Originally Posted by
Nessism
While the bearings from a big bearing company may be superior, it's hard to say if this matters, and you will have to navigate and learn what you are buying since a lot of variables can be in play (internal clearance, grease type, and seal type for example). For example, I think for a bike we want contact type seals vs. non contact seals which can allow water to enter the bearing. C3 internal clearance is typically best for a bike part too.
+1. It takes me an hour or so to replace wheel bearings (and the first time I did it, more than that). If I find a bearing $3 cheaper, but if fails or is not quite right, that's a net loss. So I just buy the made-for-bikes bearings. YMMV.