Common Causes of Office Chair Squeaking
Apr 17, 2025
If office chairs that have been used for a long time make "squeaking" noises, it will often affect our concentration and work efficiency. This sound may appear to be just a slight noise on the surface, but it actually reflects abnormal wear, unbalanced force, or loose connections in a certain link in the chair structure. This article will focus on the common causes of squeaking in office chairs, combined with its structural features and working principles, to help users avoid or solve the problem of abnormal squeaking in chairs from the source.
The structure of office chairs relies on multiple fastening screws to maintain overall stability, such as the connection between the chair back and the seat, the connection between the chassis and the air rod, and the fixation of the armrests and the main body. If these screws are not regularly reinforced after long-term use, they will become slightly loose due to gravity loading and repeated displacement. This looseness does not always cause parts to fall off, but can cause slight structural misalignment when the user sits, leans, or turns. This can cause friction between metals or between metal and plastic, and "squeaking" sounds frequently occur in this state.
Insufficient lubrication of air pressure rod
The internal structure of the pneumatic rod consists of a cylinder, a piston, a sealing ring and an inflation chamber. In the early stage of use, a layer of special grease is coated inside to ensure sealing while reducing piston movement resistance. However, as the frequency of use increases, the heat generated by the pneumatic rod during multiple lifting and lowering processes will cause the lubricating oil to evaporate or oxidize, and impurities such as dust and fibers will enter the rod interface, causing the lubricant to fail. When there is insufficient lubrication, the metal surfaces between the piston and the cylinder begin to rub, causing a "squeaking" sound.
Chassis spring metal fatigue
The chair chassis often integrates a tilt adjustment structure, a spring buffer component and a left and right rotation bearing. Its function is to disperse the pressure in all directions of the user's body and absorb a certain degree of shaking energy. However, springs are highly elastic metals. After being repeatedly pressed for a long time, springs will suffer from "metal fatigue", that is, their elasticity weakens, their recovery is incomplete, or their deformation increases.
During the tilting process of the chair back, if the internal spring deviates from the original center position, or if one side is worn more, it will have slight offset contact with the adjacent structural member. Every time you sit down or lean back, the deformation of the spring during the rebound process exceeds the structural limit, and it will hit the metal wall of the chassis bracket, making a "squeak" sound. This kind of problem is usually difficult to observe externally with the naked eye. It is necessary to disassemble the chassis shell and check whether the spring state is symmetrical and whether there are any bends or wear marks. For this problem, lubricant has limited effect, and the most effective way is to replace the spring or chassis assembly.
Accumulation Of Foreign Matter In Roller Bearings
The chair rollers are supported by small ball bearings, and the bearings rotate at high frequencies during each movement. If used for a long time on cloth carpets, rough cement floors, or in heavily dusty environments, the gaps in the rollers can easily absorb hair, dust, fibers and other impurities. These foreign objects gradually enter the inside of the bearing, hindering the smooth rolling of the balls, causing the metal balls to beat during rotation, causing intermittent friction sounds.
In addition, there must be lubricating oil between these balls to reduce friction. If it is not cleaned or lubricated for a long time, the inside of the roller will become dry. As a result, the friction between the balls increases and they cannot roll smoothly. They can only be "dragged", and then they will make a "squeaking" sound. Compared with the main structure of the chair, the problem of the rollers is more likely to be ignored. It is recommended to remove the rollers regularly for cleaning, lubrication or even replacement.
Plastic Parts Dry And Cracked
A large number of structural covering parts in chairs are made of plastic, which are commonly found in backrest bracket shells, chassis decorative covers, armrest edging, etc. Although these plastic materials have good initial elasticity, they may become brittle, shrink, or crack slightly due to long-term sunlight exposure, alternating high and low temperatures, or humid environments. The squeezing friction between these plastic and metal edges can cause a "clicking" or "squeaking" sound when the user applies back pressure, turns, or adjusts their posture. It is recommended to check whether there are cracks or misalignments in the shells of the chair back and armrests. If the plastic supports are seriously aged, they should be replaced or refixed in time to avoid continued deterioration of the sound.
Inadequate Design Of Structural Assembly Gaps
During the production and design of some chairs, in order to save costs or the design is not thorough enough, the manufacturers do not fully consider that during long-term use of the chair, the materials may slightly expand or contract due to changes in cold and heat or force deformation. As a result, once the materials change, these parts are prone to squeeze or rub against each other, resulting in a "squeaking" sound. If a new chair makes abnormal noises just after assembly, it is probably caused by this type of structural design. You should contact the merchant for after-sales processing as soon as possible to avoid delays that will lead to more parts loss.
