The Best Treadmill Mats

We’ve gathered some great treadmill mats to pair with your treadmill and protect your New Year’s resolution.

Buying Guide for Treadmill Mats

Why buy a treadmill mat?

A treadmill mat protects the floor, absorbs sweat, and dampens noise from your running treadmill. You don’t have to have nice hardwood floors to benefit from a mat, either. Sweat damages the carpet and creates a foul odor, too. The sheer weight of the treadmill leaves impressions on carpeting and can mark up the floor as you exercise, especially with nothing to hold the equipment in place. A quality mat can prevent all these unfortunate circumstances from happening.

What should you look for in a treadmill mat?

• Material: Ideally, treadmill mats are made of thick rubber or PVC material. They’re the best for several reasons. They give mats nonslip protection, a noise-dampening effect, and stability so that the treadmill doesn’t slide as you work out. Quality material is also key to durability and therefore longevity.
• Size: Measure your treadmill, then consider how much extra space you want around it. Consider how far your sweat might travel, how much space you want when you step on and off the treadmill, and so forth. Most important, of course, is how much space you have in your living room or workout space.
• Design: Most of the treadmill mats we review here are simple rubber or vinyl rectangles about 3 by 6 feet in dimension. However, some designs fold up, which is a nice feature if you also want a mat for yoga. There are also exercise equipment pads and simple squares that you position where your treadmill needs the most support.

How much can you expect to spend on a treadmill mat?

You don’t have much to worry about with the price. We found several quality products around the same $25 price range. Just note that the larger the mat, the higher the price. There are super-sized mats that can run for about $300. These are great if you want the mat to extend and cover most of your home gym floor for yoga or other exercises.

Our Picks for the Best Treadmill Mats

Pros: The EVA foam interlocking puzzle mat is a great solution for treadmill users who want the room to stretch or lift weights. The six pieces and 12 border strips cover 24 square feet and are easy to assemble and disassemble. Thicker than many treadmill or exercise mats, the ProsourceFit puzzle mat performs well as a noise dampener. The puzzle mat also makes fantastic, soft flooring for children’s play areas.

Cons: The six tiles measure 6 feet in length, which is shorter than most treadmills. You’ll need to buy two ProsourceFit mats to adequality pad the full length of your treadmill.

Bottom Line: Its best qualities are its thickness (which is crucial for treadmills) and its versatility. With two, you get plenty of space to use your treadmill, do bodyweight exercises, and stretch.

 

Pros: It’s not often you come across exercise equipment made in the U.S. from domestically-sourced, nontoxic materials! Well, SuperMats was able to put it together just for you. The vinyl, super-durable mat dampens the noise you’ll make as you walk or run. Equally important, the mat staves off the damage a heavy piece of equipment makes on a floor. It also protects the treadmill from dust and debris entering the underside of the equipment. You want to keep the mechanical parts clean to prolong the life of your new exercise machine.

Cons: Some users report that the mat is thinner than expected.

Bottom Line: This treadmill mat has a lot going for it. At 2.5 feet by 6 feet, it’s the perfect size for treadmills and equipment like ellipticals and rowing machines.

 

Pros: Go all out to reach your maximum heart rate, sweat like crazy, and holler self-congratulations for your achievement. This mat can handle almost everything you through at it. It’s waterproof and sweat-resistant, so cleanup is easy. It’s nonslip, so if you step in your sweat before you’ve had a chance to clean up, no worries. Resilient to the weight of heavy exercise equipment, the mat won’t break down but will continue to protect your floor and treadmill through the years. It comes in four different sizes for your convenience.

Cons: It might be thinner than you’d like. It also tears easily, according to some users.

Bottom Line: When you need to rearrange your home gym, roll up this mat and store it; it’s foldable and convenient! You have a choice between four sizes to fit your treadmill and space.

 

Pros: With this innovative approach to the treadmill mat, you get to build your own. At least you can decide where to place each thick, moisture-resistant rubber squares exactly where you want them. With six square pads, you can fully protect your floor from treadmills up to 6 feet long. The key is to find the precise points where the machine contacts the floor.

Cons: The squares don’t provide full coverage since they’re separate pieces.

Bottom Line: There is no reason to have a large, carpet-like mat taking up so much space with these high-quality exercise equipment pads. They give you the cushion you need to protect the floor, dampen noise, and maintain the spaciousness of your room.

 

Pros: There’s no reason to tread lightly on this high-density PVC mat. The material absorbs vibrations and protects floors, an important quality for heavy exercise equipment like treadmills. The average treadmill weighs between 200 to 300 pounds; higher-end models weigh even more because their motors are more powerful and bulky. Because the BalanceFrom mat performs so well for treadmills, it’s great for stationary bikes, too, even the heavier, most expensive brands. The mat is anti-slip and available in a foldable version for easy storage and a regular design that can be rolled up.

Cons: The mat is only 0.25 inches thick, which may not hold up with use. Some users report that the mat can tear and isn’t long enough for some treadmills.

Bottom Line: This BalanceFrom mat provides a great solution for at-home gym treadmills’ floor coverage and vibration absorption. Each length comes in a foldable or regular design.

Final Thoughts

While they may not be the most exciting thing to buy, treadmill mats play a critical role in the lives of those who own treadmills. They prevent odor buildup, dampen noise, and protect the floor as well as the exposed mechanical parts of the treadmill. Instead of refinishing your floor, professionally cleaning your carpet, or buying a new treadmill, get one of these good treadmill mats instead!