Nattork Adjustable Inline Skates: Best Beginner Skates for Kids
My son fit the size small at age 5. Here's what held up and what didn't on the Nattork beginner skates.
The Nattork Adjustable Inline Skates are worth buying if you’re shopping for beginner skates for kids and want a pair that grows with small feet instead of getting outgrown in one season. My 5-year-old fit the size small (rated for a 10C to 13C kid foot), the triple lock closure kept his ankle steady, and the removable brake made stopping easy to learn. Buy them.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
Quick Verdict
I found three expansion settings instead of the advertised four, and I’m still recommending these. A 5-year-old fitting into the smallest size with years of growing room left, a padded boot that doesn’t dig into ankles, and a removable brake that teaches beginners to stop, that’s what sold me.
Buy if you:
- have a beginner, boy or girl, who needs their skates to last more than one growth spurt
- want a removable brake so a new skater can learn to stop without panicking
- take your kid to a darker roller rink where light-up wheels actually show
- have multiple kids and want one pair you can pass down
Skip if you:
- expect all four advertised size settings to pop out easily, I could only find three
- need the Velcro step explained to you clearly, open it before you push the heel button or it won’t expand
- want a skate built for anything beyond beginner-level, professional-mode switching isn’t something I tested
| Size Range | S (10C-13C) up to XXL (8-10.5), 4 adjustable settings claimed |
|---|---|
| Wheels | 82A high-elasticity PU, 8 self-powered light-up wheels, no batteries |
| Bearings | ABEC-7 |
| Frame | Reinforced aluminum alloy, rust resistant |
| Closure | Triple lock: lace, Velcro strap, ankle buckle |
| Brake | Removable with included Allen key |
My Son Fit the Smallest Size at Five
The size I got was the small, rated for kids anywhere from a 10C to a 13C foot. My son’s five years old, just for reference, and he fits in these right now. The point of beginner skates for kids isn’t just the first fit, it’s whether they still fit next year. Because this pair expands, I think he’ll be in them for a few years instead of one season.
The way you expand them: make sure the Velcro is open first, otherwise the boot won’t budge. Then there’s a button on the heel you push, and the boot contracts or extends depending on what length you need. It says there are four settings. I was only able to find three. Maybe I wasn’t pulling hard enough, but that’s what I found with my hands on the boot.
What Beginner Skates for Kids Actually Cost You Over Time
A skate that only fits one season is money you spend again in 12 months. I have three boys, so a pair that expands across sizes is gonna last me a while because I’ll be able to pass it down to all of them. That’s the real value math here, not the sticker price, it’s how many kids and how many seasons one pair covers before you’re back on Amazon buying another.
The Padding Holds Up, the Ankle Support Does Its Job
The boot didn’t leave my son complaining after a full rink session, which is the real test, cheap skates dig into the ankle bone within twenty minutes and the kid is done. The padding is thick enough around the ankle collar that the buckle closure tightens without creating a pressure point. The aluminum alloy frame is rust resistant, which matters when you’re at a rink with wet floors or leaving skates in a damp bag between sessions.
Where This Sits Against Other Kids’ Skates
Most beginner skates for kids pick one lane: cheap and disposable, or pricier with features that only make sense for advanced skaters. Nattork is trying to split the difference with the adjustable sizing and ABEC-7 bearings, components you’d expect on something a step up from a toy-aisle pair. The triple lock closure is the piece that stood out to me as more than beginner-grade, three separate ways to tighten around the foot, the lace first, then the Velcro over the main part of the foot, then the ankle support you can tighten as much as you want.
Three Ways to Tighten, One Job: Stop the Wobble
A beginner is already scared of falling, a skate that lets the ankle roll sideways makes that worse, not better. The triple lock closes in sequence: lace the boot snug, press the Velcro flat across the midfoot, then crank the ankle buckle until it stops moving. My son went from grabbing the rink wall every few feet to making short solo runs in the same session, and I’d credit the locked-in ankle feel more than any other single feature.
The light-up wheels run on 8 self-powering wheels, no batteries, and they light up as the wheels spin. We go to a roller rink near our house that keeps the floor a little darker, and the kids love it there, it’s a useful feature in that setting, not just a gimmick for the box photo.
Parents Assume the Brake Is Permanent. It’s Not.
The brake on the right skate is removable, and that’s the part I think gets overlooked. For a beginner, the brake is great because it lets a kid stop just by raising their toes a little on that foot. As they get more comfortable and confident and learn to stop without it, you can take it off using the included Allen key, no extra purchase needed. People assume a kids’ skate with training-wheel-style features like this is stuck that way forever. It’s not, it’s built to be removed once the kid outgrows the need for it.
My Considered Take After the One Rink Trip
One rink trip, one size discrepancy, and I’d still buy these again. The missing fourth expansion setting is a real annoyance, Nattork advertises it and I couldn’t find it, but the three settings I did get, the triple lock closure, and the removable brake cover everything a first-time skater actually needs. If your kid is past training brakes and pushing for speed, look elsewhere. If they’re not, this is the pair.
Pros
- Expandable sizing let my 5-year-old fit the smallest size with room to grow
- Padded boot with triple lock closure kept the ankle secure without digging in
- Light-up wheels run with no batteries and actually show at a darker rink
- Removable brake with included Allen key, good for beginners, removable later
- Aluminum alloy frame built for multi-kid, multi-year use
Cons
- Only found three of the four advertised expansion settings
- Velcro has to be open before you push the heel button, or the boot won’t expand
- Haven’t tested the pro-mode wheel positioning the brand mentions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Nattork skates work for both beginner skates for girls and boys?
Yes, nothing about the sizing or closure system is gendered, it’s a unisex design. I said in the video it’s a perfect set for any beginner, boy or girl in your life.
What happens when the self-powered light-up wheels wear down?
The lights run off motion, generated internally as the wheels spin, so there’s no battery to replace or charge. If the wheels themselves wear out from heavy use, that’s a wheel replacement issue rather than a light or battery issue.
Can these replace rental skates at a roller rink?
For a kid who’s going regularly, yes, that’s the whole point of owning a pair that fits their foot and their skill level instead of grabbing whatever size is left at the counter. The removable brake especially makes more sense for a kid learning at home or at a quieter rink than it does for a one-time rental.
Is the Allen key and brake removal tool included in the box?
Yes, the Allen key needed to remove the brake ships with the skates. You don’t need to buy a separate tool to take the brake off once your kid is ready.
Get it now
Nattork Adjustable Inline Skates
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