What Is Float Value in CS2?

A CS2 skin’s float value is a decimal between 0.00 and 1.00 that records how worn the item is, and it’s the single stat that creates the 3–5x price gaps you see between two identical-looking listings. Valve assigns that number when the skin is created, it never changes, and every marketplace uses it to decide whether your copy looks Factory New or Battle-Scarred. Because float directly influences how clean a weapon looks, it also drives price gaps that can easily reach 3–5x for the same skin. If you want to stop overpaying or understand why two listings look nothing alike, float is the number to master.

Float ranges at a glance

Float Range	Wear Tier	Visual cues	Typical price impact	Example (Nov 2025)
0.00 – 0.07	Factory New	Crisp paint, no scratches	Highest tier, often 2x+ over Field-Tested	AK-47 Redline FN 0.05 ~ $42
0.07 – 0.15	Minimal Wear	Slight edge fading, stickers stay sharp	10–25% cheaper than FN	M4A1-S Golden Coil MW 0.10 ~ $58
0.15 – 0.38	Field-Tested	Noticeable wear, muted colors	Balanced look + price	AK-47 Redline Field-Tested 0.20 ~ $18
0.38 – 0.45	Well-Worn	Big scratches, darker finish	Buyers only pay when art still looks decent	AWP Asiimov WW 0.40 ~ $65
0.45 – 1.00	Battle-Scarred	Heavy grime, pattern distortions	Deep discounts, sometimes 70% off FN	AK-47 Redline BS 0.80 ~ $7

Most skins only spawn in a subset of this range. For example, the AWP Asiimov stops around 0.92, meaning BS copies still show the design, while a hard-worn Printstream may look unrecognizable. Knowing those min/max caps prevents you from chasing a float that doesn’t exist.

Why float matters to beginners

1. Visual consistency: Float determines whether stickers line up, if holo effects shine, and whether patterns such as Damascus Steel still show their highlights. Two listings can have the same screenshots yet look different in-game because their floats are 0.18 vs 0.38.
2. Price anchoring: Buyers filter by float on CSFloat, Skinport, or Buff. If you list a 0.10 Minimal Wear skin at the same price as a 0.14, the lower-float copy sells first. Human buyers (not bots) scroll until they find “the cleanest for the price.”
3. Investment risk: Float is effectively permanent supply segmentation. Ultra-low floats behave like numbered collectibles. When supply dries up, spreads between 0.01 and 0.06 copies widen dramatically, creating bigger upside for investors willing to hold.

How to read the float number step-by-step

1. Inspect directly in Steam:
   • Right-click the listing → "Inspect in Game."
   • Look at the top-left overlay; Valve shows a value like Float: 0.178219. That’s the real wear—note the extra decimals, because a 0.1782 can look noticeably better than 0.2398 even though both are Field-Tested.
2. Use community tools for context:
   • On CSFloat/CS2Float you get percentile ranks so you know whether your copy sits in the top 5%.
   • Our Price Checker Tool now surfaces the live float, recent average sale price, and a buy/sell label in one panel, so you can compare two skins without juggling tabs.
3. Log the float before you trade: Write it in your notes and double-check again when you receive the skin. Scammers sometimes swap the inspect link with a cosmetically similar item but worse float; checking the raw value prevents that.

Real float gaps on popular skins

AK-47 Redline

• Factory New 0.04–0.06: rare drops and souvenir packages. Roughly $42 on Steam Market this month, with collectors paying more if the float passes 0.05 and the stickers align.
• Field-Tested 0.16–0.24: bread-and-butter version, trading at $18. Matches red stickers well without blowing a budget, which is why it anchors so many beginner loadouts.
• Battle-Scarred 0.70+: fades to dark gray. Prices fall below $7, but stickers pop thanks to the matte base. A good choice if you care more about sticker combos than factory shine.

AWP Asiimov

• Minimal Wear 0.10–0.15: stays above $105 because the orange plates still glow. Traders seek sub-0.11 floats for inventory flexes.
• Well-Worn 0.38–0.44: usually $65–$70 and still keep the white shell mostly intact. Watch out: certain floats darken the scope drastically, which matters if you stream and want consistent visuals.
• Battle-Scarred 0.80–0.92: hovers near $48 but looks almost charcoal; only worth buying if you plan to cover the wear with large stickers.

M4A1-S Golden Coil

• Minimal Wear 0.07–0.14: around $58 and the filigree remains crisp for collectors.
• Field-Tested 0.15–0.25: sits near $32 and works with gold foil stickers. Because FT floats overlap with MW, you can snag a 0.149 “tier-boosted” FT at a MW look, which is great value if you watch the numbers carefully.

If you need more purchase ideas that look premium without the premium float, jump to our /cs2-skins-under-10 list for crowd favorites below $10.

Float strategy for buyers

Decide the look you want first. Screenshot or inspect the float value that looks “right” and note the float range. Then:

• Set a max float filter on the marketplace you use. On Skinport and Buff you can type 0.18 as the upper limit, then sort by price.
• Compare to supply data: On our Top Rising Skins page you can see whether a skin is heating up. Rising demand often drains the lowest floats first, which widens the spread. If the chart is trending up, lock in the float you want sooner.
• Budget for stickers: Clean floats make stickers pop, so factor that into your total spend. Paying $4 extra for a 0.12 M4A1-S may save you $20 in stickers you would otherwise buy to hide scratches.
• Track currency shifts: CS2 markets react to USD/EUR swings. If your local currency strengthens, lock in that low-float upgrade before the exchange rate evens out again.
• Inspect night-market deals: Buff and Skinport both see underpriced low floats during off-hours. Run quick queries before bed and first thing in the morning to snipe undervalued listings.
• Pair with loadout planning: Use the Loadout Calculator to confirm the total cost of matching floats. Seeing the all-in number keeps impulse purchases under control.

Float strategy for sellers

1. Highlight the exact float in your description. Copy-paste the decimal and mention any stand-out traits (“0.159 Borderline MW, clean barrel”). Buyers scan search results quickly; float callouts stop the scroll and justify pricing.
2. Use tier-breakers: If your Field-Tested item sits at 0.149 (just below MW), list it slightly under the cheapest MW listing. Many buyers will happily purchase a “fake MW” if they get the same look plus a discount.
3. Anchor to recent sales: Track 7-day averages in the Price Checker, then add or subtract premium based on float percentile. As a rule of thumb, every 0.02 drop within the same wear tier supports a 5–8% higher ask when liquidity is decent.
4. Bundle with loadouts: Create an example loadout (AK + M4 + gloves) and calculate the float spread plus total value using the loadout calculator. Buyers planning a themed set are willing to pay extra if you present a coherent, float-matched bundle.
5. Stage your screenshots: Take multiple inspect screenshots that highlight the “clean” sections of the skin plus the float overlay. Visual proof shortens negotiations and attracts Discord/Reddit buyers.
6. Set walk-away points: Decide the lowest acceptable price before listing. If buyers try to haggle based on outdated comps, cite current averages from the Price Checker and stick to your thresholds.
7. Refresh listings after spikes: When a skin hits our Top Rising Skins page, delist and relist with updated pricing so you capture the new premium instead of letting bots buy your underpriced float.

FAQ: Common float myths

Does playing matches reduce my float? No. Float is burned into the item when it drops. You can get 5,000 kills and the float never changes, which is why “battle-scarred” is just a label, not actual usage damage.

Can trade-ups force a lower float? Yes, but only within the min/max range of the target skin. The general formula is a weighted average of the inputs, so feeding 10 ultra-low floats into a trade-up can spit out a target skin near its minimum float, but never below the skin’s coded cap.

Should I pay more for float or pattern? Depends on the skin. Marble Fade patterns matter more than float, while Doppler Phase 4 buyers care about both float and phase. For mainstream budget picks like the AK Redline, float has the highest impact because the pattern stays uniform.

Is there a hard rule for pricing low floats? Not really, but tracking percentile helps. If your copy sits in the top 3% of floats for its wear tier, you can usually ask 1.5x the going rate. Anything rarer than top 1% stops being a “play skin” and becomes an investment piece—list it on CSFloat or Buff with offers enabled, not just the Steam Market.

Buy or sell verdict

Float value is a non-negotiable data point if you want skins that hold value. Beginners should aim for the cleanest float they can afford within Field-Tested or Minimal Wear, because those tiers balance looks with liquidity. Investors should target the best 1–5% floats inside each tier and stash them, especially on evergreen favorites like the AK-47 Redline or AWP Asiimov that keep showing up on our /top-rising-skins dashboard. Sellers who know their float percentiles will always capture more profit than those who just undercut blindly.

Check live price here → Price Checker Tool

Verdict: Buy clean floats on staple rifles when you see spreads under 40% between Factory New and Field-Tested, and Sell scratched-up duplicates once spreads push above 60%—that usually means demand is peaking and you can recycle into a better float.