needle roller bearing have a large surface area that is in contact with the bearing outer surfaces compared to ball bearings. Additionally there is less added clearance (difference between the diameter of the shaft and the diameter of the bearing) so they are much more compact. The typical structure consists of an a needle cage which orients and contains the needle rollers, the needle rollers themselves, and an outer race(sometimes housing itself).

Radial needle roller bearing are cylindrical and use rollers parallel to the axis of the shaft. Thrus needle roller bearing are flat and use a radial pattern of needles.

Full complement needle roller bearing have solid inner and outer rings and rib-guided cylindrical rollers. Since these bearings have the largest possible number of rolling elements, they have extremely high radial load carrying capacity and are suitable for particularly compact designs. ^[1]

needle roller bearing are heavily used in engine components such as rocker arm pivots, pumps, compressors, and transmissions. The drive shaft of a rear-wheel drive vehicle typically has at least 8 needle roller bearings(4 in each U joint) and often more if it is particularly long, or operates on steep slopes.