How To Choose The Correct Chair Mat

All Matshop's heavy duty chair mats are covered by an exclusive 12-year warranty. That is the longest warranty in the industry. But, how do you choose which one is best for you?

Selecting the correct chair mat is important for protecting your floors, getting the maximum life from the chair mat and making rolling up to your desk safe and easy. Using less effort when rolling over a mat will eliminate strain on your lower back.

A chair mat that is too thin or lightweight will cause premature cracking and create deep impressions from the chair castors. This makes it difficult to move around your desk and the surrounding area.

Below is a step-by-step guide to assist in making this task easy:

First, is the mat being used on carpet or hard floors (timber, vinyl, tiles, polished concrete etc.)?

If it is placed on hard floors there is one option, the chair mat for hard floor range.

If you are using the chair mat on carpet then follow the simple steps below.

Does your carpet have underlay? If yes, choose from the chair mats for carpet with underlay range.

If you do not have underlay (i.e. if you have carpet tiles or a budget carpet stuck directly to the floor) select from our chair mats for carpets without underlay.

If you are not sure whether your carpet has underlay, you can do the simple test below:

 

Measure the thickness of the carpet and underlay

To do this, use a long drawing pin or straighten the end of a paper clip. Insert the straight end into the carpet and through the underlay until it hits the solid surface below the underlay. (Some carpets have a tightly woven backing so you may have to wiggle the paper clip or pin gently to force it through this backing).

When the pin or paperclip hits the hard subfloor below grip it with your index finger and thumb right at the highest point of the carpet being careful not to press down which will give a false reading.

Remove the paperclip or pin from the carpet and measure from the tip of the pin to where you are marking with your fingers. This will be the total height of your carpet and this measurement can be used when buying your Matshop Chair Mats. If your total measurements (thickness) is less than 12mm you will require a chair mat for carpet without underlay, if it is 12mm or more you will require a chair mat for carpet with underlay.

Note: Be sure to include the underlay in your measurement, most (99.9%) domestic homes have a 10mm underlay and will fall into the chair mat for carpet with underlay category.

Measure the thickness of the carpet and underlay