Roll with theright setup.
Buying guides for skateboards, longboards, roller skates and inline skates, with deck widths, wheel durometers, truck sizes and boot fit worked out for how and where you ride.
Pick your ride
Four disciplines, four sets of gear. Start with what you ride and where.
Skateboards
Completes, decks, trucks, wheels
Longboards & cruisers
Longboards, cruisers and downhill
Roller skates
Quad skates for rink, park and outdoor
Inline skates
Fitness, urban and aggressive inline
Helmets & pads
Helmets, wrist guards and pads
Shoes & maintenance
Skate shoes, tools and parts
Ramps & practice
Ramps, rails, obstacles and storage
Dial in your setup
Choose inline skates: hard vs soft boots, frame types, wheel size and hardness, recreational, fitness, urban and aggressive skates, brakes and how to size them.
- 02
Longboard vs Cruiser vs Skateboard: Which Should You Ride?
Board types
- 03
Quad Roller Skates vs Inline Skates: Which Should You Learn?
Quad vs inline
- 04
Skate Helmet Certifications: CPSC, ASTM F1492 and Dual-Certified
Helmets
- 05
Skateboard Bearings and ABEC Ratings Explained
Bearings
- 06
Skateboard Deck Size Guide: Width by Style and Shoe Size
Deck sizing
Skate Gear questions, answered
What wheel size should beginner inline skates have?
About 72 to 84 mm for stability and control. Larger wheels are faster but take practice.
Read: Inline Skate Buying Guide →Is a longboard easier for beginners?
For rolling and carving, yes. Longboards are stable. For learning tricks, a skateboard is better.
Read: Longboard vs Cruiser vs Skateboard →Are quad skates easier than inline skates?
Quads feel more stable standing still; inlines often feel easier once moving. It depends on the skater.
Read: Quad Roller Skates vs Inline Skates →What certification should a skate helmet have?
At least CPSC in the US. Dual-certified CPSC and ASTM F1492 helmets cover both single serious impacts and multiple minor ones.
Read: Skate Helmet Certifications →Does a higher ABEC rating mean faster?
Not really. ABEC describes precision tolerances. Skate speed depends more on cleanliness, lubrication and quality.
Read: Skateboard Bearings and ABEC Ratings Explained →What size skateboard should a beginner get?
Most adults start on an 8.0 to 8.25 inch deck. Larger feet or ramp skating suit 8.25 inches and up.
Read: Skateboard Deck Size Guide →Setups that make sense
Every recommendation explains how each part fits the rest of the setup and your riding.
Each guide says who the gear suits, who should look elsewhere, and what to check before you buy.
Brands cannot buy a review or a spot on a list. Partner codes save you money; they never decide what we recommend.
Prices are dated, codes are updated across the site at once, and pages are revised when a product, standard or rule changes.
The skate gear index
- 01SkateboardsComplete skateboards, decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, bushings and grip tape.3 pages
- 02Longboards & cruisersCruisers, carving and commuting longboards, downhill and dancing boards.1 page
- 03Roller skatesQuad roller skates for recreation, rink, park, derby and outdoor skating.1 page
- 04Inline skatesFitness, urban, aggressive and speed inline skates.1 page
- 05Helmets & padsSkate helmets, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads and impact shorts.1 page
- 06Shoes & maintenanceSkate shoes, skate tools, bearing care, replacement parts and maintenance.0 pages
- 07Ramps & practiceBackyard ramps, rails and boxes, practice obstacles, storage, and youth and beginner setups.0 pages