Shopping for rollerblades in 2020

May 23, 2020 1:10 PM

Looking to get back into rollerblading after a 20 year gap. But what should I look for? What brands/models are good quality? How can I compare models online while a pandemic is going on? How much should I budget for a good quality pair?

I (male/mid 30s) used to play roller hockey as a kid (yay 90s!) and loved it, but then I got my license at 16 and fell out of the skating habit. I'd like to pick up skating again as an adult for fun and exercise but I feel lost trying to find a good pair online. Any bladers out there who can point me in the right direction?

posted by downtohisturtles to Shopping (5 answers total)

I bought a pair of Seba skates about 2 years ago and spent 200 or 250 on them. Ithink i bought them from inlinewarehouse.com. love the sebas.
posted by WeekendJen at 1:42 PM on May 23, 2020

Best answer: I can give a little more since there werent any more answers yet. The other skates i were looking at in the circa 250 range were Rollerblades and Powerslides. I wanted inline skates to use outside on trails and streets, so ibwas looking for what are called "fitness" or "commuter" skates. The sebas, rollerblades, and powerslides in those categories at that price range were all very comparable and it really came down to personal stylistic preferences. I would expect to spend around 250 to get something durable and decent and that will be beginner friendly, but also last you (with some wheel replacement) until you are really committed enough to need an upgrade. You can also check out r/rollerblading and r/fitnessinlineskating and find people with more in depth opinions. I was coming from the quad skates jam rink world and thats still my main interest in skating (crying in corona closures)
posted by WeekendJen at 12:14 AM on May 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

I bought a pair of rollerblade brand last summer. they were about $150 at Dick's. I don't know the model off hand. they are good enough but I feel like the pair I had 20 years ago were half the price and much better quality. if you're planning on really getting back into it I'd say budget higher.
posted by simplethings at 12:17 AM on May 24, 2020

Skates happen to be one of those items that abound in thrift stores. I got an excellent pair at goodwill for like $15.
posted by Sterros at 6:50 AM on May 24, 2020

I love my K2s! Mind you, back when I bought them most other brands were primarily doing hard shells...it seems like that has changed these days.

(Apologies if you know this stuff from your previous experience, but as a kid I didn't pay attention to any of it...)

For fitness skating, the skate itself needs to just be basically comfortable (fit, adjustability, breathability) and not horribly poor quality.

The wheels are where they get you, though...trying to get a good balance between fun/fast wheels and not too expensive and not going to be destroyed immediately if you use them outside. Personal preference if you want to buy skates with good wheels, or skates with bad wheels and plan on replacing them quickly, but either way you have to budget for ongoing wheel maintenance.
posted by anaelith at 3:46 AM on May 25, 2020