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Floor Mat Materials Guide: Rubber vs Coir vs Textile
Selecting the best workplace floor mats for your business is about more than making a great first impression. It can impact workplace safety and regulatory compliance, as well as the cleanliness and hygiene of your building.
Ultimately, the perfect floor mats for your business need to balance durability and style with function. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve created a comparative guide for the most popular mat materials.
What are the most common floor mat materials?
Purchasing new floor matting for your business can seem daunting. Floor mat materials have unique characteristics and performance properties that make them more suitable for some use cases than others.
The most common mat materials include:
- Rubber mats are durable and slip-resistant, making them ideal for regulatory compliance. Rubber matting is waterproof, easy to clean, straightforward to maintain and highly weather-resistant. Nitrile or synthetic rubber is highly resistant to moisture, oil and chemicals and is often used as a backing material.
- Coir matting has excellent dirt-trapping properties and plays a vital role in workplace cleanliness. Made from natural coconut fibres, coir matting is biodegradable and eco-friendly, but can become mouldy if exposed to excess moisture.
- Fabric mat materials include nylon, polyester, and polypropylene. Depending on the material you choose, fabric workplace mats can be highly absorbent, lightweight, and stain-resistant. Their durability and low maintenance make them a solid choice for high-traffic areas. Microfibre is another popular fabric choice with increased absorbency and the ability to trap dirt and odours.
For more information, take a look at our guide to Choosing the Right Entrance Matting for Your Business.
What is the best material for a floor mat?
There are several factors to consider when choosing workplace mat materials. For instance, entrance matting takes a lot of wear and tear, so a durable material like rubber is ideal. Its slip resistance also makes it a good choice for wet area matting.
Nitrile rubber is often used for anti-fatigue mats, providing cushioned comfort for teams on their feet all day or for custom rubber mats in areas exposed to oil and chemicals.
If sustainability is a major consideration, coir is another material well worth considering. Its ability to scrape dirt and debris away from boots and shoes makes it an obvious choice for Permanent Fitted Entrance Mats. By trapping dust, mud, and allergens, it also prevents floor damage and improves air quality.
Fabric mats are commonly used in commercial and hospitality settings, where their properties and aesthetics make them an excellent choice for Loose Lay Mats in high-traffic areas.
Our custom logo fabric mats can be branded with your corporate colours, logo and key messaging, creating a positive customer impression. In addition, they trap dirt, dust and moisture to minimise slips and falls, and prevent your floors from being damaged by dirt, debris and grit.
Head-to-head comparison: coir, rubber and fabric
So how do coir, rubber and fabric perform in comparison to one another? Use our detailed at-a-glance comparison of the best floor mat materials below.
| Feature | Coir | Rubber | Fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best use case | Fitted entrance mats | Anti-fatigue mats, Wet area matting, Outdoor matting | Loose lay mats, Custom logo mats |
| Durability | Moderate, best used indoors | Highly durable, suitable for indoor and outdoor use | Highly resistant to fading and stains |
| Water resistance | Moderate to poor, will break down if continually exposed to moisture | Excellent water resistance, ideal for wet areas | Polypropylene, nylon and microfibre are highly absorbent for non-slip areas |
| Dirt trapping | Coarse fibres are excellent for scraping and trapping dirt | Textured rubber mats are effective at trapping mud | Textile mats with coarse fibres are effective at trapping dirt |
| Ease of maintenance | Must be regularly shaken and vacuumed occasionally | Very low upkeep, can be hosed clean | Should be regularly cleaned |
| Aesthetics | Rustic, natural and welcoming | Modern, available in a wide range of styles | Wide range of styles, including branded logo mats for a strong first impression |
| Eco-friendliness | 100% natural and biodegradable | Highly durable, often made from recycled materials | Often made using recycled materials such as plastic bottles |
| Grip and safety | Moderate, can be slippery when wet or the fibres are worn | Excellent surface grip, also makes a superior non-slip backing | Highly absorbent, prevents slips and falls |
| Comfort | Rough texture and bristly fibres are coarse and stiff underfoot, not suitable for comfort-oriented use | Resilient and highly comfortable, encourages micro movements that ease back and foot pain | Minimal cushioning. Can be comfortable underfoot for short periods, but not suitable for reducing fatigue |
Make phs your trusted partner for workplace matting
At phs, we specialise in floorcare hygiene. Whether you’re looking for the best workplace mats for safety and regulatory compliance or logo mats for a positive first impression, make us your partner of choice.
Our services include design and installation, slip safety testing, and floor maintenance. With phs on board, you can maintain compliance with workplace regulations without sacrificing aesthetics and brand identity.
Get in touch today, and the phs team will be happy to help.
