Hamster Wheels 2024

[Maz]

Just to have an up to date guide for suitable Hamster wheels available in 2024.

As I'm sure most people on here know already, a hamster needs to run with a straight back. If they run with a curved back they can develop pain and spinal problems. So a wheel diameter needs to be large enough for them to run with a straight back. This also means an upright wheel as their main wheel, not a flying saucer. So they can run in a straight line. Hamsters often run at awkward angles on flying saucers (although they are ok for occasional use in a playpen eg).

I've had this photo saved for a long time and unfortunately can't credit it as can't remember where I found it - but it shows the difference - a hamster running in a large enough wheel with a straight back, and a hamster running in a wheel that isn't large enough, with a curved back. In this photo the "too small" wheel isn't as small as some and shows the hamster with their head bent back. In some smaller wheels the hamster's back is very curved.



Wheel size isn't just so they can run with a straight back, but also so they can run well and run properly and comfortably. Syrian hamsters needs an 11" or 12" diameter wheel. Russian dwarf and Roborovski hamsters needs an 8" or 9" wheel.

An 11" diameter wheel is suitable for most Syrian hamsters, but some particularly large Syrians may need a 12" wheel.

In Switzerland they assess the wheel size by saying the diameter of the wheel needs to be twice the length of the hamster. The average Syrian hamster is about 6" long. Which would suggest a 12" wheel, but the 11" trixie wheel fits most Syrians well.

This list only includes wheels that are considered safe. There are various other lesser known brands that may have certain aspects such as holes or slots at the back, that a hamster could get a toe or foot caught in.

Hamster wheels need to have a solid running track, which all the wheels below have.

Wheels for Syrian Hamsters (mainly in the Uk but some are Uk, US and Europe)

12" Silent Runner wheel (Uk and US)

Silent, ball bearings, adjustable height stand and can be attached to bars with cage attachment plates.



£28.99

Product Page | Toms Pet Creations

www.tomspetcreations.com

£26.99

Silent Runner 12″ Wheel – Sugar Glider Shop

sugarglidershop.co.uk

11" Getzoo wood and cork wheel (30cm external diameter, 28.4cm internal diameter (Uk and Europe)

Height adjustable. Can attach to bars with some minor diy (needs a piece of wood with a hole in to replace the stand at the back - or cut up the stand). Silent with ball bearings, replaceable cork lining.



40.99 euros From Getzoo

£50.95 from Amazon

12.3" Getzoo wood and cork wheel (33cm external diameter, 31.4cm internal diameter) (Uk and Europe)
As above but larger



43.49 euros From Getzoo
£63.02 from Amazon


11 to 12" Hopes Healthy Treats Wood and Cork wheel (30cm but doesn't say if this is internal or external diameter) (Uk)

Replaceable cork lining, silent with ball bearings, height adjustable.



£34.99 Hopes Healthy Treats

11" Trixie Plastic 28cm Wheel (Uk and Europe)

Suits most Syrians. Cheap and cheerful. Usually quiet. Easy to clean. Not intended for attaching to bars, but the stand can be tied to the bars. Comes in various colours but it can be pot luck as to which colour you get.



£18.30 From Amazon - price varies occasionally

 

[Maz]

13" Trixie Plastic Wheel 33cm (Uk and Europe)
As above but bigger. Can be rattly apparently.



£20.04 from Amazon

11" Trixie Wood and Cork Wheel (Uk and Europe)
Silent with ball bearings. Quality control can vary. Not too expensive. Can end up tilting forwards after time and rubbing on the base. Can be screwed upside down in a cage by removing the base screws and using large washers. (It doesn't tilt forward if upside down). Have sandpaper handy in case of splinters.



£23.51 From Amazon - price varies occasionally
£19 approx with postage From Zooplus - Zooplus still ship this wheel to the Uk even though they don't ship much else

11" Karlie Flamingo 28.5cm Wood and Cork Wheel (Uk and Europe)
This looks identical to the Trixie wheel above and is virtually identical, but quality control seems to be better.



£27.92 From Amazon

11" Pets at Home 28.5cm own brand wood and cork wheel (Uk)
Looks identical to the Karlie and Trixie wheels but is cheaper to buy



£15.00 From Pets at Home - possibly only from stores


11" Niteangel Super Silent Wheel (Large size) (Uk and US)
Made of acrylic. Silent with ball bearings and height adjustable stand. Comes in various colours



£47.65 From Amazon

10.8" Savic Rolly Giant 27.5cm wheel (Uk and Europe)
This is usually classed as an 11" wheel but is slightly under 11" diameter. Basic wheel - can be noisy. Can attach to bars or be used on a stand. Only suitable for smaller Syrians.


£17.00 From Amazon

 

[Maz]

12" Tic Tac Metal Wheel (Uk)

These also come in 14". The stand or bar attachments costs extra. These wheels are supposed to be quite heavy, so possibly too heavy to attach to bars, unless it's a very sturdy cage. They have a smooth running surface which may not be the best option for a hamster, but you could attach cork to the inside. They come in various colours.



£55.00 From Tic Tac

12" Rodipet Heureka Wheel (32cm externally, 30cm internally at the largest part) (Uk and Europe)

Unusual design, supposed to be easy to clean and well made. May take up a bit of extra space in a cage due to the angle and would need to be on a platform. The stand is metal. Made in Germany and a patented design. Comes in various colours. This is the only wheel Rodipet sell now, which is a shame as their wood wheels were really good.



39.95 Euros (approx £34.45) plus postage From Rodipet


12" Kaytee Giant Comfort Wheel (Uk, Europe and US)

Basic and rattly. Used to be cheap but a silly price at the moment, for what it is.



£35.84 From Amazon

Wheels for Dwarf Hamsters and Roborovski Hamsters
Some dwarf hamsters will happily run in a Syrian sized wheel if it spins well and they can push it, but 9" or 10" is an ideal size for them. Also when considering cage set up, the larger the wheel the less substrate you can fit in sometimes, so if using a Syrian sized wheel that is something to consider.

9" Silent Runner Wheel (Uk and US)

Same as the 12" Silent Runner above, except smaller and comes in yellow instead of Orange



£25.99 From Tom's Pet Creations
£24.99 From the Sugar Glider Shop

9" Getzoo Wood and Cork 25cm wheel (25cm external diameter, 23.1cm internal diameter) (Uk and Europe)

The same as the Syrian Getzoo wood and cork wheels above. Getzoo also do a 27cm one which is 25cm (10") internal diameter.



34.49 euros (approx £29.74) From Getzoo

 

[Maz]

10" Getzoo plastic and cork wheel (27cm external diameter, 25.4cm internal diameter)

A plastic wheel with a replaceable cork lining and height adjustable stand. Comes in beige, pink or green.



28.99 euros (approx £25.00) From Getzoo
£44.26 From Amazon

10" Niteangel Super Silent Wheel (US and Uk)
The same as the 11" Syrian one above. They also do an 8.2" one.



£39.65 From Amazon

8.9" Niteangel Dark Cloud Wheel (US and Uk)

Plastic wheel with replaceable cork lining and height adjustable stand. This is the small size. They also do a 9.8" medium size.



£49.44 From Amazon (the medium size is £59.83)

9" Bucatstate Super Silent Wheel

This particular Bucatstate wheel comes in 9" and 10.2". The 9" is ideal for a dwarf hamster and the 10.2" might also be good for a dwarf or a young small Syrian. Although Syrians do tend to run better in 11" wheels. It's silent, height adjustable and has a cork piece underneath. Note: there is another 21cm Bucatstate wheel with slits at the back that is not ideal as there's risk of getting a foot caught.



£28.99 From Amazon - The 26cm version costs £33.99

Eight inch wheels

The Wood and Cork Trixie and Karlie wheels (same as the Syrian ones) also come in 20cm (8 inch). And the Trixie plastic wheel also comes in 20cm (8"). Getzoo also do their wood and cork wheel in 21cm (external diameter), which is 19.4 cm internal diameter. Slightly under 8".

Prices as at January 2024 but may vary.

 

[Maz]

If I've missed anything off, please let me know!

 

[Lovelyness]

Very comprehensive and useful

 

[RainbowBrite]

Thank you for this excellent article. You must have spent ages researching this. It is going to help so many people looking for a hamster wheel.

 

[Maz]

It wasn’t long to research as most of them were in my head - the time consuming bit was checking the exact sizes and doing the maths to convert cm to inches and vice versa, and euros to pounds! And the photos and links.

Im aware I haven’t included any Bucatstate wheels. Does anyone have one? I wasn’t keen on the smooth surface for running (although people could add cork) and I couldn't tell from the photos whether there were any gaps at the back.

 

[Frida]

So if the average Syrian hamster is about 6" long.
What is the average length of a dwarf russian hamster?

 

[Maz]

I believe it's about 3.5 to 4". How long is Albert? In which case an 8" wheel is fine Some pet charities are saying 9" now but that might be because there are more 9" wheels than 8" wheels. I've edited it to say Russians and Roborovski's should have 8" or 9" wheels

 

[HamsterMumMo]

It wasn’t long to research as most of them were in my head - the time consuming bit was checking the exact sizes and doing the maths to convert cm to inches and vice versa, and euros to pounds! And the photos and links.

Im aware I haven’t included any Bucatstate wheels. Does anyone have one? I wasn’t keen on the smooth surface for running (although people could add cork) and I could t tell from the photos whether there were any gaps at the back.

I have the Bucatstate! Build looks and feels very solid and seems to be super smooth and completely silent when you run it. Also height adjustable and came with cork to go underneath the stand which made it unmovable once placed on a platform which is great. Seems very similar to Niteangel ones. It is on the smoother side, but does have grooves so it's not flat along, if that makes sense. Sadly Oakley never got the chance to use it so can't verify exactly how great it is in action but in terms of design and what I've noticed so far, I think I love it! And have high hopes for it for next hammy


Currently £33.99 for 26cm or £28.99 for 21cm from Amazon

 

[Maz]

Thank you! Ah I hadn't seen that one. The one I saw was clear and smooth all round. Thank you for adding it! The 26cm is an odd size. 21cm would be for a dwarf but 26cm is about 10.2" which is a bit on the small side for a Syrian - although ok for a starter wheel for a baby Syrian. I guess 10.2" could be good for some Dwarfs as well.

 

[Maz]

Actually, looking at Amazon, Bucatstate have quite a few different wheels. Some look ok and some don't. This is the larger one I saw that is completely clear and smooth and it looks to have gaps at the back where it fixes to the stand and I thought that looked risky. But they might not be gaps as it's clear so maybe it's just looking through the gaps. It looks so smooth though that it must be hard for a hamster to keep a grip, But cork track could be stuck to it.



There is also this 21cm one - it has slits at the back and personally I would worry a hamster might get a toe or foot caught.



So I didn't include those. But the one you linked looks good!

 

[Zara]

Great article Maz

 

[Maz]

I have the Bucatstate! Build looks and feels very solid and seems to be super smooth and completely silent when you run it. Also height adjustable and came with cork to go underneath the stand which made it unmovable once placed on a platform which is great. Seems very similar to Niteangel ones. It is on the smoother side, but does have grooves so it's not flat along, if that makes sense. Sadly Oakley never got the chance to use it so can't verify exactly how great it is in action but in terms of design and what I've noticed so far, I think I love it! And have high hopes for it for next hammy

View attachment 5628
Currently £33.99 for 26cm or £28.99 for 21cm from Amazon

I've added this wheel to the list! Thank you for the feedback on it! My current Syrian Raffy was very small when he came to me and had a 10.5" wheel. He ran on it ok with a straight back - but he much preferred the 11" trixie wheel! (Which is in his playpen) And I did notice he ran much better in that one. So that's something to bear in mind that the wheel might need upgrading as the hamster grows

 

[Maz]

I'm in two minds whether to add the 30cm Bucatstate wheel to the list or not. Looking at it, I think the slots at the back are just on the stand and visible through the acrylic, so the only slight negative is that it may not have the best grip to run on, being totally smooth. But then cork could be added. Personally I wouldn't recommend it as it is just because a hamster is likely to slide about a lot.

 

[HamsterMumMo]

I've added this wheel to the list! Thank you for the feedback on it! My current Syrian Raffy was very small when he came to me and had a 10.5" wheel. He ran on it ok with a straight back - but he much preferred the 11" trixie wheel! (Which is in his playpen) And I did notice he ran much better in that one. So that's something to bear in mind that the wheel might need upgrading as the hamster grows

Yes, good note - thank you!

Agree with you that 26cm is a weird size and really annoying! Like your said, think it works well as a starter for baby or very small Syrian but really interesting to know that Raffy prefers the 11" inch.

 

[HamsterMumMo]

I'm in two minds whether to add the 30cm Bucatstate wheel to the list or not. Looking at it, I think the slots at the back are just on the stand and visible through the acrylic, so the only slight negative is that it may not have the best grip to run on, being totally smooth. But then cork could be added. Personally I wouldn't recommend it as it is just because a hamster is likely to slide about a lot.

I'd actually never thought much about the smoothness of the wheel as being a problem, but it totally makes sense! Naturally have avoided them but really good to be brought to attention, I think I would avoid too, especially if there are other options!

I do wish there were more options for larger (28-30cm+) wheels! Especially on the more affordable side. I always prefer non-wooden from a cleaning perspective so then you're mostly left with the Trixie which I don't personally love from an aesthetics point of view (and reviews are quite mixed on whether quiet/silent or not). Niteangel ones are gorgeous but the most expensive.

 

[Jain]

Very interesting article the photos say it better than any words to describe how damaging too small a wheel would be

 

[Maz]

Exactly Jain. And there are worse photos than that, with fully grown Syrians in 5" or 6" wheels that usually come with cages. They are literally bent in a semi circle.