The exercise wheel is your hamster’s lifeline. It occupies their hours and helps them to stay healthy. But, unfortunately, in the hamster wheel market, there are some disparities in quality that can make it hard to find the right product.
You want your hamster wheel to be safe, interesting to your pet, and of course, chew-proof! The problem is that it can be very hard to know if a product checks all of those boxes until after you’ve already bought it.
Our hamster wheel reviews can help with that. We’ve taken a look at a bunch of products, listing only the best of the best hamster wheels on our list, so read on!
A Quick Glance at our Favorite Picks of 2023
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Best Overall
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Suncoast Sugar Gliders Wodent Wheel |
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Best Value
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Ware 3282 Flying Saucer Exercise Wheel |
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Premium Choice
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Exotic Nutrition 43672 Silent Runner |
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Kaytee 100079370 Silent Spinner |
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Prevue Pet Products SPV90013 Wire Mesh Hamster Wheel |
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The 10 Best Hamster Wheels
1. Suncoast Wodent Hamster Wheel – Best Overall
The Suncoast Sugar Glider features an 11-inch diameter. The unit prioritizes the safety of your pet by featuring a “tail guard”—a protective infrastructure that is designed to keep your pet’s tail, fur, and feet from snagging.
The wheel is also made to be silent and comes with an axel that has been pre-oiled for efficiency. It’s also impressively durable and should stand up well to chewing. The metal base is virtually guaranteed to withstand normal use.
Finally, the unit can be mounted to the interior of your cage via attachment wiring.
You will want to note that the fixtures that keep your pet’s tail from getting snagged also make the wheel very challenging to clean.
All in all, we think this is the best hamster wheel out there.
2. Ware Flying Saucer Hamster Exercise Wheel – Best Value
The Ware is the best hamster exercise wheel for the money. This unit is unique for the fact that it is shaped like a disc. The platform your pet stands on is plastic and completely resistant to tail, and foot snags. In addition to being very affordable, it also benefits from being easy to clean, and completely silent.
Unfortunately, the unit is very fragile. A little wear and tear (or even a few exploratory bites) may mean the end for this product. However, if your hamster tends to be gentle with the things you put in its crate, you shouldn’t have any problems.
3. Exotic Nutrition Silent Runner Hamster Wheel – Premium Choice
The Exotic Nutrition features a unique, axel-free design that ensures a completely silent operation. And, because there is no axel, this means there is also nothing for your pet to get its tail tangled up in. It is further secured by a plastic “privacy plate” that keeps your hamster securely tucked into the wheel.
The tracks have been made with “slip-proof” material to ensure that your pet has firm footing and the stand is made of a heavy-duty metal that ensures longevity.
Unfortunately, the privacy plate does also make the wheel slightly more difficult to clean. The wheel can disassemble for easier maintenance, but this will, of course, add time to the overall process.
It’s also one of the most expensive options on our list. Still, if you have some money to spend on this purchase, it will be well worth the investment.
4. Kaytee Silent Spinner Hamster Wheel
The Kaytee is optimized for silent spinning. It features an all-plastic design and has ball bearings rather than an axel. This feature helps to keep it silent and helps prevent your pet’s tail from getting caught. Safety is further enhanced by a gap-free plastic wheel that does not have any room for your hamster’s feet to get caught. The wheel can rest free standing on in your pet’s cage, or mount to the wall via attachment wires.
Unfortunately, many users complain that the wheel is very fragile. Users report that pieces begin to loosen and deteriorate after prolonged use, which means you will probably need to replace it at some point.
5. Prevue Pet Wire Mesh Hamster Wheel
The Prevue Pet Products is a traditional, mesh-style hamster wheel. The metal build keeps the unit durable, ensuring that it should hold out indefinitely. The wheel is 8 inches and can be purchased in an assortment of different colors (purple, red, blue, and pink).
It’s also an extremely affordable wheel, which will be great for buyers on a budget. However, there are some issues to note as well. Because the wheel has mesh spacing, it is possible for your hamster’s feet to get caught.
We also noticed that it is significantly noisier than most of the other options on our list. If you are looking for something silent, this won’t be the product you want to go with.
6. Mojetto Comfort Hamster Wheel
The Mojetto is a basic, but affordable 6-inch wheel. It’s made primarily of plastic but features a free-standing metal base. Conversely, you can also mount the unit to the wall of your cage. If you are in the market for something simple but serviceable, this will get the job done.
However, there also some concerns that you will want to note. For one thing, it’s extremely squeaky, which can grow very irritating. It’s also not durable. The plastic may break down over time, especially if your hamster tends to chew on things. Still, if finding something affordable is your main concern, this wheel will work fine.
7. Petzilla PHW-1 Quiet Hamster Exercise Wheel
The Petzilla is a 7.5-inch wheel that is made entirely of wood. The material is easy to clean, and provides your hamster with a firm grip on the surface, thus, minimizing the risk of slipping. It’s completely silent and can rest on a stand or mount directly onto the wall of your cage.
You should keep in mind that this is one of the most expensive options on our list—probably because of the all-wood build. It is also worth noting that the material may encourage nibbling. Hamsters tend to like to chew wood, which will naturally be very problematic for long-term durability.
8. Ware Metal Tread Hamster Exercise Wheel
The Ware Manufacturing Tread Exercise wheel is an affordable, all-metal product that should last indefinitely. The metal is chew-proof and coated in a powdery resin that makes it easier to clean.
Unfortunately though, to get the affordable price, you need to make several concessions. Build quality is a major issue. The wheel wobbles significantly, which can make it difficult for your hamster to use.
It’s also very noisy. The wheel squeaks significantly, which will be irritating to everybody in the house.
9. Zacro Hamster Exercise Wheel
The Zacro is a completely silent, 8.7-inch, all-plastic product that is designed to be safe and easy to clean. Because there is no axel or grating, there is no way for your pet’s feet or tails to get stuck. The plastic is also completely transparent which makes it a little bit easier to spot stains that need cleaning.
You should note that this is one of the more expensive options on our list. Buyers on a budget will probably gravitate towards something more affordable. The unit is also difficult to assemble and does not feature any wall mounting hardware, which will make it unusable for some people.
10. ZOOPOLR Silent Spinner Exercise Running Wheel
The Zoopolir is an affordable, all-plastic spinning wheel. It features a 4.7-inch diameter and should be easy to clean. It’s also designed to be silent, which will be great for people who have hamsters that are active at night.
There are, however, several things you will need to keep in mind. For one thing, it’s not extremely durable, which means you may wind up replacing it several times throughout your pet’s life.
It’s also very small, which means that the majority of hamsters might find it a little bit cramped. Ultimately, it isn’t horrible for buyers on a budget, but there are better options available for people with a few extra dollars to spend.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Hamster Wheel
Now that you’ve seen what is out there, it may be helpful to review a few special buying considerations.
Noise
Hamster wheels are notoriously squeaky. This is particularly problematic because, like most rodents, hamsters tend to be active primarily at night. With a squeaky wheel, you may find yourself perpetually irritated.
Fortunately, many units make a point of eliminating the noise factor. There are a few ways to accomplish this, but it seems that trading spinning axels for ball bearings is one of the most effective methods.
Conversely, you can also eliminate squeaking by regularly oiling your wheel.
Grating
The traditional hamster wheel features metal grating, and while this design concept is plenty durable, it can prove problematic. When there are gaps on the running surface, you always have to contend with the possibility that your hamster’s foot might get caught.
For that reason, the majority of the products on our list feature a completely solid running surface. Grating can still work, but be aware of the risks.
The Privacy Screen
A few of the options on our list featured “privacy screens”—panels of plastic that give your hamster a little bit of privacy as they exercise. The real benefit of this feature is that it makes the wheel slightly more secure—virtually eliminating the possibility that they might slip off the wheel.
Unfortunately, the privacy screen does complicate the cleaning process somewhat. Nooks and crannies make wheels significantly more challenging to wipe down.
Chew Proof
Hamsters love to chew. In general, metal is entirely chew-resistant, but some plastic materials can also withstand the occasional bite. Manufacturers usually advertise if their product is chew-proof.
Snag Proof
Though rare, hamsters have been known to suffer tail or fur snags with traditional exercise wheels. This being said, you may want to look for something with a snag-proof design. Products that eliminate the axel tend to be slightly better at reducing your pet’s chances of experiencing a snag.
Mountable
When you buy a hamster wheel that doesn’t come with the cage, they usually feature a built-in stand. However, many pet owners like to save space by mounting the wheel directly to the cage wall. If you’re crafty enough, you can probably figure out a way to do this with almost any wheel.
However, it is safer and more convenient when you can find something that includes mounting hardware.
Conclusion
Have our hamster wheel reviews connected you with a product yet? If not, it may help to revisit a couple of the best hamster wheels on this list. For example, if you don’t mind spending a decent chunk of change on your hamster wheel, you will probably find much to admire in our top choice, the Suncoast Sugar Gliders Wodent Wheel.
And, of course, we didn’t forget budget buyers when we were making our list. If you need to save some money while still getting a workable product, take a look at our runner-up, the Ware 3282 Flying Saucer Exercise Wheel.
Ultimately though, all 10 of the products featured here are designed to be safe and effective, so there is no going wrong!
