The 10 Best Rolling Chair Mats
Special Honors
Modern Office Medium Pile As its name suggests, this mat is ideal for medium pile carpets. It boasts thick vinyl construction that shouldn't crack, and has an understated look that's ideal for commercial settings. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty and is Greenguard certified, so you can feel certain it isn't emitting toxins into the air. Its textured finish should provide enough friction so you don't roll too fast, but can still wheel around with ease. modernofficefurniture.com
American Floor Mats Ventilated If moisture buildup is a concern where you live or work, then you'll appreciate the hundreds of small perforations in this mat that allow the carpet below it to breathe. The openings are perfectly placed to allow moisture to escape while still providing a smooth surface to roll over. It has a nicely angled lip that makes it easy to wheel your chair on and off the mat, though it is available without a lip, too, and comes in 10 sizes. americanfloormats.com
Editor's Notes
October 28, 2020:
Rolling chairs can cause a lot of damage to floors without a chair mat. But in addition to protecting your carpet, they should also have a surface that is easy to glide over.
Although the Mysuntown MO1002 proved to be sturdy, it takes too much effort to get it to lay flat. You either have to soak it in hot water or place heavy objects on it for hours. And in some cases, the mat still refuses to stay down. And despite the manufacturer’s claim that the Casa Pura Protector would not curl, users noted that it bent after a few weeks. Since this model is currently unavailable and there is no restocking date, we eliminated it from the list. Because of complaints of shoddy packaging, a foul odor, and the inability to remain flat, the Office Marshal High-Impact was also excluded.
We added the AmazonBasics Polycarbonate and the newly released Seteol Protector because they have textured surfaces that prevent chairs from skidding out of control. Also, they have nubs on the underside to keep the mats in place. MuArts Protector was included for its ability to hold up to 1200 pounds. It doesn’t grip the carpet, but it won’t curl or leave impressions in the flooring.
December 19, 2019:
When selecting the right carpet chair mat for your home or office, it's important to think of what sort of use you'll subject it to. We tried to cover every scenario, from high-traffic areas to the various lengths of piles, when making our list.
If you need a mat that can stand up to just about anything and is ready to support plenty of weight, both the Gorilla Grip Premium and the Lorell 82834 have you covered. The former is made of ultra-strong polycarbonate, which will maintain its toughness through temperature changes and is nearly unbreakable. The latter is made of tempered glass — an unusual but admirable material choice for this product category. It not only adds style to a workplace, but it will never sink, bend, or dent. On that note, we removed the Flash Furniture because it is very thin and flimsy, and users tend to sink on it.
We made sure to include a few options with lips so that the area beneath your desk is also protected. The Mysuntown MO1002 made the cut, with its excellent grip, as did the Mushyn MUS_K100, which offers a comfortable footrest. We eliminated the ProSource Clear Multitask as many find it works better on hard floors than on carpet.
For those seeking a mat that will stand out rather than blend in, there is the Anji Mountain AMB240, with its lovely woven-wood fibers, and the bright and colorful Casa Pura Protector. We do have clear options, though, for those who want their flooring to shine, like the Floortex Cleartex Ultimat and the Marvelux MREM. The ES Robbins EverLife Anchor lost its spot on the list because the cleats on the bottom are too shallow and don't do an effective job at gripping carpets.
Why A Chair Mat Is Essential
Ultimately, you may just have to remain seated to finish your tasks, but at least pushing your chair around a bit can give your muscles some activity.
There are so many items one needs to buy when setting up an office, that a mat that lies beneath your chair can seem superfluous. But it may actually be one of the things that contributes the most to your daily comfort at work. It's no secret that office jobs require individuals to sit for prolonged periods of time and that a sedentary lifestyle can negatively impact one's health. That's why some studies have even been done to see what would happen if treadmills were installed in workplaces. Ultimately, you may just have to remain seated to finish your tasks, but at least pushing your chair around a bit can give your muscles some activity. This can, however, be difficult to do when you sit over carpet floor, which resists the movement of your wheels. A mat makes it much easier to roll back and forth, putting less stress on your skeleton and muscles each time you crave movement.
A chair mat can also prevents damage to your floors over time. Not only can the wheels of a desk chair cause imprints on a carpet that are nearly impossible to get out, forever leaving an unsightly mark on that area, but they can also scratch up hardwood or laminate floors. The wheels themselves may not mark up the floors but, it's easy for something like a small stone or paper clip to get caught in them, and when the user drags the chair with the jagged objects attached, it causes scratches. Let's not forget that, between sipping coffee, changing printer ink, and having lunch at the computer, a busy professional can spill a lot of things over the years, and stain the floors. A mat can prevent that, too.
These important items can also improve the safety of your work area, especially if your office is carpeted. Because of the way a chair's wheels are hindered by carpet, it is actually not uncommon for a person to push too hard, risking the chance of toppling over backwards. Luckily, a quality mat can help prevent this.
How To Select The Right Mat For Your Work Space
When choosing your chair mat, first consider your flooring. If you have carpet, you'll want a model with cleats on the bottom — these do an excellent job of keeping the mat from moving around without damaging the carpet. If you have a low pile carpet, make sure your mat has a gripper back. As for hardwood, tile, vinyl, and laminate floors, those require a mat with a smooth back. These will also typically have straight edges, unlike the sloped ones you find on the models for carpeted floors.
Professionals who stay rather stationary throughout the day can get a more compact model.
The size of the area in which you work will also play a role in this decision. More specifically, the type of desk you have will be a determining factor. Whether you have an ergonomic desk, an extra long one, or a stacked model that's good for several monitors, you must think about how much you need to move while you work. If, for example, you have to swing from one side of the desk to another, an extra wide mat is a good choice. Professionals who stay rather stationary throughout the day can get a more compact model. Make sure to measure the area over which you'll need to maneuver your chair before choosing your mat.
For most people, the style is also an important factor in picking out your mat. If your whole reason for purchasing one is to protect some beautiful hardwood floors of which you're very proud, then you'd likely still enjoy being able to see those floors. In that case, a transparent model would suit your needs. If, however, you think your office could use some sprucing up to create a more joyful atmosphere — especially since happy employees are more productive — you could choose a vibrantly-colored model or perhaps one with a real or faux wood top.
Decorating Your Office For Increased Productivity
The aesthetic of an office really does play a significant role in the quality of work its employees produce. If you are a manager or owner of a business, or you are self-employed and need ways to stay motivated at your home office, there are some simple decorating tips you can use. For starters, make sure the work environment has plenty of light. Natural light is best for keeping employees alert and content. Sometimes, however, there just aren't many windows in an office. If that's the case, consider adding light therapy lamps to the area — these mimic sunlight and are much easier on the eyes than fluorescent bulbs.
The aesthetic of an office really does play a significant role in the quality of work its employees produce.
There are a couple of other ways that the visuals around the office can have a large impact on how much gets done. Color, for example, is critical. If possible, paint the walls of the office blue since this calming hue can increase focus and productivity. Furthermore, having a variety of aesthetics around the office can also be helpful. So, decorating the break room one way, the conference rooms another way, and individual cubicles in an entirely different manner would be a good idea. Seeing and experiencing a range of ambiances while one moves around the workplace can keep an employee energized.
If you can incorporate a little nature into the workspace, that will reap huge benefits, as well. If you've ever come back from a hike or nature walk, then you know how such sights and sounds can greatly improve your sense of well-being, productivity, and even your creativity. Of course, you can't install a field in the office, but simply viewing greenery for a short time can boost attention span, so consider adding plants to windowsills, desks, and other surfaces. Even hanging up photos or paintings of natural landscapes like forests and fields can go a long way.