Types of Caster Brakes

March 04, 2026

Caster brakes are often overlooked until equipment starts moving when it shouldn’t. Uncontrolled movement can lead to safety hazards, damaged equipment, or workflow interruptions. 

All brake types have their advantages and use cases, so this guide can help elucidate which one is right for your application! 

Two Major Categories of Brakes

Not all caster brakes work the same: they use different mechanisms to apply friction to the wheel. To simplify things, we can break (ha!) them into two different categories:

• Brakes that lock only the wheel
• Brakes that lock the wheel and the swivel

Wheel-Only Brakes

There are several ways to stop just the wheel from rolling, locking the wheel in one place.

Face Contact Brake

Face Contact brakes (FCB) provide the most recognizable style of brake. A pedal on the front or back of the caster presses a brake pad directly against the face of the wheel.

FCB's are a very convenient style of brake, but they require extra space for the pedal to poke out, do not work with every wheel, and are susceptible to high heat with their plastic pedal.

Top Lock Brake

A Top Lock brake (TLB) can be recognized by its side-operated pedal which presses a brake pad onto the top of the wheel. TLB's are also commonly called side-lock brakes, because their pedal is on the side of the caster.

Cam Lock Brake

Cam Lock brakes are less common, and are often confused with a TLB because the pedal is also on the side. This brake uses a rotating cam mechanism that wedges the side of the wheel against the rig to prevent rotation. Cam Locks are more often offered on smaller, cheaper casters.

Wheel & Swivel Brakes

Total Lock Brake

Total Lock brakes (SWB) are designed ONLY for swivel casters. SWB's lock both the wheel and the swivel section in place, preventing the caster from rolling or pivoting. This provides maximum stability when equipment must stay completely still.

Other Brakes

Besides the brakes mentioned above, there are a few other niche caster brakes. These niche brakes are far less common, and tend to be application-specific.

Some examples of niche brakes are:

• Set Screw brake
• Pin Lock brake
• Pressure-Activated brake
• Dead Man's brake

Which Wheel Brake Do I Pick?

When you have narrowed your brake choice down to a wheel-only lock, there isn't a single  clear winner. Like with many things in the caster world, it depends on the application and environment where the caster will be used. All of the brake types perform similarly in stopping wheel rotation.

The decision typically comes down to preference, engagement style, or cost. If maximum stability is the goal, a Total Lock brake (SWB) on a swivel caster is the best option.

On Wheel Selection

Wheel selection plays a major role in how effective your brake will be.

Most brake pads are either steel or rubber. Steel brake pads tend to perform better on softer wheels because they can slightly bite into the tread for added grip. However, steel brake pads against harder wheels can increase the risk of slipping due to low friction.

Rubber brake pads provide better overall to grip to all types of wheels, but they're less common and they're not suitable for high-temperature applications. 

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right brake caster starts with understanding how you’ll use your caster. How much movement and stability is okay when the brakes are engaged? How much room for brake pedals do you have? What kind of wheels are you considering? The right wheel and brake combination can make all the difference. 

Need help deciding on a brake? Not able to find the combination you want? Give us a call at 800-345-0425 or contact us and have our caster experts walk you through it!

Light Duty Casters

Light Duty Top Lock, Face Contact & Other Brakes Light Duty Total Lock Brake

Medium Duty Casters

Medium Duty Top Lock & Others Medium Duty Plate Casters w/ Face Contact Brake Medium Duty Plate Casters w/ Total Lock Brake

Heavy Duty Casters

All Heavy Duty Casters, can add brakes onto individual products

Threaded Stem Casters

Light Duty Top Lock & Others Light Duty Plate Casters w/ Face Contact Brake Medium Duty Plate Casters w/ Total Lock Brake

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