You Should Add Better Wheels to Your Office Chair
The average person spends about 10 hours a day sitting . Yes, all that sitting is really, really bad for your health , but it can also be bad for your home office floor if you’re rolling around in a regular desk chair . Anyone who’s spent any time in a wheelchair knows that they can slowly cause real damage to your floors, either by scratching hardwood or denting the carpet, as well as pulling out fibers that then get stuck in the chair’s wheel, reducing its mobility. .
You can throw in a plastic mat to protect the floor and make the chair easier to move, but then you’ll have the pleasure of rolling off the mat and being left alone until you get up to adjust your position. Instead of living with this annoyance, there is an inexpensive and effortless solution: invest in better office chair wheels. They are not expensive and are relatively easy to replace .
Hard vs soft
The first thing you need to consider is the type of floor your chair will be rolling on:
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For soft surfaces such as carpeting or rugs, choose wheels made from hard materials such as plastic. For example, these basic chair wheels from Shepherd will effectively cut through carpet.
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For harder surfaces (like hardwood or tile floors), you’ll need a softer wheel made from something like rubber, polyurethane, or neoprene . Soft wheels won’t leave marks or scratch your floor and will roll much smoother on hard surfaces than plastic wheels. This is also a good choice if you are going to use a chair rug.
Single vs double
Next, you have the choice between an office chair style with one or two wheels:
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Single-wheel rollers do not pick up dirt, hair, and lint like dual-wheel rollers do . Single wheel rollerblades or inline skates like these from Slipstick are generally much easier to keep clean and provide a smooth ride. However, single-wheel casters are harder to turn and maneuver, so if you’re constantly rolling around your workspace, you may find them frustrating.
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Dual-wheel casters can pick up a lot of dirt, but they provide better load capacity and stability, as well as improved turning, for both hardwood and carpet floors .
Another option is a ball-shaped roller. They work well on hard surfaces and low-pile carpets, providing a high level of mobility and smooth movement while protecting surfaces from marks and scuffs. If you want to glide around the office like a ballerina, ball-shaped skates are your best choice.
Wheel diameter
Finally, pay attention to the size of your wheels:
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Larger wheels (3-inch diameter or larger) are ideal for thicker carpet. Larger wheels, on both dual-wheel and inline skate models, provide better clearance over the carpet pile, reducing friction and improving movement.
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Smaller diameter wheels (less than 3 inches) are better for hard, smooth surfaces such as hardwood and tile.