The Best Gym Floor Mats

There are lots of things to love about gym floor mats. They’re relatively affordable, should last a while, and can help improve your performance. The right mat will cushion you as you exercise and keep you from slipping during your weight lifting or lunging. If you want to elevate your home gym, take a look at our top picks for gym floor mats.

Buying Guide for Gym Floor Mats

Why buy a gym floor mat?

Give your body a break from some of the stress of your workout with a gym floor mat. When you add a little cushion between yourself and the ground, you’ll save your joints from some of the stress of impact. Gym floor mats can also give your feet a good grip. Whether you’re lifting weights, doing a new yoga pose, or getting in some jumping jacks, you want to have a sound footing. Lastly, gym floor mats will protect your flooring from potential damage from exercise equipment like barbells and workout benches.

What should you consider in a gym floor mat?

• Connective Ability: Many gym floor mats come in multiple pieces that connect like a puzzle. These are great for creating a customized size and thickness and are convenient to clean.
• Cushioning: You’ll want to find a mat designed to support you as you work out. Some will be too thin, while others may be too tough for shoeless exercises or stretches. It’s important to find the right balance!
• Durability: The gym floor mat you pick should be built to take a beating! You’ll likely be doing pretty intense exercises on these mats, so you’ll want a product that will last through years of gym sessions.

What special features should you look for?

Some mats are made to be super nonslip. This is a great feature that adds a layer of protection as you work out. You don’t want the mat to move around as you jump, stretch, or lift, after all. Some models will also come in different thickness options, which is nice for creating a more customized home gym. Some will prefer inch-thick mats to give their feet some comfort, while others will only want half an inch of cushioning between their feet and the hard floor.

Our Picks for the Best Gym Floor Mats

Pros: The BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat features puzzle pieces of high-density EVA foam that connect to form a mat. It prevents you from slipping and protects you from hard floors. It’s also moisture-resistant to keep you from slipping on your sweat. You can easily wash this mat using just water and soap whenever it’s starting to smell a bit off.

Cons: They don’t always fit together perfectly and can tear more quickly than you might like.

Bottom Line: These mats are an excellent choice for several uses and locations, including at-home gyms or more professional spaces. While the connection between the mats may not always be the strongest, they often end up being more than enough to complete your workout space.

 

Pros: The Playsafer Heavy-Duty Interlocking Rubber Gym Tiles are designed to handle intense gym sessions. They feature shock-absorbing cushioning that helps reduce stress on your body as you’re working out. Also, they’re designed to reduce noise and vibration as you jump up and down or run around—a sweet feature if you happen to live in an apartment. Connecting the tiles is pretty easy, thanks to how they were engineered.

Cons: These mats can get pricey. They can start peeling, which is not ideal. These mats also don’t have edges, which can make installation challenging.

Bottom Line: While the price is a bit higher than other options, you get a comfy product that will make your home gym look great. That look may not last as long as you like, but the comfort will!

 

Pros: The Prosource Fit Extra-Thick Puzzle Exercise Mat is built to give you an impact-free workout. It will absorb those hard hits your body tends to take when you’re working out since it comes in 3/4-inch and 1-inch thicknesses. And with interlocking pieces, it’s quick and easy to piece these mats together, whether you need them for a home gym or a more professional space. Finally, with a nonskid design, there aren’t many exercises you can’t do on these mats!

Cons: It tends to rip quickly, especially when you’re doing more intense exercises. It’s also not always easy to make the pieces fit together, so you may have to spend some time making it all work.

Bottom Line: For the price and cushion this mat provides, it’s worth considering. It may start to wear down before you like, but with a bit of care, it’s great for less intense exercises.

 

Pros: The GXMMAT Extra-Large Exercise Mat is a supersized option with plenty of room for almost any exercise. Whether that’s dancing, jumping rope, or weight lifting, these mats give you the space to stay in shape. With a double-sided nonslip surface, you can feel confident that you’re not going to fall while working out. There’s also plenty of cushioning to protect your elbows, knees, and wrists from stress.

Cons: The main drawback of these mats is the thickness: they tend to be thinner than you might expect. There’s also an odd smell to these mats, but it’ll eventually go away.

Bottom Line: This extra-large mat is very accommodating! It won’t slip, it provides tons of space, and it comes at a fair price. While it could be thicker, that shouldn’t be a huge issue since it’s good at so many other things!

 

Pros: The Launch Fitness Jump Rope Mat is made for those who like to work up a sweat by jumping rope. This mat offers extra cushioning and support to reduce the impact on your body. It also comes in an oval shape to take up less space but still gives you enough room to always land on the mat. Best of all, it’s designed to be nonslip, so your sweat won’t be an issue!

Cons: It’s smaller than the others. While the mat is designed to keep you from slipping, sometimes the bottom will slip around as you’re jumping, which can be frustrating.

Bottom Line: This mat is easy to carry, protects your body from impact, and has enough space for your jump rope. Plus, you can use it both indoors and out, so you can get in a workout wherever you want.

Final Thoughts

Installing one of these gym floor mats in your home can make you feel like a pro, and the reduced stress on your body may help you work out for longer.