How Much Do Roller Skates Weigh? Are Yours Too Heavy? (2024)

How much do roller skates weigh? Well, that’s a really weird question to ask. But surprisingly, this question was really genuine and was asked so much that we had to go ahead and make a detailed blog post about it.

When you’re a beginner, you might feel that the skates attached to your feet are really heavy, and you can’t lift them properly. Well, that’s probably because you’re a beginner. However, even professionals consider the weight of their roller skates, when checking out a new pair.

I understand that you want a complete research guide on the topic, so here we are, answering all your skate-related questions, more specifically, related to the heaviness or lightness of your roller skates.

I have to say, the weight of your roller skates does play a great role in the overall performance of the skater. So, let’s get right into the discussion.

How Much Do Roller Skates Weigh?

What’s the Average Weight of Roller Skates

According to the internet and most manufacturers, the weight for your roller skates ranges from 2kg to 5kg. Most are 3 kg. However, this value is not absolute. There are lots of factors that affect the weight of roller skates.

Roller skates come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big, some are small. Some are for kids, some are for adults. Some have metal frames while others have nylon. Some are high quality, while others are cheap.

There is one thing to keep in mind. Inline rollerblades are a lot heavier than quad roller skates, as rollerbladers need a lot more ankle support. Quad skates are lighter in comparison because the wheels are more balanced than standard inline skates.

What’s the Roller Skate Weight For Different Brands

Here comes the fun part. Let’s compare the roller skate weights for some popular brands. This doesn’t imply that one is better than the other, but just gives you a general idea of the similarities and variations.

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These brands keep on modifying their skates from time to time, so their weights might change. But, as you can see, most roller skates do not go out of the 3 kg and 5kg limit.

However, if you buy some cheap plastic roller skates at the wall mart, they’d weigh as low as 1 kg, which is a sure sign of low quality according to industry standards. However, if you want to buy them, then do it. Do whatever you want.

You can read our guide on how long roller skates should last for. 

What Causes the Difference in Roller Skate Weight?

Well, the answer is everything. The size, shape, wheels, plates, boots, as well as an individual’s personal preference; everything matters when it comes to the weight of your roller skates.

Size Of Skates

The size of your feet affects the size of the roller skates, which in turn, affects the weight. Pretty straightforward, right? Similarly, some roller skates are made for adults and professionals, while others are for kids below age 10.

Roller Skate Boots

The kind of roller skate boots also affects the weight. Roller derby boots are hard, while street skate boots are softer. Some boots are thick that provide more ankle support and have heavier buckles, while others are just for light indoors skating.

Roller Skate Wheels

First, there are the indoor wheels vs outdoor wheels, which have different compositions and weights. Then there are wheels with relatively larger diameters that give more speed, while the smaller wheels are more suitable for beginners. Some wheels are just plain plastic.

Roller Skate Quad Plate

There’s a lot of debate about heavier and lighter quad plates in roller skating. Professionals customize their roller skates keeping that in mind. There are metal and aluminium quad plates which are heavy, versus the nylon plates that are relatively lighter.

Roller Skating Style

Okay, so roller skating has different styles. Indoors, roller derby, figure, outdoor, street skating, etc. Each style of skating affects the construction of their roller skates, which includes the weight. Indoor skates are usually lighter than outdoors.

The Skater’s Weight

A lot of roller skates have a weight limit that they support. If your weight is more than the weight limit, then you should opt for some other skates. Usually, larger and heavier skates have a bigger weight limit, while smaller ones are the opposite.

Personal Preference

Some people prefer stability over speed, while others just like to go fast. Some people like heavy bulky roller skates, while others like the light feeling of being on wheels. Beginners usually go with lighter skates, however, professionals go for the thing that suits their style.

Heavier vs. Lighter Wheels

As a beginner, this may not concern you. You can start learning on whatever wheels you’ve got. However, professionals have to make a choice based on their roller skating habits.

Here are the general rules for the weight of roller skate wheels.

• The lighter the wheels, the more the speed.
• The larger the wheels, the more the speed.
• The heavier the wheels, the more the stability.
• Outdoor wheels are heavier than indoor wheels.
• Street and aggressive skating are better with heavier softer wheels.
• Indoor skating and figure skating are better with lighter wheels.
• Speed skating is better with larger wheels.

This should help you figure out the best wheels for you.

Heavier vs. Lighter Boots

Just like the wheels, we’re going to go through some general rules for boots. Quad skates have generally lighter boots as compared to rollerblades. It also doesn’t matter much if you’re doing simple tricks. But if you’re going hardcore, like backflips and jumps, it’s better to choose your boot carefully.

• The more ankle support you need, the heavier boots you should get.
• The more agility you need, the lighter the boots you should get.
• Roller derby and figure skating boots are sturdier and thus heavier.
• Street skating and outdoor boots are softer.
• Aggressive skating boots must have good ankle support and a good amount of fastening buckles.

No matter what you get, boots won’t ever be a big issue, unless they’re excessively heavy or light.

The time where you’ll feel the need to change your boots will be when you do a backflip or a really high jump because you’ll have to take all that pressure on the ankle. It’s quite dangerous and requires really sturdy ankle support.

Heavier vs Lighter Plates

Now, this is where the weight difference really begins to show. Roller skate plates usually come with their weight description, and people usually have to make a choice carefully. Difference plates will affect your roller skating experience differently.

When you change your plate at any point, you’ll really be noticing the difference in the first couple of weeks.

• Aluminium plates are the most common. They’re everywhere in skate rinks. They’re really stable and high quality, but also really heavy.
• Nylon plates are lighter than aluminium plates.
• You should go for Aluminium plates if you do aggressive or figure skating.
• You can go with nylon plates if you’re doing regular skating.

That should be enough to help you with your decision. Plates don’t matter. Whatever plate you get, you’ll get comfortable with it in no time which is what matters.

Why Do Roller Skates Have a Weight Limit?

Yes, a lot of roller skate brands do mention the weight limit for their roller skates. Some skates might not be able to support a person whose weight is more than the weight limit. Most skates support up to 220 lbs.

Here’s the weight limit for some roller skates in the market.

• Most roller skates have a weight limit of 220 lbs.
• Some even go up to 275 lbs.
• Some have a weight limit of as less as120 lbs.

The weight limit for roller skates is important in a way. Knowing the weight limit is really convenient for the client when they’re buying new roller skates. You should buy skates that suit you the best.

However, with all that said, I personally, am not a fan of the weight limit system. A lot of brands have their skate limit just up to 200 lbs or less. There is clearly a better variety for skinny people, while heavyweight people have a few choices. Not just roller skating, every piece of media is made that way.

This is something that the industry should work on, as roller skating is becoming more and more popular during the pandemic.

Am I Too Fat To Roller Skate?

Well, it’s time for some myth-busting. No, you’re not too fat to roller skate. I’ve seen roller skaters over 300 lbs who roller skate confidently and freely. So the one word answer is that you can.

Now, when you’re fat, you want to roller skate but a lot of questions keep popping up in your brain. Am I too fat? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing? What would other roller skaters think about me? Will the skates even be able to support me? Won’t the plates just break under my weight? Should I quit? Why do I get tired too easily?

I know there’s a lot of difficulties overweight people have to face. Not just in roller skating, in every sport, overweight people have a severe lack of confidence. So they don’t even think about picking up a new sport.

But what if I tell you, fat people can roller skate. What most people forget is that roller skating is a full body workout, so when you roller skate for the first time, your muscles will hurt, because those muscles have never worked before.

Even skinny people have learning blocks while learning to roller skate. However, the difference between skinny and overweight people is that skinny people are confident, so they learn much easier.

But now, it’s time to work things up, be confident and show your presence. Sure you might have to push a bit harder, or you might have trouble finding the right roller skates for you or you might fall a bit harder, but roller skating is definitely possible and also beneficial for fat people.

Be confident in who you are, and you will find yourself having fun with your roller skating buddies.

Your Skates or Quad Plate Won’t Break if You’re Overweight

You must’ve heard the myth that overweight people should opt for aluminium plates, because the nylon plate would just break. Well, that’s not true at all.

There are also companies that put a weight limit on their skates, and most of the time, they don’t go over 250 lbs.

However, the roller skaters I’ve seen, skate without caring about the limit. Even if they’re 300 lbs, they choose the 220 lbs weight limit and just go with it. Guess what? The skates don’t break. Even nylon ones.

If the quad plates break, they are either low quality, or you were landing a backflip. It’s not like you would never break the quad plate, because things eventually break. But keep in mind that even if a skinny person attempts the backflip, the plate might break.

Roller Skating Buying Guide 

This is a short buying guide for every kind of roller skater.

• If you want stability, go with heavier skates.
• If you’re looking for speed, go for lighter skates and larger wheels.
• If you want to skate the streets or skate aggressively, go for the outdoor wheels. The weight of the skate doesn’t matter that much.
• If you’re just doing indoor skating, and jamming to music, a set of indoor wheels and light comfortable skates should do the trick.
• If you’re 200 to 300 lbs or even above, go for the 220 lbs weight limit. Even higher if they’re available. Don’t be shy and have fun.

Conclusion

Did this article help you with your purchase? If yes, then congratulations! We’re glad that we can stay with you on your roller skating journey. We’ll keep uploading more blog posts on the topic so stay tuned for what’s coming.

Good luck and have fun skating!