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In Formula 1 races, tires decide victory and defeat. Winter tires save us a lot of trouble on slippery roads. Although office chairs don't race, it is also important here to have the optimal casters under the chairs.
There are just two types of casters for office chairs: those for carpets and those for hard floors. So the choice is simple, you would think.
However, I have personally encountered offices on several occasions where the flooring was damaged by the wrong chair casters. In addition, the rolling behavior of the chair is anything but advantageous if the wrong casters are fitted.
Chair casters for carpets are made of polyamide, a thermoplastic material that is very hard and has ideal rolling properties on soft floors.
Casters for hard floors have a soft polyurethane layer on the top, which feels rubbery and is usually gray in color. The difference to hard casters is immediately clear: the coating absorbs noise and protects parquet, laminate, linoleum, as well as tiled and stone floors.
On older office chairs, casters with a diameter of 50 mm can be found. Newer models often have larger wheels (60 mm). These have a noticeably better rolling behavior, put less strain on the surface, and are therefore of significantly better quality.
In most cases, the casters are not firmly screwed to the chair, but are clicked into the star base. If you want to replace them, they have to be pulled out of their holders against noticeable resistance. Sometimes you have to pull very hard.
Changing office chair casters
If your office chair has casters for carpets, but your office has a hard floor, you should replace the casters at the next opportunity. Pull out the old ones, click in the new ones, it can be done in no time. And you will notice the difference immediately!
If the topic of ergonomics in the office or home office appeals to you and you are interested in learning more, I can recommend my book «Wellness im Büro». Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips to turn your office into a little paradise.
