It's often the little things that make such a big difference in the office. Yes, it's important to have the right desk, the right computer, the right filing cabinet. But the little things are what keep things moving smoothly. We're talking about things like pencils, paperclips--and yes, office chair casters. Imagine how clumsy it would be to do your office work sitting in a regular chair with legs. But office chair casters allow you to move freely about the office, getting into the right, comfortable position and to move about your desk with no hassle at all.

And fortunately, today you're not bound to the same old casters. Indeed, there are a wide range of styles available, to make sure you find just the perfect ones for your office. They come in many shapes, sizes, and models. So which is right for you? That will vary depending on many things. So before you start shopping for your office chair casters, make sure you're clear about what your requirements are. Several factors should go into your decision.

For instance, what kind of wheels do you want? Again, there are several options available. You could select single-wheel, dual-wheel or ball-wheel varieties. Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages. And even within these three categories there is variety--variety of size, weight and function. A single-wheel caster is generally used for light furniture, including the desk chair. Normally you'll find that they're still made of a durable material (high-grade rubber, for instance), so you need not worry that they won't last long. And since light furniture won't take much abuse, their life span should be quite long.

You'll also find dual-wheel casters, but these are usually found on heavier furniture items, not chairs. For instance, a quite-heavy couch might use dual-wheels. The third type of caster is sometimes found on both, chairs, as well as heavier items. This is the ball-type furniture caster. This is especially used when the item is moved quite frequently. So a person who finds himself needing to move about the office quite a bit might use a chair with this kind of office chair caster. That's because the ball-type caster allows unrestricted movement to all parts of the room.

Another consideration when you're selecting casters is the materials from which they're made. The material you choose will depend on the floor your chair rolls over. What is the material? How hard is it? if you get the wrong caster, you could wind up scratching the floor or even creating a dent. As a general rule, use a plastic caster only on carpets. For tile or hard wood floors, you'll want to go with harder casters (for instance, urethane). And if your chair will be used in a factory or outdoor setting, an iron caster will work well.