Two CS2 skins can look identical, be the same finish on the same weapon, and trade at wildly different prices. The variable doing the work is float value — a hidden numerical attribute that determines how worn a skin appears and, by extension, how much it's worth on the market. Understanding float is the difference between buying a skin at a fair price and overpaying by 30% for a Factory New that's actually a high-float MW in disguise.
This guide explains what float value actually is, the wear tiers, how float interacts with pricing, and how to check float on any CS2 skin before buying or selling.
Quick answer
Float value is a decimal number between 0.00 and 1.00 attached to every CS2 skin that determines its visual wear and condition tier. Lower float means cleaner, less-worn appearance and typically higher value. The float is randomly assigned when the skin is generated (case opening or container) and cannot be changed afterward. Float ranges map to five named wear tiers: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, and Battle-Scarred.
What are the five CS2 wear tiers?
CS2 inherits its wear system from CS:GO. Every skin sits in one of five tiers based on its float value:
CS2 float wear tiers
| Wear tier | Float range | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Factory New | 0.00 to 0.07 | FN |
| Minimal Wear | 0.07 to 0.15 | MW |
| Field-Tested | 0.15 to 0.38 | FT |
| Well-Worn | 0.38 to 0.45 | WW |
| Battle-Scarred | 0.45 to 1.00 | BS |
The wear tier shown in your inventory is just a label. The underlying float value is what actually determines visual condition and market value. Two Field-Tested skins — one at 0.16 and one at 0.37 — are both labeled FT but look visibly different, and they trade at different prices.
What does float value actually control?
Float interacts with the skin's pattern texture to produce visible wear. Lower float means less of the worn texture shows through; higher float means more. The exact visual difference varies by skin — some finishes wear gradually and smoothly across the float range, while others have abrupt visual changes at specific float thresholds.
A few examples to illustrate the range:
- AK-47 Asiimov: heavy visual difference between FN and BS. The white panels accumulate dirt and damage texture aggressively as float increases.
- AWP Asiimov: the pattern is more forgiving — a 0.30 FT looks much closer to FN than the AK Asiimov at the same float.
- AK-47 Vulcan: known for visual sensitivity to float. Even within FN range, a 0.01 float looks meaningfully cleaner than a 0.06.
- AK-47 Case Hardened: float matters less than pattern index here, because the blue gem pattern is the dominant pricing factor.
The relationship between float and visible wear isn't always linear. This is why experienced traders check the actual float value rather than relying on the wear tier label.
How does float value drive CS2 skin pricing?
In most cases, lower float commands higher prices. The exact premium depends on three things: the skin in question, how visually sensitive that skin is to float, and how rare extreme floats are.
Common patterns in float pricing:
- Standard FN skins typically trade at a 20–40% premium over MW versions of the same skin.
- Low-float FN (under 0.01) on visually sensitive skins can command 100–300%+ premiums over standard FN floats.
- Top-of-tier floats within MW or FT (just under the next tier threshold) can be worth slightly more than mid-tier floats because they're "near MW" or "near FN."
- Extreme low floats (0.0001 or lower, sometimes called "bot-floats") on certain knives or rare skins create their own market — buyers seek them as collector items.
The highest float (BS, max-float) isn't always the cheapest tier. For some skins, the visual deterioration creates an unusual aesthetic that collectors actively want — max-float Crimson Web knives, for instance, have a market specifically for the worn look. The float-price curve isn't strictly monotonic for every skin.
Where can I check the float value of a CS2 skin?
Float isn't displayed in the standard Steam inventory view. You need either a third-party tool or a platform that surfaces float data on listings.
Browser extensions: CSFloat's browser extension and similar tools display float values directly inside Steam Community Market and inventory pages. Most active traders run one of these as default.
Trading platforms with float displayed: CSFloat surfaces float prominently in every listing. Skinport shows float on most listings. SkinSwap and other counterparty platforms display float on items they're buying or selling.
Steam Market third-party inspector tools: copy a Steam item inspect link, paste into a float-checker site, get the exact value. Useful for one-off checks when you're not running a browser extension.
For any skin purchase above $100 or so, checking the exact float before committing is standard practice among experienced players. Five seconds of verification can prevent overpaying for a high-float skin masquerading as a clean one within the same wear tier.
What is the difference between float and pattern index?
Float and pattern index are often confused but they're separate attributes.
Float value controls visible wear — how worn or pristine the skin looks.
Pattern index is a number (0 to 1000) that controls which area of the skin's texture template gets applied to the weapon. This matters massively for certain skins where the texture has high variation:
- Case Hardened: pattern determines how much blue, gold, or purple shows on the weapon. "Blue gems" are specific high-blue pattern indexes that trade at multiples of the base skin price.
- Doppler knives: pattern determines which "phase" the knife is (Phase 1, 2, 3, 4, Ruby, Sapphire, Black Pearl). Each phase has its own price.
- Fade: pattern determines fade percentage. Higher fade percentages cost more.
- Marble Fade: pattern produces named variants like "Fire and Ice" that command extreme premiums.
For skins where pattern matters, both float and pattern need to be checked. A low-float Case Hardened with a non-blue pattern is worth far less than a high-float Case Hardened with a clean blue gem pattern.
What float tips should I follow when buying CS2 skins?
Always check float on FN listings. "Factory New" covers a wide range (0.00–0.07). A 0.06 FN is technically FN but visually close to MW for sensitive skins. Buyers paying premium for "FN" should verify they're getting a clean FN, not an upper-bound one.
For sensitive skins, target under 0.02. Vulcan, Asiimov, and similar high-wear-sensitivity finishes show visible difference even within FN range. If you're paying FN premium, get a clean float.
For non-sensitive skins, MW often beats FN on value. Skins like the AWP Asiimov or AK Redline don't show dramatic visual difference between FN and MW. You can often get a near-FN visual experience at MW prices.
Battle-Scarred isn't always ugly. Some skins, particularly older designs and certain knife finishes, have distinctive worn aesthetics in BS that collectors actively prefer. Don't dismiss BS automatically.
What float tips should I follow when selling CS2 skins?
Surface the float prominently. If you're listing on a P2P platform, include the exact float in the listing description even if the platform auto-displays it. Buyers searching for clean floats use this as a filter.
Match price to actual float, not tier. A 0.02 FN deserves FN-tier pricing and possibly more. A 0.06 FN should be priced cautiously since experienced buyers will pass on it for cleaner options.
For low-float items, consider listing higher. Cleanest floats (sub-0.01 on sensitive skins) attract collectors willing to pay significant premiums. Don't list these at standard FN prices.
How does float work on CS2 knives and gloves?
Knives and gloves follow the same float system as weapons but the tier breakpoints behave differently in practice. Knife floats above 0.30 are uncommon because the pattern templates don't deteriorate as visibly past that point. Glove floats above 0.40 are routine because glove patterns wear quickly.
Specific knife finishes have their own float conventions:
- Doppler, Marble Fade, Fade: float matters less than pattern. Phase or fade percentage drives most of the value.
- Crimson Web, Slaughter: pattern matters more than float. Web placement and red coverage are the primary pricing variables.
- Stiletto, Talon, and other newer knives: standard float-driven pricing similar to weapons.
For knives in the $500+ range, both float and pattern usually need to align for the skin to command top-tier pricing.
How does SkinSwap handle float in its pricing?
SkinSwap displays float values on items in its inventory and on items being traded against you, which lets you verify what you're buying or selling before committing. The counterparty model means the platform's pricing accounts for float automatically — clean floats get higher buy offers, high floats get lower ones. For trading and instant cashout scenarios where you want to verify the float before accepting, the platform surfaces the data without requiring a separate tool.
