Top Lock Brake Casters

A top lock brake is operated from the top of the caster instead of a foot pedal at the bottom. This makes it easy to engage on enclosed bases, hampers, and carts where the lower caster is hard to reach. It locks the caster so the equipment stays put.

Top lock brakes are easier to reach on enclosed or skirted equipment where a bottom foot pedal is blocked. For open-base carts, a face or tread lock foot brake works fine, but for hampers, cabinets, and institutional equipment, top access is more practical.

They are common on laundry and housekeeping carts, hampers, institutional equipment, and any cart with an enclosed or skirted base that hides a standard foot brake. The top-access lever keeps the brake easy to reach.

These range from about 125 to 3,750 lbs per caster depending on wheel size and material. Divide your total load across the casters with a safety margin. For heavier loads, choose the larger wheel options in this collection.

Top lock brakes shine on equipment where a standard foot brake is blocked or buried: enclosed cabinet bases, skirted hampers, laundry and housekeeping carts, and institutional equipment. The top-access lever is easy to reach and operate, even when the lower half of the caster is hidden. If your equipment has an open base, a face or tread lock foot brake may be simpler, but for enclosed designs, top lock is the answer.

This collection runs from about 125 lbs up to 3,750 lbs per caster, with a strong selection of smaller wheels common on institutional and housekeeping equipment, in rubber, polyolefin, and polyurethane. Choose rubber and polyurethane for quiet, floor-friendly rolling. Pair brake casters with standard swivels, or use four brakes where the equipment must stay fixed.