Needle bearings are known for far fewer ball bearings and roller bearings. However, they are indispensable in a number of applications where requirements are high not only for the reliability and durability of bearings, but also for their dimensions.

Rolling elements used in needle bearings have the form of “needles” - thin rollers with round or flat ends that have a diameter of not more than 5 mm, and the ratio of length to diameter is not less than 4 to 1. Such rolling elements are installed in a steel or polyamide separator. And often the outer and inner rings are missing, that is, the shaft and the housing act as rolling surfaces.

Due to the large contact surface formed by the needles, such bearings can withstand very large loads. Thus, a needle bearing is able to withstand a load of 2–8 times greater than ball or cylindrical roller bearings with the same diameter of the inner bore. In addition, needle bearings have much smaller dimensions, that is, they provide an extremely compact assembly and are the best choice in the case of a compromise between performance, size and weight.

However, needle bearings have increased requirements for alignment with the shaft. Even a slight misalignment and misalignment leads to rapid wear of the bearing and its failure.

There are many types of needle bearings, including bushings, without inner or outer rings, solid ring bearings, combined bearings, needle thrust bearings, etc.

Currently, needle bearings are used in such nodes as:

- gearboxes;

- crosses of the drive shafts of passenger cars and trucks;

- engines of scooters, chainsaws, etc .;

- rolling mills of metallurgical plants;

- transport belts with high loads;

- airport teletrap;

- heavy construction equipment (planetary gearboxes of excavators, etc.);

- hinged agricultural equipment.

The Japanese-French concern NTN-SNR, which produces every tenth bearing in the world, produces a wide range of needle bearings with an internal diameter of 3 to 285 mm for various applications:

- needle bearings without rings;

- needle bearings with a stamped or machined ring;

- combined needle roller bearings.