Pro Scooter Bearings

Scooters, for the most part, use the same 8mm bearings as a skateboard wheel. You need two bearings and a bearing spacer to install in your wheel so they can perform properly. The exceptions to this would be the 12 STD bearings (12mm) used in select wheels, mainly Ethic or Native 12 STD wheels, that are clearly stated as such.

Most scooter wheels utilize 8mm bearings, the same size as traditional skateboard wheels. There are also 12mm bearings, often called ‘12 STD’ bearings. These are 50% larger bearings than normal and will be much stronger because of this; however, they will ONLY fit in 12 STD wheels that have a bearing slot that is big enough for them. All 12 STD wheels will be clearly stated as such and will likely either be Ethic or Native wheels.

8mm bearings are the most common on the market, and 9 times out of 10, they are needed for your scooter. The only other size option for bearings would be 12mm, or 12 STD, as it is called in the scooter industry. These will ONLY work and only be needed if you have a 12 STD wheel by Ethic or Native. They will NOT fit any other wheels on the market.

You can press them with a bearing press or a vice to install bearings. Most people won’t have this, so you must hammer them in. To do this safely and prevent damaging the bearings or wheel, it’s always advised to use a rubber mallet or a normal hammer, and either places a small plank of wood over the bearing or a thick towel or rag that has been folded multiple times so you aren’t hammering directly on to the bearing. You also want to be sure you tap it in evenly on all sides of it so it doesn’t get installed unevenly and break.