Top 10 Best Skateboard Wheels
When it comes to building your perfect skateboard setup, picking the right wheels can make all the difference. Wheels are more than just a part of the board - they're a big piece of what makes skating feel smooth, fast, and controlled. So how do you know which wheels are the best for your style? Are you looking to slide with ease, speed down steep hills, or just cruise comfortably around town? The list of top skateboard wheels here covers options that have been loved, tested, and voted on by skaters who know their stuff.
Spitfires are the best wheels I have ever skated. Period. They never flat spot, and they always offer an insanely smooth and fast ride. I have skated on some of my friends' wheels before, and they are nowhere near as good as Spitfires are.
You can't go wrong with any Spitfires you buy. I have 53mm Formula 4s (101a), and I've had them for a year. They are probably 52mm now! They will never wear down. You can skate them forever!
I would recommend Spitfire wheels over any wheels you can buy because they are the fastest, smoothest, and longest-lasting wheels on the market.
Bones are far better than ANY wheel, and that's a fact. They don't flat spot, they slide well, and if you don't mind the waxy white look of the urethane, they stay white.
If money wasn't a factor in my decision, I would say Spitfires because of how they slide. Unfortunately, they flat spot way too easily. Even the F1 Streetburners end up flat spotting in the end. They're good in the streets, don't get me wrong, but the thing with the F1s is they're too slippery on anything that isn't asphalt.
I've been riding for 20 years, so I've tried a lot of brands, but I'll stick to the last five years. I buy wheels in 53s, and once they wear down to 50 (without flatspotting), I replace them. But I always try to flat spot them first on purpose (just a mental thing).
Well, I've been trying for a week to flat spot my STFs, and I can't! I've been abusing them on asphalt and concrete, and they still hold up! I have to admit defeat with these.
I agree with everyone who says they're noisy and waxy, but they're about to become the only wheels that ever beat me. Top quality.
I've had a pair of Ricta wheels for about two years now. They are Crystals with Chrome, 99a 53mm, and they still skate great. They never flat spot, and I powerslide to stop 30% of the time. They are pretty smooth for 99a.
These skate great. I'm never gonna stop buying Rictas because they last forever, and they are super smooth. They also look pretty cool with their translucent and chrome outer rim.
I had Spitfires for a while, but they were always either too small or wore down too fast. A friend told me to get bigger wheels, especially because of Long Island's horrible roads. He had Rictas, so I picked up a pair and never looked back.
Better pop with the bigger wheels, smooth and fast, and they last very long. I strictly ride mini now. I picked up a set of 58mm Clouds and couldn't be happier. They definitely live up to their name. The only thing I don't like about them is that they're a little too grippy.
I used OJ's with Bennett trucks in the early to mid-70s. As I recall the timeline, our skateboard team skated on an amazing half-pipe we built of plywood. We rode some empty pools, skateboard parks, and a large fiberglass skate park, mostly for pleasure riding and some competition.
We bought and made some skateboards. Good memories...
I've had Spitfire and OJ. I prefer OJ because they're faster and they last longer. Bits of metal and stone don't appear in the wheels as quickly.
Ride smooth, don't flat spot, great design, sick team, and locks into grinds easier. Better than Bones and tied with Spitfire.
I had Ricta wheels before, and they were really fast, but too fast. I always had to powerslide to slow down, and they felt too hard. Then I got Pig's Day of the Dead wheels. They are not too fast and not too slow, so I'm always in control, but not so slow that it affects my performance.
They are hard wheels but ride super smooth, a bit like Spitfires do. However, they wear down a little faster because they are a different urethane. That doesn't matter because they are like half the price of any other wheels, so you won't be too poor to pick up a pair of freshies!
Overall, one of the best wheels on the market. They have sick designs, so your board will always look good!
I've had Spitfire, Bones, Ricta, and Autobahn's, and by far, Autobahns are the best. They have the best slide and no flat spots. Get these if you're gonna get any wheels.
They're amazing if you ride a lot of street. I have had Spitfires, but Autobahn beats them by a long shot!
I think MLs are pretty cool. The logo isn't so radical, but their A-Cut wheels work pretty nicely. They slide great too! Their cheap wheels are not perfect, but great product quality!
Mini-Logo is the exact same wheels as Bones, made in the same factory and everything. They just have Mini-Logo printed on them instead of Bones.
Mi-Lo is the best. They have sick riders like Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, and PJ Ladd. They ride smooth and are great shock absorbers, even when you ollie from 20 stairs.
Element wheels are the best wheels for street skating.
That would have to do with your bearings, fool, not your wheels. It depends on how great your bearings are for the wheels to spin. The better bearings you have, the more the wheels spin. Bones ceramics are some sick bearings.
As fast as SPF. No flat spots. Really grippy once they are broken in.
Darkstar Light Knights are possibly the BEST wheels I've ever used in my life. They are so light, and they look really cool.
They don't wear down that fast, and they're thin and smooth. Smooth ride, and the middle of the wheel has the awesome Darkstar warrior head. Awesome.
The Newcomers
I got new Pavos and skated street for four days straight, and they still look new.
These are good wheels. You should place them in the top ten, alongside Wayward.
Smooth like butter. They roll smooth and spin well with broken-in bearings. I had Bones, and they were too hard and big, but Plan Bs are small and good-looking.
Loved the Ricta Super Crystals. Had them for years. Now they make these clean Gold wheels, 101a hardness. Even better for street and less flat spot resistant! I was currently riding Bones STF, and they flat-spotted after five months. Can't believe it.
Straight smooth! Feel great, fast, almost feel cushion-like but are not soft. If you can understand that. Player type of wheel you know. Almost a delicacy.
Super fast and have many varieties of colors! Great look, feel, and shape.
Abec 11 has wheels in practically all sizes, hardness, and shapes. They are good wheels. Also, the price/quality ratio in bigger wheels is good.
Hubbas are so strong. I had mine for 4 years and have switched boards and wheels, but my old Hubbas are still in great shape.
Good on bumpy ground and spin long.
They are always riding smooth.
They don't flat out at all.
Hubba wheels were in Skate 1, and I love their different colors.
I have Blind wheels, and they are super light. The shape is perfect for ollies, kickflips, and manuals. They go great with Reds and Core. Blind is the best. I pick Blind over anything else.
They rock! They are always clean, super fast, and light!
Had mine for 3 years, and they are still rideable!
I've been skating for two years, and Force is till now the best wheels I bought. Great slide, no flat spots, good graphics.
Force Wheels are amazing wheels. No flat spots and are just flat out rad.
Graphics may not be the best, but the hardness and durability are good. They skate well and don't flat spot.
I had a set of the original Kryptonic Blues. Wow, they were fast. Mine are a bit worn, but for an early 80s/late 70s wheel, that's to be expected. The Vault Pathfinders remind me of them. I've never tried to slide with the Blues intentionally. Back then, when we wanted to stop, we veered into a bush and leapt into it. Sometimes this resulted in stinging nettle stings all over our arms and legs, but that was the fun of it.
We'd get towed behind a motorbike up to maybe 25/30 mph, let go, and then take it from there. No helmets - at least, I don't remember wearing one. Perhaps we should have, but that was the whole thing about it, the danger. We were bored surfers and needed something to release our built-up tension from not being able to surf 24/7. So, we did mad things. Surfing a car was kinda cool too.
They re-released the Kryptonics downhill wheel on our island, Jersey, but instead of it being 70mm, they were 65mm and fluorescent colors. That was the 80s. They were still a great wheel, lovely, soft, and buttery. That's what I remember of them anyway.
Good quality wheels. 101a is so slick and they don't get any flat spots!
Known as ACID, these wheels provide excellent grip and can slide when needed.