Wheel Help

[RosieTheHamster]

Rosie's current wheel is a 6.5 inch Flying Saucer, but she's outgrown it. The next saucer size up is the 12 inch but I know it wouldn't fit in her cage without taking out some toys, which I don't want to do because she uses all of them.
I was thinking about getting a regular wheel like a comfort wheel perhaps, but I've heard flying saucers are better for the hamster's back..? I know plenty of people on here use regular wheels for their hamsters without problems, so is that not true then?

[Shana]

A normal wheel is just as safe as long as it's big enough, meaning the hamster's back isn't arched as it runs. If you have a small syrian, an 8" wheel could be fine, but 10-12" is the right size for most.

[NiceCrocs]

Regular wheels aren't bad for a hamsters back as long as they're big enough. Flying saucers can cause the same problems if they're too small, so it's all the same really.

As Shana says, many of the smaller Syrians can run fine in an 8 inch wheel, but the bigger ones will need an 11 inch. My syrian uses a 10.3 inch wheel.

Which country are you in? That can help us narrow down which wheels are available to you

[RosieTheHamster]

Okay, thanks for the info!
I'm in the US.

[NiceCrocs]

Alright, in the US you can usually get 12in Silent Spinners, and 8in and 12in Comfort Wheels at any pet store, along with the 12in Flying Saucer. Silent Spinners are a favorite, but Comfort Wheels are much cheaper, but they also tend to be much noisier.

Online, You can get Wodent Wheels in 8 and 11 inch. eBay and amazon both have them, and several independent online retailers do as well. The price tends to fluctuate, so you may want to shop around if you decide to go for one of those.

Another online option is the Carolina Storm, 10.3 inches, which is what I use. These are handmade by a hedgehog breeder in North Carolina, but if you're concerned about space it might not work for you, as the base is enormous