The Best Roller Skates for Kids

With summer around the corner, you might be looking to get your kids some fun new toys to keep them busy. Roller skates for kids are excellent for teaching balance and developing gross motor skills. While a great outdoor activity, you can also use roller skates indoors at roller rinks, making them a value-for-money purchase.

Types of Roller Skates for Kids

There are two main roller skates for kids – quad skates and inline skates. Within both types, adjustable variants are also available. Let’s take a closer look at the two types:

How Roller Skates Should Fit

Selecting the right size roller skates for kids can be tricky. A snug fit is safest, but many children find this uncomfortable and often painful. With kids growing so quickly, you might be tempted to buy a pair of skates a few sizes bigger so that they get good use out of them. However, it is recommended that you purchase the same size as your child’s regular shoes or one shoe size bigger. But not more than that. Most manufacturers match their sizing to the popular shoe brands to help the customer find the best fit. 

A few sizing tips:

What are the benefits of roller skating?

Roller skating is a wonderful cardio workout for your children. It provides an opportunity to blend fun and exercise into one activity. 

The Size of the Shoe

When selecting a size, you want a shoe of the skate to have a snug fit while not squashing your child’s toes. Your child’s toes should barely be touching the front of the shoes, and there needs to be about a pencil space between your child’s heel and the back of the shoes. If you’d like to buy a size up, it’s recommended to stick to your child’s actual shoe size or one size bigger—no more than that. 

If you want a pair that will last a few years, consider purchasing a size adjustable roller skate. These are the skates where the skate is extendable length-wise to accommodate those growing feet, such as the Roller Derby Trac Star. 

The Brand

Some brands are known for their roller skates, like Roller Derby. Brands focusing on a specific niche tend to be more thoughtful and practical in their product designs. They have expert knowledge of the products and understand the customers’ issues and success using their products. 

The Chassis Design and Type

A chassis is the base frame of the roller skate. It provides the strength needed to support the weight of all the shoe’s components and the riders. The chassis is a significant component of the safety system of the roller skate; it keeps the shoe rigid and stable.

You’ll find three main chassis with quad roller skates for kids: tractor, truck, and torsion beam. 

The tractor chassis sits low on its four wheels. The two front wheels are much smaller than the two large rear wheels, like a tractor the chassis was named after. It’s kind of like having training wheels but for roller skates. The truck chassis sits higher on its wheels and has the traditional wheel arrangement—even-sized wheels on a chassis that carries weight across the chassis evenly. The torsion beam chassis has four wheels mounted onto a single axis suspended by springs. This design acts as a shock system that smooths the ride on rough terrain.

Type

There are various types of skates, ranging in use and terrain. The two kinds of roller skates for kids on this list are inline and quad skates. Both types are for indoor or road use. Inline skates consist of four wheels in a straight line behind each other from head to toe. Quad skates are four wheels placed like the wheels of a car, two in the front and two at the back. 

Your Child’s Skill Level

The type of roller skate you purchase depends on your child’s skill level. Quad skates are generally for beginners, those new to skating and don’t have the needed balance skills. Inline skates are more for the intermediates, those who have roller skated before or have good balance. 

Indoor or Outdoor

Skating indoors or outdoors is a choice based on preference. It’s important to consider your child’s skill level, awareness of their surroundings, and how brave they are. Skating on tar or paved roads could require more balance because of the uneven surface, surface texture, and potholes. Your child should be aware of their surroundings when roller skating on the road for their safety. They need to be mindful of any oncoming vehicles. 

Roller Skating Safety Checklist

How to Make a PVC Roller Skate Trainer (DIY)

Almost everyone rides a bicycle with training wheels until they learn how to balance correctly; roller skating is not too different. A PVC roller skate trainer will help your child get the hang of the movement first so they can progress on to learning balancing next. It’s a great place to start for really young kids or those who are a little unsteady.

What you’ll need:

Step 1:

Using either a PVC cutter, handsaw, or miter saw – cut the PVC pipe into 7 x 24″ sections.

Step 2:

Join two 24″ PVC pipes into the left and right sides of the 1-1/4″ 4-Way Tee.

Step 3:

Insert the 1-1/4″ Standard PVC Tees on the ends of the PVC pipes to create a base frame.

Step 4:

Connect the caster wheels to the caster fitting inserts.

Step 5:

Connect the assembled caster wheels to the base frame.

Step 6:

Join two 24″ PVC pipes to the 3-Way Elbow.

Step 7:

Insert the 90 Degree Elbows on the ends of the PVC pipes to create the handlebars.

Step 8:

Connect the handlebars and base frame to the renaming three 24″ PVC pipes.

Step 9:

To secure all the connection points and prevent the frame from coming loose, either drill holes and secure them with screws or use PVC cement to hold the parts in place.

Frequently Asked Questions