First things first: Only those who have purchased office chairs of dubious quality usually have to contend with defective office chair casters. The quality of a desk chair is also and above all evident in the details. In addition to the gas spring, the chair casters are a heavily used component and must therefore withstand a lot. It is not uncommon for discount providers to use inferior materials for the components - with the result that they lose their shape even with normal use. Round casters that run quietly over the floor eventually become oval-shaped, hopping across the office floor in such a way that damage is inevitable.

Keyword "damage": There are also wrong casters. Most chairs are factory-equipped with hard plastic casters so that they run well on carpet. However, if you have parquet or laminate in the office, study or apartment, you should get suitable casters for hard floors from a specialist retailer. These are a little softer and do not leave ugly scratches and dents in the floor, which could cause trouble with the landlord or owner of the property in a worst-case scenario.

Basically, the casters of a quality chair can be easily replaced, as shown in our video. When ordering casters, you should therefore pay close attention to the diameter of the pins with which the casters are inserted into the five-star base: 10 or 11 millimeters are common. Once the right chair casters have been found, the replacement can be started. The following is a more detailed description of the video.

DISASSEMBLY OF THE CHAIR CASTERS: VARIANT 1

• You need:
  ...a little strength and not even a minute of your time.

• Procedure:
  Remove the gas spring from the five or six-star base of your office chair. Place the five-star base on the casters, pick it up with your strong hand so that the casters point away from your face. Grip the paired casters with your free hand and pull firmly - always away from your body to avoid injuries. The pin with which the chair casters are attached to the five-star base should come loose with a short, strong tug. Pull all casters out of the five-star base one after another in this way.

DISASSEMBLY OF THE CHAIR CASTERS: VARIANT 2

• You need:
  ...a blanket, a little strength and not even a minute of your time.

• Procedure:
  If you have problems kneeling or if the first variant was not very successful in getting the casters out of their anchorage, then this variant may be effective: Lay a blanket on the floor to protect it from damage and place the removed five-star base "on its back" on it. Use your own body as a counterbalance and place one foot on the axis of the five-star base to fix it to the floor. Pull - with one or both hands - the casters out of the five-star base one by one. Make sure that your back remains straight and that the pull is perpendicular to the floor. This way you avoid unnecessary effort.

INSTALLATION OF THE CHAIR CASTERS: VARIANT 2 (NOT SHOWN IN THE VIDEO)

• You need:
  ...a set of new office chair casters and about half a minute of your time.

• Procedure:
  Check whether the pin connection is free of dirt and, if necessary, clean the five-star base and all openings with a commercially available lubricant or cleaning spray. Then insert the casters one by one into the designated mounting holes and press on the casters until they click into place.

  Then turn the base so that it stands on the floor with the casters. If it is crooked, one or more of the chair casters have not "clicked" properly, which is why you should place the five-star base on its back on the blanket again and use a little more force. Please do not stand on the five-star base and the casters with your foot to make the casters click into place - there is a real risk that the pins will break and the casters will be irreparably damaged.

Under no circumstances use brute force during removal or installation. If in doubt, please contact the manufacturer.