There are thousands of different skateboard wheels out there for you to choose from, so how the hell do you know which wheels are the right ones for you? Well if you don’t already know, keep reading to find out…
Before you worry about what color or graphics you want on your wheels, you need to figure what type of skating you want to do, or what style of skating you are into. For example, if you want to ride vert then you’ll need a different type of wheel than if you want to ride street. The same goes if you want to carve hills, or if you just want to cruise the sidewalks. Deciding what you want to use your wheels for is the first step in choosing the right ones. The two main contributing factors that decide how a set of skateboard wheels perform are the diameter and the durometer.
What Size?
The size of the wheels has a big impact on how fast your skateboard will go and how quickly it will turn. Skateboard wheel size is shown in diameter and is measured in millimeters. So it’s quite simple, a 50mm 
wheel is smaller than a 75mm wheel. Skaters into technical tricks, vert and street skating are going to usually want a wheel between 50mm and 60mm. Smaller wheels offer better acceleration, but less overall speed. It’s worth testing out a few different sizes to get a feel for what works for you.
Cruiser wheels, freeride wheels and downhill racing wheels are generally quite a lot larger. These will not turn as sharply as a smaller wheel, and they won’t accelerate as quick, but once you get rolling they will get you going faster. Larger wheels are also more stable, because there is more wheel in contact with the ground and they’re heavier. Obviously larger wheels like those on longboards are not going to help you if you like popping airs and grinding rails. Most longboard skate wheels come in around the 65mm to 80mm size range, but some can be bigger, even up to 90mm.
How Hard?
The hardness of skateboard wheels is also called the durometer, and this is usually measured using the Durometer A Scale, although there is also a B Scale. Simply put, the B scale measures hardness at 20 points lower than the A scale, so a 95a wheel is the same as a 75b wheel. Both scales run from 0-100, and so 100b wheels are super hard. Most wheels are measured using A, so lets stick with that.
Harder wheels are essentially more durable and so should last longer, but they also do little to soak up shocks from rough terrain. Softer wheels offer more grip and shock absorption but are slower than harder wheels and also have very little pop for ollies. Often softer wheels make up for their speed loss by being bigger, and therefore faster.
If you like to skate street you’ll need to compromise on the hardness of your wheel, so that you can soak up some of the cracks in the road while also keeping the speed and pop. Think somewhere between 80a – 90a. If you skate vert and ramps almost exclusively then you can go for a wheel at the top end of the hardness scale, anywhere from 90a to 100a.
For longboarders and general cruising, a softer wheel is recommended to help soften the vibrations from uneven and bumpy terrain and give you a nice gliding sensation when skating. They also offer more grip. Go for something in the region of 75a to 85a.
Anything Else?
So know you should know how to pick the right skateboard wheels for the type of riding you want to do, but just in case you missed anything, check out this short video with Spencer Nuzzi about picking the right wheels…
Now you’re equipped with all the knowledge you need to pick the right skateboard wheels, so check out our large selection of skateboard wheels here at DriftingThru, and also our specific longboard skating wheels section. Grab a set of wheels and go roll!