📐 What is Float Value?
Float value is a decimal number between 0.00 and 1.00 that determines how worn a skin looks in CS2. Every skin has a float value that's set permanently when the skin is created — it never changes through use, trading, or time. Float value is the single most important factor in determining a skin's visual condition and often its price.
Lower float = cleaner, less worn appearance. Higher float = more scratched, more worn.
The float value system is the backbone of CS2's skin economy. Understanding how it works is essential for accurate pricing, smart trading, and informed collecting.
🏷️ Wear Conditions
CS2 translates float values into five named wear conditions:
| Condition | Float Range | Abbreviation | General Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory New | 0.00 – 0.07 | FN | Pristine, minimal to no visible wear |
| Minimal Wear | 0.07 – 0.15 | MW | Very slight wear, barely noticeable |
| Field-Tested | 0.15 – 0.38 | FT | Moderate wear, visible scratching |
| Well-Worn | 0.38 – 0.45 | WW | Heavy wear, noticeable damage |
| Battle-Scarred | 0.45 – 1.00 | BS | Extreme wear, heavy scratching/peeling |
Important Nuance: Within-Condition Variation
A 0.01 float FN skin looks significantly better than a 0.069 float FN skin — even though both are "Factory New." This within-condition variation is why exact float matters, not just the condition label.
📊 How Float Ranges Work Per Skin
Not every skin spans the full 0.00 – 1.00 range. Each skin has its own minimum and maximum float values:
Examples of Restricted Float Ranges
| Skin | Min Float | Max Float | Available Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWP Dragon Lore | 0.00 | 1.00 | FN – BS (full range) |
| AK-47 Redline | 0.10 | 0.70 | FN – BS (but starts at 0.10) |
| Glock-18 Fade | 0.00 | 0.08 | FN – MW only |
| Desert Eagle Blaze | 0.00 | 0.08 | FN – MW only |
| AWP Asiimov | 0.18 | 1.00 | FT – BS only (no FN/MW) |
| Crimson Web (knives) | 0.06 | 0.80 | FN – BS (tiny FN window) |
This explains why some skins can't exist in certain conditions — if the float range doesn't overlap with a condition's range, that condition is impossible.
💰 How Float Affects Price
General Float Premium Tiers
| Float Range | Premium Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0.000x | Extreme premium | Collector-grade, often 2-10x over average FN |
| 0.00x | High premium | Very clean, 1.5-3x over average FN |
| 0.01 – 0.03 | Moderate premium | Clean, slight premium over average |
| 0.03 – 0.069 | Standard FN | Base Factory New pricing |
| 0.07 – 0.10 | Standard MW | Base Minimal Wear pricing |
| 0.15 – 0.25 | Good FT | Better-than-average Field-Tested |
| 0.25 – 0.38 | Standard FT | Normal FT pricing |
| 0.90 – 1.00 | Ultra-high BS | Sometimes premium for "max battle-scarred" collectors |
Skin-Specific Float Premiums
The importance of float varies dramatically by skin:
| Skin Type | Float Sensitivity | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Expensive skins ($1,000+) | Very high | Small float differences = hundreds/thousands of dollars |
| Pattern skins (Fade, Doppler) | Moderate | Pattern matters more than float |
| Budget skins (<$10) | Low | Float difference adds pennies, not dollars |
| Paint-heavy skins | High | Skins with large painted areas show wear more visibly |
| Anodized skins | Lower | Metallic finishes hide wear better |
🔄 Trade-Up Float Math
How Trade-Up Float Calculation Works
When you perform a trade-up contract with 10 input skins, the resulting skin's float is calculated using this formula:
Output Float = (Average Input Float) × (Max Float – Min Float) + Min Float
Where Min Float and Max Float refer to the output skin's float range.
Example Calculation
Input: 10 skins with average float of 0.05
Output skin: AWP Dragon Lore (float range: 0.00 – 1.00)
Output Float = 0.05 × (1.00 – 0.00) + 0.00 = 0.05
Example with Restricted Range
Input: 10 skins with average float of 0.05
Output skin: AK-47 Redline (float range: 0.10 – 0.70)
Output Float = 0.05 × (0.70 – 0.10) + 0.10 = 0.05 × 0.60 + 0.10 = 0.13
Result: 0.13 = Minimal Wear Redline
Trade-Up Float Tips
- Lower average input float = lower output float
- Skins with narrow float ranges (like Fade, Blaze) always produce low-float outputs regardless of input
- Getting a 0.000x output requires extremely low input floats and favorable range math
- Trade-up float calculators are essential — never estimate by hand
🔬 Extreme Floats
Ultra-Low Floats (0.000x and below)
Ultra-low float skins are collector's items that command massive premiums:
| Float Level | Collector Interest | Premium Example |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0000x (5 zeros) | World-record territory | AWP Dragon Lore 0.00008 — $50,000+ |
| 0.000x (4 zeros) | Elite collector | AK-47 Fire Serpent 0.0002 — $15,000+ |
| 0.00x (3 zeros) | Premium collector | Various skins — significant premiums |
Ultra-High Floats (0.999x)
Some collectors seek the most battle-scarred copies possible:
| Float Level | Collector Interest | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 0.999x | "Max BS" collector niche | Moderate premium over standard BS |
| Max float for skin | Top-1 BS ranking | Can command significant premium |
📈 Float Rankings
Websites like CSFloat track global float rankings. Owning the #1 lowest float or #1 highest float of a popular skin is a unique bragging right that can add substantial value.
🔧 Float Tools & Resources
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| SteamAnalyst Float Checker | Check float value and wear of any skin |
| SteamAnalyst Trade-Up Calculator | Calculate expected output float from trade-up inputs |
| CSFloat | Global float rankings and marketplace |
| Steam Inventory Helper | Browser extension showing floats in inventory |
🔍 Compare Prices Across 13+ Marketplaces
Don't overpay — check real-time prices for every skin in this guide on SteamAnalyst. We aggregate pricing from Buff163, Skinport, CSFloat, DMarket, Steam Market, and more so you always get the best deal.
❓ FAQ
Does float value change over time?
No. A skin's float value is permanently set when it's created (unboxed, dropped, or trade-up generated). It never changes through use, trading, or aging.
Is 0.00 float possible?
Technically the minimum is 0.00000000 but in practice, most skins have minimum floats well above absolute zero. A float of 0.0000x (five decimal places of zeros) is extremely rare and collector-grade.
Does float affect gameplay?
No. Float is purely cosmetic — a 0.00 float skin has identical gameplay performance to a 0.99 float skin. Only visual appearance differs.
Why do some FT skins look better than some MW skins?
Because float ranges overlap differently per skin. A 0.15 FT skin (just barely FT) can look cleaner than a 0.149 MW skin (just barely MW) of a different skin where the paint wears differently. Also, different skins have different wear patterns — some show wear more visibly than others at the same float.
Is it worth paying extra for low float?
For expensive skins ($500+), yes — float premiums are well-established and resellable. For budget skins (<$20), float premiums are usually not worth paying because the absolute dollar difference is minimal.
➡️ Related Guides
