Choosing the right wheel material isn’t just a technical detail—it’s a decision that directly affects your equipment’s performance, floor protection, safety, and long-term costs.
Carefully examining each wheel material type and comparing/contrasting their relative strengths and drawbacks will yield the best possible wheel material for your own unique situation. Looking for a wheel that can withstand being stored in freezing upper Midwest temperatures? How about a wheel that won’t degrade in the face of frequent washdowns and exposure to corrosive elements? All these potential problem scenarios and more can be best solved by taking the time to examine your own needs and choosing the wheel that best fits you.
Below is a breakdown of the most common wheel materials, along with their characteristics and typical applications.
- Rubber
- Characteristics: Rubber wheels are known for their quiet operation, shock absorption, and smooth movement. They are flexible and provide a cushioned ride, which is ideal for delicate floors
- Applications:
- Retail displays, point-of-sale stands
- Hospitality, food service
- Medical equipment (to protect floors and provide a soft ride)
- Indoor carts or trolleys (in environments where noise reduction is important)
- Advantages:
- Non-marking on floors
- Good for light to medium loads
- Excellent shock absorption
- Limitations:
- Less durable on rough or abrasive surfaces
- Can wear down quicker compared to harder materials
- Polyurethane
- Characteristics: Polyurethane is a synthetic material that is durable, resistant to abrasion, and provides a smooth, quiet ride. It’s harder than rubber but still offers some cushioning
- Applications:
- Industrial carts and equipment
- Office furniture
- Heavy-duty commercial carts
- Medical carts
- Advantages:
- Long-lasting and resistant to wear
- Non-marking on floors
- Smooth and quiet operation
- Handles heavier loads than rubber
- Limitations:
- Can become brittle in extremely cold conditions
- More expensive than rubber
- Nylon
- Characteristics: Nylon wheels are lightweight, strong, and resistant to chemicals and moisture. They are commonly used in environments where casters must withstand exposure to oils, greases, or cleaning agents
- Applications:
- Food processing or pharmaceutical industries
- Warehouse and industrial carts
- Wet environments (like kitchens or factories)
- Advantages:
- Resistant to chemicals, oils, and moisture
- Durable and tough, suitable for heavy-duty use
- Works well on smooth floors or concrete
- Limitations:
- Can be noisy when used on hard floors
- Prone to cracking under extreme temperatures or heavy loads
- Polyolefin
- Characteristics: Polyolefin is a thermoplastic polymer blend with a very hard surface. It’s not the quietest ride but is not likely to leave streaks or marks on flooring
- Applications:
- Lightweight carts, bins, or storage units
- Shopping carts
- Less demanding industrial applications
- Advantages:
- High durability
- Resistant to chemicals and moisture
- Cost-effective
- Limitations:
- No shock absorption
- Less grip – may slide on some surfaces
- Not suited to uneven surfaces
- Cast Iron
- Characteristics: Cast iron wheels are extremely strong and durable, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications. They are typically used for large industrial equipment and machinery.
- Applications:
- Heavy-duty industrial and warehouse equipment
- Carts carrying large, bulky items
- Outdoor or construction equipment
- Advantages:
- High strength and load-bearing capacity
- Extremely durable for heavy-duty applications
- Suitable for use on rough surfaces
- Limitations:
- Prone to rust if not properly treated (unless stainless steel)
- Noisy and can damage floors
- Not suitable for applications where noise reduction is critical
- Steel
- Characteristics: Steel wheels are often used in environments where durability and strength are essential. They are highly resistant to impact and abrasion
- Applications:
- Industrial carts, material handling
- Heavy machinery
- Outdoor use, such as construction and warehousing
- Advantages:
- Strong and durable for heavy-duty use
- High load-bearing capacity
- Resistant to high temperatures and harsh environments
- Limitations:
- Prone to rust and corrosion (unless stainless steel or treated)
- Noisy and can damage floors without proper coatings
- Not ideal for use in noise-sensitive environments
- Stainless Steel
- Characteristics: Stainless steel wheels are durable, corrosion-resistant, and strong. They are often used in environments that require a high level of hygiene or exposure to corrosive substances
- Applications:
- Medical and food industries
- Chemical handling environments
- Pharmaceutical labs
- Advantages:
- Corrosion and rust-resistant
- Strong and durable
- Suitable for cleanroom and sterile environments
- Limitations:
- Expensive compared to other materials
- Can be noisy when used on hard surfaces
- Aluminum
- Characteristics: Aluminum wheels are lightweight and resistant to corrosion. They are often used in applications where reducing weight is important but still need some strength and durability
- Applications:
- Light to medium-duty carts and trolleys
- Aircraft or aerospace applications
- Food service or medical carts
- Advantages:
- Lightweight and corrosion-resistant
- Easy to maneuver, especially for lighter loads
- Limitations:
- Not suitable for extremely heavy-duty applications
- Can be prone to dents and scratches under heavy use
- Pneumatic
- Characteristics: Pneumatic wheels are ideal for a variety of applications where shock absorption, traction, and smooth movement over rough, uneven flooring as well as transitions from indoor use to outdoor use
- Applications:
- Warehouses, factories, shipping areas
- Construction sites, landscaping equipment
- Trailers
- Hospital beds and stretchers
- Advantages:
- Smoother ride over floors with imperfections
- High shock absorption
- Limitations:
- Lower weight capacity than similar sized wheels of other materials
- Vulnerable to punctures from sharp debris
At Advance Caster, we believe in empowering the customer by providing them with all of the often overlooked, very specific traits of wheel materials. While these differences in materials may seem minor, the operational impact of one material over another may be major.