Skateboarding Gear: Boards, Helmets, Pads, Shoes and Recovery

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Fresh grip tape, the smell of a new deck, a skate tool spinning the kingpin nut until the trucks feel just right. Setting up a board is half the fun. But the skateboarding gear that matters most for your health is the stuff people skip: a certified helmet, wrist guards and pads, and shoes that grip. Here’s the whole skateboard equipment list, from decks, trucks, wheels and bearings to helmets, pads, shoes and a little recovery kit for the day after.

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.

The quick checklist: a complete skateboard (or deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware and grip tape), a helmet certified to ASTM F1492 for skateboarding, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads, closed-toe shoes with flat, slip-resistant soles, and a skate tool. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) adds goggles or glasses for some skaters.

Our top picks

Complete board or build your own

A complete comes assembled with deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware and grip tape, which is the easy, budget-friendly way to start. Skip toy-store boards with plastic trucks; buy from a skate brand. The Krown Rookie 7.75″ is built for first-time riders: 7-ply maple, aluminum trucks, 52 mm 99A wheels and ABEC 7 bearings, ready to ride (about $45 on Amazon). The Powell Peralta Skull & Sword is a step up, with an 8.0″ by 31.45″ deck pressed from yellow birch, a 14″ wheelbase, Mini Logo trucks and Skate Rated bearings, and 53 mm wheels (about $117).

Check the Krown Rookie price on Amazon

Once you know what you like, building your own lets you pick each part:

• Deck: width is the main choice and mostly follows foot size and style; narrower decks flip more easily, wider ones feel more stable for transition and bigger feet. Most are 7-ply maple; concave and wheelbase change the feel.
• Trucks: match the axle width to the deck width. The Independent Stage 11 144 has an 8.25″ axle, 356 T6 aluminum hanger and baseplate, a Chromoly steel axle and Supercush bushings, sold as a pair with 1″ hardware (about $60).
• Wheels: measured by diameter (mm) and hardness (durometer, “A” scale; higher is harder). Small, hard wheels suit street and park on smooth concrete; bigger, softer wheels roll over rough ground for cruising. The Spitfire Formula Four OG Classics are a common park and street choice at 54 mm and 99a (about $55 for four).
• Bearings: eight per board, two per wheel. Bones Reds, sold as 8 bearings with 4 spacers (about $25), are a long-time skate-shop staple. Keep them dry; water and grit slow them down.
• Grip tape and hardware: grip tape keeps your shoes on the board; mounting bolts (usually 1″) hold the trucks on. A skate tool tightens all of it.

Before each session, give it a once-over: no cracks in the deck, wheels spinning freely, nuts tight, and trucks set loose or tight enough for you to control. The AAP’s advice is simple: gear that fits and is regularly maintained.

Helmets: certification and fit

Head injuries are the most serious skateboarding injuries. A 2021 review found they made up as much as 75% of injuries in some studies, while helmet use was under 35%. How to choose one:

• Certification first. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lists ASTM F1492 (and Snell N-94) as the standards for skateboard helmets. They’re designed to withstand more than one moderate impact, but only a limited number. A dual-certified helmet also meets the CPSC bike standard (16 CFR 1203), so it works for biking and scootering too. Look for the label inside.
• Fit. The AAOS says a good helmet sits flat on your head, with the bottom edge parallel to the ground, and doesn’t move in any direction when you shake your head. Buckle the chin strap every time; most skate helmets come with extra fit pads to fine-tune it.
• When to replace. When it’s cracked or the liner is crushed, when the maker says so, or at least every 5 years (AAOS). A tested 2021 sample of skate-style helmets all performed worse on a second impact at the same spot.
• Contests: World Skate requires a helmet for all park skaters and street skaters under 18.

The Pro-Tec Classic Certified is the classic skate shape, with an ABS shell, EPS liner and 11 vents; Pro-Tec says it’s certified to the CPSC bike standard (age 5 and up), ASTM F1447 and ASTM F1492, in sizes from XS (52–54 cm) to XL (60–62 cm), for about $63. The Triple Eight Dual Certified helmet is dual-certified (CPSC bike and ASTM F1492) and comes with two sets of fit pads (about $46). For kids’ sizes, see our youth skateboarding guide.

Check the Pro-Tec Classic Certified price on Amazon

Wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads

Skaters fall onto their hands, so wrists and forearms take the most fractures: in a pediatric study, the forearm was 48.2% of skateboarding fractures. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says wrist guards can reduce injuries by almost 90%, elbow pads by 80% and knee pads by 30%. Knee pads with hard caps let you slide out of a fall on ramps and in bowls instead of stopping dead.

The Triple Eight Saver Series 3-Pack puts all three in one box: knee and elbow pads with EVA foam and polycarbonate caps, and wrist guards with molded ABS splints. Sizing goes by the wrist guards (measure around the hand at the knuckles), from Junior (6–7 inches) to Large (9–10 inches), for about $50.

Check the Triple Eight Saver Series price on Amazon

Skate shoes

The AAOS recommends closed-toe shoes with slip-resistant soles. Skate shoes add flat, grippy rubber soles for board feel and tougher uppers (often suede) that last longer against grip tape. Running shoes with thick, rounded soles make it harder to feel the board. The Vans Old Skool is the classic: suede and canvas upper and Vans’ rubber waffle sole (about $60 depending on size and color). Replace shoes once the sole wears through, since a hole near the toe kills grip.

Recovery gear for skaters

Long sessions are hard on calves, quads, hips and feet. Many skaters roll out afterward with a foam roller such as the TriggerPoint GRID 1.0 (13 by 5 inches, about $40; see our foam roller guide), use a small massage gun like the Hypervolt Go 3 (1.6 pounds, up to 4 hours of battery, about $149; see our massage gun guide), and slip into the OOFOS OOahh Slide after a day in flat skate shoes (about $60; see our recovery shoes guide). They’re about comfort, not treatment: a swollen wrist or ankle after a fall needs a doctor, not a massage gun. Our skateboarding recovery page has the full routine.

How to choose skateboarding gear

• Spend on protection first. A certified helmet and wrist guards cost less than one emergency room visit.
• Buy a complete from a skate brand for the first board; upgrade parts as they wear out.
• Match the setup to where you skate: hard, smaller wheels for parks and smooth concrete; softer, bigger wheels for rough streets.
• Fit beats looks: a helmet that wobbles or pads that slide down won’t protect you. Try them on, with the straps done up.
• Replace worn gear: cracked helmets and decks, flat-spotted wheels and holey shoes.

More for skaters: our skateboarding hub, skateboarding injuries, rules and skatepark etiquette, the ankle brace guide for skaters coming back from a sprain, and cycling gear if you ride BMX too.

Skateboarding gear FAQs

What helmet certification do I need for skateboarding?

The CPSC lists ASTM F1492 (or Snell N-94) for skateboarding. Many skate helmets are dual-certified to ASTM F1492 and the CPSC bike standard, so one helmet covers skating and biking.

Do I really need wrist guards?

Wrist and forearm fractures are among the most common skateboarding injuries, and the AAP says wrist guards can reduce injuries by almost 90%. They’re especially worth it while learning.

What size skateboard should I get?

Width mostly follows foot size and style; the two completes on this page are 7.75″ and 8.0″ wide, and bigger feet and transition skaters often go wider. Ask at a skate shop, then match truck axle width to the deck.

How often should I replace my skate helmet?

When it’s cracked or the liner is crushed, when the maker recommends it, and at least every 5 years, according to the AAOS. Skate-certified helmets handle some moderate impacts, but protection drops after hard hits.

What wheels are best for a beginner?

For skateparks and smooth concrete, the small, hard wheels that come on most completes (52–53 mm on our picks) work well. For rough streets and cruising, bigger, softer wheels roll more smoothly.