Electric Skateboard Wheels: The Complete Guide

• by E4TP Contributor
• August 4, 2022
• 12 min read

Ask any everyday electric rider one thing that they should know about e boards, and nine times out of ten, they’ll talk about electric skateboard wheels.

They’ll tell you that the wheels on these transporters can make or break the feel of your ride, either allowing you to push further than you’ve ever gone before (as long as there’s enough charge), or bring your trips to a premature finish.

To help avoid disappointment, we here at E4TP have done you a solid, by putting together a complete guide on electric skateboard wheels.

In this post we outline everything you need to know, from how the size of the wheel matters, to even highlighting some of our personal favourite wheels.

Like in any buying guide-style post, we should reiterate that we have not, *repeat*, have not, been paid by any of the brands mentioned in this post.

If we name them, it’s because they something that is, at least in my opinion, worth buying.

Now, should we begin?

Electric Skateboard Wheel Sizing Overview

It goes without saying that the size of the wheels on any skateboard — electric or otherwise — are very important.

Here are some generalised rules for you to get your head around what sizes are better at doing what:

• Larger wheels will increase the speed, but will limit how fast you accelerate
• Smaller wheels don’t go as fast as larger wheels, however, they will allow you to accelerate a lot faster
• Bigger wheels make riding over tough surfaces/terrain a lot easier
• Smaller/harder wheels with less contact to the riding surface will slide easier than larger/softer wheels

Do keep in mind that the list you see above is more of a general overview, and that the first thing riders should consider when looking at wheel sizing is deck clearance when turning.

Diameter

Diameter is important to take note of here, as not all electric skateboard wheels will fit under the board in question. Buying wheels that are too big will only bite the deck when trying to go around corners.

This could cause serious harm should you be travelling at a decent speed and then try to catch a corner.

Certain electric boards shouldn’t have this much of a problem, others, not so much.

You should be careful when it comes to minis, cruisers, and pintail boards. These boards are much more likely to suffer from large-sized wheels biting the underside of your deck.

Riser pads are always an option to give you a little more clearance, only this will only help you to a certain degree.

Contact Patch/Wheel Width

A common misconception is that contact path and wheel width are interchangeable terms, when they’re not.

Essentially, the contact path of a wheel is the width of the wheel that comes into contact with a riding surface as you’re moving. Whereas the wheel width is the total width of the entire wheel.

Got it?

Sweet, then let’s keep going.

The wider the contact patch the more the wheel will grip a riding surface. Which you choose to roll with is completely up to you.

Personally, I go with the wider stance as I’m a taller guy, but you might be of a completely different opinion.

Electric Skateboard Wheels: Explaining Wheel Durometer

When on the lookout for electric boards and wheels of your own, you might have come across the following numbers/combinations:

• 72a
• 76a
• 82a

All of these numbers pertain to the softness and hardness of the durometer measurement of a skateboard wheel.

Here’s that last sentence in basic English:

The durometer measurement is used to rate the overall hardness of polymers, rubbers, and plastics. They are bound to specific scales (A, B, C, D, etc).

Know that the A ranking is the only one you should be paying close attention to, with it being how all skateboards are rated. For example, a 76a electric skateboard wheel is tougher than a 72a wheel.

Again, the type of wheel you choose will be based solely on your own preferences. If you want more grippage to the ground, then it might be worth going with something a little softer.

Harder wheels, on the other hand, tend to go a lot faster in comparison, as mentioned, but they will take more of a knock when travelling.

Electric Skateboard Wheel Edges And Lips

Yet another consideration to have revolves around wheel edges and lips. Let’s look at another quick summary of this consideration for the sake of speediness:

• Square edged wheels slow a slide down faster
• Beveled and radius edge wheels will allow for long slides
• Square edged wheels offer the maximum amount of grippage
• Beveled and radius edged wheels slide more smoothly

For those not in the know, here’s a quick rundown of varying wheel shapes for to help provide a little bit more context:

• Bevel Edge Wheels: This is a standard electric skateboard wheel, one that lies between square and radius edge wheels, meaning they aren’t very grippy and not too slippery either.
• Radius Edge Wheels: These wheels are a lot more rounded, and tend to slide around a lot easier than other types of wheels (just keep in mind that they do tend to struggle when turning quickly or travelling downhill).
• Square Edge Wheels: The last wheel type is a great gripper, but suffers quite a bit if you’re looking for an e skateboard wheel optimised for slides.

Electric Skateboard Wheels: What Are They Made Out Of?

In the case of electric skateboard wheels, thee are two main types of materials used — those being urethane and pneumatic.

These materials are very popular for a number of reasons, reasons that explain why electric scooter wheels are made out of the same material.

Urethane skate wheels are considered by many to be the OG wheel, given they have been around since the 70s after a guy by the name of Frank Nasworthy saw the potential they might have in boards after seeing a friend ride round on urethane-soled roller-skates.

Easily one of the best ways to think of this tire is to think of them as a sort of hybrid. You see, urethane can be bent to the will of the manufacturer, allowing them to create an all-terrain or off-road variant using the same material.

That being said, urethane wheels do have their drawbacks, especially when compared to pneumatic tires — tires that differ in so many ways.

Pneumatic tires are made out of rubber, and they also have an air tube inside to help add some level of bounce to your electric board.

All the experts will tell you that pneumatic tires are perfect for off-road and all-terrain surfaces because of how the air bubble reacts to the ground as it moves.

In my experience, pneumatic tires also ensure a much smoother ride, no matter what type of terrain is underneath you.

Moreover, did you know that the air tube can be deflated or inflated thus allowing you to customise your electric skateboard in-line-with the journey you have in mind?

Honourable Mention: Honeycomb Tires

We can’t have a post dedicated to electric skateboard wheels and not mention honeycomb tires. After all, these wheels are bound to come up whenever you’re performing research of your own.

Honeycomb tires fall in a similar category to pneumatic tires in that they are made from a similar material.

There are differences, however, as they tend to be solid only with holes on the sidewall that don’t contain an air-filled inner tube that the rider can inflate and deflate at will.

In other words, they’ll never get a puncture, but they can’t be adjusted, which kinda sucks.

Our Electric Skateboard Wheel Picks

We’ve covered every notable aspect of electric skateboard wheels. Now it’s time we looked at some legit examples that are bound to get you everywhere you need to go and then some.

Let’s start with the ghosty ONSRA Cloudwheels.

One for the stylish riders out there reading this

105mm ONSRA Cloudwheels

Price: £107
Diameter: 105mm x 64mm
Durometer: 78a

We thought we’d kick the list off with a popular electric board wheel from a very notable brand. ONSRA has made a name for itself off the back of a long line of boarding products.

Needless to say, but their line of skate wheels are a cut above most of what you’ll find out in the wild.

The Cloudwheels being no exception to the rule.

At 105mm, the Cloudwheels are one of the larger-sized electric board wheels out right now, making them ideal for fast speeds and the like.

According to ONSRA, the Cloudwheels “allows you to roll up drop-curbs and forget about small pebbles which would previously have you chewing the tarmac,” and we believe them, having tried these wheels out but a few weeks ago.

It doesn’t help with the durability/functionality of the wheels, but the transparent design really adds to the appeal if looks are what you typically go for in your e skateboard wheels.

You can swing just about everywhere on these electric skateboard wheels

Orangatang Caguama 85mm Longboard Wheels

Price: £75
Diameter: 85mm
Durometer: 80a

Monkeying around on an electric skateboard has never been easier with the next set of electric skateboard wheels on the list.

I’m of course referring to the Orangatang Caguama 85mm Longboard Wheels, which feel like the opposite of the Cloudwheels we’ve just mentioned — at least as far as looks go.

These 85mm e board wheels were made for longboards. They’re made from something they call “happy urethane” which is another way of saying they’re great for speed, grip, and high rebound.

We should point out that these are the cheapest skateboard wheels of the bunch here. Do with that information what you will.

Why you’ll be swinging from one destination to the next with these wheels under your feet!

These wheels are available in a rainbow of unique colours

MBS All Terrain Longboard Wheels

Price: £90
Diameter: 100mm x 65mm
Durometer: 78a

At the midway point in our list here we have the MBS All Terrain Longboard Wheels, an option that has bridged the gap between mountainboarding and longboarding.

What’s great about these skateboard wheels is that they can grip in even the most extreme conditions (thanks to the wobbly tread design), allowing riders to tackle anything the great outdoors throws at them.

MBS say it best in the product description of these wheels:

“Leave your mates in the dust, literally, and continue riding when the path ends!”

Indeed we will.

We’ll admit that they don’t look nearly as flashy as some of the other electric skateboard wheels we’ve covered/will cover. But to ignore what they bring to the table would be crazy.

Probably my favourite wheel from the set

Torqueboards 110MM Torque Wheels

Price: £100
Diameter: 110mm x 65mm
Durometer: 72a

Mapping streets has never been easier with these Torque Wheels by your side.

Trust me, I know.

These wheels make riding around so fulfilling, the point where you might never swap your wheels out again (unless for whatever reason they wear down, in which case you just swap them with another set of the same wheels).

This is possible thanks to the 72a rating given to this particular set of wheels — a rating that you’ll most certainly see the difference in, if you happen to compare them to some of the harder wheels covered.

Made in the USA, these electric skateboard wheels are of the highest quality you’ll find too.

Basically, if I had to pick a favourite from this list, it would have to be this one. And those who already own these wheels will tell you the exact same thing.

Another ghost-like wheel for the list

Ricta Wheels Clouds White/Red

Price: £105
Diameter: 57mm
Durometer: 86a

Rolling into our last spot is another chilling set of e board wheels. Introducing the Ricta Wheels Clouds White/Red, one of the best options for accelerating, period.

Again, I can’t help but praise the design of these wheels. Sure, they aren’t nearly as flamboyant as say, wheels made by Santa Cruz, but they never needed to be when they’re built the way they are.

Some might disagree with the pricetag, given the fact that you can purchase these electric skateboard wheels through Amazon.

Still, we believe that they are well worth the money.

Get yourself a set and tell them E4TP sent you.

Electric Skateboard Wheels: The Complete Guide

Have you grinded the knowledge gap and feel like you know more about electric skateboard wheels now?

We certainly hope so, a the number of riders that aren’t aware of this type of info is astounding. You’d think that paying nearly thousands for e skateboards would make them want to know more about the wheels and whatnot, but I digress.

What did you think of the electric skateboard wheels we picked out, by the way? Did any stand out to you as your next set? If so, let us know via social media (we’re most active on IG).

Don’t hesitate to let us know if there are any glaring omissions from the list too. If we’ve missed any of your favourite e skateboard wheels, then we’d like to hear it.

For now though, why not check out some of the other electric skateboard-focused content we have on the site:

• Want to create your own electric skateboard from scratch? Read ‘DIY Life: Identifying The Best Electric Skateboard Kits‘
• Check out ‘The Rise Of Personal Electric Transport: What You Can And Can’t Use‘ for info on UK e skateboard laws
• Simply want to know what the best boards are? ‘How Much Is An Electric Skateboard UK? Our Best Finds!‘ will be your friend’

E4TP Contributor

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