Sleeve bearings can be made from bronze, steel or stainless steel. Brass bearings and plastic sleeve bearings are also manufactured for certain applications. A common type of sleeve bearing that works well in applications requiring constant lubrication is bronze sleeve bearings, which sometimes contain lubricant plugs (PTFE or graphite) to help with lubrication issues. Another sleeve material used for light to medium applications, called oil impregnated bronze sleeve bearings, contains pores that absorb oil, which is released under applied force and then reabsorbed back into the bearing once the force subsides.

Two common designs of sleeve bearings are flanged and cylindrical bearings. Flanged sleeve bearings consist of a protruding flange at one end of the sleeve that provides a bearing surface for an axial load, while a cylindrical bearing has straight outside and inside diameters and is flush inside the housing.