Casters are like the “shoes” of furniture or equipment, so choosing the right material makes them easy to move and protect the ground. Below, we will take 3 minutes to teach you how to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of the three main materials of nylon, polyurethane, and rubber, to provide landscape based purchasing suggestions.
1. Material Overview
1). Nylon (PA)
• Keywords: Hard, Heavy-duty, Noisy
• Features: High hardness, excellent load-bearing capacity, but loud rolling noise; wear-resistant but not “gentle”. After long-term pushing and pulling it may scratch wooden floors or ceramic surfaces.
• Visual analogy: Like an off-road vehicle’s tires, it can carry heavy loads but rumble loudly.
2). Polyurethane (PU)
• Keywords: Elastic, Quiet, Versatile
• Features: Elasticity between plastic and rubber, low noise, oil and hydrolysis resistant. It’s suitable for dust-free workshops, laboratories, hospitals, and other environments with strict requirements; floor-friendly, leaves no black marks.
• Visual analogy: Like the cushioned midsole of a sneaker, it’s stable and quiet.
3). Rubber (NR/SBR)
• Keywords: Soft, Grippy, Affordable
• Features: Naturally anti-slip with strong grip, does not slip when pushing heavy loads; built-in shock absorption, quiet and economical. Drawbacks include aging under prolonged sun exposure and deformation under heavy loads.
• Visual analogy: Like the quiet tires of a family car, it requires pushing “silently” and avoids long-term overload.
2. Understand How to Choose with One Table
| Scenario Needs | Recommended Material | Reason |
| Heavy factory loads, cement floors | Nylon | Strong load-bearing, floor resistant to scratches |
| Hospitals, laboratories, hotel corridors | Polyurethane | Quiet + floor protection + corrosion resistance |
| Home storage cabinets, office push cabinets | Rubber | Quiet, anti-slip, does not damage wooden floors, cost-effective |
| utdoor sun and rain exposure | Polyurethane (modified UV resistant) | Aging resistant, rubber easily cracks under sun |
| Requires brake positioning | Any material, focus on brake structure | Brake pad lifespan is more critical than wheel surface material |
3. Three-step Purchasing Mnemonic
1. Check the floor: For wooden floors and ceramics, you can choose PU or rubber; for cement or steel floors, nylon is suitable.
2. Listen to the environment: For offices and hospitals requiring “zero noise”, needs to avoid nylon.
3. Weigh the load: Single caster load capacity ≥ (total equipment weight ÷ 3), leaving enough safety margin.
Summary in one sentence
Heavy loads without noise concerns—choose nylon; want quietness and cleaness—choose polyurethane; want to save money but be quiet—choose rubber. Match the material to the scenario, and casters will no longer be a difficult choice.
Post time: Sep-05-2025
