Soft Tread Casters

soft tread casters for hard surface floors

Soft Tread Casters
The largest benefit associated with soft tread casters deals with the caster’s ability to minimize noise and absorb vibrations. While hard wheels are best suited for carpeted applications, soft wheels should be specified in instances where hard floors are in use. If you do use a soft caster on carpeted floors, make sure to invest in floor mats or you will have trouble rolling the soft wheel through carpeting.

Soft wheel casters can also be compared to car tires in the sense that they can become flat and then ‘take a set’ (in other words, take on a new form). Over time soft wheels can bounce back to their original shape, but in many cases, these warped casters are replaced beforehand. Soft tread casters also provide the following benefits:

More cushioned rides
Minimal damage to the floor / less likely to cause destruction
Ability to handle both heavy and light load capacities
It is important to remember that you need to determine your wants and needs regarding caster performance prior to selecting a caster for your product. If the most important requirement is for your cart to make the least noise possible, then you’ve effectively eliminated a hard wheel. Be sure to create a hierarchy of the most important requirements for your specific application and fill the needs from top to bottom.