The 5 Best Chair Mats (2023 Review)

A chair mat is a multifunctional product, giving your office chair a smooth surface to glide over and protecting your floor from scuffing in a home office. The This Old House Reviews Team researched the best chair mats on Amazon and created a buyer’s guide to help you make an informed purchasing decision. Here are our top mat recommendations.

Top 5 Chair Mats

• Best For Hard Floors: MuArts Crystal Clear Heavy-Duty Chair Mat
• Best Heavy-Duty: Amazon Basics Polycarbonate Heavy Duty Office Chair Mat
• Best for Multiple Desks: Sillamate Office Chair Mats
• Best Coverage: Dimex Clear Rectangle Office Chair Mat
• Best Value: OFM ESS Collection Chair Mat

Best For Hard Floors: MuArts Crystal Clear Heavy-Duty Chair Mat

Pros and Cons

✔ Made of a non-toxic, odorless material
✔ Can also be used on carpets
✔ Sold in multipacks, making ordering easy for larger offices

✘ Doesn’t have beveled or sloped edges
✘ Might slip if it’s used on carpet because it doesn’t have spikes

What Customers Are Saying

Happy customers said that the mat didn’t scratch or crack from day-to-day use. Disappointed customers were frustrated that it didn’t have spikes because that kept it from staying in place on carpet.

Best Heavy-Duty: Amazon Basics Polycarbonate Heavy Duty Office Chair Mat

Pros and Cons

✔ Lightly textured surface provides controlled chair movement
✔ Holds up to 500 pounds
✔ Impact-resistant and highly rigid

✘ Some customers said their chair mat moved around on carpet
✘ More expensive than some other options

What Customers Are Saying

Customers were thrilled with this chair mat’s performance on all carpets, even thick ones. Customers said that it felt sturdy and was flat right out of the box. However, some customers noted the price point of this heavy-duty chair mat, stating that it was more expensive than other options.

Best for Multiple Desks: Sillamate Office Chair Mats

Pros and Cons

✔ Has a lip to prevent office chairs from rolling over the mat
✔ Has a studded underside to keep it in place on carpet
✔ Odorless, nontoxic, BPA and phthalate-free

✘ The gripper backing may damage wood floors
✘ Only available in one size

What Customers Are Saying

Satisfied customers were happy with these mats, stating that they shipped flat and didn’t curl beneath their office chair. Several customers also thought the size of the mats were perfect. The neutral clear color of the mats also matched customers’ desk decor. However, some customers thought that the mats weren’t thick enough for regular household carpet, and others thought that the mats weren’t rigid or sturdy enough.

Best Coverage: Dimex Clear Rectangle Office Chair Mat

Pros and Cons

✔ Made from BPA- and phthalate-free materials
✔ Undergoes humidity and temperature testing to ensure performance
✔ Has a smooth, stain-resistant, surface

✘ Only works with low-pile carpet up to 0.25 inches high
✘ Doesn’t have a lip, limiting coverage under your desk

What Customers Are Saying

Many customers wrote that the Dimex Clear Rectangle Office Chair Mat was durable and affordable and protected their carpeted areas. However, dissatisfied customers said that it was challenging to unroll because of its stiffness and that it indented their carpet after minimal use.

Best Value: OFM ESS Collection Chair Mat

Pros and Cons

✔ Has ramped edges that make it easy to slide your chair on and off it
✔ Features an extended lip for under-the-desk coverage
✔ Also available in a hard floor design without the spikes

✘ Not intended for use on hard floors
✘ Can take up to three days to flatten once it arrives because it’s shipped in a roll

What Customers Are Saying

Satisfied customers appreciated this mat’s features that helped it grip their carpet. They also said that it was a good value for the money. Unhappy customers had difficulty unrolling the mat because it was stiff. However, some customers said that it became less rigid if they left it in the sun for a day or two.

Buying Guide for Chair Mats

From thick carpet chair mats to office floors, it’s important to understand how each chair mat’s specifications impact its user experience. Here are four factors to consider to help you sort through office chair mats online.

Sizes

Office chair mats come in a variety of dimensions to suit your workspace. Each model is measured by its length and width, and these dimensions are used to calculate the mat’s square footage. For example, the Dimex Clear Rectangle Office Chair Mat measures 46 by 60 inches and covers around 19 square feet.

More compact models, such as the OFM ESS Collection Chair Mat, have smaller dimensions that cover around 12 square feet. This is just enough space to accommodate an average-sized office chair and often works well for compact home offices.

Designed Use

Not all office chair mats are designed for use on carpet and hard floors. Some chair mats come with a pronged underside that secures to carpeted flooring, providing a non-slip surface for rolling chairs. However, it’s not recommended for use on hardwood floors because the prongs could scratch the wood. Other models, including the MuArts Crystal Clear Heavy-Duty Chair Mat, don’t have the spikes, making them usable on hard or carpeted floors.

Price

Entry-level chair mats made of vinyl or thin PVC plastic can cost as little as $30 to $50. Thicker mats made of high-quality polycarbonate or tempered glass may cost upward of $100.

Lip

Some office chairs, such as the OFM ESS Collection Chair Mat, have a lip that protrudes from the mat. This lip isn’t as wide as the rest of the mat, allowing it to fit in the cutout under your desk to extend your coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an office chair mat?

You don’t need one, but they can enhance your office setup because they protect your floors and make moving your chair easy.

Should I use a chair mat on hardwood floors?

Because hardwood floors already have a smooth, flat surface, you can easily glide your chair across them. However, a mat can prevent the chair’s feet from damaging the wood.

What can I use instead of a chair mat?

If you don’t want to use a mat, you can purchase a standing desk to eliminate the need for a chair. You can also update the wheels on your office chair to rollerblade ones. These glide more smoothly across surfaces without damaging them.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

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