Best Door Mats: Ultimate List of Australian Door Mats 2022-23

The best option for our customers’ most common applications.

If you’re looking for a door mat, you’ve probably noticed there are a lot of options. From different materials to different traffic levels, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. At Matshop, we are on a mission to give the best advice to anyone looking for it.

So, here is our answer to the question: what is the best door mat in Australia? As with any question, the answer depends on how you want to use your mat. What works best for a huge outdoor farmyard will be different to inside a corporate office.

Before we tell you how to choose the right door mat, there are a few other questions you should consider:

 

Why do you need a door mat?

Door mats are the first line of defence against dirt and moisture entering your home. As people walk over a door mat, the bristles scrape their shoes, to remove and trap dirt from the soles.

They are also integral to preventing slips, trips and falls. Slip and fall accidents are one of the largest workplace injuries, causing 65% of missed workdays each year. Anti slip matting creates traction between feet and surfaces, as well as keeping floors dry.

For more information on how door mats work, check out this article on keeping your doormat inside or outside.

 

What types of door mats are there?

Door mats are made from a range of materials. The most common are:

• Rubber: rubber is naturally non-slip, which makes it ideal for entrances. It is also one of the most durable mat materials.
• Coir: Coir is sustainable, durable and weather-resistant. It also looks great at almost any entrance.
• PVC: Plastic matting is great for scraping and catching dirt but is not slip-resistant.
• Nylon: Nylon carpet matting has a plush feel underfoot, which gives entrances a more comfortable feel. It is also absorbent and long-lasting.
• Polypropylene: Polypropylene is the most absorbent mat material on the market.
• Aluminium: Aluminium matting looks very smart and reflects light beautifully.

They can also be installed in 1 of 3 ways:

• Laid loose: Loose-laid door mats have been placed on the floor with no adhesive or structure to keep them in place. This only works with non-slip mats like those with rubber backs.
• Fixed: Fixed mats are laid on top of the floor like loose-laid ones but have been fixed to the floor in some way. For examples of this, check out this post on how to prevent floor mats from moving around.
• Recessed: Recessed door mats are fitted into a mat well, which drops the surface of the mat down level with the floor. This is ideal for reducing slips, trips, and falls.

And they can be used across a variety of industries, including:

• Education: Non slip matting is crucial in schools.
• Warehouses: Non slip anti fatigue matting prevents injury and accidents.
• Hospitality: Greaseproof matting can resist hot oils and liquid spills.
• Healthcare: Sticky room mats go in doorways to keep dirt out of sterile areas.
• Retail: Anti fatigue mats keep cashiers comfortable.
• Commercial: Commercial buildings need door mats that follow the Building Code.
• Residential: Absorbent mats in doorways keep entranceways clean and safe.

 

The Best Door Mats by Application

1. Best door mat for a high traffic area

Absorbent, heavy-duty matting is critical for high traffic entrances. With the increased levels of footfall, your door mat needs to be much more durable than those in low or medium traffic areas. They should also be able to hide dirt and water in their structure, to prevent the removed particles from getting in the way of later traffic.

Hardy materials like rubber are ideal for backing, and reinforced carpet surfaces will withstand constant pressure without crushing.

Work out if your building counts as a high traffic area with this article all about traffic levels.

Example: Diamond Pattern Dual Level Polypropylene Mat

2. Best door mat for inside areas

All mats should be slip-resistant, but it’s especially important for indoor door mats as floors inside tend to have less grip. Tiles, hardwood and vinyl are all popular flooring materials, but the beautiful shiny surfaces do not offer much resistance to someone in socks or soft shoes.

Indoor door mats also need to be absorbent. They work best paired with outdoor door mats and are the second stage of shoes-cleaning: the drying stage. Removing as much water as possible is critical for keeping inside floors clean.

For more detailed options, check out our round-up of the best indoor door mats.

Example: Nylon Twist Pile Rubber Backed Mat

 

3. Best door mat for outside areas

The best door mat for outside areas can withstand various weather conditions. Outdoors is not the place for your carpet-surfaced door mats. Waterproof materials like rubber and plastic are ideal for use outside.

The best mats for outdoor areas have a drainage system for rain and other liquids. This may be holes or channels that run above or below the mat. Alternatively, an outdoor mat should be able to hold large volumes of dirt and water within dam edges.

Example: Rubber Outdoor Scraper Mat

4. Most eco-friendly door mat

Natural coir is hands down the most popular sustainable mat material. It is made from the fibres discarded as a by-product of the coconut industry, so coir doormats prevent the coconut husks from contributing to the 998 million tons of waste that end up in landfill each year.

All our rubber mats are made from recycled rubber, but not all are. Check with your supplier to see how they source their rubber; the ecological footprint varies between manufacturers and products.

Example: Traditional Coir Mat with Woven Sides

5. Best front door mat for homes

Homemakers love door mats that are easy to clean. Machine-washable mats are ideal for homes, as they require the least maintenance. Some homeowners also like to place a ‘Welcome’ on their mat, to make visitors feel at home.

Home doorways also don’t tend to deal with a high amount of foot traffic. That means, they can go for something comfortable and aesthetic over something heavy duty. A carpet-surfaced entrance mat is ideal because it feels plush underfoot and keeps floors clean.

Example: Nylon Twist Pile Rubber Backed Welcome Mat

6. Best door mat for a high visual impact

If you want your entrance to look amazing, aluminium mats might be your best option. Aluminium door mats reflect the light and look impressive, but they do not absorb water as well as other materials.

Aluminium mats are a favourite among architects, but we don’t usually recommend them. They tend to make a loud noise and are not very absorbent. But they do make a great entrance! You can read about the problems with aluminium mats here.

Example: Aluminium Architectural Scraper Entrance Mat

Stuck? Let us help you

There is a huge range of door mats to choose from, and it’s no wonder some of our customers are confused when they first speak to us.

If you have read this far and are still thinking ‘I don’t know what door mat is best for me’ then stress no more. Our friendly team of matxperts are perfectly trained to offer personalised recommendations and advice.

As always, you can reach us using the chat function below, or by calling 1300 628 746. If you prefer to chat over email, ours is [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!