Your Cart
Total:
$0.00
Durometer is the hardness rating of a wheel's tread material, measured on the Shore A or Shore D scale. In the catalog, durometers range from roughly 60A (softer) up to 95D (very hard) depending on the wheel material.
Softer (lower durometer) wheels cushion better and protect floors more but roll harder and wear faster under heavy loads. Harder (higher durometer) wheels roll easier and last longer under load but transmit more impact to the floor and are noisier.
Balancing floor protection against rolling ease and load capacity — the core tradeoff in picking a wheel material and hardness.
Assuming higher durometer is always better. Harder isn’t universally superior — it trades cushioning and floor protection for rolling ease and durability. The right durometer depends on the floor and the load.
What's the difference between Shore A and Shore D?
Shore A measures softer materials (most rubber and softer polyurethane); Shore D measures harder materials (hard polyurethane, some plastics). A 95A wheel and a 60D wheel are both quite hard, just measured on different scales.
What durometer should I choose?
Softer for delicate floors and quieter operation, harder for heavier loads and easier rolling — there's no single "correct" durometer, it depends on the application.
