Today I’m going to review the Snugs dual bearing wheels from Northwoods, as I haven’t seen too many reviews on them. I’ve been riding these wheels for about 12-13 wheels now, so I figured it is about time for a review! 

Also, please note that this review is completely honest and totally unbiased. The fact that I am on the Northwoods team isn’t changing my opinion on this product at all; I paid for these beauties with the greens out of my own wallet.

Firstly, some photos!

Since I’ve been using these for a long time, the deck they’ve been on has recently changed. At first it was set up with a Northwoods Eternal Dusk and Ytrucks X4’s. Now, it is set up with a Northwoods 4-Ply Natural series deck and Ytrucks X4’s.

Photos after being set up for the first time (12 weeks ago) :



Recent Photos after 12 weeks of use (on my current setup taken earlier this week) :



And now, into the review!   


Design:
Before I get into my impression/experience with riding the wheels, here’s a little bit about the design in my own words. If you’d like to read a more detailed and in depth description, there’s no better place than right here .These wheels are dual bearing wheels that are designed to take a beating and still last long, all while maintaining their original shape/performance. They’re made from a hard material that isn’t prone to getting flat spots, warping, chipping, and is extremely durable. The wheels graphics available right now are black and pink (as mine are), black and orange, and plain white.  Uniquely, there’s a built in washer or ‘shield’ at the back of the wheel to protect against wearing down the wheel material from trucks. While they’re designed to fit perfectly on Ytrucks, they do also fit most other trucks (with the exception of BRTs that don’t fit any dual bearing wheels).

There are the trucks I’ve tested them out on:


Left to Right: Ytrucks X4s, Tech Deck 32mm trucks, China wides, allen key trucks.

First Impression:
I’d always wanted to try a set of these, so I snagged some off the site as soon as I saw they were in stock. They came in neat and professional looking packaging, and were protected in a bubble mailer. Shipping was quick as it was shipped through USPS First Class.  I was very impressed by how they looked – the simple yet snazzy graphics on the wheels looked promising and I was amazed at how different they were from other wheels I’ve seen/tried in the past. Nothing else sums up my true ‘first impression’ better than my first view at the wheels itself. So here is the unboxing I made when I got these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7SDCANyygI

Lasting Impression:
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been riding these wheels consistently for 12+ weeks, with continuous usage everyday both inside on smooth surfaces and outdoors on rough surfaces. In the past, I’ve always been hesitant about riding outside and would always change to cheap non-beaing wheels before shredding outdoors. However, I took these wheels to every surface, no matter how smooth or bumpy/rough, to put them to the test. After shredding these wheels every single day (both outdoor and indoor), they have held up well and still roll smoothly with no bumps, dents, or warping.

Possible Downsides:
Since these are dual bearing wheels, they don’t fit on Blackriver Trucks. For for all the hardcore BRT lovers, you won't be able to shred these on your BRT's.   

Another thing I’ve seen some fingerboarders question is the price: $42.95 for white, and $44.95 for graphics. While this is on the steeper price range for wheels in general, it’s actually the average cost for a set of dual bearing wheels. For example, the competitors range from: FlatFace Dual bearing wheels at $49, Ywheels at $33-42, Rool wheels at $30, ect.

However, considering the innovative and durable design, I’d definitely recommend them for the price.

Overall:
Overall, the wheels both look great and perform great. When in motion, the black/pink checkered graphic appears as a uniform dark pink stripe which looks pretty rad. After riding them for 12 weeks, they're still in good condition and roll/perform well. It's definitely been a good buy for me in the long run. They're definitely worth trying out, especially if you ride Ytrucks (which they are specifically designed for), or any other trucks I mentioned above.

For more information on the wheels, click here .

Roll Test/Sound Test/Video Footage:

Lastly, I wanted to include video/sound of the wheels in addition to the photos/text to this review.



For more photos/videos of me using these, check out the posts on my YouTube Channel and Instagram (links in my signature).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WRITTEN ON 6/6/2015:

Since I wrote this review a couple things have changed, so I just thought I'd add to this thread instead of making a new one.

Firstly, I think it's worth mentioning again that even though I ride for Northwoods, that doesn't change my review in any way. I paid for both sets that I have and am brining you guys an honest perspective

Northwoods now has a wider color selection. There are now 12 colors available (blank, checkered, and mixed colors).

The price is at $47.99, which is just below the price for a set of FlatFace dual bearing wheels. While it's a lot more than single dual bearing wheels, they are on point for dual bearing wheels.

I just recently bought the blue and red graphics to math my new set up, so here is what they look like!



The old with the new:


I now ride my old ones on a new set up, and they're still going strong. I've done a lot of outdoor riding on rough surfaces, submerged them in water (on accident) multiple times, and have ridden them on every single setup over the past 1+ years since I've had them. The wheels still roll very smooth, the bearing have never come out or given any issues, the shields on the back are still in tact, the graphic is still vivid and hasn't faded, and they still ride very well!

I may make a comparison video with the old and new if that's something you guys would like to see.
But thanks for taking the time to read this update to my review!

Yea, i've always thought these wheels looks sick.

What is putting me off though is when the website says "The SNUGS wheels designed by Northwoods are a long list of problems, solved" .. I'd actually like to see that list, cause i have only had problems with very few wheels.

Great review Geraldine!
I loved how you took a picture of the wheels on different trucks.

Really nice review

Great review

this was an awesome review! very detailed i enjoyed reading it!
hope you review some more products in the future!

Good review, but what I've noticed with my set is that they fit almost too snug onto my trucks. Seems like I have to force it to roll (not excessive force, but they don't spin when I spin them). I've tried them on both China trucks and Y's.

One of the best reviews ive ever read

Not sure if this is a bump or not, but those wheels look sick! I just have a few questions about them, before I actually take a chunk out of my wallet to buy them.

1) Do the bearings ever start to slip while on use of other trucks?

2) Do you need washers to use these wheels on X4's, or wides?

Thanks, Geraldine

I’ve been riding these wheels for about 12-13 wheels now,

Haha

But, good review!

filmer.fb wrote:

Not sure if this is a bump or not, but those wheels look sick! I just have a few questions about them, before I actually take a chunk out of my wallet to buy them.

1) Do the bearings ever start to slip while on use of other trucks?

2) Do you need washers to use these wheels on X4's, or wides?

Thanks, Geraldine

Thanks man!
And to answer your questions....

1) No, the bearing are pretty sturdy and set in place so they shouldn't start to slip out.

2) Nope, you don't need washers at all because there's already one built in on the back of each wheel. It won't come loose or come off the wheels, so your wheels won't get work down by the truck axel.

Here's a screen shot of the built in washer from my video:

I show the wheels from pretty much every angle in the video, check it out

Great info : )

nice review. the wheels look super nice, and i like that they're compatible w/ most trucks.

Hi guys!

It has been nearly a year since I wrote this review, and a couple additions have been made to my post. Since there's already a full review done, I figured I'd just update this thread instead of making a whole new one with the same information.

You can read the additions for yourself in the thread - I've added updated photos of the old and new wheels, updated information, and a couple more comments on the wheels as I've been riding them over the past year.

I got mine yesterday and I agree 100% with this review, they're amazing!