The Best Chair Glides for Hardwood Floors

Felt Glides

• Felt glides are good at reducing the marks on the floor from the sliding motion of furniture. The adhesive backing on the felt glides allows them to be adhered to the bottom of the chair legs. The drawback to felt glides is that they can move off of the center of the leg over time with frequent use. If the felt glide is not positioned properly on the leg it won’t be able to protect the floor from marking. Furniture that is used only occasionally will be less likely to have this problem.

PVC Glides

• PVC glides are small pieces of plastic that have a tack like point on one side of the glide. The tack portion is pressed into the bottom of the wood chair. This type of chair glide won’t move out of position on the bottom of the chair leg because of the tack holding it in place. This type of glide may not be the best to use in areas that have hardwood flooring with a dark finish. As the glide wears it may leave thin layers of plastic on the top of the hardwood floor's finish. This residue is rarely seen on light colored hardwood floors but may be an eye sore on dark colored finishes.

Spring Loaded Glides

• Spring loaded glides are attached to the bottom of the chair with a screw that goes through the base of the glide and into the chair. The rest of the glide is then snapped into the base of the glide. The spring inside the glide helps to level the chair and prevent wobbling and as a result reduces the potential dents that could appear in the floor. The portion of the glide that touches the floor is made of a hard plastic that can be matched in color to the chair so that the glide isn’t noticeable.

Combo Glides

• Combo glides combine the durability of PVC glides and the softness of felt glides. The glides are pressed into the bottom of the chair leg and secured in place with a tack like end. The PVC portion of the glide rests against the bottom of the chair leg. The other side is covered with felt that protects any color floor from scratches or marring that can occur with other glides or no chair glides at all. The floor must be swept frequently with this type of glide. If dirt collects in the felt part of the glide it will become a mini sanding pad instead of the soft felt pad.