Cylindrical roller bearings are similar to ball bearings, but rather than a spherical rolling element, they feature cylinders that have a slightly greater length than diameter. The cylinders are usually guided by flanges on the inner and outer ring, with a cage.Cylindrical roller bearings are also available in sealed or split designs. In sealed bearings, the rollers are protected from contaminants, water and dust, while providing lubricant retention and contaminant exclusion. This provides lower friction and longer service life.

Cylindrical roller bearings, in which either the inner or outer rings has two ribs and the other ring has one, are capable of taking some axial load in one direction Double-row cylindrical roller bearings have high radial rigidity and are used primarily for precision machine tools.