 (B08KGVCD83), read 2026-10-07 | None verified | Tightest budget only | Plastic plate; Dunbeezy warns against very cheap skates |
Our pick
On quads, pick an aluminium plate: the Moxi Beach Bunny meets both the plate and the stop checks, the Impala the plate at a lower price. On inline, a metal frame only comes in this table with the Macroblade’s three big wheels; if you want four 80 mm wheels on a first skate, accept the composite frame and check that it is removable, as Welch and Casper advise.
Beginner FAQ
Is an aluminium plate worth it on my first quad skates?
Yes, according to everyone we compiled who answers it. Lisa J tells beginners a metal plate, never plastic, and Dunbeezy lists an aluminium plate as one of three checks that separate a good cheap skate from a bad one. Among complete beginner quads, the Impala and the Moxi Beach Bunny have aluminium plates; the Riedell Dart and the Candi Grl Sabina use nylon.
Is a plastic frame bad on inline skates?
For general skating, the Thisissoul shop prefers a metal frame and says plastic is only justified for grinding. Viktor Thorup, a world-level speed skater, prefers aluminium even over carbon, because it stays stiff and lasts. No one in our compilation recommends a plastic frame to a beginner for fitness or city skating.
Why do aggressive skates use plastic frames?
Because they are built to grind. Bobi Spassov and Ricardo Lino say what makes an aggressive skate is the soul plate and the frame, not the boot, and the Thisissoul shop names grinding as the one case where plastic makes sense. See our first aggressive skates guide.
How long should my inline frame be?
The Thisissoul shop says about the length of your foot, or 1-2 cm shorter. Casper (Powerslide) says a long frame is stable and a short one is agile but nervous, less reassuring for a beginner. Viktor Thorup adds that a low, compact frame gives more control.
Should my first inline skates have a removable frame?
Three sources say yes: Jan Welch and Casper want a standard 165 mm or Trinity mount so you can change wheels later, and Klaudia recommends a frame that switches from flat to rocker. Casper warns that a riveted or one-piece frame locks you to one wheel size; Thorup says the same of many fitness skates.
Does a longer quad plate make a difference?
Kid Ace, a park and street quad skater, felt more stable and faster when she moved to a longer plate and says to choose plate length with care. That is one skater's experience; we found no one giving a length rule for quad beginners.
Related pages
- Best roller skates for adult beginnersThe full first-skate checklist: boot, wheels, plate, brake, pads.
- Quad vs inline: which to buy firstChoose the skate type before the plate.
- Best roller skates under $100Where the metal plate is hardest to find.
- Quads steer through the trucksWhat the plate does when you turn.
- Frame tweaks are millimetresMoving an inline frame, carefully.
- A rocker is a style, not a requirementFlat vs rockered inline frames.
- Skate quiz · size calculator · wheel hardness tool
How this page was compiled: 18 skaters, coaches and skate specialists named above (quad derby, park, outdoor and rhythm; inline fitness, slalom and speed; aggressive), drawn from our skater compilation of 7 October 2026. Each claim links to its source. Full compilation and method: the skater gear compilation.
What this page does not cover: stand-alone plate and frame upgrades, quad truck and cushion tuning, and speed-skate frame mounting.
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.