Good bearings are important for your skateboard. They have a big say in the speed and smoothness of your ride. At Skateboarder you’ll find skateboard bearings from all the top brands as well as tips and information.
All bearings for skateboarding are of a standard size. There are two bearings in every wheel, so you’ll need 8 per skateboard. They come in packs of eight (8), although some are available to buy individually.
All bearings sold are ready for assembly out of the pack.
ABEC Rating
You’ll find an ABEC Rating on many packs. The abbreviation stands for “Annular Bearing Engineers Committee” and is a standardised guide. The higher the rating, the lower the fault tolerance during machining.
As skateboards do not travel at 100’s of kilometres an hour, and bearings can be placed under heavy loads through tricks, this is not an ideal way to measure their quality for skateboarding.
Designed for Skating: Types of Bearings
Bearings need to be durable to meet the impacts from skaters. Whilst many on the market are good, a few fall into higher brackets of quality and materials.
These include Swiss and Ceramic Bearings. Swiss Bearings have been around since the 80’s, and the term is used across brands to showcase those of higher quality.
Ceramic bearings for skateboards use extra hardened ceramic balls. These are lighter and have less friction, as well as being longer lasting due to rust resistance. These are some of the fastest on the market and have a higher price tag.
