The toughest and most durable roller hockey blades use the latest boot and chassis technology designed for increased durability and performance. Roller hockey blades use ice hockey boots with wheels instead of blades, and this provides additional protection for your feet over recreational inline skates that are typically made of plastic.
Boots
Durable roller hockey blades will feature a comfortable, yet stiff boot for maximum durability and protection. The toughest materials to look for include leather, texalium composite material, carbon graphite or lightweight plastic composite materials. These materials all provide a lightweight, tough barrier against pucks and sticks. A durable liner is important as well, and you should look for one that provides comfort but is still rigid enough to hold your foot firmly in place.
Chassis
There are several type of inline hockey chassis configurations available, including Hi-Lo, One-Up and Tri-Wheel chassis setups. Each provides a different wheel configuration depending upon your personal preference -- the most common type is the Hi-Lo chassis, which features two larger wheels in the back and two smaller wheels in the front. The toughest chassis materials include any type of metal, including aluminum, magnesium and titanium alloys. Avoid plastic chassis frames.
Wheels
The toughest roller hockey wheels are those that fall on the higher side of the durometer scale. Durometer is a measure of the wheel’s hardness. Be advised; however, that harder wheels typically provide less grip on indoor surfaces. For maximum durability, choose a wheel that is 80A or higher on the durometer scale. They won’t need to be replaced as often as softer 74A or 78A wheels. Choose a high-quality wheel manufacturer, such as Labeda, Rink Rat, Hyper or Mission/Bauer.
Bearings
Without quality bearings, your wheels will not spin as well as you may want them to. Roller hockey bearings come in two types: standard 608 and micro 688. The most used type are the 608 bearings. You can compare bearings using the ABEC scale, which grades the bearings on a scale of one-to-nine based on tolerance guidelines during the manufacturing process. ABEC 9 bearings offer a much more precise tolerance, so they will perform better and provide greater durability over the long run.
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