Skateboarding Safety Gear: The Ultimate Guide
- Danielle Davis
- Feb 25
- 5 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
One of the most common questions I'm asked is "What protections and brands do you recommend?". So, if you're just starting your skating journey, or you're looking to upgrade your kit this guide is for you.
*This guide contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I genuinely trust and use in my own sessions.
You can skim it. Or read it properly. Everything you need is here. ⬇️
Quick Answer: What Skateboarding Safety Gear Should I Buy?
All skateboarders, longboarders and surfskaters
Helmet
For reliable protection without breaking the bank, we recommend Oxelo helmets from Decathlon, affordable and solid for everyday use.
If you’re after a high-quality option with more advanced impact protection, S1 helmets are a great choice and offer some fun designs to show off your style.
For those looking for something with extensive testing and research, TSG helmets are another fantastic option.
Padsets that include knee, elbow and wrist guards
Oxelo pad sets from Decathlon are budget-friendly and offer decent protection for general riding. The range has options for adults and kids.
Learning to slide, skate hills, or attack ramps at the skatepark
Heavy-duty knee pads
Pro-Tec is a trusted brand that provides more extensive coverage to handle harder impacts. Best to size for winter skating.
Slide Gloves
Or these from Loaded Longboards
Nervous Adult Starting Later in Life
Consider skateboarder membership and insurance from Skate GB for peace of mind
I’m in the process of setting up affiliate links with some of the brands mentioned. If links are added, Soulful Skate Co may earn a small commission. I only recommend gear I genuinely trust and use with my own students.
If you want more detail on brands and why, keep reading.
Why I Care So Much About Safety Gear
"Get cocky, eat shit."
I say that a lot.
I was a few weeks into skating during my second year of uni in Exeter. Learning off YouTube in a little car park just down from my house, convinced I was progressing rapidly because I could kind of turn and kind of footbrake. One day I was outside Exeter Cathedral, right next to an actual ambulance display 🙃 I decided to show off...I slammed and broke my arm. You couldn’t script it better!
Safety gear isn’t about being scared. It’s about staying in the game. If you want to skate for years, not months, wear the gear.
Some people say if you’re not falling, you’re not trying hard enough. My point is, just allow yourself permission to fall safely!
Helmets, a Non-Negotiable
I’ve had too many friends suffer head injuries. One friend couldn’t work for three years after her board hit a pebble! Three years of her life were shifted because of one impact. I also had a serious concussion from a dirt bike crash, which gave me light sensitivity, brain fog, and that heavy, strange feeling behind your eyes. If it weren't for my osteopath helping me recover, it would have taken much longer.
If you hit your head, get checked properly.
Your helmet should sit level, snug, not tipping back, not wobbling when you move.
For my students, I often recommend Oxelo helmets from Decathlon for affordable, solid, everyday protection. These helmets have a small ratchet at the back, which makes them super adjustable.
S1 helmets I'd recommend for a more premium option with advanced protection. They also have some really cool designs.
TSG is also a huge name in the industry, always advancing their technology.
When Should You Replace a Helmet?
After any significant impact
If it’s cracked
If it no longer fits properly
The foam inside compresses when it takes a hit. You might not see the damage, but it’s there. When I retired one of mine, I turned it into a disco ball instead and it lives at the Vandem Shop to make everyone boogie when they enter the shop!
Pads, Adults and Fearlessness
I teach a lot of adults who start skating later in life.
When you’re 30, 40, 50 plus, falling isn’t just funny. It can mean time off work. Not driving. Not picking up your kids. A broken wrist is suddenly a big deal.
I see the hesitation before someone tries something new; so when you come to a Soulful Skate Co lesson, we actually spend time on the floor. We practise how to fall. How to scrape up your knee pads. How to roll. How to breathe instead of locking up as rigidity makes falls ten times worse.
When you know you can knee slide out safely, when your wrists are protected, your body softens. You try things you wouldn’t otherwise try. That’s why wearing pads makes you braver, not weaker.
If you’re getting into freeride, sliding or downhill, invest in heavier-duty knee pads with proper coverage. It makes a huge difference at 30mph+
Cheap vs Expensive: What’s Worth It?
You’ll see people searching for cheap skateboard safety gear and helmets or cheap knee pads. Here’s my honest take. Buy cheap, buy twice is often true.
But new hobbies are expensive. Boards, lessons, shoes, travel. It adds up. If it’s a choice between affordable certified gear and no gear, buy the affordable gear.
Something is always better than nothing. Just make sure it’s actually certified for skate use and fits properly. You can always upgrade later once you know skating is sticking.
If You’re a Parent Buying Safety Gear
Buy decent gear from the start. Most kids bounce, but then there's that one time they don't and a certified skate helmet and properly fitting pads cost less than one A&E visit.
Make wearing a helmet normal early on, and it won’t be a fight later.
Fit matters. Comfort matters. Get something they love the design of, if it’s uncomfortable, or 'uncool', they won’t wear it.
Slide Gloves
If you’re learning to slide on a longboard, slide gloves aren’t optional.
They protect your hands and allow you to control the slide properly. Without them you either don’t commit, or you shred your palms.
You can buy gloves from reputable longboard brands like these from Bristol-based Lush Longboards.
Or you can DIY your own! Rich, Matt and I had loads of fun making this video and got a lot of comments about breathing in plastic (*we know*).
Insurance
If you want extra peace of mind, especially as an adult skating regularly in the UK, you can look into skateboarding insurance through Skate GB.
It’s not essential for everyone, but it can remove another layer of anxiety if you’re worried.
Supporting Small Skate Businesses
If you’re ordering from Vandem Longboard Shop, please put “Soulful Skate Co.” in your order notes.
We earn a small commission when you do, and these guys are genuinely our friends. We support each other’s small businesses, and that support goes straight back into reaching more people with the awesomeness of skateboarding.
Wear the gear. Stay humble. Keep skating.
Danielle
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