9 Best Skateboard Wheels For Street Skating (Buying Guide)
For skateboarders, there is no task more daunting than searching for the best skateboard wheels for street skating or cruising. Whether you are a professional, with hundreds of hours of practice, or a beginner, who just got his/her first skateboard, selecting the right set of wheels is of paramount importance.
We believe that buying skateboard wheels should be an enjoyable journey, not a torturous routine. So, to help you on this journey, we wrote this article about skateboard wheels for the street to make sure you select the right set of wheels and don’t waste your hard-earned money on cheap knock-offs.
Also, we have compiled a list of 9 well-known wheels and provided a brief, yet lucid explanation of each. This has been done for your convenience and to save you from painful guesswork. After all, something as important as choosing wheels for your skateboard must not be left to chance, right?
Better wheels will provide a smoother ride, and a smoother ride is an unforgettable and unexchangeable experience. Every skateboarder should have this experience, and picking the right wheels is phase one of this experience.
Our Top 9 Best Skateboard Wheels For Street
We will now explain some top skateboard wheels and weigh out the pros and cons of each. This section will give you much-needed information about different types of wheels and how they can be best utilized. Start reading to see if you can find your pick.
01. Spitfire Skateboard Wheels
Ever wished you could find your favorite wheels in a range of sizes? Well, your wish has been answered in style.
Spitfire delivers the best wheels in a range of amazing nine different sizes to choose from. With this brand, there is always a little something for everyone!
Made of polyurethane
They are made of polyurethane, having a durometer rating of 99a. This high rating means they are not only strong and resistant to wear, but also long-lasting.
With these wheels, your skateboard can take on the roughest and hardest roads.
A key feature of these wheels is their superior grip. With increased grip, you have more traction and fewer chances of slipping and injuring yourself.
Smooth and Noiseless Riding
The wheels are capable of going over little bumps and cracks on the surface you are traveling over. In this case, the vibration and noise you hear will be kept to a bare minimum, and your ride will be as smooth as ever.
You can literally be cruising on your skateboard in the dead of night without anyone even noticing you! The wheels are that noiseless. How amazing is that?
Good for Beginners
The wheels are appropriate for most beginners and allow them to skateboard out on the streets.
Pros
- Superior hardness and toughness
- Noiseless rides
- Very good grip on hard surfaces
- Not easily worn down
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- Bearings not included
02. Sunset Skateboard Wheels For Street Skating
Do you want to transform your skateboard to make it look all futuristic and fashionable?
Sunset Skateboards are bringing you just that! With their LED, flashy wheels, your skateboard will turn heads everywhere.
Made with long-lasting LEDs
These street skateboard wheels have been specially made with long-lasting LEDs inside to light up without batteries! The core is the part that lights up and does so due to the spinning motion of the wheel.
Also, the LED inside has a service life of over 100,000 hours, which is quite huge. To cap it off, no batteries required means no extra costs associated with the wheels, so you can save up on money as well.
Hard and Durable Wheels
Its wheels are made of a grade of urethane that measures 90a on the durometer. The durometer is a special scale used to rate urethane, and 90a implies very hard and tough urethane.
Hence, the wheels are suitable for all surfaces, hard or smooth, and will outlast wheels of other materials by quite some time.
Installed Bearings
The bearings are made of high-quality carbon steel and come pre-installed with the wheels. These bearings add stability to the wheels and allow them to sustain a greater amount of stress.
Also, they will ensure that the wheels last significantly longer than other wheels while providing top-notch service.
Pros
- Sturdy and long-lasting wheels
- Glowing wheels that will make your board look distinctly flashy
- No batteries are needed to glow
- Very long light life
- Pre-installed bearings
- Easy-to-follow set-up instructions
Cons
- Wheels must roll a bit slower to support the bearings and lights
03. FREEDARE Street Wheels For Skating
This is the best set of wheels for all types of applications and terrains. With Freedare skateboard wheels, you can be sure of the quality, coming from a trusted and recognized brand.
The wheels themselves measure a very conventional 52 mm in diameter. However, they have been engineered with polyurethane(PU) and have a grade of 95a.
High grade implies
This high grade implies that these wheels are shock absorbers, but they don’t deform under the applied loading. Hence, they will last longer and will provide a smooth ride with no noise.
This is as good as they get! While highly recommended for beginners who are learning to cruise, these wheels can give optimum performance on just about any surface.
Versatile
From ramps to concrete sidewalks and asphalt surfaces, these wheels have got you covered. Their superior grip will ensure safety during rides, and to make things better, their grip improves when going downhill.
They can also be coupled with just about any type of board. From longboards and penny boards to standard skateboards, they can deliver at their best.
Strong Bearings Allow for Tricks
The bearings come pre-installed and are pretty lightweight. These are specially designed to sustain weight and pressure, so you can perform stunts and maneuvers with ease. For freestylers, this is an amazing deal.
Pros
- Made of high-grade polyurethane known for durability
- Good shock and vibration absorption capability
- Suitable for cruising and advanced stunts
- Beginner-friendly
- Can be used on all types of surfaces
- Pre-installed bearings
- Highly versatile inapplicability
Cons
- Bearings can grind out after repeated use
Factors to Consider before Purchasing Skateboard Wheels for Street Skating
Skateboard wheels provide much-needed traction by firmly gripping the ground or surface when they are rolling. However, in order to provide a smooth ride and adequate traction, there are certain pointers that you need to keep in mind.
This section acts as a guide to help you sort skateboard wheels and make the right choice. While there are several types of wheels available in the local markets, you do not want to waste time going through every single brand and type.
Wheels can have subtle differences in size, texture, color, and many other factors. Each factor can have an effect on your riding experience. In this section, we will point out the key determinants that separate the wheels from the rest.
1. Wheel Size
There are two broad size categories of wheels; small and large. Those having a diameter of 50-60 mm are small wheels, and they are suitable for beginners. You can perform small tricks and stunts and can traverse skate parks smoothly.
Large wheels measure beyond 60 mm and are suitable mainly for rough surfaces with many bumps. These are better for professionals.
2. Hardness/Softness of Wheels
Hardness is measured by the durometer scale, and wheels are classified into soft and hard wheels. Hard wheels are much faster but have less grip, so they are suitable for smooth and even surfaces.
On the other hand, soft wheels are slower, but with more grip. Hence, they are suitable for rough surfaces and street skating.
3. Bearings
Bearings add stability to the wheels and take the bulk of pressure off them. You must always go for wheels with bearings, as they will make them last very long.
Bearings are commonly made of steel, but new and improved materials include composite materials and other hybrids. Note, for most purposes, steel bearings are good enough.
4. Texture
The wheels of urethane will feel very smooth in most cases. However, some wheels may feel sticky, smoother than usual, or tread.
Smooth wheels are suitable for all types of skating, whereas sticky wheels are better for quiet rides as they tend to grip the ground more. Treaded wheels are highly suitable for rough surfaces with many cracks and pebbles.
5. Core Material
The core is what keeps the bearings and wheels in place. It takes a chunk of the weight applied to the skateboard. Cores are very important, and you should select wheels with a strong core.
Most strong ones are made of high-quality plastic and retain their shape even when under great pressure.
Is 78A Good for Street Skating?
78A is a good wheel for street skating because it’s soft and grippy. The higher the number, the harder the wheel. The hardness of the wheels is measured by its durometer, which is a number from 0 to 100. The lower the number, the softer the wheel is.
A soft wheel will have more grip on slippery or wet surfaces, such as asphalt. However, it won’t roll as fast as a harder wheel because it has less rebound after you stop pushing it.
A hard wheel will roll faster than a soft one, but it won’t provide much grip on slippery surfaces like asphalt. That’s why most downhill skateboarding wheels are hard — they’re meant for riding down hills at high speeds! Typically, skateboarders should choose a hardness level that matches how they use their board:
If you’re mostly doing tricks and jumps in your local skate park or driveway and want to go faster while still having some control over your board’s movements, then choose a harder wheel (73A – 80A).
If you’re mostly cruising around town or skating on ramps and rails but don’t want to sacrifice speed for control too much, then choose a softer wheel (70A – 75A).
Is 100A Good for Street Skating?
100A is good for street skating, but you might also want a softer wheel. For instance, a 78A might be better if you’re doing tricks since it will give you more grip on the ground and make it easier to land tricks. If you’re doing speed runs on sidewalks, or smooth asphalt roads, a harder wheel like 85A or 95A will help you go faster without much effort.
Do Harder Skateboard Wheels Go Faster?
Yes, but only if you’re on a smooth surface like asphalt or concrete. Hard wheels have less grip on rough surfaces like asphalt, while soft wheels have more grip on rough surfaces like asphalt. This means hard wheels will go faster on smooth surfaces, and soft wheels will go faster on rough surfaces. You can use our skateboard wheel hardness chart to understand which wheels are right for your riding style and surface.
Are Wider Wheels Better for Street Skating?
Yes and no. The wider the wheel, the more traction it will have on rough surfaces. This makes it easier to ride your board on rough roads or sidewalks. However, a smaller wheel will work better for you if you want to ride smoothly and perform tricks. The smaller wheel allows you to make tighter turns and perform tricks more easily than with a wider wheel.
Final Words
Never settle for third-grade wheels for your skateboard. When aiming to buy the best skateboard wheels for street skating and cruising, make sure to get your money’s worth. Hopefully, you now know more about wheels than before, so you can pick out the best from the rest.
Remember, there are a lot of factors that go into choosing skateboard wheels, and this guide lists the most common ones. The details are placed to introduce you to high-profile, quality wheels, but the ultimate decision is yours to make.
