How to Choose Furniture Casters for Office, Tables and Cabinets
Furniture casters affect both how a piece of furniture works and how it looks. The wrong caster marks parquet, drags on carpet or breaks early. The right choice comes down to four questions: size, tread, fitting and brake.
1. Size: 50 mm or 75 mm?
- 50 mm (2 in): Low, light furniture such as coffee tables, pedestals, TV units and small cabinets. 30–50 kg (66–110 lb) per caster. Twin wheel versions spread the load over two wheels and roll more steadily and quietly.
- 75 mm (3 in): Heavier furniture such as full cabinets, display cases, exhibition stands and freezer cabinets. 50–65 kg (110–143 lb) per caster; the larger wheel rolls more easily over carpet and thresholds.
Rule of thumb: divide the loaded weight of the furniture by 3 to get the capacity needed per caster. (Why 3? See our caster load capacity guide.)
2. Tread: hard plastic or soft tread?
- Polypropylene (PP) wheel: Hard and economical. Rolls well on soft floors such as carpet.
- Thermoplastic (TPE) tread on polypropylene centre: A rigid plastic centre with a soft tread where it meets the floor. Non-marking and quiet on hard, sensitive floors such as parquet, laminate, marble and tiles. The most popular choice for homes and offices.
3. Fitting: top plate, threaded stem, bolt hole or plug-in stem
- Top plate: Screwed to the base of the furniture with four screws; the strongest and most common fitting.
- Threaded stem: Screwed into a threaded insert in the furniture leg; practical for tables and chairs with legs.
- Bolt hole: Fixed through a single hole with a bolt and nut.
- Plug-in stem: The stem on top of the caster is pushed into the socket in the chair or seat leg, no tools needed. The most common fitting on office chairs. For a replacement, simply measure the stem diameter and length.
4. Brake: do you need one?
If the furniture must stay put in use (work desks, cabinets you step on, exhibition stands), specify brakes on at least two casters. Furniture that is only moved for cleaning or rearranging is fine with casters without brakes.
Volume orders and furniture manufacturers
For furniture manufacturers, a steady supply of the same model at the same quality matters. We supply our 50 and 75 mm furniture casters in swivel, swivel with brake, rigid and twin wheel versions in volume, priced to your quantities and delivery schedule. If you need a caster in a specific colour or size for your furniture, see our custom manufacturing page.
Products: 50 mm casters · 75 mm casters · All furniture casters · Request a quote →