Hardwood floors are aesthetic and durable but can be scratched and dented by furniture depending on weight and frequency of use. It is better to be safe than sorry and scratch-proof one’s furniture. To avoid having to pay for fixing the floor every few months, you can buy furniture pads to reduce and protect your floor from scratches.
The best furniture pads for hardwood floors are Scotch Felt Pads by 3M, as they can be easily applied to a wide range of furniture from beds to chairs and tables. These pads are 2.5 millimeters (0.10 inches) thick with a protective cushion and have a high product rating.
However, it is worth noting that different types of furniture may require different kinds of furniture pads because of differences in size, weight, and shape. In this article, you will find the top recommendations for furniture pads that protect your hardwood floors. You will also learn about the materials and which pads are better for which furniture and discover a scratch-proofing furniture method that does not have a size-matching furniture pad on the market.
Felt Pads vs. Rubber Pads: Which Material Is Better?
You may have noticed that when it comes to furniture pads, there are two materials that are prevalent in the market. The first of these is felt, and the second is rubber. Which one is better?
Felt and rubber pads serve different purposes. While rubber is effective at keeping furniture in place while keeping it from scratching your hardwood floors, felt is great for furniture you move on the regular like chairs, which need to be pulled back to sit and pushed back under the dining table later.
That is why, before you buy a furniture pad, you must ask yourself in what way the furniture can cause scratch marks. If it is stationary furniture that can cause scratch marks to appear on your floor because of weight, you should buy a rubber furniture pad to keep the furniture from sliding.
If you buy felt pads for heavy and stationary furniture, you will need to replace the pads frequently as they will wear out quicker, and there will be a risk of the furniture sliding upon impact. On the other hand, lighter furniture that is moved more often almost always requires felt padding instead of rubber pads. Rubber can leave streaks if dragged regularly. Chances are, you will have to buy both types of furniture pads.
Best Furniture Pads on the Market (2021)
1. Scotch Beige Felt Pads by 3M
The felt pads offered by 3M are the top recommendation for your hardwood floor because of the brand reliability, ease of use, an abundance of social proof, and the material used. When combined, these factors make a compelling argument for these felt furniture pads to be your go-to selection to protect your hardwood floors from scratches and dents.
- Helps prevent scratching of floors and other surfaces
- Ideal for furniture and lamps that sit on finished...
- Great for hardwood floors
- Protects floors
You do not need a solder or a glue gun to stick these pads to your chairs, lamps, or other decors because they are designed to self-stick to your furniture. While one side sticks well to the furniture, the other is made with felt and is easy on the floor. Moreover, if you need to drag your furniture, you will not crease the floor underneath because felt does not create a corrosive pressure on the hardwood. Moreover, felt makes it easier to slide furniture on the hardwood.
The pads are 2.5 millimeters (0.10 inches) thick and are recommended by the manufacturer for use under desks, beds, recliners, tables, and chairs, among other products.
2. X-Protector Non-Slip Furniture Pads
These furniture pads not only protect your floor from scratches and dents but also keep your furniture from sliding too easily. As you know, your furniture can have significant weight. And putting that weight on a small area like a furniture pad can often cause the furniture to slide off or, worse, topple over.
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This is where X-PROTECTOR’s non-slip pads hold the advantage. The product uses soft rubber and quality felt to provide the ideal traction and floor protection simultaneously. The strong adhesive on the other end allows for easy installation as you just need to peel off the sticker and stick the pad to your furniture’s contact-area.
Moreover, it can be cut to match the size of the furniture’s contact area. This is significant because different types of furniture vary in the size of the area that impacts the floor. For instance, a chair leg is significantly smaller than a floor lamp’s base. By cutting the pads to match smaller surfaces, you can handle all your furniture with multiple batches of X-PROTECTOR pads.
The pads are over 3.1 millimeters (0.12 inches) in thickness, leaving a significant cushion for the floor’s surface, and are 2 inches wide on all four sides (square shape). Wider pads are available from the same manufacturer as well.
3. Softtouch Heavy Duty Felt Pads
If you are tired of using adhesive pads that come off easily and want a permanent solution for your furniture’s corrosiveness to your hardwood floors, SOFTTOUCH’s nail-on pads are highly recommended. Softtouch is a brand that has been in the furniture pads market for over 35 years. Brand trust is important because longevity cannot be bought like some fake reviews.
- Protect Hard Surfaces – Gentle but durable felt pads...
- For Wooden Furniture Only - For straight, wooden...
- Sturdy Design for Long-Term Protection - Won't shift or...
- Easy Installation - The unique round nail on the bottom...
With SoftTouch products, you can rest assured that the pads are backed by a brand that has established trust with consumers for nearly four decades.
The SoftTouch nail-on pads are designed to be nailed onto thick furniture legs with one end designed specifically to penetrate the wooden furniture. The other side is made with reinforced felt that is more durable than regular felt. After all, these pads are quite permanently attached to your furniture.
Since the product is not attached like a sticker, it is quite important to be sure of its durability. According to Amazon customer reviews, the average durability rating of this product is five stars.
The pads are available in different sizes, with a five-year limited warranty. The warranty alongside the durability rating makes a strong statement about the reliability of this product.
4. Softtouch Self-Stick Furniture Pads
If the earlier product listing has gotten you interested in the Softtouch brand because of its 35 years in the market and trust with consumers, you may still be hesitant to nail pads onto your furniture. If that is the case, you can invest in the brand’s self-stick furniture pads.
- PROTECT YOUR HARD SURFACES - Everyday use and movement...
- REDUCE SCRATCHING AND NOISE - Use these round felt pads...
- EASY TOOL FREE INSTALLATION- Prep surface by cleaning...
- HEAVY DUTY, PERFECT FOR ALL FURNITURE - The...
Most hardwood scratches happen not just because of furniture weight but because of frequent dragging. This is relevant for furniture like tables, stools, sofas, and chairs. And aside from the scratches, the daily use can produce significant noise. Softouche’s self-stick pads have a felt surface protecting your hardwood floor from scratches, dents, and noise.
The product comes in a variety of sizes and is easy to use. Customers do not seem to be happy about the adhesiveness of the pads, so it is worth noting that you may need to use a glue gun to attach this product.
Despite not being as adhesive as the other options, the product performs phenomenally when it comes to protecting hardwood floors from getting impacted by the daily use of furniture.
5. GorillaPads Non Slip Furniture Pads
By combining durability, versatility, and surface-friendliness, GorillaPads brings a tough contender to the list of ideal furniture pads for hardwood surfaces. What sets this specific product apart is its three-layer design that has felt core and rubber on both sides.
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- PUNCTURE PROOF 3-LAYER DESIGN – For maximum...
- SAFE ON ALL HARD SURFACES – These furniture floor...
The circle-shaped pads are two inches wide and are nine millimeters (0.35 inches) thick. They are ideal for almost all furniture with legs or sharp edges. That’s because the core’s thickness neutralizes the furniture’s tendency to penetrate through the pads. Therefore, if you have tried furniture pads before and have encountered disappointing results, GorillaPads are likely going to be an effective replacement.
6. Super Sliders Felt Furniture Pads
If your dining room has a hardwood floor, chances are you have a lot of chairs that need to be padded. Super Sliders’ furniture pad may lack in versatility but make up for it in value. You can get a 20-pack for a very reasonable price and have scratch-proof your chairs. That said, you cannot really use this product for lamps or sofas with a thicker base.
- PROTECT HARD SURFACE FLOORING - Floors are protected...
- FORMED FELT DESIGN - Our formed felt design cup...
- REDUCE FRICTION AND NOISE - Sliding furniture across...
- PERFECT SECURE GRIP FOR MANY FURNITURE TYPES - Use on...
Unlike the self-stick option, these pads are shaped as cups that hold the base of your chairs’ legs. As a result, it reduces the possibility of the pad coming off unintentionally. Furthermore, you always have the option to remove the pads when required.
The product is very durable, which is a valuable feature because the pads are reusable and may outlive the furniture they are attached to. In case you are replacing chairs, you can still use the same pads for your new furniture.
It is important to note that the plastic cup that holds the furniture legs is not stretchable. That is why you should but the pads with the cup size matching the furniture leg’s diameter.
7. Melonboat Large Chair Leg Floor Protectors
With the previous recommendation, you may have developed a preference for pad cups instead of adhesive pads. While the previous recommendation works for circular furniture leg-bases, many chairs have square legs. That is where MelonBoat’s extra-large square-cup pads are an ideal purchase.
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- The flexible silicone box is easy to slip on, giving...
- Felt pads underneath allow chairs to glide silently and...
- You will barely notice them with the transparent...
They are available in a variety of sizes so you can order based on your furniture’s specifications. Moreover, they are transparent and do not interfere with the color scheme of your furniture in an obvious fashion. You don’t have to worry about the cup damaging your furniture because it is made of soft silicone and has a slightly extendable built.
The reusable felt pads come in bundles of varying numbers. Therefore you can order a MellonBoat item to match the number of chairs and tables you have. In fact, with a high rating in value-for-money, the pads are ideal for houses with a lot of furniture.
How to Attach Furniture Pads to Your Furniture
Whether you buy furniture pads with a felt face or a rubber pad, you must be careful to attach the pads to your furniture in the right way to cause minimal damage and leave room for replacing the pads. The ideal way of attaching furniture pads depends on the type of padding you have invested in.
Using Self-Stick Furniture Pads
Many furniture pads come with a self-stick adhesive covered with a sticker. This makes installing them relatively simple.
- Open the package and take out the furniture pads.
- Remove the paper covering the stick-side of the furniture pad.
- Lift your furniture to make room for the pad.
- Attach the self-stick side to the furniture.
- Apply pressure with your palm to secure the pad in place.
- Apply the above steps to all corners/legs/sides that come in contact with the hardwood floor.
Using Adhesive
You will notice that certain furniture pads have great reliability and protection ratings, but their self-stick adhesive is weak. In such an instance, you may need to use your own furniture glue to stick the padding more permanently to your furniture. Please note that gluing a pad to your furniture may affect the reusability of its pads and replaceability.
- Open the packaging or box the pads came in.
- Remove the paper on the stick-side If the pad is the self-stick variety (don’t glue on top of the paper). If the pad is not of self-stick variety, simply consider the side opposite to felt/rubber as the stick side.
- Apply adhesive with a glue brush, nozzle, or a glue-gun to the stick side.
- Lift the furniture and place the pad under the area that receives the most pressure (glue side up)
- Repeat the steps until all the areas in contact with the hardwood floor have been sufficiently padded.
Using Nail-On Padding
Nail-on padding is a form of semi-permanent padding that can be done to wood chairs, sofas, and beds, among other furniture. It usually comes with a nail attached to one side and felt or synthetic padding on the other side.
- Remove the packaging and be mindful of the nail.
- Turn your furniture upside down so you can nail the padding with more precision.
- Take a hammer and strike the padding side until the nail has completely penetrated the furniture leg.
- Repeat the steps above till the furniture across all areas that the hardwood floor would otherwise come in contact with.
- Turn the furniture back in its right position.
Tips for Finding the Best Furniture Pads for Your Hardwood Floors
While the aforementioned products are reliable pads to protect your hardwood floor from scratches, the following tips and precautions will be valuable to you regardless of which furniture pads you buy:
- Avoid buying furniture pads not specifically listed as friendly to hardwood floors.
- Do not use the furniture pads before testing them. You have to test the furniture pad on one furniture item and in a less visible area of your home to test both its performance with the furniture and the impact on the hardwood floor.
- Be extra careful of rubber pads. Rubber pads are meant for heavier furniture because they can carry a lot of pressure without slipping. However, a certain type of rubber can leave streaks and marks if distressed enough. Make sure you test the pad in a less visible area of the home before using it with all your furniture.
DIY Furniture Pads
When you are shopping for furniture pads, it is often the case that you have specific furniture for which you cannot find a size-match. In such an instance, you can make your own furniture padding. But be mindful that this process costs more than buying equivalent furniture pads. Therefore, it is advisable not to make your own furniture pads if you can find pads on the market that can get the job done.
The steps to create your own furniture pads are as follows:
- Find yourself a rug pad that is larger than the furniture area you wish to pad.
- Use a strop pair of scissors to cut the rug pad to approximately the same area as the furniture leg, corner, or side.
- Apply adhesive to the opposite side of felt/rubber. Adhesive can range from furniture glue to double-faced tape depending on the furniture type and how permanent you want to make the padding.
- Repeat the above steps until all areas of the furniture are covered.
Final Thoughts
Furniture pads are necessary to protect your hardwood floors from scratches caused when moving furniture or by the weight of specific decor.
If you are looking to protect your floor from furniture that is moved around a lot, invest in felt pads.
For furniture that is meant to stay in one place, it is best to buy rubber pads.
Finally, if you don’t find pads that fit your furniture size, you can use door bumpers or get a rug pad and customize your own furniture pads from it.
