The Basics 

Most skateboard bearings are measured by an ABEC rating. The higher the skateboard ABEC rating, the more accurate and precise the bearing will be or so we are lead to believe. The ABEC rating system includes grades 3, 5, 7, and 9. The big issue with the ABEC rating is it does not specify many critical factors, such as load handling capabilities, ball precision, materials, material Rockwell hardness, degree of ball and raceway polishing, noise, vibration, and lubricant and all of these factors are really important in terms of skateboarding. So ABEC ratings only tell on part of the story in terms of the quality of the skateboard bearing your looking to buy at your local skateshop.

The general rule of thumb is that

ABEC 3 skateboard bearings are generally inexpensive and are really ok for someone that is just starting out as they don’t roll very well. You will see these types of ABEC 3 bearings in cheap sub £60 complete skateboards found in many toy shops. Try and avoid at all costs!

ABEC 5 skateboard bearings are the standard for most types of skateboarding. This rating gets you a fast speed at an affordable cost and most bearings around the £8 to £12 mark will be of this entry-level standard.

ABEC 7 skateboard bearings are very fast, smooth, and cost slightly more typically £16 to £50.

ABEC 9+ skateboard bearings are extremely fast! They are great for downhill skating and skaters that are after raw speed.

The real issue is that the ABEC rating system ignores some really key things t do with Skateboarding and Rollerskates such as side loading, impact resistance, materials selection and grade, appropriateness of lubrication, ball retainer type, grade of ball. All these bearing design requirements are very important to the performance of your skate bearing, even though the ABEC rating says nothing about them.

ABEC Conclusion

So our advice is don’t simply buy on the basis of ABEC rating as only tells half the story. A lot of cheaper bearings you find on places like Ebay and Amazon that claim to have a high ABEC rating are from china and probably don’t.  There are certain companies that do not use the ABEC rating at all, such as Bones Bearings as they use their own rating system known as Skate Rated. Our advice is to review other bearing review pages for the key brands and ask for some advice from your local skateboard shop.