7 Best Inline Skate Bearings in 2023 [Quiet, Smooth & Fast]

Hello skaters, we are back with an ultimate bearing guide for inline skaters. If you do inline skating regularly or wish to start, you must know that this is a bit, unlike quad skating. Here you do not have side-by-side wheels. So, balancing is a key factor here than the quad type.

For better balancing and better speed simultaneously, you must have better bearings on your inline skating wheels. To get a quick spin, and more durability than others, you must have bearings that are quiet, smooth, and durable, and that fit well to your skates.

In this article, I have come up with the top 7 skate bearings out of many, along with their different features like size, weight, and materials they are made of, and most importantly, why they are the best. Here you go:

Inline Skate Bearings Reviewed

Let’s see some popular bearings and their reviews first. Then we will dive deep in the world of inline skating bearings.

Inline Skate Bearings	Rating	Features/Benefits
Rollerbones Bearings 8mm 16pk	4.8/5.00	Has Caps On One Side Smooth, Silent & Cheap
Rollerex 608z Bearings	4.5/5.00	Carbon or Chrome Steel, Dual Shield Cheap, Fast, Good for beginners
Bont Skates Precision Skate bearings ABEC-5	4.8/5.00	Pre Lubricated, Low Rolling Resistance Double Shield, Reasonable
Yellow Jacket Premium Bearings	4.7/5.00	SS Steel, Nylon Bearing Cage Helps Quick and Smooth Glide
TRB RC ABEC-3 Bearings	4.6/5.00	Chromium Steel, Ball Bearing Perfect Fit, Super Reasonable
Adventure World Rollerex 608ZZ ABEC-7 Bearings	4.0/5.00	Alloy Steel, ABEC 7 Versatile, Good Spin
Sonic ABEC-9 Inline Skate Bearings	4.6/5.00	52100 chrome alloy steel, Polymer Cage Quiet and Smooth

Now, let’s move into detailed review with highlighted features, pros and cons of each bearings.

Rollerbones Bearings 8mm 16pk

These bearings are lubricated with speed cream. Have a high degree of lubrication…So, what features they have for you?

• Highest Tolerance: They have the highest rate of tolerance and the highest level of preciseness. 
• Removable ball cages:  These bearings have ball cages made of nylon and are removable
• Dimension: It has a dimension of 1.18 x 4.72 x 2.36 inches. 6.4-ounce weight and the inner diameter is 8 mm.

Pros

    • These bearings are easy to install in wheels.

    • Have longevity.

    • The noise level is less than other common bearings.

Cons

    • Shields are made of rubber, so being a little careless during maintenance may damage the shield.

Bont Skates Precision Skate Bearings ABEC-5

These bearings have high manufacturing preciseness as they have an ABEC-5 rating. They are,

They are pre-lubricated and have very low resistance. Double shields protect them from external harms. Whether you are intended to do inline skating contests or just a beginner in the skating world, you will find them really cool at quite a reasonable price. Let’s have a look at the features.

• Axle size: These bearings are fit for 8mm axles.
• Dimensions: They are of 8 x 22 x 7 mm size.
• Size of packaging: They come for you at packets of 9 pieces.

Pros

    • Have very low drag, so suitable for fast skating.

    • Dirt and dust resistance makes it suitable for rough weather skating.

    • Tolerance and precision are quite good.

Cons

    • As the whole thing is steel made, so the weight is not too less at all. The balls are also steel made.

Rollerex 608z Wheel Bearings

These bearings are highly lubricated and have dual shields. They are made of carbon or chrome steel. They are too cheap and have an ABEC-1 rating. First, let’s see the features at a glance.

• High-quality steel : ABEC-5 quality steel made. Carbon or chrome steel is used to improve the quality.
• Optimum lubrication: Highly lubricated . It has dual shield that allows it to reduce contaminants
• Refund policy:30 days full refund policy if the customer is not totally satisfied with the bearings.

Pros

    • They are very cheap.

    • Has very good lubrication.

    • As there are double shields, they protect the bearing from rough weather.

Cons

    • As these bearings have an ABEC-1 rating only, so the manufacturing is not so precise and the tolerance level is not so high.

    • ABEC-1 rated bearings are not suitable for marathon skating or stunts.

Yellow Jacket Premium Inline Skate Bearings

This product might go unavailable sometimes. If so, you can choose this SG9 bearing as an alternative.

These yellow jacket bearings are durable, high performing but not so costly. You can make a nice trade-off between performance and cost if you buy these bearings. Let’s see what features they have for you.

•  High-quality balls: These bearings have very high-quality balls that are designed with chrome steel
•  Bearing cage made of nylon: The bearing cage these bearings have are made of nylon. That allows high speed to your skating.
•  High Tolerance: These bearings have high tolerance that allows excellent skating for the skaters. Helps to move swiftly and flawlessly. 

Pros

    • The precision is quite high.

    • Pre-Lubricated. So, friction is minimum.

    • Have a colored shield.

    • Maximum quality at minimum price.

    • ABEC -9 rated. So, tolerance and precision is very good.

Cons

    • Some users have complained that there are a lot of noises when they use these bearings. Though the complaints are from only a few users.

    • The brand says that the bearings have a money-back guarantee, though users have complained that it is a gibberish only. They have not got their money back if the service of the bearings is bad. Even after complaining.

TRB RC ABEC-3 Bearings

If you want some bearings that are cheap but have lots of advantages these bearings are here for you! Let’s see there features,

• Metal shields: Have fixed metal shields. Have high speed and a higher degree of precision. 
• Lightweight: Nylon ball cages made them lightweight.
• Dimension: They have a dimension of  4.72 x 4.06 x 0.75 inches. Weight: 0.16 Ounces

Pros

    • One of the cheapest bearings with high quality.

    • Have less drag. So speed is quite high.

    • ABEC-3 rated means the manufacturing quality is quite good, but not beyond expectation.

Cons

    • Not suitable for pro-level inline skatings

Adventure World Rollerex 608ZZ ABEC-7 Bearings

They are very fast and expensive. Another thing is, they come with spacers in their packet. To know what spacers are, and what is the function of them, read the full article. You can also buy them at both four-wheel and eight-wheel package options.

• High performance : They have ABEC-7 chrome steel made body.Dual shields  allows high lubrication. 
• Dimension : 4.2 x 2.9 x 1.1 inches of dimension. Item weight is 0.15 ounce. 

Pros

    • High-quality chrome steel made. So they are better than carbon steel.

    • Have dual shields.

    • Comes with spacers in the same packet.

    • Has a convenient package size for you.

    • 30 days moneyback guarantee if you are not satisfied with the service.

Cons

    • They are not as light as ceramic bearings. So you have to sacrifice the factor of weight.

Sonic Swiss Inline Skate Bearings

These serviceable bearings are quite high-quality bearings to give premium inline skating experience. The features they have for you are:

•  Protection of the inner parts: Sonic sports has created these high precision bearings with a labyrinth seal to protect the inner parts from dirt. 
• Nylon retainer: these bearings have a nylon retainer which reduces the weight and noise.
• Strong: It has premium chrome steel so can easily move,  turn and increase  or decrease the speed smoothly. 
• Weight and dimension: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches dimension with an weight of 0.14 kg 

Pros

    • These bearings are quite fast to give you high speed during contests.

    • Chrome steel gives you the strength to withstand the toughest turns and stops.

    • These have a nylon ball retainer which makes them lighter than those bearings which have a metal cage.

    • You can remove the non-contact rubber seal and can do any sort of maintenance work so your bearing will have longevity.

Cons

    • These bearings are not so cheap. So, to have them installed inside of your wheel, you have to spend quite a big amount of money.

Which Factors To Be Considered To Buy Skate Bearings?

To choose the best skate bearings for you does not mean choosing the best rated or to choose the most expensive bearings from the market. It depends on two key factors namely the activity of the skater and the level of the skater.

What type of skating you are intended to do? Marathon or short distance stunts? Or just for working out? Which level of skater are you? An absolute beginner or a pro in the skating world? These factors you must consider while you are in the market to buy skating bearings for you. So let’s jump in the deep of the considerable factors.

Types of Inline Skate Bearings

There are different types of roller skate bearings in the market for you. Basically, the skate bearings are of two types. One is the serviceable bearing and the other is the sealed bearing.

Serviceable Bearings

As the name suggests, you can open serviceable bearings and do some maintenance as well as you can change bearing balls and so on. Serviceable ones are good for speed skating or marathon skating, where you must have high-end bearings.

For serviceable bearings, if you regularly use them under normal conditions, you have to clean them once every two or three months. If the environment is intense, then the maintenance should be done quite frequently. Maybe once in a month. This will keep your inline skating shoes ready to roll at any instance.

Sealed Bearings

Sealed bearings are compact and you can never be able to break it down for maintenance purposes. Sealed ones are suitable for trick skating or intense weather conditions.

Inline Skate Bearing Size

There are many sizes for bearings. The most common bearing size that you can use for both inline skating and skateboard is 608. The number is not gibberish. It has meaning. It says that the bearing is of 600 series and has an inner diameter of 8 mm.

Which is also the width of the internal bore. The 6 in the 600 means that the difference between the inner radius and outer radius is 6 mm. There are some additional info as well. The 608 size bearing has a 22mm diameter and is 7mm wide.

There are some other sizes also. For instance, 627. 688, 698 are other sizes that are less common than 608. These have different radius measurements.

Usually, bearings have seven or eight bearing balls which may be made from steel or ceramic. If you use the most commonly used wheels, then go for a 608 size bearing. For inline skating, indoor skating, skateboarding, this is the most popular size you can find from the market.

Inline Skate Wheels

You have to choose the right wheels for your skating. There are different sizes of wheels as well, just like there are different sizes of bearings. Your bearing must match your wheel otherwise you can not even run for a meter.

So, which factors do you have to consider while choosing your wheels? 

    • The purpose of your skating is a big factor here. The smaller wheels have faster acceleration than the bigger ones, as their rolling surfaces are less. They are fast but less durable. The larger wheels have a higher top speed and it is easier to maintain the speed. But reaching the top speed is quite laborious. 

    • Another factor is stability. Smaller wheels are more stable on smooth roads than the larger ones. But, as the larger wheel’s contact surface is less, they are more preferable for rough roads.

    • If your track has many turns and bends, then it is more suitable for you to run with smaller wheels. And if you have quite a straight track, larger wheels will give you better service. 

Remember one last thing, the size and the cost of wheels are proportional to each other.

Inline Skate Bearing Spacers

Now a big question may arise. I have a bearing, and I also have a wheel. I am going to put the bearing in the wheel and then should go for a run. Why should I need a spacer?

Bearing spacers help your wheels to spin smoothly on the axle. Even if you buy a wheel-bearing combo set, you may need a spacer per wheel. How to choose the right spacer for your bearing? Let’s know the hacks!

There are two types of spacers for inline skating bearings. One is a long sleeve bearing spacer and the other is a floating spacer. Simply penetrate your axle in the bearing.

If you have space yo move your axle size-wise, you need a long sleeve bearing spacer. And after penetrating your axle, if that fits well in the bearing, then you need a floating type spacer. Choose your spacer correctly because it will play a vital role in your inline skating experience.

Fast Inline Skate Bearings? Or Durable Ones?

When you are doing short-length skating, you don’t have to have the most durable bearings. You must consider that you have to be fast, have to spin faster, and must be agile. Bearings with better durability are for marathon skating. Also, for fast skating, sealed bearings are preferable to serviceable bearings.

Serviceable bearings are for less robust weather conditions. These are for long-length skating competitions. Ceramic bearings are more suitable for fast skating as they are lightweight, spin a lot faster, and have less friction. Steel bearings are for durability, and better for marathon skating.

Also, for intense weather, steel bearings give better service than ceramic bearings. The main difference between ceramic bearings and steel bearings is the bearing balls. Ceramic bearings consist of ceramic balls and steel bearings consist of steel balls. Choosing the fastest inline skate bearings and most durable inline skate bearings is not the same thing. You must remember this.

Inline Skate Bearing Rating

New buyers are often getting confused when it comes to the subject of rating. There are several types of ratings in the market. For instance, there are ABEC (Annular Bearing Engineering Committee) rating, ILQ (InLine Qualified) rating, ISO (International Standards Organization) rating, DIN (German National Standards Organization) rating, and so on. The most popular rating is the ABEC rating system.

• ABEC Rating System: ABEC rating system starts from 1 to 9 having an odd number of values. A high value of rating means the precision, efficiency of the rating is quite good. But that does not mean that the bearing is more durable or has more speed.
  
  These ratings are just a measurement of how precise the manufacturing was. For instance, an ABEC 9 bearing has better precision than an ABEC 7 bearing and has better tolerance.
  
  But that does not imply that ABEC 7 will have less durability than an ABEC 9. Other bearing ratings have quite equivalent qualities and features like the ABEC rating system. Rollerblade uses the SG rating system.
  
• One of the most popular bearings from Rollerblade is SG7. An SG7 rated bearing has high precision and more manufacturing accuracy. Another thing is, some manufacturers will tell you that their bearings have an ABEC-11 rating.
  
  There is nothing called ABEC-11 rating. It simply means that their bearing’s quality is so good that it exceeds the highest quality rating of the ABEC rating system.

• Swiss Rating System: There is another rating system that has fewer similarities with the previous rating systems. That is a swiss rating. Though the name says that they are ‘swiss’, but actually they can be made in China or any other country. The original ‘swiss-made’ bearings are too expensive.
  
  Bearings having swiss ratings and manufactured in other countries are quite cheaper. A popular swiss bearing is the Bionic swiss bearing. They have titanium bearing balls and have a shield to guard the internal parts.

Related: Ways of getting bearings from skate wheels

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Times Should You Lubricate Your Bearings?

You need to lubricate your bearings to decrease the friction. If you use your skates very frequently, you may need to lubricate them every week. Otherwise, It’s better to lubricate them once a month.

How Many Bearings Do I Need? 

The answer is not constant. It depends on how many wheels are there in your skating shoes. You have to have two bearings for each wheel. So, if you have a pair of skating shoes with 3 wheels installed in each, then you need 12 bearings for your skating.

Which one you are going to buy, depends on your choice of skating.

How long do Inline Skate Bearings Last?

Generally, skate bearings last anywhere from one to twenty years. It mainly depends on quality of bearing components, aftercare and maintenance. It also depends on the type of skating anyone does and how often anyone skates. Regular cleaning is also an important factor of bearings.

What do Bearings for Skates Do?

If you ask how you can move freely on the skate, the answer will be the bearings that help the wheels. So, it’s the bearings that allows in quick and comfortable move with the skate.

The high the rating is of a bearing, the better.

Last Words

So, how was the journey? In the end, now you know a brief detail over inline skate bearings. You know how to choose the right bearings for your level. You have also seen some reviews of popular inline skate bearings. The gist is, you are now prepared to get the right bearings installed inside your wheels and to roll on the street. What are you waiting for! Go and enjoy it!