I have been testing inline and roller skate bearings for over 30 years. As the Director of Bont Skates, it is my responsibility to make sure our professional skating team is on the very best bearings in the world. I have no agreement with any single bearing company and I source skate bearings from a number of different manufacturers in different countries. Each week I am approached by no less than five bearing manufacturers asking me to test their skate bearings for Bont Skates. Some I test, some I don’t, it depends if they sound like they are making quality bearings or not. Over the years I have tested hundreds of different brands of skate bearings.
This post will cover everything you ever wanted to know about skate bearings. This includes bearings for skateboarding, inline skating, roller skating, scooters, and roller derby skating.
What ABEC Does and Does Not Measure
ABEC is a tolerance classification for bearings. It does not describe every factor that affects performance in a skate, including material quality, lubrication, sealing, contamination resistance, side loads, and durability under real skating conditions. A higher printed ABEC number does not automatically make one skate bearing faster, stronger, or better suited to a particular discipline.
Choose bearings by verified construction, condition, compatibility, maintenance needs, and real-world performance, rather than the ABEC number alone.
More Roller-Skate Bearing Help
- How to clean, lubricate, and install roller-skate bearings
- How roller-skate bearings are made
- Mini and micro roller-skate bearing sizes
Browse current Bont roller-skate bearings and check the product specifications for size and axle compatibility.