Overview
ISO 22879:2016 - "Castors and wheels - Requirements for castors for furniture" specifies the technical requirements, dimensional limits and test requirements for castors used in general furniture applications. It applies to fixed and swivel castors for furniture but excludes castors for swivel chairs and other specialised chair applications (see ISO 22880 for those). The standard reinstates prior technical content and is intended to harmonize product specification, testing and marking worldwide.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and classification
- Applicable to castors for general furniture; swivel-chair castors excluded.
- Castors are classified by fixing system, type, dimensions and performance level.
- Fixing systems
- Top plates, stems (including threaded stems), circlips and other fixings are defined; selection depends on the intended application.
- Castor types
- Type H - hard tread (plain wheels), suited for carpeted floors.
- Type W - soft/tyred resilient tread, suited for hard stone, wood or tiled floors.
- Type C - electrically conductive castors (can be hard or soft tread).
- Type S - inclined axle castors.
- Dimensions
- The standard defines required dimensions and symbols (examples taken from the standard): wheel diameter D (minimum 20 mm), external corner radius r (minimum 1.5 mm), inclination angle β (maximum 25°), and minimum tread dimensions for single- and twin-wheel designs.
- Testing and performance requirements
- Detailed test regimes are specified, including: impact performance, electrical resistance, manual locking device tests, dynamic tests, rolling resistance, swivel resistance, static load performance, and stem retention.
- Test procedures reference ISO 22878 (test methods and apparatus) and include environmental/test sequence requirements, tolerances and acceptance criteria.
- Conformity and marking
- Requirements for declaring conformity and product marking (including special marking for conductive/antistatic castors) are included.
Applications and users
ISO 22879:2016 is used by:
- Furniture manufacturers and designers specifying castors for commercial/residential furniture
- Component suppliers and OEMs producing castors and wheels
- Quality and test laboratories performing compliance testing
- Procurement teams ensuring product conformity to international requirements
- Regulatory bodies and standards committees harmonizing national standards
Practical benefits include clearer product specifications, improved interchangeability of castors, and consistent test-based quality assurance for furniture mobility components.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 22879:2016, castors for furniture, castors and wheels, furniture castors testing, castor dimensions, Type H W C S, ISO castor standard.
