Roller skate buying guide
Three Big Wheels or Four Wheels for a Beginner?
Of the 9 skaters, coaches and shop voices we compiled on three versus four wheels, 8 speak to beginners: 5 tell a beginner to start on four smaller wheels (about 80-100 mm), 2 say three big wheels can work, and 1 says it depends on the skating you will do. Start on four wheels unless you already know you want long-distance fitness skating: that is where the voices that disagree still meet. The disagreement is real and set out below, with both camps named.
Gear on this page: seven products are named further down — Rollerblade Zetrablade Women Fitness Inline Skate, Bladerunner by Rollerblade Advantage Pro XT Women's, K2 Kinetic 80 Men's Inline Skates, K2 F.I.T. 84 Boa Gray Mens Inline Skates, Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD Mens Adult Fitness Inline Skate, Rollerblade Macroblade 110 3WD Mens Adult Fitness Inline Skate, and a set of Hydrogen 80 mm 85A wheels. 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. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
What top skaters recommend
This question only exists on inline skates: quads always have four wheels per skate. Features first, brands only where a skater recommends one for a feature. Where a skater works for the brand they talk about, we say so.
Camp 1: four wheels, 90 mm at most, to start
- Thisissoul, the channel of an Amsterdam skate shop (presenter not named; a seller), is the clearest: stay low, never go above 90 mm, and do not buy three big wheels as a first skate (Thisissoul, 20 Sep 2020).
- Alex Shulgan, professional skater and co-owner of In Move Skates (commercial interest): four wheels are more stable for beginners, three wheels are for advanced skaters (NBC News, 9 Sep 2024).
- Jan Welch, editorial director of Big Wheel Blading with 30 years in the industry (owner of the wheel brand Dream Urethane): 80 mm wheels to start; he reports an instructor calling 80 mm “perfect” for a beginner (Big Wheel Blading, updated 14 Apr 2026).
Camp 2: three big wheels are not a bad first choice
- Casper, presenter of Powerslide’s official channel (Powerslide staff; four years in a skate shop by his account), says three wheels put big wheels on a short frame and are “not necessarily a bad option” for a beginner. In the same video he adds that small wheels lower your centre of gravity and build confidence, while big wheels roll better over rough ground (Powerslide, 11 Mar 2024).
- Joey Mantia, multiple inline world champion and world champion on ice, hesitated before moving from 110 mm to 3×125 mm, adapted in a few sessions, and says of normal skaters: “I think anybody can step on them”, with no added danger, at their best in marathons. The video was published by Powerslide, the brand of the skate he was on (Powerslide, 6 Jul 2015). Note: he speaks of ordinary skaters, not explicitly of people on their first day.
Camp 3: step up in diameter, four wheels first
- Bill Begg, renowned inline coach behind the “Ask Bill Begg!” column (works for the industry firm X-Tech), presents 4×100 mm as the first step, which “should not be intimidating”, then a hi-lo frame (three 110 mm and one 100 mm); he keeps 4×110 for strong skaters (Inline Planet, 30 Jan 2013; Inline Planet, 29 Aug 2012). He also reports a skater, Dobbin, who could not adapt to 4×110 and went back to hi-lo (his account, not checked with Dobbin).
- Viktor Hald Thorup, Danish speed skater, races on 3×125 for long distance and 4×110 for short. For an adult starting out he recommends four 100 mm wheels, or a 4×110 frame to grow into: four wheels give more contact points, more control and a lower skate. He moved up himself by steps, 80 then 84, 90, 100, 110 and 125 mm. He also warns that many beginner frames cannot be changed, so the wheel size is chosen at purchase (Viktor Thorup, 25 Jul 2023; Viktor Thorup, 21 Apr 2021).
“It depends on what you will skate”
- Asha, coach at Skatefresh, the London skate school, skated 3×110 mm on a flat frame for years (speed, comfort on rough city ground), then moved to 4×90 mm with a slight rocker for flow. Her advice: choose wheel size for the skating you will do most, not for what she uses. Bigger wheels go faster, but she sees skaters develop pronation on them; “technique is the most important thing” (SkatefreshAsha, 21 Dec 2022). In writing she lists 3×90-110 mm or 4×80 mm for fitness (Skatefresh, 2021).
Where three big wheels belong: distance, not the race track
- Bart Swings, inline world champion, five Berlin marathon wins in a row by 2017 and Olympic medallist on ice (Powerslide/Matter), credits 3×125 with more speed and more control for him (Big Wheel Blading, 9 Oct 2017). He gives no beginner advice. Mantia says the 125 suits Swings’s style, which sits long on the wheel (Joey Mantia, 29 Oct 2024).
- The racing rule. Wheels up to 125 mm were allowed from 1 February 2016 “only for the Marathons” and the Master category, according to the federation’s announcement of 18 January 2016 as quoted on Wikipedia; track racing stays on four wheels of 90-110 mm. We did not check the current 2026 rulebook.
What nobody in the compilation says
- No skater we compiled gives a body weight, height or foot size at which three wheels become the better beginner choice, except Begg’s note that 4×110 needs a large enough boot. No one compares falls or injuries on three versus four wheels.
From the skater behind this site
- Inline is the stable option, three wheels or four: the boot holds the ankle and the frame sits under it. See why inline skates are more stable.
- Hardness matters as much as diameter outside: 78A-85A on the street, 95A and up on a rink floor. See the wheel hardness guide.
- Size by the brand’s chart, and tight means the fastenings, not a smaller size.
The comparison
| Model | Setup | Price seen (date, where) | Recommended features it meets | Who it is for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rollerblade Zetrablade (women's listing) | 4×80 mm | Amazon.com $139.99 (B0DSLVFQWP), read 2026-10-07 | Four wheels at 80 mm (Thisissoul, Shulgan, Welch); within Thorup’s “smaller to start” | First-time adults who want the most control | Below the 100 mm Begg and Thorup describe for later; you will outgrow the size if you go after distance |
| Bladerunner by Rollerblade Advantage Pro XT Women's | 4×80 mm | Amazon.com $89.23 (B01LY9WUYQ), read 2026-10-07 | Four 80 mm wheels (Thisissoul, Shulgan, Welch) | Tightest budget for four wheels | Composite frame, where Thisissoul prefers metal; wheel hardness not stated |
| Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD | 3×100 mm | Amazon.com $170.46 (B08BXNVY8M, “only 2 left”), read 2026-10-07 | Three wheels on a shorter frame (Casper); aluminium frame; 85A | Adults who know they want fitness and distance | Above Thisissoul’s 90 mm ceiling and against Shulgan’s four-wheel advice |
| Hydrogen 80 mm 85A wheels, 8 pack | Replacement wheels | Amazon.com $69.99 (B0CTQXCVNX), read 2026-10-07 | 80 mm (Welch); 85A, inside 78A-85A for outdoors | Four-wheel skates with a 80 mm frame | Only fits a frame built for 80 mm; check yours first |
| K2 Kinetic 80 (men’s) | 80 mm, 80A (wheel count not in the listing extract) | Amazon.com $79.95 (B09GWCGD85, “only 2 left”, sold by Pachaleta INC), read 2026-10-07 | 80 mm (Thisissoul, Shulgan, Welch); 80A, inside 78A-85A for outdoors | Cheapest small-wheel start on this page | Composite frame, where Thisissoul prefers metal; third-party seller |
| K2 F.I.T. 84 Boa (men’s) | 84 mm, 80A (wheel count not in the listing extract) | Amazon.com $174.85 (B09GWCRCWF), read 2026-10-07 | 84 mm, under Thisissoul’s 90 mm ceiling; 80A for outdoors; BOA closure | Beginners who want the 80-90 mm range with a firm, quick closure | Frame material not stated in the listing extract we read |
| Rollerblade Macroblade 110 3WD (men’s) | 3×110 mm | Amazon.com $279.00 (B09Y91ZM38, “only 2 left”), read 2026-10-07 | Three big wheels for distance (Swings, Mantia, Thorup); aluminium frame; 110 mm, Asha’s years on 3×110 | Skaters moving up by steps to distance (Thorup, Begg) | Three wheels, not four, and far above Thisissoul’s 90 mm ceiling; wheel hardness not stated |
What the skaters agree on for a beginner
Even the two camps meet on four points. Technique comes before wheel size (Asha, Mantia, Thorup). Big wheels mean speed, and speed is what a beginner has to learn to control: Casper links small wheels to confidence, Asha links big wheels to speed and pronation. Three big wheels are a distance setup (Swings, Mantia, Thorup, Asha’s years on 3×110), and racing allows 125 mm only on marathons. Moving up by steps works (Thorup, Begg). So: four wheels around 80-90 mm for a first skate, or 4×100 if you are already sure you want fitness; buy a removable frame if you can, so the next step does not mean a new skate.
Beginner FAQ
Are three-wheel inline skates good for beginners?
The skaters disagree. The Thisissoul shop says no and never above 90 mm; Alex Shulgan says three wheels are for advanced skaters. Casper (Powerslide) says three wheels are not necessarily a bad option, and Joey Mantia, on a Powerslide video, says anybody can step on 3x125 mm. Asha (Skatefresh) says choose by the skating you will do most.
Are four-wheel skates more stable than three-wheel skates?
Shulgan and Viktor Thorup both say four wheels give more stability and control for a beginner; Thorup adds that four wheels mean more contact points and a lower skate. Casper says small wheels lower your centre of gravity and build confidence. See why inline skates are more stable.
What wheel size should a beginner start with on inline skates?
About 80 mm (Jan Welch), never over 90 mm (Thisissoul), on four wheels. For an adult already set on fitness, Thorup and Bill Begg describe four 100 mm wheels as the first step before bigger setups. See outdoor wheels: what to buy.
When does it make sense to switch to three big wheels?
When you skate long distances. Bart Swings, Joey Mantia and Viktor Thorup use 3x125 for marathons and long distance, and Asha skated 3x110 for years in the city. Thorup and Begg describe moving up by steps rather than jumping straight to the largest size. See big wheels lift you higher.
Can I race on 125 mm wheels?
Only in marathons and the Master category, according to the skating federation’s announcement of January 2016 as quoted on Wikipedia; track races stay on four wheels of up to 110 mm. We did not check the current 2026 rulebook.
Can I put bigger wheels on my skates later?
Only if the frame allows it. Viktor Thorup and Casper warn that many beginner frames are fixed, so the wheel size is chosen at purchase; Casper and Jan Welch recommend a removable frame (standard 165 mm or Trinity) so you can change later. Not sure which skate suits you? Try the skate quiz.
How this page was compiled: 9 skaters, coaches and shop voices (inline speed, fitness, urban and freeskate), drawn from our skater compilation of 7 October 2026, plus the federation rule on 125 mm wheels. Each claim links to its source. Full compilation and method: the skater gear compilation.
Related guides: best roller skates for adult beginners · quad vs inline: which to buy first · how to size roller skates · size calculator
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