Best Youth Hockey Skates

What are the best youth hockey skates on the market, you ask. Should I buy the CCM Jetspeed FT340 or the CCM Jetspeed FT2? Maybe I should pick the Bauer Supreme S140 or the Bauer Vapor 2X, instead?

Whether your child is just a recreational hockey player or wishes to become the world’s best hockey skater, I’ll help you find a pair of hockey skates that works for them.

5 Best Youth Hockey Skates

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Here are 5 ice skates for youth hockey, and I encourage you to check them out. Who knows, you might like one of the picks and choose it for your little hockey-loving tike.

1.Bauer NS Youth Hockey Skates (Top Pick)

Bauer NS Youth Hockey Ice Skates

A wide-width youth recreational hockey ice skate for kids in the Y8 to Y13 size range. The stainless steel blades are of good rather than exceptional quality at that price point. A microfiber liner boasting great moisture-wicking capabilities, an EVA foam footbed, and AnaForm ankle pads make for great support and stability. Overall, this youth ice hockey skate focuses more on support and comfort than on performance.

View Price at Amazon

Last update on 2025-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

2.Bauer Vapor 1X Youth Hockey Skates (A Budget Toddler Skate)

Bauer Vapor X1.0 Youth Ice Hockey Skates

These skates are cheap, and don't expect them to deliver elite-level support and performance on the ice. This option is basically a no-frills pick from a reputable brand that works well for beginner youth hockey ice players.

See Price at Amazon

Last update on 2025-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

3.Bauer Lil Angel Champ Youth Ice Hockey Skates (A Budget Choice)

4.Bauer Supreme S 140 Youth BTH16 Hockey Skates

5. CCM JR Jetspeed FT340 Skate (Also Good)

It’s time to dive into these best youth hockey ice skate reviews….

1.Bauer NS Youth Hockey Skates Review (Youth Size 8 to Y13)

The Bauer NS Youth Hockey Skates is an affordable pair of recreational skates designed for children under 9 who are complete beginners. These non-heat moldable ice skates may be cheap, but they look well-made.

The quarter package is an injected composite weave that offers the beginner kid hockey skater much-needed stability and ankle support.

An EVA form footbed, AnaForm ankle pads, and a microfiber liner further increase comfort and stability. What’s more, a 30-oz flexible and comfortable one-piece felt tongue provides even more comfort. And good-quality traditional laces help you tighten the boots for a comfortable, snug fit.

These ice skates feature long-lasting stainless steel blades housed in Tuuk Lightspeed Pro II blade holders.

As for size, these are tiny skates. They’re U.S. youth size 1.5 or smaller, and they fit without issues. They’re for Mite or Squirt hockey players.

Overall, these are moderate-performance skates that do the job. Nothing spectacular, and I can’t say these are the best hockey skates on the planet.

But even though these ice skates are supposed to fit young feet with normal width, Bauer’s boots come wider than most. So, if your little tyke has slightly wider, flatter feet, consider choosing this youth hockey skate for them.

Sizing

This boot is available in sizes Y8 to Y13, at least those are the available sizes at Amazon as of this writing. To select the correct size for your baby, size down 1 full size from your child’s sneaker size.

For example, if your little one wears size Y10 sneaker size (U.S. Kids), order this skate in youth size 9. Note you can’t order this item in a half-size.

At first, your child may complain the boot is too tight. But a couple days having outdoor fun on the ice in these guys, your baby will have a hard time getting off the ice.

Don’t use the skates or damage them if you wish to return them. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying up to 50% of the product’s cost as restocking fees.

Overall, the Bauer NS is a good recreational youth hockey skate with a reasonable price to boot.

The skate provides beginner-level support, but this isn’t for playing any kind of competitive hockey games.

2.Bauer Vapor 1X Youth Hockey Skates Review (A Budget Pick)

The Bauer Vapor 1X offers mirrors the Bauer 1X senior skate comfort-wise and performance-wise. And unlike the majority of the skates reviewed here, the Bauer Vapor 1X allows for thermoformable custom fitting.

These Bauer Vapor ice hockey skates are what to buy when your little one wants to stop being always the hoser. Get these ice hockey skates for when you want your child to start scoring ginos every time they’re playing a barnburner.

The skates’ Eva memory foam supplies tons of contoured comfort while the AnaFoam ankle pads provides adequate locked-in heel support.

Also, these youth ice hockey skates feature a unique liner, the Hydramax model 2, a microfiber with an added edge collar.

The collar increases comfort phenomenally by wicking away moisture while preventing constant ankle abrasion.

Then there’s the unwaxed laces for a locked-in, secure fit.

The tongue offers pro-styled 7-mm padding that prevents lace-bite while increasing comfort. This super thick tongue also provides some protection from hard stray pucks.

And the Black Thrust TPR outsole adds to the entire construction’s overall stiffness, boosting energy transfer and enhancing performance.

The polyethylene quarter package features a polyurethane mesh and gives the boot a level of stiffness that preps beginners f0r elite-level greatness.

Finally, there’s the Tuuk Lightspeed Pro holders that hold the pro-style Lightspeed LS1 blades securely.

All these features come together into a budget pick y0ur son will love, the Bauer Vapor 1X youth hockey skate.

These youth ice hockey skates certainly aren’t Vapor 2X. But while this pair of skates may not be as awesome as Vapor 2X, it delivers good enough beginner-level performance.

Overall, the Bauer Vapor 1X youth skate is a cheap pair of hockey ice skates ideal for beginner-level skaters.

Does your young one aspire to become a celebrated NHL hockey player someday? These youth hockey boots start them going down the right road.

But at that price point, you really shouldn’t expect much longevity.

*Note that the skate pictured in these youth hockey skate reviews is a toddler size and not youth size 6 as indicated. They are too small for a 5-6 year old. Remember that.

3.Bauer Lil Angel Champ Youth Ice Hockey Skates Review

These pink boots are a one-piece molded plastic construction. Not the most breathable material, though, but the comfortable liner inside takes care of moisture. Similarly, the boot’s interior is a single-piece component made of high-quality nylon. And there’s no removable footbed. Unlike Bauer NS skates, these skates use a buckle closure system rather than traditional laces, making it easier to put them on and off.

The blade looks a little flatter, but it’s radius is pretty much regular. Note that these aren’t double-bladed skates.

Bauer hasn’t stated what material the blades are made of, but it looks like stainless steel to me. The blade holder, too, isn’t described in detail, but it looks sturdy enough.

As far as fit, Bauer says to go a size down. If, for example, your child wears U.S. youth shoe size 8, you’d have to choose skate size 6-7. Here are the available sizes: 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, and 12-13.

Admittedly, double-bladed skates offer more stability on the ice than single-bladed ones do. However, double-blades allow for much less agility and maneuverability. Small wonder most rinks encourage single-blade skates and in some cases even ban double-blades.

Overall, these are great cheap youth hockey ice skates that’ll transform your little loved one into possibly the coolest young skater on the ice.

4.Bauer Supreme S140 Youth Hockey Skates Review

The Bauer Supreme S140 offers an anatomical foot profile that allows for adequate heel lock and increases overall foot support. Throw in the microfiber liner and comfort foam ankle pads, and your child won’t want to miss a training session.

The boot itself is crafted from premium nylon. And the EVA memory foam cranks up comfort. Well, EVA foam footbeds tend to freeze solid in excessively cold weather. However, that’d be much less likely to happen as long as the skater stays active.

The skates come with anti-slip thermoplastic rubber (TPR) outsoles. These outsoles reduce the odds of falling, keeping the skater safe throughout the game. Thanks to the Tuuk Lightspeed Pro holders that stabilize Tuuk stainless runners, the skater maintains winning, solid strides.

Buy this piece of ice skate hockey equipment for your 4-year-old, and they’ll love you forever. These Bauer Supreme hockey skates may not be the cheapest deal you can get, but they’re worth every dime.

Oh, and these skates may seem big, but they’re roughly toddler size 5.

Enough of Bauer Vapor 2X, Vappor 1X, Supreme and whatnot. It’s now time for CCM Jetspeed youth skates. I have reviewed only one CCM Jetspeed option, though. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think too highly of these youth skates. It’s just that there aren’t enough youth CCM Jetspeed skates on Amazon.

5.CCM Youth Jetspeed FT340

The CCM FT340 is a top product from Bauer’s #1 competitor, CCM. Just like its arch rival, CCM has over the years managed to build a pretty solid reputation as a high-quality skates brand.

While most comparable options offer a molded-plastic outsole, this skate’s outsoles are made of a full-composite material. You find this exact same material on some top offerings from CCM. Another premium component is the multi-felt tri-guard tongue.

With this skate’s low-profile design, a huge part of the blades stays in contact with the ice, enhancing stability. It’s a two-piece construction with an all-synthetic outer shell and non-replaceable blades.

And like most of my recommendations, this skate comes with padding for ankle protection and memory foam for comfort in the rest of the foot. The liner consists of soft brushed microfiber with great moisture wicking ability.

I’d have loved to review the CCM Jetspeed FT2, but Amazon doesn’t carry the skate as of this post. I’ve tried the CCM Jetspeed FT2, however, and it rocks. But you can always buy the CCM Jetspeed FT2 or FT1 elsewhere.

Some reviewers say the skate ran somewhat big for them. So, buy a size smaller. Also, the boots may feel too snug at the front of the toe box. If you have wide feet, pick something else. But if you have narrow feet, you’ll love the perfectly snug fit the construction affords you. Plus, the runner isn’t replaceable. However, it’s not the only skate with a non-replaceable runner at that price.

How to Choose Youth Hockey Skates

It’s critical to understand the various components that come together to make a hockey skates. Each skate consists of at least 11 parts, and I’ve listed them below.

11 Components of a Hockey Skate:

• Toe box
• The runner
• The blade holder
• Midfoot
• The heel
• The quarter package
• The tongue
• The footbed
• The liner
• The tendon guard and,
• The eyelet stay

The toe box is the front area of the skate that accommodates your foot ball and toes. An extremely hard toe cap at the end of the toe box protects your feet from impact. Be sure the toe box offers just enough room, not too tight or too loose. If too tight, you may get blisters. And if too loose, you’ll have energy transfer issues to the blades.

The runner and blade are the same thing. The blade holder stays attached to the outsole, housing the blade/runner. This component keeps your boots firmly held on the blades as you glide on the ice. Blades are typically made of steel, and stainless steel is best.

The heel steadies the back of the foot, preventing slippage. Your heels should feel properly supported and comfortable. And if you have either narrow or wide feet, seek out brands that make skates for such feet.

Then there’s the midfoot that holds the feet secure inside the boots. Don’t go too tight over the midfoot when lacing up your hockey skates. Most lace bite issues are down to how you lace up. Usually, changing your lacing technique can sort out lace bite. I’ve also heard that using Bunga pads (Amazon sells them) helps a lot.

On the bottom of the boot’s interior is the footbed that prevents the rivet heads attaching the outsole to the boot from hurting you.

Then there’s the tendon guard, that area between the heel and back of the ankle. This part ensures your hockey skates don’t cut into the Achilles tendon, causing pain. Small wonder the tendon guard comes extremely stiff.

The liner covers the entire interior, and it wicks away moisture. Also, the liner helps keep the foot snug, increasing stability. High-quality liners are made of either Clarino leather or microfiber.

There’s also the quarter package, a super rigid section running from the back of the toe box to the heel along the midfoot. Constructed from thermo-moldable material, it assumes the shape of the foot (when heated). Fitters need it to create the perfect custom fit.

And of course, all ice skates come with a tongue, often a felt tongue. The tongue offers both comfort and protection to the top of the foot. The thicker the better, generally. Some skate brands provide a thick tongue while others don’t go as thick.

Finally, the eyelet stay. The eyelet stay makes it possible for the skater to lace up their hockey skates.

Sizing Ice Hockey Skates

Measuring your feet’s length and using a brand-specific size chart is ok, but sizing entails substantially more than merely knowing your length. It’s best to consider your foot’s entire profile before settling for any particular skate. And that’s where expert foot anatomical analysis comes into play.

When buying skates online, maybe on Amazon or wherever, be sure you can return the product without issues in case you encounter fit problems. With some brands, you may end up paying as much as $30 as return shipping fees! One way to know your ice hockey skates fit is to wear them and feel whether your longest toe brushes the toe cap.

It’s Best to Consult a Good Ice Skate Fitting Expert

Have you come across a great deal online but aren’t sure if the skates will fit you? Here’s what to do. Visit your local hockey store and request for help choosing the right skates (fit). Usually, those folks will measure you and have you try out several boots. Once you identify the perfect fit, brand, and size , go order the product on Amazon or wherever else you found the deal. I’d encourage you to support your local entrepreneurs whenever possible, though.

Brand and Pricing

Many skate brands yearn for the consumer’s attention, but what hockey skate brand is the best? Bauer and CCM skates work; they’re great. Even NHL players swear by them. But who says you can buy other brands?

Now, it’s no secret: most sub-$100 ice hockey skates tend to be crap. But if there’s a clearance sale with decent skates at under $100, go grab a pair. If you’re price-conscious, I’d advise you to wait a year or two after every amazing you might want to buy. That’s an effective strategy to own premium skates at a fraction of the initial cost.

How to Sharpen Your Youth Ice Hockey Skates

If you don’t sharpen your ice hockey skates when you should, they won’t perform as well as they normally do. Plus, there’s always the risk of them coming out from under you during a game! If you play professional hockey, the manager most likely arranges skates sharpening.

But what if you’re into recreational hockey? You’re responsible for sharpening your skates. Consider taking your skates to a skate shop. They use some machine to make a groove between the inside and outside edges. How deep or shallow the cut needs to be mostly depends on your preference. For instance, a goalie may need relatively less hollow since they’re always moving sideways. Also, an experienced player may prefer a shallower hollow as a deeper one may keep the blades catching in the ice.

How often should I sharpen my hockey skate blades? It depends on how often you play, but generally twice a month should be ok. If you can’t turn very well or do smooth stops, your blades likely need sharpening. Also, blade quality may determine sharpening frequency. High-quality stainless steel skates tend to hold a sharp edge a little longer than low-quality steel blades.

Some hockey players may need blade sharpening between periods, though. It’d be best for such folks to carry an extra pair of blades. Tuuk Lightspeed blade holders are a great solution to this problem. Don’t play with a dull blade when you can quickly replace it with sharpened Tuuk Lightspeed blades.

So…

What’s the Best Youth Hockey Skate on the Market?

The Bauer NS Youth Hockey Skates won the race as the best youth hockey skates in these youth hockey ice skate reviews.

This fine pair of skates sure has a flaw or two, just like any other product. But it shines in terms of comfort and support.

Don’t like it? No worries, choose any of the other 4 picks. I’m sure at least one of them will help push your child’s play level to a whole new plane.