My Rio Roller Skates review is based on several months of use. I have to say that I have really enjoyed skating in my Rio Rollers. They are stylish and comfortable, and they provide a great workout. They also get me and the kids out of the house and keep us active.
Here’s a pic of the pair I have (the sleek black and grey colour).
In this review, I will go over the specs of the skates and discuss what I liked and what I didn’t like about them so that (hopefully) you can make an informed decision about whether they are right for you.
Quad Skates
First off, I should say that the Rio Rollers are quad skates, which means they have 4 wheels (2 on either side) on each boot – this is in contrast to inline skates or roller blades that have a single row of wheels. The classic quad skate provides more stability and control (at the expense of speed) and rolls nicely over smooth surfaces.
The Boot
The boots are high top or figure-skate style, which means greater comfort and ankle support. This is ideal for beginners because it can increase stability as well as prevent injuries, such as ankle roll, when falling over (which I do a lot!)
The construction of the skates is solid and is made from man-made UP leather and PVC. This makes them light and breathable and ensured my feet didn’t sweat too much. This is perhaps a good thing because the liner is built-in and can’t be removed to wash.
The boots are available in UK sizes 3-12, so they will fit the majority of feet.
The Plate
The plate is the bracket on the underside of the boot that the wheels attach to. It is made from nylon (plastic), which means it is lightweight and flexible. It does look a bit cheap but has been robust enough to absorb the hammering I have given it over the last few months – not only have I fallen over and smashed into things multiple times but I’m also a little overweight, so it has probably had to bear more impact than from me than regular-sized skater lol.
The Wheels
The wheels are fairly small at 58-62mm (depending on shoe size) but this is good for skating noobs because it means that they are slower and you have more control.
The wheel hardness is rated at 82A, which is a medium rating – good for general purpose and casual skating on outdoor surfaces. I found that they rolled really smoothly on surfaces such as tarmac, asphalt and our local skatepark but didn’t perform so well on more bumpy surfaces.
The bearings have an ABEC rating of 7, which is fairly high, but this doesn’t really make much of a difference on roller skates – perform a search about ABEC ratings and you will find that the rating of a bearing really only matters if they are spinning at high speeds (like, over 100mph), which is never going to happen!
I’ve had a lot of use out of my wheels over the past few months and they are about ready to be replaced. I’m not sure if this is good or bad as I never kept a record of how much time I spent on my Rio Roller Skates, but if you decide to buy them, it my be worth getting a replacement set of wheels at the same time.
The Verdict
The Rio Roller Skates are some of the best entry-level skates on the market, and they are made with good-quality materials. They are also very reasonably priced for a pair of roller skates that will last through years of use. The wheels are perfect for most surfaces and you feel in control around 90% of the time.
If you’re looking for a pair of good quality roller skates without spending too much money, these may be just right for you!
I hope you found my Rio Roller Skates review useful and if you have any questions, feel free to ask away in the comments below.