Due to the features of their raceways, angular contact ball bearings are specially designed for the accommodation of combined loads, i.e. simultaneously acting radial and axial loads. Their ability to perceive the axial load depends on the contact angle between the line joining the contact points of the ball with the raceways of inner and outer rings, and the line being perpendicular to the axis of the bearing. With the increase of contact angle the axial load capacity increases due to the reduced radial load capacity. As per the high-speed characteristics angular contact ball bearings are not inferior to radial ball bearings, but in the precision version they considerably exceed them. Contact angle increase leads to the permitted rotation speed decrease.

In the general engineering fields the most common angular contact ball bearings are single row, double row and four-point contact. Single row bearings can be supplied in the basic and in the universal design for complete mounting or in specially selected sets of two, three or four bearings for installation according to the special arrangements with the given values of the clearance or preload. Single and double row angular contact ball bearings are produced open as well as with the metal shields or contact seals. Four-point contact bearings are manufactured with the split inner or outer rings and are primarily designed for the perception of axial loads.

Angular contact ball bearings are usually manufactured with the cages made of glass fibre reinforced polyamide, but pressed steel or machined brass cages are also possible.