Bearings enable the wheels to turn and there is a vast range on the market. They usually have an ABEC rating and generally range from ABEC1 to ABEC9. According to Ninja, "ABEC is an acronym for the Annular Bearing Engineers Committee, a US organization which long ago developed a rating system based on the tolerances of a bearing’s inner and outer diameter, width and width variation, radial run-out, side run-out, and raceway run-out. Unfortunately, several factors which greatly influence bearings performance in skating use are not directly measured by the ABEC system; ball size and uniformity, lubrication, shield construction, material composition, and construction durability." So ABEC ratings are not always an indication of how the bearings will perform in the harsh skating environment. A higher rating means the bearing is made with tighter tolerances, and can spin faster, but the truth of the matter is skateboarders never come close to the maxing out the speed of their bearing, even when you bombed that super death hill. Bones bearings are considered to be in a class of their own. Bones does not specify ABEC ratings because they are specially designed for the unique stresses of skateboarding and therefore bones calls them "Skate Rated."



While most brands rate their bearings with the ABEC system, there are also Swiss and ceramic. These bearings offer the best speed and durability, but cost considerably more because they are made with extra precision. Ceramic bearings are special because the balls in the bearing are made of ceramic not metal which helps reduce wear caused by heat and friction. While Swiss bearings are made with extremely high precision.



Most street riders use ABEC3 – 5, this gives them a solid, durable, and fast bearing depending on the brand. Most people who long board or just ride casually will go for the higher ABEC bearing because they provide a faster ride and will not encounter much impact. If you are looking for long lasting fast bearing, check out Swiss, ceramic or Bones. Bearings are available in packs of 8 (2 for each wheel).