Do you think that the lack of great wheels is turning your mood down? Then don’t be upset. Because we have assembled 10 of the best longboard wheels that are shining in the market. Starting from great traction, to speed, to control, to performance, these wheels have almost everything that makes them the best.
So, if your older wheels are letting you down. It’s time to say goodbye to them. And prep yourself to welcome the new ones home.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Best Longboard Wheels Review & Buying Guide
Orangatang in Heat 75 mm, 83A
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You can find your passion once you grab these best longboard wheels provided by Orangatang. So, let us introduce you to In-heat wheels.
Coming in a purple shade, the wheel offers both durability and quality due to the progressive rebound provided by a rippled urethane pattern.
Moreover, the wheel features a sharp and square lip that makes it a great pick for enjoying outstanding traction. Not just that, it also comes with the encapsulated core that helps in maintaining a smoother ride while supporting the lips so you can enjoy crispier slides besides traction.
The hardness of the wheel comes in 83A durometer that also becomes of the reasons why you will be having the grip you want. To add more, you will also love the speed and slides that it offers due to its durometer.
Plus, it is able to be a perfect wheel for hard carving, pumping, downhill as well as long-distance pushing. Although it won’t perform great on wet concrete surface, this is just a minor drawback to consider.
However, the wheel comes in a 75mm diameter that makes it more of a bit bigger in size. So, you will enjoy higher top speed, but the acceleration will be a little slower. That said, the wheel is able to perform amazingly and you will love the way it rolls over different obstacles on the surface. Besides, it also can provide you with great balance and stability. So, overall it is going to be a wise purchase.
Pros:
- Durable and well-built.
- It offers outstanding traction.
- It provides crisp slides.
- Ensures higher top speed.
- Maintains balance and stability.
- Great for hard carving, pumping, downhill as well as long-distance pushing.
Cons:
- Not meant for the wet concrete surface.
- Acceleration might be slower.
Shark Wheel Sidewinder 70mm, 78A
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Sidewinder is enriched with a lot of qualities that make it the better longboard wheels in the market. Unlike previous, you will get a 4-wheel set with equal traits and qualities.
The wheels come in the sine wave pattern that lets them have a thin contact area. As a result, you will get to enjoy 60% lesser friction as well as crisper slide and quicker ride.
Moreover, such a pattern of the wheels also lets them channel different obstacles such as gravel, sand or liquid out of the wheel’s surface. Thus, it will allow for more contact patch with the ground and eliminate every possibility of debris or sliding related accidents.
Having the hardness of 78A, the wheels are able to offer amazing traction regardless of any terrain. The only drawback here is that, since the wheels are somewhat softer, they may spin slowly.
That said, you will find them giving you a decent ride, thanks to 70mm diameter. Not just that, such size also makes it great for cruising around with high performances.
Plus, the set also makes an ideal choice if you have a big deck like a long-drop or pin-tail.
However, a lot of users found bubbling on the inside of the wheels. So, you may have doubts about the quality and durability of the product. Other than that, they deserve a thumbs up due to their performance.
Pros:
- The thin contact area results in offering lesser friction.
- Rollover obstacles impressively.
- It offers great traction.
- Delivers a smooth ride.
- Offers more contact patch.
- Goes well with long-drop or pin-tail deck.
Cons:
- Bubbled show poor material or
- Might spin slowly.
Santa Cruz Slime Ball Vomits 60mm, 97A
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Grab yourself these best longboard wheels that got back all the way from the 80’s, the Slimeballs!
The wheel has been designed with a urethane formula so it can provide you with long-lasting performance.
Plus, it delivers quickest slide-ability as well as smoothest transition ratio of slip to grip, thanks to the way it has been designed.
To add more, you will love its grip. Despite the fact that it has 97A durometer making it the hardest wheel, it does not lower the traction. And with an amazing grip, you will also enjoy a quicker slides.
Speaking of slide, a little con here is that you may not have the best control over your slide but its other benefits make up for it.
Besides, Slimeball is also able to deliver faster acceleration due to coming in a 60mm diameter. Although, it might perform slowly on the rugged surface that is not a very big deal.
Having said that, the wheel warrants you to have no speed loss, no softening, no bearing seat stretch, no coning, and no chipping. So, you can expect it to give you a smooth ride.
Pros:
- Well-built and durable.
- Slide-ability is quick.
- Traction is great.
- It offers faster acceleration.
- There will be no coning, no chipping issue.
- The transition ratio of slip to grip is smooth.
Cons:
- Controlling your slide can be difficult.
- Performs slowly on the rugged street.
Moxi Skates – Original Classic 40mm x 65mm, 78A
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If traction is your priority, then Original Classic by Moxi Skates can make an ideal pick. Besides being the longboard wheels for traction, it also provides you with a lot of benefits.
Firstly, the durability has been ensured by the brand since it has been made with processed urethane material so you can have great traction from the sidewalk to asphalt.
Moreover, the wheel has been boasted enough to reduce friction while it works to improve speed on different surfaces of terrain. If you want wheels for recreational longboarding, you can think of grabbing it.
As for the hardness, the wheel comes with 78A durometer making it a bit soft, but the traction has been guaranteed.
However, you may find the wheel to be pretty sticky initially. But after rolling it a couple of times, you will get rid of it and thus you will be able to enjoy a smooth ride.
The wheels come in 65mm diameter, so, you will also get a faster acceleration to enjoy. Plus, its width is 40mm that may seem too wide to maneuver for carving downhill. Having said that, the width offers a lot of stability.
Besides, you will get a set of 4 wheels and that too at a cheaper price. So, if you are a newbie in longboarding, you can afford to have it.
Pros:
- Traction is great.
- Well-built and durable.
- You will get to enjoy reduced friction.
- Offers faster acceleration.
- Delivers a lot of stability.
- Rolls smoothly on different terrain.
Cons:
- Sticky at the initial stage.
- Difficult to maneuver when carving downhill.
Sector 9 Nine Ball 70Mm, 78A
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A set of 4 awesomeness. It’s the workmanship of the brand Sector 9 that provides you with their best longboard wheels for recreation.
All 4 wheels have been made with urethane material that defines class and quality. Plus, you will also love its long-lasting performance.
Moreover, they come in 70mm diameter so you can cruise around with higher performance without losing any control.
Not just that, you will have a durometer of 78A which means the traction has been guaranteed over different surfaces to enjoy. Although some of the users griped about its disappointing performance on side-walk that should not be a big concern.
However, the wheels have center-set core allowing for effortless swap-ability. Not only you can flip around the wheels but also enjoy grip from such a core set.
To add more, its 38mm contact patch is another big plus that can let you enjoy a free ride with its amazing traction.
It may fail to slide well but it is able to impress you with its smoother swiveling.
Pros:
- Offers great traction.
- Delivers more contact patch.
- Delivers a smooth ride.
- Solid and well-built.
- Offers great control.
- Swap-ability is excellent.
Cons:
- Not a good pick for sliding.
- It does not perform great on the sidewalk.
The buying guide: Things to consider
Types of wheels
Park/Street Wheels
They can be smaller and harder. As a result, not only you can accelerate fast but also perform different tricks on smooth terrain easily.
Basic specifications:
- Durometer: 90A to 100A
- Diameter: 50mm to 60mm
- Contact Patch: 15mm to 20mm
- Center-set Core.
- Rounded tips.
Cruising Wheels
Cruising wheels belong to the type that comes with softer durometer while benefitting you more with easy rollover different terrains. To add more, these wheels also offer a decent grip.
Basic specifications:
- Durometer: 75a to 80a
- Diameter: 70mm to 80mm
- Contact Patch: 45mm to 55mm
- Side-set or Off-set Core.
- Squared or Rounded lips
Downhill Wheels
Downhill wheels are for those who want performance in the technical downhill area. Such wheels basically have soft diameter while coming in small size.
Basic specifications:
- Durometer: 78a to 83a
- Diameter: 70mm to 80mm
- Contact Patch: around 55mm
- Squared or Sharp lips
- Off-set Core.
Freeride wheels
These wheels look more like shortboard wheels when it comes to their shape. They will be softer in the scale of durometer and will come bigger in size. Moreover, they also have a combination of three core settings, so you will be benefitted from great stability. Make sure you don’t go over 75 mm for freeride wheels since there are chances of sliding poorly.
Basic specifications:
- Durometer: 78a to 86a
- Diameter: 65mm to 70mm
- Contact Patch: around 45mm
- Rounded lips
- Offset, Side-set, Center-set Core.
Size
Usually, longboard wheels range from 60mm to 80mm in diameter. Between the range, most of the common wheels are found to be 70mm in size.
It has been stated that going for smaller wheels will get you faster acceleration. But at the same time, the top speed will be slower. Meanwhile, bigger wheels will get you higher top speed yet you have to deal with slower acceleration. So, both the size type will have pros as well as cons.
However, make sure to check if the size fits the settings without triggering a wheel bite. Not just that, you will also need to check the distance between the wheels and the deck. If you find it to be very little, then a wheel bite is likely to happen.
When it comes to the trucks, longboards mostly feature reverse kingpin. They will be taller in size so that they can benefit you with more wheel clearance.
If you get a deck having bigger cutouts, then you’ll be able to any kind of tires regardless of the size. But, if your longboard has smaller to no cutouts, then you’ll be needing to add some riser pads. In that situation, make sure the riser pad is around ¼-inch. This will help you fix bigger sized wheels.
Hardness
The hardness of wheels is generally determined by a durometer scale. Wheels that range from 70A-80A durometer are more on the soft side whereas wheels having 85A-101A durometer are harder which ordinary skateboards own.
The rule of thumbs says that the lower the durometer rating will be, the gripper the wheel will have, as a result, the slower they will spin. The situation will be reversed for each variable if you view it from the other side.
However, the wheels’ hardness affects the speed of the slide as well. For instance, wheels with 70A-80A durometer will slide slower but they will have a better grip. On the contrary, wheels with 85A-101A durometer will let you slide quicker while losing the grip.
The hardness of wheels also has an impact on the urethane material. While the softer wheels are likely to smear their material, the harder ones promote durability.
Wheels consisting of soft smeary slides are expressed as buttery in general. Albeit such wheels are expected to wear out quickly. However, you’ll find them easy to control and maneuver.
When looking for longboard wheels, it’ll be great to go with a mid-ranged durometer rating that falls between 81A-83A. Because they can offer quick slides, decent speed, and satiating grip.
Contact Patch
The rounded area that makes contact with the surface of terrain while swiveling is what we call a contact patch. When it comes to the wheels of a longboard, the contact patch ranges from 29mm to 70mm. However, the most mainstream range starts from 38mm to 55m specifically.
Wider contact patch will get you gripper wheels and they are great for the downhill area. Such a contact patch may slow your speed down and can be tough to kick-start as well. But it will provide you with the quick transition from slip to grip and more control over the deck which is a big plus!
As for the narrower contact patch, the wheels may have lesser grips so you may not get to enjoy much control. But you will love it for a free ride.
In recent years, wheels coming with stone-ground textures on the contact patch have become widely popular. The manufacturers have the skins stone ground of the patch so that you can slide the wheels smoothly right after you get it.
So, we recommend you to buy wheels that are stone-ground since it will let you slide effectively.
Lips
The transition point between the sidewall of the wheel and the contact patch is called to be the lip of the wheel. The shape of the lip can give a clear picture of the way the wheels will perform and how the grips will be.
The rounded lips are great for free-ride. However, the wheels will have a lesser grip if the lips are rounded. But they will let the wheels break traction easily so it can offer a smoother transition from slip to grip.
Meanwhile, the thick square or sharp lips are preferred mostly for downhill. Such lips enable the wheels to have greater grips.
Basically, lipped wheels allow you to corner lighter plus carve deeper and you don’t need to worry about losing grips. However, if you are planning to use a longboard for regular riding, it’s okay to skip this factor. But if you plan to avoid sliding the wheels, then it is recommended to keep the factor in mind.
The Core
It’s a circular hard plastic ring that accommodates the bearings and provides the wheel material with a place for attachment. The core’s shape and size make a little difference. It is essential to know that if the core is more bigger in size, then it’s likely to cause less deformation of the material while boosting the wheels’ slide-ability.
However, the core’s placement determines the availability of the material for supporting the traction of the wheels. As for the number of placements, there are 3 of them:
Side-set: The placement of side-set core setting is found to be extremely close to the inner lip of the wheel. Such a core setting is great for delivering effortless slides thanks to the minimal material used on the inward lip which you’d use for grips. The side-set core setting does not only provide you with comfortable rides but also helps you control drift.
Off-set: The off-set core setting is placed off-center of the wheel nearer to its internal side. You can also say that off-set is the combination of center-set and side-set cores. You will find a lot of the wheels having this core setting since it offers a great balance of grip and slip. As a result, the setting fits the majority of the rides. If you prefer any specific characteristics of the wheels, you can alter the thickness, shape, and hardness of the wheels under such a setting.
Center-set: The placement of the center-set core setting is directly in the middle are of the wheel. Such core allows for easy swap-ability even if one side of the wheel starts to deteriorate. It also helps make the wheels flip around while providing you with effective traction. In addition, wheels with these core settings own small contact patches and high ratings of the durometer.
Wrap up
The wheels that we have mentioned above are able to serve you well for a longer time than the others. So, they won’t be too tired anytime soon. Since the wheels have impressed all the longboarders with their quality and performance, you can think of grabbing any of them because of all of the best longboard wheels.
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