What Skateboard Bearings Are Best? - FAQ Friday - Tactics

What skateboard bearings are best? What skateboard bearings are fastest? These are common questions that aren't always easy to answer. Instead of listing the "Top 5 Best Bearings" we want to give you a quick lesson on what makes a good skateboard bearing, and what factors you should be looking for when deciding what bearings you should buy.

The first lesson is that a high ABEC rating doesn't necessarily mean that the bearing is fast or better for skateboarding. ABEC ratings were designed to rate the precision of bearings used in heavy machinery that spin at far higher rpm's than can be achieved on a skateboard. Even in high speed downhill skateboarding, the difference in precision between a high or low ABEC rated bearing is not a factor in the speed of the rider or the roll speed of their wheels.

In addition, ABEC ratings do not account for the many types of multi-directional forces that affect skateboard bearings. Skateboards take a beating, and a good bearing needs to be able to hold up to the relentless impacts and side loads caused by jumping, flipping, sliding, crashing, and cornering.

When choosing skateboard bearings, the most important things to look at are the quality of it's materials and how easy it is to clean. Higher quality materials increase strength and resilience to impact, but no matter the quality of the bearing, a clean bearing is always better than a dirty bearing. Even an inexpensive bearing can last a long time if you take care of it. Also, keep your eye out for bearings that were specifically designed for skateboarding and have features that provide extra strength to hold up to the harsh conditions they were designed to endure.

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[nickamarit]

the best bearings for me are the cheapest sealed ones you can find... use them until they break and dispose!!!

[andrewaguilar]

I'm from LA and I rep tactics boardshop, you guys got good deals

[Colynthomas_]

Bronson speed co. Bearings are amazing.

[mikesolo]

looking for a face to face comparison between bones red, oust, neal, bronson, everlong, spitfire, ...etc to not only see which is the best, but a comparative rating on speed and durability

[chickflicks]

ok, first of all half of the people saying oust bearing are the best,  don't even have them, they just watched rat vision, secondly there not really gonna make you a better skater, there just gonna make you a faster skater, and thirdly, try out a few bearings and see which ones you like the best, its all personal preference. p.s if you are barely starting to skateboard, try out bones reds, they are cheap and most beginners start with them, try them out and see how you like them, if you don't like them change them until you find the ones that you like.

[ConseQuentNL]

the background music sounds like the instrumental from "represent" from nas

[PJEntusSalt]

Ceramic bearings are not harder than steel bearings... that is a flat out myth. They simply are preferred because they are much easier to reduce friction on, which allows them to perform much, much more optimally and faster. If the bearings produce less friction, they produce less heat which allows them to sustain a much longer life-span under loads skaters(and longboarders) typically come across. Plus less friction just flat out means faster bearings. Add that to the fact they are much lighter than steel bearings and you can see why people fork out over them when it comes to long term high level skaters. The best bearings on the market at the moment for intense speed and slalom racing are Oust MOC 9s. For street skating literally any bearing will do, but brands like bones reds are super easy to get a hold of, which is why they are so popular.

[Daggermouthk]

Reds all day! i wanna try swiss eventually though...

[puggzdeathmarch]

I notice shops push the reds, in excess. is George giving a kick back for selling these? they break within a year even with regular matinence. bones Swiss is what the standard should be. I had a set for 15 years. no rust because of regular cleaning. they spun like a dream.

[raccdaddyy]

i say the best bearings are just based off your personal opinion.

[hambrother]

rush are smooth af. underated bearings

[jarylyip]

Are NEAL and Bronson good bearing choices for longboarding?

[dandelcastillo]

I wish they carried Oust bearings, they are the only bearings designed for skateboarding and aren't that expensive.

[Autotrope]

Ceramic bearings rust about as much as steel ones. They have ceramic balls and steel races. What makes a difference to how easily it rusts is the grade or amount of chromium in the stainless steel.

[MinusTacosTheOriginalBroTaco]

Have you experienced Oust Moc 9 bearings? would you say that they're better than bones swiss, or the same?

[kevinarevalo]

Ooh that represent by nas background music. I see you

[MrArkBrian]

If we go by “video documentation” is fact and controlled experimentation….then the fastest bearings ever on a skateboard are Bronson G3’s followed by Zealous Green steel bearings. These are facts and I bet both brands are made in China.

[carsengobber]

I went with bones super reds for a longboard is that a good choice

[davidleeashkenazi]

Bones Swiss are the best, not too expensive and if you take good care of then - they will last you for a very long time (years).

[jessefarias]

which bearings are the fastest for going cruising and pushing around?