Office Chair Casters: Tips for Selecting and Replacing Them

It's important to have the right casters fitted to your office chair as having incorrect or damaged wheels can cause all sorts of problems.

The two biggest problems with office chair casters are:

Picking the correct wheel type for your work area
Replacing them when they are broken

So, why should you fit the right casters, does it really matter?

If you are finding your chair is very difficult to move or it seems to have a mind of its own sliding about uncontrollably it may well be due to having the wrong casters fitted.

As a rule the most office chairs are fitted with casters for use with carpets, so if your office has carpeted floors you shouldn't have a problem. You may find where the wheels are older they get clogged with fluff and become stiff to move.

You may be able to clean them by removing excess dirt and lubricating with WD40, although most are sealed and this may not work. In that case either replace them or consider buying a chair mat which will enable them to move much more easily.

People who work on smooth floor surfaces like lino, tiles or hardwood floors will find standard carpets move far too freely. As a result you need to use casters intended for these sorts of floor coverings these wheels often have a rubber or polypropylene finish and this helps them grip the surface better. When using a chair mat this type of wheel is the one to select.

You shouldn't have any problems getting replacement casters of the right type from manufacturers of quality office seating as they mostly offer the choice when buying a new chair as well as the option to buy replacement wheels for existing models.

However, where your chair is a number of years old you may struggle to find replacement casters and so you will either have to live with the problem or look into buying a new chair.

What should you do when you have a damaged or broken caster?

Replacing a caster is usually pretty easy to do most wheels have a steel posts and all that is needed is to push it firmly into the base. Where the wheel is broken you'll probably discover the steel post will still be located in the base generally a good tug with some pliers or levering it out with a strong screwdriver will release it.

Provided the wheel socket in the base is undamaged replacing a wheel shouldn't present a problem, however if this isn't the case you'll have to replace the chair's 5 star base, which could be more difficult depending on its age. Where it's a number of years old you may be faced with getting a new chair.


In the first instance speak with the chair's supplier as they will very likely have suitable replacements. Bear in mind they normally only supply them as a set of 5 wheels, it's actually a good idea to change all the wheels as new ones will move more freely than old clogged wheels and the good news is they don't generally cost a lot.

Some office supplies companies like Office Depot may carry suitable replacements alternatively there are online specialists who offer a good variety of different casters.

As it is relatively easy to select or replace office chair casters you really should make the effort to fit the right ones or replace damaged or incorrect ones as it will save you a lot of hassle wrestling your chair around the office.

For further great advice about sorting common office chair problems as well as detailed reviews of quality ergonomic office chairs be sure to visit http://www.OfficeChairAdvice.com