Best Protective Gear for Roller Skating and Rollerblading

Whether you skate casually or aggressively, nobody should risk injury from skating when most skating injuries are preventable, or at the very least greatly lessened through proper use of roller skating protective gear.

Before you even start skating, you should first learn how to fall in order to prevent injury. Check out some of the best roller skating protective gear for adults and kids below!

Wrist Guards

Wrist injuries are the most common skating injury, so we feel strongly that every skater should always wear wrist protection.

If you think back to the last time you fell for any reason, how did your body react? Most will find that they put their hands up to protect their upper half. This is a natural reaction that is hard to control.

Wrist injuries such as sprains, scrapes and broken bones are extremely frustrating to live with as we use our wrists constantly each and every day.

There are a couple different options when it comes to how a wrist guard is secured. One option is a wrist guard that slides on and has 1 simple Velcro closure. You may also find wrist guards that go around your arm (as opposed to sliding over it) and are secured with three Velcro straps. Both will offer the protection you need, and it really boils down to personal preference.

Most wrist guards for roller skating do have a splint (a hard plastic piece) on both the palm side and the back of your hand. But if that feels like more protection than you need or would be too bulky for you, there are options like the Atom Wrist Guards that only have a splint on the palm.

Shop wrist guards here!

Knee Pads

When falling forwards, most people tend to bend their knees to protect their lower half. Look for knee pads that fit snug and won't fall down or move around on impact. Knee injuries are painful and frustrating, and can be prevented with proper protection.

Some knee pads have a hard shell, which is ideal for doing groundwork as a jam skater, such as knee spins. Knee pads with a hard shell are also important if you are doing more high impact moves that park skaters do.

If you need less protection and want something a little more lightweight and breathable, we recommend knee pads that have a cushion as opposed to a hard shell.

Shop knee pads here!

Elbow Pads

Elbow pads which are super useful if you find you fall backwards more than forwards. When you fall backwards, you will likely land on your elbows and your bottom.

If you are a jam skater; elbow pads are needed when doing elbow slides, forearm pikes and similar moves.

Shop elbow pads here!

Helmet

The helmet is unfortunately a very overlooked piece of protective equipment, but such a good investment, especially if you are a park skater. When helmets can reduce head injuries by 85%, why even risk it?

Injuries can still occur no matter how much protective gear you wear, but just like a seat belt will help in the car, a good set of pads will keep you must safer on wheels! It's easy to find protective pads sold in packs, which makes protecting your wrists, knees and elbows more convenient and affordable than ever.

Shop roller skate helmets!