Chair Mat for Carpet or Hard Floor

The Underside Decides Everything

A carpet chair mat has a studded underside. The studs push through the pile and anchor the mat. A hard floor chair mat has no grippers at all; it uses an anti-slide coating instead. Put a studded mat on hardwood and the studs mark the floor. Put a coated mat on carpet and it slides every time a chair is pushed back.

Carpet Depth Has A Limit

Studded mats are suitable only for low and medium pile carpets. On deep pile the studs cannot reach through to anything solid, so the mat floats and moves. If your carpet is deeper than medium pile, a chair mat is the wrong product for the position.

PVC Office Chair Mat for Carpet in Rectangle Shape

Thickness Follows The Floor

Hard floor mats are available from 1.5mm to 3.0mm. Carpet mats start at 2.0mm and run to 3.0mm, because a mat over carpet flexes more and a thin panel would crack. Both are made from PVC that is specified as thick and sturdy yet pliable, so it does not shatter under a caster.

Rectangle Or Lip

A lip is a tongue that extends under the desk. It covers the strip of floor where wear concentrates when a chair is pushed in and pulled out, and it stops the casters dropping off the front edge of the mat. Both shapes come in 30x48in, 36x48in, 45x53in and 46x60in, or a custom size.

PVC Chair Mat for Hardwood Floors in Lip Shape

When A Fabric Mat Is The Better Answer

Printed fabric chair mats are an alternative for hard floors only. They roll for shipping instead of shipping as a rigid panel, they will not crack, and the whole surface takes brand artwork. They are not recommended for carpet.