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Wheel-less office chairs have many advantages. Firstly, they’re easier to build, making them more budget-friendly than wheeled models.
Moreover, they have floor protectors and function well on hard floors. This is especially true if the chair is on a wood floor, riser, or platform.
So, why do office chairs have wheels?
Office chairs have wheels to make it easier to access things while changing your position quickly. Notably, most office chairs have five wheels because of stability. While a great function, you can use an office chair without the wheels depending on your space and usage needs, budget, and time.
Table of Contents
Why Do Office Chairs have Wheels?
Wheeled desk chairs offer many alternatives, often more than wheel-less models. You can select from the coziest ergonomic office chair to those with mild adjustability in various designs and colors.
Besides, here’s what wheeled desk chairs offer:
A cinch to move around: Easy mobility is the main feature of office chairs with wheels.
Having casters makes it easy to go to your printer or grab files in the opposite cabinet and other surrounding items.
Adjustable arms, headrest, tilt, and seat height are standard on most wheeled office chairs. Fully ergonomic chairs include wheels to get you as comfortable as possible. If you have spine conditions or similar ailments, you can move about without aggravating yourself too much.
All-round swiveling: Nowadays, most chairs with casters provide 360-degree rotation. Most non-wheeled chairs miss this function. This feature allows you to move side to side easily. When you couple this function with casters, the convenience and flexibility skyrocket.
Why Do Most Office Chairs Have Five Wheels?
Typical office chairs have four or five wheels. “What’s the distinction between these two,” you may ask? Why add a leg?
- Balance: It’s simple physics on center gravity: the broader the base, the lower Center of Gravity (COG) is. Hence, a five-wheeled desk chair is unlikely to tip than one with four.
- Strengthening: With five wheels, your chair is less prone to break.
Can I Use an Office Chair Without the Wheels?
While wheeled models tend to have more features, some caster-less chairs also include full adjustability minus the wheels. So, you may be just as comfy on a wheel-less desk chair.
Gauge whether or not you can use office chairs without the wheels based on these aspects:
Usage Requirements
When selecting furniture, consider how you’ll use it. Sure, you’ll relax in it while working, but what else? Are you going to use the chairs for hours each day, and do you need to alter your position often?
How nicely arranged are your files? How far away from you are they, and how frequently do you need to access different files?
If that’s every 30 minutes, a wheeled desk chair may be unnecessary. You can get up for a two-minute stretch as you grab a mug of coffee or any other things you may need. In fact, it isn’t best to sit in a desk chair for over two hours straight.
A boardroom chair, for example, is static and won’t require casters. When handling serious company issues, you only need to get up with the meeting done or when attending to crucial matters.
Moreover, office relaxation areas don’t need wheeled chairs. Wheel-less chairs with reclining capabilities are enough for the team to chill out.
Spacing Issues
How much office space do you have? Especially in home offices, you may find your working area has loads of other home necessities you don’t need while working. Hence, the area of movement reduces. In such instances, grabbing an adjustable wheel-less chair is enough.
Damage Control
Using a moving desk chair on some floors is likely to damage them. For instance, your chair is likely to leave dents and scratches without suitable casters for wood floors. These are expensive to repair.
With a non-wheeled chair, you won’t move around, which means any damage only goes to a single section and not the entire area. But if your chair has protective pads, a mat, or a platform underneath it, you shouldn’t have an issue.
Further Reading:
How to Protect Wood Floor from Office Chair
How to Protect Carpet from Office Chair
Sturdiness
Low-cost wheel versions tend to have weak wheels prone to quick damage. Besides, wheels move about, resulting in wear. So, they need replacement.
Non-wheeled chairs lack movements, which maintains their sturdiness longer. A non-wheeled desk chair also eliminates the need to replace wheels.
Cleaning Demands
Wheels need regular cleaning as hairs and other debris often clog casters. You must detach them from the chair, with some requiring further disassembly like the twin casters. Then you need to clean your wheels before reattaching them. This is laborious and time-consuming.
Wheel-less chairs only demand a simple wipe down on their bases.
Pricing
As more chair features command higher prices, you need to cater to the cost of eased mobility. So, if you are opting for a wheeled desk chair, you’re likely to pay more.
With the chair installed, you may end up breaking a caster. Or you may switch offices and discover your current casters aren’t suitable for your current floor. That means you’ve to get replacements, which increase your expenses.
Also Read:
How To Replace Office Chair Wheels
How to Remove Caster Wheels from Office Chair
How Do I Convert My Rolling Chairs to Stationary?
Your wheels may break, and you don’t want to replace them. Or you may get into a small space and don’t need wheels.
Here’s how to convert your rolling chairs to stationery:
- Overturn your chair or lay it on a platform to easily access the casters.
- Remove wheels by pulling, unbolting, or turning them counterclockwise based on their type.
- Glue padding around the wheel sockets to protect the surface.
FAQs
Who Invented the Wheeled Office Chair?
Besides his massive contribution to universe origin theories, Charles Darwin invented the wheeled office chair. Being a dedicated scholar, he wanted a chair that eased his movement while studying and analyzing samples and books.
However, other vital contributions cause dispute on this invention. Examples are Egypt’s ancient artisans and Thomas Jefferson.
Is Your Office Chair Stable With five or More Working Casters?
Your office chair is stable with five or more working casters. Besides, the highest wheel number offered by most office chair brands is five. With five wheels, you have a broader base than a four-wheeled desk chair.
Hence, its COG is lower, which conversely affects the stability.
What is the Minimum Number of Safe Casters for a Chair?
The minimum number of safe casters for a chair is four, typically the lowest number available. However, increasing the chair wheel number broadens the base, lowering COG, hence raising stability. So, the more wheels your chair has, the safer it gets.
Are 4-Legged Office Chairs Legal?
Like five-legged options, 4-legged office chairs are legal; otherwise, they wouldn’t be on the market. However, they offer less stability, so many are shifting to five-legged desk chairs.
Conclusion
So, in a nutshell, why do office chairs have wheels? Wheels provide office chairs with a solid base and improved balance. Also, wheeled desk chairs allow you to access things around using less effort.
There’s no need to stand up or stretch to grab items around your office. Moreover, wheels improve support and adjustability.
Author
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