Best Figure Skates for Beginners 2026: Kids and Adults

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Saturday morning Learn to Skate class: a row of kids in puffy jackets holding the boards, a coach calling “march, march, glide,” and one girl who suddenly lets go and sails across the ice with her arms out, grinning at the glass where her parents are filming. A few weeks later the question comes at dinner: “Can I have my own skates?” Rental skates get everyone started, but they’re soft, worn and rarely fit well. This guide covers the best figure skates for beginners in 2026, for little kids, teens and adults: the difference between recreational and entry-level figure boots, how skate size compares with shoe size for each maker, and why every new pair needs blade guards and soakers from day one.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy. Skate prices on Amazon vary by size and color.

Our top picks

Beginner figure skates compared

Skate	Type	Support	Blade	About (Oct 2026)
Jackson Ultima Excel	Entry-level figure (Learn to Skate)	Jackson rating 5 (girls 2)	Mark II	$180
Jackson Ultima Mystique	Entry-level figure	Jackson rating 15 women, 19 men (girls 10)	Mark II	$225 (bundle with guards)
Jackson Classic 200	Recreational	Light	Mark 1	$100
Jackson SoftSkate 380	Recreational	Medium recreational	Mark I	$130
Riedell Soar Jr	Recreational, youth	Riedell rating 25	Spiral stainless	$109
Riedell Topaz	Entry-level figure, adult	Riedell rating 40	Eclipse Capri	$219
CRS Cross set	Guards, soakers, towel	n/a	Fits figure or hockey	$29

Recreational or entry-level figure skates?

This is the first real decision. Recreational skates (Jackson’s Classic, SoftSkate and Softec lines, Riedell’s Soar) are soft, warm and padded, made for public sessions, holiday skating and the first few classes. Entry-level figure skates (Jackson’s Excel, Mystique and Artiste, Riedell’s Topaz) have a firmer boot, a flex notch at the ankle and a blade with a sharper toe pick, made for skaters in lessons who are starting edges, spins and small jumps. Both Jackson and Riedell give their boots a support rating: Jackson lists the Excel at 5, the Mystique at 15 and the Artiste at 25. Jackson warns that a boot too stiff for the skater can hold back skill development and is hard to break in, while one too soft lacks support and breaks down early. Its Learn to Skate fit guide matches models to level and body weight, starting with Excel and Softec skates for Snowplow and Basic 1–3 and moving to Mystique and Artiste around Basic 4–6 and the Aspire levels, with heavier skaters moving up sooner.

The best figure skates for beginners in 2026

1. Jackson Ultima Excel: best first real skate

The Excel is the skate many coaches see on Learn to Skate ice. Jackson describes it as light support for learn-to-skate programs and recreational skating: a reinforced vinyl upper with a soft rolled collar and padded lining, a flex notch for ankle movement, a foam-backed tongue and a factory-sharpened Ultima Mark II stainless blade screwed to a PVC sole. Jackson lists a Support Rating of 5 for the women’s Excel 1290 (2 for the girls’ 1291) and sizes from tots 8 to women’s 10 in a C width.

• Good: a true figure skate at a beginner price; covers toddlers to adults.
• Watch out: one width listed by Jackson; skaters moving into jumps will outgrow the support.
• Best for: kids and adults in group lessons, Snowplow through the early Basic levels.

Check the Jackson Ultima Excel price on Amazon

2. Jackson Ultima Mystique: best next step

When a skater is in weekly lessons and moving past the basics, the Mystique is Jackson’s next step up. The listing describes a polyurethane-coated leather upper, flex notch, full quarter and extra ankle padding, a softer topline and the chrome Ultima Mark II blade, and calls it light support for beginning skating lessons: the listing gives the women’s Mystique a Jackson rating of 15 and the men’s 19, and Jackson’s site lists the girls’ 1491 at 10. This Amazon bundle, about $225, adds Guardog skate guards, so the walk from the bench to the ice is covered from day one. The same listing has girls’, women’s, boys’ and men’s sizes.

• Good: more support than the Excel without being stiff; guards included.
• Watch out: too firm for a brand-new skater who only goes to public sessions.
• Best for: kids in Basic 4–6 or the Aspire levels.

Check the Jackson Ultima Mystique price on Amazon

3. Jackson Classic 200: best budget skate

For the family that skates a few times a winter, the Classic 200 is a simple recreational figure skate: reinforced vinyl-coated uppers, a rolled, padded lining, a padded felt tongue and a no-maintenance PVC outsole with a stainless Mark 1 blade. It’s about $100. Jackson asks buyers to use the sizing chart in the listing photos rather than guess from shoe size.

• Good: lowest price here; simple and comfortable.
• Watch out: soft support; not made for lessons beyond the basics.
• Best for: public sessions, outdoor rinks and holiday skating.

Check the Jackson Classic 200 price on Amazon

4. Jackson SoftSkate 380: most comfortable

Jackson pitches the SoftSkate 380 as “superior comfort from first try-on,” and the build backs it up: a reinforced vinyl upper, a padded, covered tongue, a thick, soft rolled collar for warmth, a tan PVC outsole that needs no care and a riveted Ultima Mark I blade. Jackson calls the support “medium recreational,” for beginners and those starting lessons. It’s about $130.

• Good: warm and plush; a bit more support than the Classic 200.
• Watch out: still a recreational boot; a skater in weekly lessons may want the Excel.
• Best for: adults returning to the ice and casual skaters who get cold feet.

Check the Jackson SoftSkate 380 price on Amazon

5. Riedell Soar Jr: best for young kids

Riedell’s Soar Junior is a recreational skate for kids, sold for girls and boys, indoors or on a frozen pond. It has a foam-backed velvet lining with 3M Thinsulate insulation, a split tongue, maintenance-free uppers and a stainless steel Spiral blade, with a Riedell support rating of 25 on a 1–100 scale. It’s about $109. For a child skating mostly at public sessions and birthday parties, it’s an easy, warm first pair; check Riedell’s sizing chart before ordering, as some sizes were running low.

• Good: warm, soft and simple; for boys and girls.
• Watch out: recreational support; kids in weekly lessons usually move to a figure boot.
• Best for: young kids who skate for fun a few times a season.

Check the Riedell Soar Jr price on Amazon

6. Riedell Topaz: best for adult beginners

Adults in learn-to-skate classes weigh more than kids and need more boot. The Topaz, sold for women and men, has a Riedell support rating of 40, a performance microfiber upper with a flex notch, a padded Achilles collar, a Dri-Lex moisture-wicking lining and the Eclipse Capri blade. Riedell describes it as a mix of stability and freedom of movement for practicing edges and turns. It’s about $219.

• Good: real figure skate support for adult bodies; men’s and women’s sizes.
• Watch out: priciest skate here; firmer boots need a patient break-in.
• Best for: adults taking weekly lessons who want to keep progressing.

Check the Riedell Topaz price on Amazon

7. CRS Cross Guards, Soakers and Towel Set: best blade care

Every pair above needs this. The set has two-piece hard guards with springs for walking off the ice, absorbent microfiber soakers for storage and a 12 x 12 inch towel for drying the blades, and it fits figure or hockey skates. As CRS and Riedell both say, blades should never be stored in hard guards: dry them, then put on soakers. It’s about $29.

• Good: everything a beginner needs for blade care in one box.
• Watch out: guards must be adjusted to the blade length.
• Best for: anyone buying their first skates.

Check the CRS Cross guards and soakers set price on Amazon

How to choose figure skates for kids and adults

• Don’t order by shoe size. Riedell says most ice skates run one to two sizes smaller than street shoes, and its fitting guide says women often go ½ to 1 size down, men the same or ½ size down, and kids may match their shoe size. Jackson asks buyers to use its own chart. Measure the foot in the skating socks, heel against a wall, and use each brand’s chart.
• Don’t buy big to grow into. Riedell and the American Academy of Pediatrics both warn against it: the foot slides, support suffers and blisters follow. Re-check kids’ fit every few months instead.
• Check the fit laced and standing. Toes should lightly brush the front without curling, the heel shouldn’t lift, and the foot shouldn’t slide side to side. Widths are often lettered, A narrow to D wide.
• Match support to the skater. Recreational for fun skating, entry-level figure for lessons; ask the coach before going stiffer.
• Budget for sharpening, guards and soakers. Riedell says new blades need sharpening before first use, then about every 20 to 30 hours of skating.

Boots that rub, pinch or cause lasting ankle or foot pain are worth showing to a skate technician, and pain that doesn’t settle to a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or athletic trainer. More for skaters: the figure skating hub, our full figure skating gear guide, the youth figure skating guide for parents, figure skating injuries, our best hockey skates and best recovery shoes guides, and every post in figure skating.

Beginner figure skate questions

Are figure skates the same size as shoes?

Usually not. Riedell says most skaters go down a size or more, though kids may match their shoe size. Each brand has its own chart, so measure the foot and use that brand’s chart.

What’s the difference between recreational and figure skates?

Recreational skates are softer and more padded, made for comfort at public sessions. Entry-level figure skates have firmer support and a figure blade for lessons, spins and first jumps.

Should I buy figure skates for kids a size bigger?

No. Riedell and the AAP both advise skates that fit now. A loose boot lets the foot slide, gives less support and causes blisters. Thick socks to fill the space don’t fix it.

What’s the difference between blade guards and soakers?

Hard guards protect the edges when you walk off the ice. Soakers are soft covers that absorb moisture while skates are stored. Dry the blades, put on soakers, and never store skates in hard guards, which trap water and cause rust.

Do new figure skates need sharpening?

Riedell says new blades need sharpening before first use, and the AAP adds that blades for new skaters shouldn’t be too sharp, because overly sharp blades tend to grab. Ask your rink’s pro shop.