Why You Should Avoid Glass Chair Mats & The Better Alternatives For Hardwood Floors

Q: How to Install a Glass Chair Mat

Setting up a chair mat with your workstation is simple. Basically you remove your chair from the area and plop it down. If you have carpeted floors, I suggest cleaning the rug before installation.

Q: What are standing mats, and can I use them with my chair?

The quick answer is NO . Standing mats make staying in place at your workstation for lengthy periods of time easier. You should avoid using a standing mat in place of a chair mat is because it’s hard to roll around over the thick cushions. It means these mats to help ache legs and not for office chair casters.

Q: Soft Wheel V.S. Hard Wheel Casters, What’s Different?

Soft casters are kinda like a roller skate wheel and softer than hard plastic casters. They design these types of chair wheels to roll around best on hard surface flooring. Hard casters work better with carpet and rugs. They are commonly available nylon twin casters and covered by a plastic shell to make rolling on a thick carpet floor easier to move on softer surfaces. Knowing which two types of casters is on your office chair may save you from damaging your floor.

Want to be proactive about protecting floors from scrapes?

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Why avoid using glass chair mats?

Are Chair Mats Are Not All That Bad?

Any Alternatives to Glass Chair Mats?

Mats | Glass VS Transparent Synthetic

Why Avoid Glass Chair Mats?

Five Reasons you should avoid using glass chair mats on hardwood floors.

When I say hardwood floors I also mean tile, patio, marble, laminate, linoleum, brick, ceramic, concrete, and any other non-carpeted surface unlisted.

The Limit Overall Mobility (Weak Chair Glides)
Difficult to Install & Heavy Compared To Alternative Materials
Fragile to Transport (May Break or Chip Being Shipped)
Expensive Compared To Alternatives Materials ( $79 – $599)
Needs to be cleaned more often (High Maintenance)

What is a glass chair mat?

An extra little floor for your office chair to protect the actual floor from their plastic wheels. They are unique to other material chair mats in at least two ways.

The rigidness of tempered glass makes rolling on soft floors like rugs easier.
Since these chair mats are clear it makes them very adaptable for any professional office space setting.

Glass Chair Mats Limit Mobility

The area of a chair mat is usually between 2 to 5 square feet. This may seem like enough space for your workstation, but think about rolling over across the room to grab a printed piece of paper, or to shred it.

Longer & Delicate, Installation Process

The is process is still simple, but translucent glass makes it easy for any dirt underneath them. Be sure to that installation space is clean and on even ground.

Dirt Gets Under The Glass Chair Mat

These types of floor protection require daily maintenance because dirt gets under the few centimetres between the chair mat and ground.

Glass Chair Mats Chip From Wear & Tear

Your enormous glass sheet will hopefully be sent out with no damages. Even if your package comes in one piece, the sides may chip from getting rolled over daily.

More Expensive Than Alternatives

Compared to alternative materials, Glass is by far the most expensive type of chair mat. They are double the price of transparent synthetic chair mats. there are other ways of protecting your floor from chair scratching like equipping soft wheels casters.

What Should I Look For In A Glass Chair Mat?

These chair mats should be scratch resistant (tempered glass)

An important feature to look for in glass chair mats is that they have bevel edges. This little ramp will make cracking or chipping less likely from chairs rolling off and on them.

Avoid chair mats with extreme beveled edges because it can affected the integrity of the glass by reducing the edges thickness. Instead look for a pencil polish finish.

Glass Chair Mats VS Soft Wheels?

They might be different products but they both solve the same problem.

Glass Chair Mat	V.S.	Soft Wheel Caster Kit
Over $199	PRICE	Under $100
Hard To Install	INSTALLATION	Easy To Install
Limited (60 X 60)	RANGE	Unlimited (Room Size)
Needs To Be Cleaned Daily	MAINTENANCE	Occasionally

The Best Alternative To Chair Mats Is Not Flat But Round

Unwilling to be bound by a glass square? Then Think outside the box.

Soft Caster Rollerblade Style Casters are not the traditional casters for office chairs. These specialized wheels are sold separately, but are worth the cost.

Glass Chair Mats Are Not All Bad

Here Are Seven Things We Like About These Niche Office Chair Accessory.

In workspaces with soft surfaces such as a rugged floor, a glass chair mat provides a hard surface great for rolling over. The smoothness of glass is unmatched compared to other chairs, mats!

1)Five Times Stronger Than Your Windows (Untreated) Glass

Most glass chair mats can support up to 1000 lbs (454kg).

2)Will NOT discolor with age

Looks more professional than plastic and vinyl chair mats (IMHO).

3)Last longer than other types of chair mats

Will NOT bend under your weight of continuous sitting.

4)Odorless, Does not have the smell of chemical

Some people can even get sick from the synthetic scent found on vinyl chair mats.

5)Easier to clean stains (Just Use Windex)

No cross to clean compared to plastic and vinyl chair mats!

6)Eco-Friendly Compared To Synthetic Material Chair Mats

Glass chair mats are sourced from recycled materials, using 25% to 30% reclaimed glass.

7)The High Cost Matches With The Products Lifespan

Compared to the cheaper plastic chair mats, with proper care glass mats will last multiple vinyl chair mat lifetimes.

The Chair Mat Size Comparison Chart

SIZES	DIMENSIONS	SHAPE
Small	36" x 46"	Rectangle
Medium	44" x 50"	Rectangle
Medium	46" x 46"	Square
Medium Large	40" x 60"	Rectangle
Medium Large	45" x 57"	Rectangle
Medium Large	48" x 48"	Circle
Medium Large	48" x 60"	Rectangle
Large	60" x 60"	Rectangle

Small (36” X 48”)

This limited dimension is best for a less spacious workstation. For those who value aesthetic, these smaller mats are not as much of an eye sought.

Medium ( 44” X 50”)

This additional space compared to smaller mats is best for the spare bedroom home office. If you want to maintain the rooms aesthetic, these medium-sized mats blend into their surroundings.

Medium Large( 48” X 60”)

This additional space compared to smaller mats is best for the spare bedroom home office. If you want to maintain the rooms aesthetic, these medium-sized mats blend into their surroundings.

Large ( 60” X 60”)

The longer length will make mobility easier. If you have the room for larger dimensions, they offer a better workspace experience.

What Should I Look For In A Glass Chair Mat?

These chair mats should be scratch resistant (tempered glass)

An important feature to look for in glass chair mats is that they have bevel edges. This little ramp will make cracking or chipping less likely from chairs rolling off and on them.

Avoid chair mats with extreme beveled edges because it can affected the integrity of the glass by reducing the edges thickness. Instead look for a pencil polish finish.

The Differences In Chair Mats?

While all mats will protect your floor, some won’t last the test of time.

Glass Chair Mats VS Transparent Synthetic Material Chair Mats, Which is best?

Glass chair mats are heavier, more rigid, and are costly to make compared to transparent synthetic materials. Glass will last much longer but are usually twice the price tag.

Plastic or Vinyl chair mats are less costly, but have shorter lifespans. They are quicker to wear out from daily use and if not replaced will ruin the floor, it sought them to protect.

Cleaning each chair mat has its pros and cons.

Glass chair mats need to be dusted more to maintain its like ‘new’ look.
Plastic and vinyl chairs show their blemishes less overtly, but over time will build up gunk that is more difficult to clean.

Why You Should Avoid Glass Chair Mats & The Better Alternatives For Hardwood Floors