During the 70s, roller skating became very popular among the youth. There were roller skates rinks everywhere and the sports became popular. You found roller hockey, jam skating, racing, and roller derbies. Furthermore, as time progressed with rollerblades making its way as a new type of sport roller-skating remained popular. A fact is that the invention of roller skates dates back to the 1700s and is here to stay. Therefore, if you want to buy a pair of roller skates for your child or yourself, we have some of the best roller skates reviewed here.
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Table of Contents
Best Roller Skates in 2020
10. VNLA Tuxedo Jam Skat
The VNLA Tuxedo is a classic roller skate made for men and one of the best available on the list. While it has a unisex design, women should get a size smaller. The boot has a high-quality structure and made for indoor rink skating. You can wear it for creative dance, recreational use, to jamming to the beat as you please. The wheels have a 62mm with 95A hardness. Furthermore, the wheels are interchangeable with others as well. Moreover, it has a low-slung profile toe stops with plug to help do amazing tricks. On the other hand, it has a plate with an adjustable aluminum track. The construction is leather, needs no break-in time, and comes with ABEC 9 bearings.
9. RIEDELL Angel Roller Skates
For epic women’s roller skate that has a quality structure, you can look at this one from RIEDELL the Angel. The inventive roller skate offers you the best performance and precision but does come at a high price.
The retro design with leather and interior lining offer you a comfortable fit. You get traditional laces with the dial-in fit system giving you competition-level control to make you shine at the roller skating rink.
Furthermore, it comes with a nylon plate and metal trucks for support. The roller skate features ABEC-5 ball bearings for a smooth ride. The boot sits high to support your ankle, and the POWERDYNE you can replace and is adjustable as well.
On the other hand, you get 32mm x 57mm wheels that are perfect for the sidewalk and rink.
8. Chicago Adjustable Quad Kids Roller Skates
For the best kid’s roller skates, Chicago will keep your child moving indoors and outdoors. Your child can use these skates to learn skating and comes with a gorgeous design more suitable for girls. You can buy the skates in small to medium fit, and they are adjustable to grow with your kid’s feet. Furthermore, it has a high silhouette with a two-piece construction and padded collar.
The inner boot has a breathable mesh lining and two micro ratchet buckles for a secure fit. The wheels on the skates have a 60mm composite structure with 608ZB bearings and incorporated toe brakes.
7. RIEDELL R3 Derby Roller Skates
Here we have another pair of roller skates made for men to roller derby or do speed skating. The affordable price makes them high-performance rink skates. Furthermore, it has a low-cut profile with soft boot and traditional laces with added cuff straps. For derby sessions, the padding makes these skates comfortable to wear.
On the other hand, it has a PowerDyne Thrust plate made of nylon, providing flexibility with the best performance. For extra speed and grip, the skates have 38mm x 59mm Sonar Striker wheels and make for a perfect beginner roller skate as well.
6. Chicago Rink Skate
For indoor recreational use, Chicago is perfect for any woman in need of a pair of roller skates. If you are a beginner, you will find wearing these skate comfortable and effortless to use. The high top boot has a leather upper with leather lining and padded ankle for support. You get traditional laces that you can adjust for a perfect fit.
The boot has a sturdy design mounted on an aluminum frame that is lightweight on the feet. On the other hand, it has a classic yet stylish look for smooth gliding. For ease of braking, it has ABEC-5 608 KWIK bearings with 58mm wheels.
5. Roller Derby TRAC Star Roller Skates
For the best boys roller skates, you can look at the TRAC Star from Roller Derby. The quad skates have a futuristic design that is appealing to boys. Furthermore, it is excellent for beginners to use and comes at an affordable price. You will have no worries that your son will outgrow these skates quickly as it has an adjustable fit to grow with him.
The boot is high with a molded hard shell and hinged cuff with a washable liner. The roller skates fit medium to large shoe sizes. Moreover, it has 54mm polyurethane wheels with a toe stop and G-Force 608zb carbon bearings.
4. Sure-Grip Rebel Roller Skates
The Rebel from Sure-Grip gives you a hard quad roller skate made for men to use indoors. You can move confidently and aggressively with these skates. The boot has a traditional lacing system with cuff strap and small profile to move freely. With the thin line, the roller skates feel comfortable on the feet.
Furthermore, the boots mounted on a plate made of aluminum that feels lightweight on the feet. The skates offer you speed with the 62mm wheels with a 95A durometer.
3. Viper M4 Quad Skate
For women’s recreation roller skate that is ideal for beginners to use, we recommend the Viper M4 Quad from Roller Derby. The roller skate is for indoor use and speed skating. Furthermore, it has soft wheels that work well on smooth streets as well. You get ample support with the small cut boot to speed quickly. Moreover, you get a padded collar with reinforced support to keep you stable.
The boot offers a comfortable fit and allows you to adjust the fit as well with the standard laces and cuff buckle. On the other hand, the wheels have a urethane structure with a 40mm width. For ease of movement and quick stop, the roller skates come with ABEC-5 bearings and a soft toe stop.
2. Dart Roller Skates
For versatile quad skates to use at the roller rink, you will find the Dart roller skates pleasing to use. You can use it for recreational skating, speed, roller derby and outdoors on smooth pavement. The low cut boot design offers ample padding to allow your ankle to move freely and gain speed at the same time. For a secure fit, it has laces with a cuff strap — the roller skates equipped with 62mm wheels with 93A durometer. For smooth gliding, you have ABEC-5 bearings with adjustable Midi Gripper toe stop.
1. Kandy Delish Roller Skates
Last on the list are these roller skates from Kandy for kids. The skates are ideal for a child starting to roller-skate. The color styles are more suitable for girls to wear and great for outdoor use. However, your child can use the skates at the roller rink as well. The boot has a soft structure with traditional laces with a medium profile. Furthermore, it has a padded tongue with a comfortable mesh liner to keep your kid’s feet dry and fresh. The roller skates have 58mm wheels with a polyurethane construction.
Moreover, it comes with ABEC-7 bearings and a replaceable toe stop.
Roller Skate Comparison Table
ROLLER SKATES | FOR | BEARINGS | WHEELS | BEST USE |
VNLA TUXEDO JAM SKATE | MEN | ABEC-9 | 62mm x 32mm | INDOOR/RECREATIONAL/ARTISTIC |
RIEDELL ANGEL SKATES | WOMEN | ABEC-5 | 57mm x 32mm | INDOOR/OUTDOOR/ARTISTIC |
CHICAGO QUAD SKATES | KIDS/GIRLS | RECREATIONAL 608 | 60mm | BEGINNERS/INDOOR/OUTDOOR |
RIEDELL R3 EDM | MEN | ABEC-5 | 59mm x 38MM | SPEED |
CHICAGO RINK SKATE | WOMEN | ABEC-5 | 58mm | RECREATIONAL INDOOR |
ROLLER DERBY TRAC | BOYS | G-FORCE 608Z | 54mm | BEGINNERS/INDOOR/OUTDOOR |
SURE-GRIP REBEL | MEN | ABEC-7 | 62mm x 43mm | SPEED |
VIPER M4 | WOMEN | ABEC-5 | 58mm x 40mm | ROLLER DERBY/SPEED |
DART ROLLER SKATES | WOMEN | ABEC-5 | 62mm | DERBY/RECREATIONAL |
KANDY DELISH SKATES | GIRLS | ABEC-7 | 58nn | BEGINNER/OUTDOOR |
Roller Skate Buyer’s Guide
In our roller skate guide, you can get an indication of what you need to look for when buying the best roller skates for your needs. We recommend you first decide if you need to use the skates inside or outside before purchasing just anyone.
Different types of roller skates:
- Indoor – you can use these roller skates on indoor tracks, gyms, or at the roller rink. The wheels are hard and made for smooth gliding. Furthermore, the skates work better on even and hard surfaces. Moreover, they go by the name of artistic skates and have a high boot with tapered wheels.
- Out-of-doors – this type of roller skate you can use on concrete or imperfect surfaces. Sometimes you can find a pair of skates made for indoor use as well and influenced by the type of wheels equipped. Furthermore, the wheels have a soft construction and can wear down faster than harder wheels.
- Jams: this type of skate offers you a combination of aerobics and gymnastics for dancing and skating. You get a low-cut profile that is lightweight on the feet. Furthermore, the skates do not have a toe stop but a jam plug.
- Rhythm: these roller skates you can use for dancing or gliding. Furthermore, it has a high-profile boot for ankle support. You can use them indoors or outdoors, depending on the type of wheels attached.
- Racing: Also known as, quad skates made for speed and has a tight-fitting boot with low-cut profile and a little padding.
- Derby: for contact sports that involve racing, this is the roller skate to have. However, while similar in design to the racing skate but has more padding.
Other Features:
- Fit & Size: If you are an adult, you will select a pair of roller skates close to your shoe size. The important thing is that the skates must not fit too tight or loose. However, if you plan to use the skates for racing, the best option is a pair with a close fit design. For kids picking the best roller skates becomes challenging as their feet still grow. To solve the problem, we recommend you select a pair that you can adjust, allowing room for the feet to grow.
- Wheels: For speed skating, you need wheels with a size of 62mm that is hard. With larger wheels, you travel faster while narrow ones allow you to do tricks. You will notice that all roller skate wheels textures in the durometer. The higher the number the harder the wheel will be. Furthermore, selecting a soft wheel will wear down quickly as well. For out-of-doors skating, you can choose a wheel with a grade of 73A – 85A. However, for an indoor skating look at a pair with a grade of 85A – 103A.
- Boot Design: you can buy roller skates with a low or high boot. For more control, the higher-profile works better and supports the ankle well. If you plan to do recreational skating, or racing one with a small profile works well.
- Liner: the lining provides comfort, and some even have the shape of the footbed. When buying quad skates, you will find the lining minimal compared to using inline skates.
- Closing Structure: roller skates comes with a lace-up design and comparable to sneakers. However, high-performance skates like racing ones have a cuff strap as well.
- Bearings: the bearing influences how smooth the wheels ride and graded on the Annual Bearing Engineers Committee (ABEC) scale. The higher the number, the smoother the ride but offers you less resilient to dust, dirt, and water.
- Toe Stop: the majority of roller skates come with a brake on the front. However, advanced models offer you adjustable restraints to suit your needs. The only roller skate that does not come with a toe stop is the Jam skates comprising of a jam plug.
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The best solution when buying the best roller skates is to let your form of skating guide your selection when choosing. Decide whether you want to do indoor, outdoor of both types of skating. By thinking about your kind of skating, you can get a great pair of roller skates with us here.
Choose a pair based on your skills, and if you want a duo for a child, always think about safety first. We hope our top 10 best roller skate review & buyer’s guide helps you to find a perfect pair to have some fun.