Bearings 101: Choosing the Right Bearing for Furniture and Machinery

What a bearing does

A bearing sits between two moving parts - typically a shaft and a housing - and lets them rotate or slide against each other with far less friction than metal-on-metal contact. You'll find bearings inside wheels, castor wheels, and machinery, as well as in furniture parts that rotate or slide, like some drawer mechanisms and swivel fittings.

Why the size matters more than the type

Unlike locks or hinges, where the style is often the main decision, bearings are mostly about exact size and fit. A bearing that's the wrong internal diameter, outer diameter, or width simply won't fit the shaft or housing it's meant to replace - it isn't a matter of preference.

What to check before buying

• Internal diameter - the size of the shaft the bearing sits on
• Outer diameter - the size of the housing it sits inside
• Width - how thick the bearing is
• Where it's used - furniture, wheels, or machinery, since load and speed requirements differ

The easiest way to get the right one

Bearings are often stamped with a code on the metal casing itself, which identifies the exact size. If your old bearing has a legible code, bringing it or a clear photo of the stamped numbers is the fastest way to get an exact match. If the code has worn off, measuring the internal diameter, outer diameter, and width, or bringing the part it fits into, works just as well.

Related motion hardware

Bearings are often bought alongside other motion hardware:

• [Wheels](/products/wheel) - for sliding gates, windows, and heavy sliding sections
• [Castor wheels](/products/castor-wheel) - swivel wheels fitted under furniture, trolleys, and racks
• [Furniture glides](/products/furniture-glide) - for furniture that should slide rather than roll

If a wheel or castor is wobbling, noisy, or seizing, the bearing inside it is often the actual part that needs replacing, rather than the whole wheel assembly.