Best Longboard Wheels of 2023

JUMP TO: LANDYACHTZ SUPREME HAWGS / SECTOR NINE NINEBALLS / LANDYACHTZ EZ HAWGS / ARBOR BOGART V2 / FIREBALL TINDER / POWELL PERALTA SNAKES / ORANGATANG 4PRESIDENT / ORANGATANG STIMULUS / BUYING ADVICE

Author: Brent Herman

The Short Version

The Long Version

When it comes to building your perfect longboard, your selection of wheels may be the most important decision you have to make about your setup.

These polyurethane cylinders are crucial to the quintessential longboarding experience. Whether you want your wheels to ride, glide, slide, or simply roll very fast, there are specialized wheels to help you succeed.

In this round up we look at some of the best choices for longboard wheels, so that you can get rolling right.

If you love reading this review of the best longboard wheels, then you'll likely love reading some of our other skateboarding and longboarding content:

Best Overall: LANDYACHTZ SUPREME HAWGS

SIZE: 70mm

HARDNESS: 78a

STYLE: Downhill/Freeride

As the luxuriousness of the name suggests, Landyachtz is a company known for making great longboarding products. Like other luxury items, they come with a higher price tag, but they are not outrageously expensive. The Supreme Hawgs wheels are an example of getting what you pay for as they offer an elite riding experience.

These wheels are on the larger end of the spectrum at 70mm, but are closer to the middle of the road on their durometer at 78a. The specifications of this wheel design provides a harmonious balance between speed, grip, and control on slides.

The high-rebound stone ground urethane results in an amazing rolling experience straight out of the box with little breaking in required. These wheels offer the quintessential longboarding experience and allow you to cruise, slide, and bomb hills with supreme style.

Best Value: SECTOR NINE NINEBALLS

SIZE: 61mm

HARDNESS: 78a

STYLE: Cruising/Tricks

If there is anywhere to splurge on your longboard setup, it is the wheels. That being said, the Sector Nine Nineballs are simultaneously easy on the eyes and the wallet, earning them a spot on the list as the best value. Sector Nine is a reputable company that offers many longboarding products and knows what they’re doing when it comes to engineering good products.

These wheels will be ideal for most setups since they aren’t overly-large at a modest 61mm. Though they may not be able to glide over the roughest terrains, these wheels are fast and still capable of handling most situations.

The Nineballs make great cruiser/filmer board wheels and their lighter weight can be well utilized for performing tricks like shoves and bigspins.

Best for Cruising: LANDYACHTZ EZ HAWGS

SIZE: 63mm

HARDNESS: 78a

STYLE: Carving/Cruising

Another entry on the list from Landyachtz, the EZ Hawgs allow for silky smooth carving and worry-free cruises through town. Their cloudlike swirling paint appearance alludes to the velvety nature of their performance.

At 63mm in diameter, they will fit nicely on most setups with less risk for wheelbite than larger wheels. However, they still have enough meat on them to reduce the penalty for riding over less-than-ideal pavement.

Their durometer rating of 78a gives these wheels plenty of grip for pumping a bowl or snake run at the skatepark without giving the feeling of softer, gummier wheels that feel like they might melt into the ground and render you incapable of powersliding at all.

Best for Commuting: ARBOR BOGART V2

SIZE: 61mm

HARDNESS: 78a

STYLE: Cruising/Commuting

Arbor is another well-known and proven longboarding company that really knows how to deliver the supreme longboarding experience and the Arbor Bogart V2 wheels are no exception. These wheels are designed to be fast, versatile, and smooth making them ideal for transportation through college campuses or city streets and sidewalks.

Being smaller in diameter, these wheels can be paired with several different decks without issue and can be ridden with tighter or looser trucks depending on the style you prefer with reduced chances of wheelbite compared to larger wheels on this list.

The 78a durometer rating will make rolling over cracks and pavement imperfections feel better than when riding harder wheels, since they will absorb more of the vibration and transfer less of it to the bottoms of your feet as you travel. Another benefit of softer wheels when commuting is the fact that you maintain speed easier and will likely require less pushing than with harder wheels.

The Arbor Bogart V2 wheels are smaller and more manageable than other wheels on this list. That combined with their softness level makes them great for commuting to school, work, or wherever you want to go that has roads or sidewalks!

Best for Tricks: FIREBALL TINDER

SIZE: 60mm

HARDNESS: 81a

STYLE: Tricks

Any of the wheels on this list will have you riding with ease and style. However, if you are interested in really expressing yourself on your board by performing tricks, the Fireball Tinder wheels will help you make it happen.

Whether you are wanting to perform tricks that go into the air (ollies, shoves, 180s, etc) or are interested in performing some fancy footwork on your board while riding (dancing), these wheels lend themselves well to both of these riding styles.

The smaller wheel diameter makes these wheels very versatile when it comes to pairing the Fireball Tinder wheels with a wide variety of decks and trucks. They are able to be ridden on a popsicle deck, cruiser, or longboard. The smaller size also means that these wheels are lighter than others on this list.

With a durometer rating of 81a, these wheels are able to break contact more easily, which makes certain tricks that slide on the ground easier to perform. The rounded lip of these wheels also helps seamlessly transition from traction to sliding.

Best for Slides: POWELL PERALTA SNAKES

SIZE: 66mm

HARDNESS: 75a

STYLE: Freeride/Downhill

Leaving “snakes” on the pavement is a term used to describe the wavy lines of urethan residue left after performing slides on a longboard. Now that you are hip to the lingo, it should come as no surprise that the Powell Peralta Snakes wheels are great for laying down some long and controlled slides.

Their size is sort of middle-of-the-road (no pun intended) at 66mm. This means that they are not too big and cumbersome, but are still big enough to offer stability and longevity.

The Powell Peralta Snakes are surprisingly soft for a wheel designed to slide with a durometer of 75a, but thanks to Powell Peralta’s Soft Slide Formula they can slide like harder wheels and still provide the smoothness of a softer wheel.

These wheels are actually quite versatile due to their unique specifications, but if you love sliding these wheels will not only perform well, they will do so for a long time due to their enhanced durability.

Best for Speed: ORANGATANG 4PRESIDENT

SIZE: 70mm

HARDNESS: 80a

STYLE: Downhill/Race

Some love longboarding for the peaceful feeling of gliding down a gentle path on a Sunday afternoon. Others are maniacal speed demons who only feel alive if they are pushing 50 miles per hour. The Orangatang 4President wheels are for the latter. These things are built to go fast!

At a massive 70mm, these wheels are great for stabilizing your ride while bombing hills. The size also makes it easier to roll over debris, cracks, or other pesky obstacles that can be extremely detrimental if hit at high speed.

With a durometer rating of 80a, The Orangatang 4President wheels are harder than most. Harder wheels produce less friction against the ground which leads to faster rolling speed.

The sharp edges of the wheel make breaking traction less likely, but still possible. You can slide on these wheels, but ideally only when you choose to.

Best for Freeride: ORANGATANG STIMULUS

SIZE: 70mm

HARDNESS: 83a

STYLE: Freeride/Downhill

Freeriding is combining tricks and slides with downhill longboarding. This is the ultimate combination of thrill seeking speed and creative expression on your longboard. Switching stances by doing 180 powerslides and drifting through corners are made easier with the right tool for the job. The Orangatang Stimulus wheels are that right tool.

The 70mm size gives a great foundation for getting sideways around corners and allows for easy riding over rougher types of pavement. Larger wheels also have a higher overall top speed.

With the highest durometer rating on this list at 83a, the Orangatang Stimulus wheels are great at breaking traction. It’s up to the rider to take that power and use it responsibly as they get creative while sliding.

BUYING ADVICE FOR LONGBOARD WHEELS

WHEEL MATERIAL: Longboard wheels are almost always going to be made of urethane. This is a type of artificial rubber material that makes everything from gripping the pavement to doing high-speed slides possible on your longboard.

WHEEL SIZE: Longboard wheels are larger than regular skateboard wheels and are usually softer as well. The number that you most often see is the diameter of the wheel, given in millimeters.

Smaller wheels spin faster, but are more likely to be slowed down or stopped entirely by rougher ground and stray pebbles. However, smaller wheels are also less prone to wheelbite.

For cruiser setups, 55-65mm wheels are generally the best option. An average longboard wheel size is 70mm, but varies depending on whether the rider values the acceleration of smaller wheels or the smoothness of larger ones.

 
 

WHEEL SOFTNESS (DUROMETER): The softness of longboard wheels is measured on a scale called the durometer scale. This measures how stiff rubber-type materials are. Longboard durometer scores are noted by a number followed by “a”. For example, a common durometer for a longboard wheel is between 65a and 80a.

The higher the durometer of a wheel, the harder the wheels are. Softer wheels are great for ensuring a smooth ride over rough surfaces, but harder wheels are generally faster and better for sliding.

The softest longboard wheels are around 65a, while the hardest wheels are 101a. If having a superbly smooth ride is most important to you, aim for wheels around 65a. If you are all about bombing hills and laying down serious slides, you will want wheels around 80a.

WHEEL SHAPE: While essentially all wheels are going to be cylindrical, there are some design specifics that have a noticeable impact on performance regarding the shape of a wheel. Some wheels have rounded lips for easier transitions from riding to sliding while others have more of a sharp outside edge and are able to grip the ground better through turns.

The contact patch of the wheel is another important feature to understand about wheel shape. As you could probably infer from the name, the contact patch of the wheel is the part that is actually rolling on the ground.

A larger contact patch provides more grip and wears down more evenly which boosts the longevity of the wheels while smaller contact patches result in easier slides, but are more prone to uneven wear and flat spots.

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