Why Protective Gear Is Non-Negotiable for Roller and Inline Skating
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.
Protective gear helps you learn faster. When you know you’re protected, you can practice new skills, falls, and tricks with less fear — which ultimately makes you a better skater. Check out some of the best roller skating protective gear for adults and kids below!
Wrist Guards
When we fall, our instinct is to catch ourselves with our hands. This makes wrist injuries some of the most common skating-related injuries. Wrist guards are designed to protect the delicate bones in your wrists by dispersing impact and preventing hyperextension during a fall. Case-control studies show not wearing wrist guards increases wrist injury risk over 10× compared with those who wear them properly.
Wrist fractures can lead to surgery, permanent mobility loss, or weeks off work. Recovery time for adults is typically longer than for kids—so prevention is key.
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
Knees are the most common point of impact in falls. When falling forwards, most people tend to bend their knees to protect their lower half, so knees take a lot of impact when skating. Knee pads cushion your joints and prevent scrapes, bruises, and more serious injuries like patella fractures and torn ligaments. 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 reduce the risk of injury by nearly 80%, according to several case-control studies. When you fall backwards or sideways, you will likely land on your elbows and your bottom. About 14–19% of injuries involve the elbow or upper arm region in skating falls.
A simple fall can mean months in a sling or even surgery. Elbow injuries limit everyday activities—typing, lifting, and driving—making even minor injuries a big disruption.
If you are a jam skater; elbow pads are needed when doing elbow slides, forearm pikes and similar moves.
Shop elbow pads here!
Helmet
Your head is the most vulnerable part of your body when skating. Even a minor fall can result in a concussion or serious head injury. Only 18–25% of adult skaters wear helmets regularly. When helmets can reduce head injuries by 85% when worn properly, why even risk it? Though head injuries are less frequent than limb injuries in skating, they can be devastating. Choose a skate-specific helmet (ASTM or CPSC certified), snug and level on the head.
Shop helmets here!
Stay Safe and Have Fun
Wearing gear doesn’t just keep you safe—it gives you confidence. When you’re not afraid to fall, you’ll try more, learn faster, and have more fun doing 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.
Ready to gear up? Check out our full collection of protective gear here!