The type, size, and weight of the furniture you wish to move is important, but the type of flooring beneath each piece of furniture will also play a role in choosing the best furniture casters. Quality, cost, ease of use, and the way in which casters will be used are also important considerations. Keep in mind that the manufacturer’s warranty may not cover your furniture if casters have been added, so be sure to check this out in advance.
First, you will need to select furniture casters that can handle the size and weight of the piece you want to move. Multiply the capacity of each individual caster being applied to the piece to come up with a maximum total weight. If the weight of the furniture piece is beyond that number, you will need to choose different casters. Dual wheel casters may be appropriate for extra large or heavy pieces.
You can figure out which casters can handle the load from the comfort of your home by doing some comparison shopping online. If you do go out shopping, be sure to write down or print out the dimensions and the weight of each piece for which you want to purchase furniture casters. For lighter pieces, consider glides rather than ball casters, as light pieces of furniture can tip easily. Glides are available in metal, nylon, felt, and a number of other materials and are simply flat pieces rather than wheels that you can add to the bottom of the furniture for easy sliding.
For wood floors, you will want furniture casters that will not scratch or otherwise damage the finish. This means you want soft casters, generally those made of polyurethane or rubber. For very soft wood, any type of caster may leave indentations, so take special care when moving furniture. You can use hard wheels on ceramic or other hard floors, but they may wear down with use and leave marks on the floor.
For carpeted areas, you want furniture casters that will glide smoothly and will not snag carpet fibers. Choose hard wheels for carpeted areas. The more plush the carpet the larger wheels you will need.
You may also want to choose locking casters to keep furniture from moving when you want it to remain stationary. Unlock the casters to move the piece such as for cleaning, then lock them in place once your furniture is moved back. Locking furniture casters may be the best choice if the furniture gets a lot of use or if children or pets are present.