Office chair wheels that are truly ‘magical’. Around our house, I have been known as the ‘destroyer of office chairs’ for many years. My office chairs are mostly hand-me-downs. Whenever a chair reaches the end of its lifespan, its wheels are the first thing to go. It can be challenging to find a replacement wheel that matches the existing one, is sturdy, and can last for many years. Stealtho’s Magic Office Chair Caster Wheels sounded too good to be true when I heard about them.
Table of Contents
How does the box work?
My search for replacement wheel assemblies yielded exactly five results.
Also Read: How to clean caster wheels on office chair?
Specifications
According to the description of the product:
No wobble even when the holes in the base housing are worn out with the STEALTHO embedded support skirt.
In order to prevent the ball bearings from falling out of the cage, the wheel has two additional thrust ball bearings.
On the basis of strontium aluminate, STEALTHO combines elastic polyurethane with a luminophore capable of radiating light at 20%. As well as increasing wheel wear, it makes the wheels glow in the dark and cause them to roll over cables. STEALTHO’s PATENT (currently pending) is a result of the combination of durability and the “no stumble” feature.
A heavy-duty tool steel wheel body is formed by three times pressing at a temperature of 3000 oC, which is why the set of wheels can hold 660 pounds.
It works with standard office chairs such as Herman Miller Aeron, Mirra 2, Steelcase, Dxracer, Humanscale Freedom, Lazyboy Serta, Hon Nucleus, Boss, Staples, and Office Depot which have the universal grip ring stem 11 mm x 22 mm (7/16 inches by 7/8 inches). It does not work with IKEA chairs.
The last part is important. A 7/16″ diameter stem is required for the casters to fit chairs. Chairs from IKEA are apparently different.
Features & details
Caster wheels on Magic Office Chairs are designed to save floors. The polyurethane is made of high-tech elastic polymer and will not scratch or mark hardwood floors. As well as being barrier-free, these wheels can easily roll over obstacles like cables and thresholds.
Your existing chair can be easily installed with a universal 7/16″ x 7/8″ stem. 660 pounds can be supported by the wheels thanks to their aviation steel bodies. Rolling is quiet and smooth thanks to their ABEC 9 bearings. A bonus is that the wheels also glow in the dark, making it easier to find your chair at night.
Impressions of users
Replacing office chair wheels is something I’m familiar with. However, I am not a fan of it either. Installing the Stealtho wheels was a breeze. Stealtho’s Magic Wheels are a nice complement to our Autonomous ErgoChair 2, which we recently added to our office furniture collection.
As with most office/desk/computer chairs, the Autonomous chair originally came with plastic wheels. We didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to test out the Stealtho wheels with this amazing desk chair, even though the casters worked fine. On the base of the chair, I removed the original wheels and inserted the Magic wheels. In about five minutes, the installation was completed.
We started by testing how smoothly the chair rolled around our office. As our office flooring is plush carpet, we place heavy-duty chair mats beneath our chairs since standard chair wheels tend to tear it up. In contrast to plastic wheels, stealtho wheels do not cut through carpets. We tried out the Magic wheels on the chair in our office and found that they worked well with the thick carpet.
Despite the hard surface, the wheels of the chair did not get stuck, and it rolled easily. Having to replace chair mats constantly is a hassle because they get torn up constantly. We might be able to solve both our chair mat woes and make moving around the office easier with Stealtho Magic Wheels.
The wheels are supposed to glow at night, according to Stealtho. As of yet, I haven’t seen them do this. The lights in the office probably haven’t charged them enough yet – that doesn’t mean they won’t. According to product information, the ‘glowing’ occurs after 15 minutes of daylight charging and 1.5 hours of room lighting charging. Energy-saving lamps will charge at a slower rate, and users won’t notice the glowing instantly when you turn them off, according to the note.
Almost any surface is suitable for the Stealtho Magic Wheels. Although I was concerned about their stability because of how they are designed, I am happy to report they have been great and have greatly improved the chair’s use. Initially, we raised the chair as high as it would go but wanted to add a little height to it. Since the Stealtho wheels sit higher than the standard wheels, that was possible.
Also Read: What office chair is best for your back?
The performance
In comparison with my original hard plastic wheels, these are much more grippy. It was like wearing new sneakers on a smooth basketball court. They glided smoothly, but sometimes changing directions meant a brief moment of “sticky” grip. However, after a week of use, the wheels have become a little dirty and the grippy “squeak” sensation has decreased.
The wheels are advertised as glow-in-the-dark, and they are. Due to my desk area’s lack of light, the wheels were never able to be seen in the dark. Using a flashlight, I “charged up” one wheel to see what happened. Although they can’t be seen in the background, the wheels are there… just not glowing!
Why I like it
- Installs easily
- It does not require a floor mat to roll smoothly
Why I don’t like
- There isn’t much power in the glow feature.
- It would be nice if the wheels weren’t quite so grippy.
FAQS
Is there a best type of caster?
When it comes to hard surfaces, such as tiles, hardwood, and laminate, soft casters are best. On the other hand, hard casters are suitable for floors with softer surfaces. Therefore, hard tread casters are best suited for carpeted floors. Rolling and moving around is easier with hard casters.
How do you replace caster wheels on an office chair?
If your caster wheels are worn or damaged, simply remove the old ones and install the new ones. If you’re replacing all four wheels, take care to ensure the new wheels match the existing color scheme.
Do all office chairs have the same wheels?
No. Most office chairs come with two types of wheels: standard wheels and caster wheels. Standard wheels are usually larger and made of rubber. Caster wheels are smaller and made of plastic. Some office chairs also include a third option: swivel wheels. Swivel wheels allow the user to move the chair without rolling it.
What size should caster wheels be?
There are usually 2″ to 2.5″ wheels on most office chairs. There are some advantages to opting for a 3″ wheel rather than this size, even though it is certainly adequate.
What is the difference between casters and glides?
Glides are used when the chair needs to be moved over a long distance. Glides are typically found on wheelchair models. Casters are used when the chair must be moved quickly.
Also Read: How long should an office chair last?
A final thought
A Stealtho Magic Office Chair Caster Wheel is more than just a ‘replacement wheel’. The moment I start using a chair from now on, I will happily swap out ANY standard wheels for Stealtho wheels. Since I’m hard on wheels and computer chairs, it’s great to know there’s an alternative to the cheap, plastic replacement wheels you find at office supply stores. At the time of writing this review, these magic wheels cost approximately $79 for a set of five wheels.
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