Casters are probably something you don’t give much thought to, and why would you, they are but small insignificant additions to the bottom of a desk - right?
Well, not quite. While it might be a stretch to bloat the importance of those small wheels that you can attach to the bottom of a standing desk, their use in certain situations shouldn’t be overlooked.
But before you rush out to purchase a set of casters, there are a few points to consider.
What are casters?
In absolute Leyman’s terms, standing desk casters are small wheels that can be attached to the bottom of a desk to make it mobile. They can also be locked in place via a small brake lever on the caster to prevent any unwanted rolling and come in a wide variety of sizes.
Our casters come in a set of four, one for each table leg, and can be rotated 360 degrees. They have a diameter of 5cm and are compatible with all FlexiSpot Desk models.
Do you need them?
The short answer is of course, no, but they can certainly come in use in the right situation and environment.
If you’re thinking about adding casters to your standing desk simply ask yourself one question to begin with, ‘do I actually need to move my desk?’ Should the answer be no, then you probably don’t really need casters, but if you’d find it helpful to have a desk that you could wheel around quickly and efficiently, then they might be for you.
We often hear that teachers find casters extremely useful as they can move a desk quickly to facilitate more space, while they also come in handy for conference rooms and other situations where there might be a lot of movement.
Casters have also really come in useful for homeworking because they allow desks to move quickly and easily around a house and can be used in a variety of situations. It can be mum's or dad’s work desk in the morning and then be wheeled through into the living room to provide an arts and craft station for the kids in the afternoon.
What are the factors to consider?
But even if you’re sure that a set of wheels would be advantageous to you, there are a few other factors that might come into play.
Enviroment
A desk that can roll sounds great, but you should first consider your environment and decide whether a moveable desk is either needed or practical.
An office space with numerous people can get cramped and probably the last thing people want to see is somebody dragging a desk around and getting in everybody’s way. If you have a certain set space that you rarely leave, then there isn’t any real reason to purchase a set of casters.
Flooring
Another important factor to consider is what is beneath the desk. While FlexiSpot’s standing desk casters are designed to work well on most types of flooring, there are certain carpets and possibly tiles that could make moving the desk difficult.
You’ll only have issues if you try to roll it across a very uneven surface or through a thick carpet, but the casters should be fine on most other types of floors.
Think Height
When you add a set of casters to a standing desk it will add nearly an extra 6 cm in height. That’s not exactly huge and you probably won’t even notice too much, but it is always something worth keeping in mind.
The desk load
Our standing desk casters are compatible with all FlexiSpot desks but you should also bear in mind that casters do come with a weight limit.
FlexiSpot casters generally have a load capacity of up to 90 kg - which when you consider is about half as heavy as a reindeer is quite substantial and should be able to accommodate almost any requirements.
If you believe that you’ll need more than 90 kg then you should think carefully about whether you need casters. Rolling a desk with a huge weight on it might not always work out so well.
Desk and caster capability
As we’ve mentioned, our casters are compatible with all of our own standing desks, but anything from another company we can’t 100% guarantee that the casters will fit every desk. Many older models are simply not set up to use casters, while on some occasions it might be a case of different materials or sizes that are the hindrance.
The bottom line
Casters can be a handy addition to any standing desk and because they can be locked securely in place, there aren’t too many situations where they might be a bad idea.
Whether you purchase a set of casters from FlexiSport really depends on how much you need to move your desk and the kind of environment that you find yourself in. Casters provide a level of freedom and flexibility with your desk and if you’re the kind of person where things are constantly moving around them, then casters might be perfect for you.
