What Does 2RS Mean on a Bearing?

2RS means a bearing with rubber contact seals on both sides. How 2RS differs from 2Z, ZZ and 2RSR, why brands spell it differently, and what to check before matching.

2RS is a common suffix for a bearing with rubber contact seals on both sides (the 2 means both sides, RS means rubber seal). It is not a universal standard code: each maker spells the same idea differently, and 2RS is not the same as 2Z or ZZ, which are metal shields.

2RS, 2Z, ZZ and 2RSR side by side

Code	What it usually denotes	Who writes it that way (per maker documentation)
RS / 2RS	Contact rubber seal on one / both sides	Timken: “RS – one contact seal, 2RS – two contact seals”
2RS1, 2RSH	Contact seal, NBR, on both sides	SKF
2RSR	Seals on both sides, NBR lip seals with sheet steel reinforcement	FAG (Schaeffler)
DDU	Rubber contact seal on both sides	NSK
LLU	Contact rubber seal on both sides	NTN
Z / 2Z / ZZ	Metal shield on one / both sides, not a contact seal	SKF (Z, 2Z), Timken (Z, ZZ), NSK (ZZ), NTN (ZZ), FAG (2Z, described as a non-contact gap seal)
2RZ, VV, LLB	Non-contact seals on both sides	SKF (RZ, 2RZ), NSK (VV), NTN (LLB)

Brand variation is the point: the full per-maker matrix, with sources, is in the bearing suffix reference.

Worked example: 6205

6205 is a deep-groove ball bearing with a 25 mm bore, 52 mm outside diameter and 15 mm width. The same base number appears with different closures:

6205 open: no closure. NSK lists a grease limiting speed of 15,000 min⁻¹.
6205DDU (NSK): rubber contact seals both sides, grease limiting speed 9,000 min⁻¹.
6205LLU (NTN): contact rubber seals, nitrile rubber, grease limiting speed 8,900 min⁻¹.

Same bore, outside diameter and width, different speed limit and protection. A 6205-2Z (shield) would again differ from a 6205-2RS. The shield-versus-seal case has its own page: 6205-2RS vs 6205-2Z.

Why it matters in a catalog

Dimension-only matching merges the wrong records. An open bearing, a shielded bearing and a sealed bearing share a base number and every boundary dimension.
The code is a string, not a field. Store “closure” as a controlled value (open, shield, contact seal, non-contact seal; one or both sides) and keep the maker’s raw suffix beside it.
Same seal type is not the same product. Two makers’ contact-sealed 6205 differ in published load rating and speed limit, so an automatic merge needs more than a normalized closure value.

Decode a code with the bearing designation decoder, and see the bearing data glossary for neighbouring terms.

Sources

Retrieved 12 October 2026; the catalogue edition date is not shown on these pages.

Timken deep groove ball bearing catalog: Z/ZZ shields; RS/2RS contact seals; RZ/2RZ non-contact seals.
SKF deep groove ball bearings, designation system: -RS1/-2RS1 and -RSH/-2RSH contact seal NBR; -Z/-2Z shield; -RZ/-2RZ non-contact seal.
Schaeffler, Bearing arrangements for the food industry: 2RSR radial NBR lip seal on both sides with sheet steel reinforcement. Generation C publication: 2Z gap seal on both sides.
NSK 6205DDU: 25 x 52 x 15 mm, rubber contact seals both sides, grease limiting speed 9,000 min⁻¹. NSK 6205: open, 15,000 min⁻¹. NSK deep groove overview: D/DU contact, V non-contact, Z shield.
NTN 6205LLU: 25 x 52 x 15 mm, contact seal, nitrile rubber, grease limiting speed 8,900 min⁻¹. NTN catalog 2203E, deep groove ball bearings: ZZ non-contact shield, LLB non-contact, LLU contact.

Needs review: the exact seal geometry behind each maker’s code (for example whether a given RS1 and a given LLU are interchangeable in a washdown or high-speed application) is not covered by these sources and is not claimed here.

Guide

Bearing suffix reference

Seal, clearance, cage and precision suffixes by maker, with sources.

Comparison

6205-2RS vs 6205-2Z

Same dimensions, different closure.

Tool

Bearing designation decoder

Split a designation into structured fields.

Glossary

Bearing data glossary

Symbols, ratings, clearance classes and seal codes.

FAQ

Is 2RS the same as 2RSR or 2RS1?

They all describe rubber contact seals on both sides, but the exact code belongs to a maker: Timken writes 2RS, SKF writes 2RS1 or 2RSH, FAG writes 2RSR. The seal design, material and friction can differ between those codes, so treat them as the same seal type, not the same product.

Is a 2RS bearing better than a 2Z or ZZ bearing?

Neither is better in general. A contact seal protects better against contamination and keeps grease in, and a shield has lower friction and a higher speed limit. The right choice depends on the application, so record seal and shield as different values.