The word 'caster' has many definitions, but in the world of furniture, it refers to a set of wheels or rotating balls often mounted to a swivel frame. You'll find casters on mobile tables, whiteboards, carts, AV stands, and most commonly, on task chairs.
The standard task chair caster is a hard caster. Hard casters are best suited for soft surfaces, like carpet. Hard casters are often made out of a hard nylon material or are sometimes metal. If the carpets are low-pile and not incredibly thick, twin nylon wheels could also be suitable. Yet if you use too soft a material on carpeted flooring, the wheels wont turn and you'll loose mobility in the chair – which is really the point of the casters in the first place.
Soft casters, which are best suited for hard floors, like wooden or concrete floors, are usually made out of rubber or nylon. Sometimes Urethan is used for heavier products.
Keep in mind that hard casters are usually the standard and soft casters often have to be specified separately or requested as is from the manufacturer, sometimes at an upcharge or extended lead time.
At the end of the day, remember these three truths:
- Hard casters for soft floors
- Soft casters for hard floors.
- Hard is the standard.
Know that and you should be good to roll.
