What is The Best Wheel for a Syrian Hamster
Looking for the best wheel for your Syrian hamster then help is on the way. One of the most important features of any hamster cage is the wheel. Hamsters are extremely active animals and in the wild can cover many miles each night in search of food. Not only does a good wheel provide your hamster with its primary source of exercise, it will also act as a boredom breaker and may even help stop your hamster chewing the cage bars – not a guarantee but certainly a good place to start
The table below shows some of the most popular wheels available to buy today. All of the wheels in this table are above the recommended minimum 8 inches in diameter
| Hamster Wheel | Image | Diameter | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Silent Runner 9" - Exercise Wheel |  | 9" | $25 | 4.8 |
Kaytee Comfort Wheel Large 8.5" |  | 8.5" | $10 | 4.7 |
Kaytee Silent Spinner 10" Wheel |  | 10" | $18 | 4.6 |
Suncoast Sugar Gliders - 11" Wheel  |  | 11" | $28 | 4.5 |
One of the biggest problems concerning hamster wheels is the suitability of the wheels packaged within the cages on the internet or in your local pet store. They are far too small and completely unsuitable for any hamster let alone a Syrian hamster – seriously, I have not seen a single one bundled in with a cage which is adequate…You would not believe how many people assume that their hamster is “lazy” for not using the wheel which cam with the cage. The truth is that the wheel is completely unsuitable and far too small.
The Syrian hamster is the largest breed of hamster and therefore requires a larger wheel than other breeds such as the Dwarf Campbell or Chinese. The minimum recommended wheel size for a Syrian hamster is 8 inches in diameter but it is bigger the better – this will allow your hamster to run in a comfortable position and avoid unnecessary arching of the spine.
The first wheel I purchased for Littlefoot was the Savic Orbital – Unfortunately this wheel was not large enough and although Littlefoot was only 8 weeks old, you can already see some arching. I decided to upgrade him to the Savic Orbital Large hamster wheel which I can only recommend as an excellent product. This wheel has now been passed on to Misty who is a frequent user of the wheel