What are the benefits of chair mats?

Designed to improve comfort and efficiency in the workplace, wheeled office chairs are common place. They can make it easier to sit for long periods, and allow free movement around an individual’s workspace. But on carpet they can be hard to move, and they can wear flooring. A chair mat helps with both.

Chair mats are constructed from a number of different materials and come in a range of sizes, shapes and thicknesses. They are designed to protect the workspace environment while making movement around it smoother.

Carpet makes a wheeled chair harder to move. For carpeted floors, a chair mat gives the wheels a smooth surface to travel over.

Flooring surfaces are also vulnerable to damage caused by rolling chairs. The combined weight of the chair and the person sitting in it is directed downward onto the floor at just four or five points. These pressure points move constantly throughout the day, and can create wear, furrows and gouges in both hard floors and carpeting.

Three materials are commonly used to make chair mats – polycarbonate, PVC and rubber.

Polycarbonate and PVC are thermoplastics, with polycarbonate stronger and stiffer than PVC. This stiffness suits carpeted floors. Long-life polycarbonate chair mats from Advance Matting are suitable for any thickness of carpet, with spikes on the underside to ensure they will not move. They are also easy to clean with a damp cloth and safe for use with underfloor heating.

Flexible PVC mats are suitable for both carpet and hard floors. Advance supplies PVC mats in rectangular and keyhole shapes, with or without spikes. These, too, are easy to clean and safe with underfloor heating.

Rubber mats are generally thicker than polycarbonate or PVC, and remain secure on hard floors and carpet without requiring spikes. Our 5mm keyhole-shaped mats have a non-trip bevelled edge for safety, and are a suitable alternative to the traditional PVC or polycarbonate chair mats.

Chair mats are a practical addition to most workplaces.