Why Your Office Chair Needs A Chair Mat?

Accessories, Guides, Resources, Tips

Why should I Spend So Much On an office chair mat?

Sizing Up Your Work Station With A Chair Mat

Why should I Use A Chair Mat

Believe it or not most furniture manufacturers will void their warranties unless you use a chair mat!

This is because chair mats offer better protection against scuffs, scratches, and indents caused by the wheels of an office chair. Compared to carpets, chair mats are more accessible and are easier to clean in case of a spill.

Chair mats make rolling around within your workspace much more accessible — Think about your last attempt at rolling an office chair over a carpet. It’s almost a workout, but usually cause back pain or leg strain instead.

A lesser-known advantage chair mats have over rugs is that they’re anti static. That means a these mats will save you from potentially frying your computer or other electronics from a static electric shock.

An anti-static chair mat circumvents static electricity from reaching your computer or electronic devices;Using one may save you from the loss of data and sometimes the actual device.

What To Know Before You Buy

Choosing the wrong chair mat can cause damage such as cracking to the chair mat, resulting in needless additional cost.

First things first, check what kind of floor surfaces the mat covers. Hard surfaces, such as a laminate, vinyl tile, or hardwood, need smooth backing. This backing will best protect the floor and keep the mat in place. These are thinner types of mats that have more straight than beveled edges.

The heavier the carpet, the thicker the chair. Thinner mats may crack or permanently bend on heavier carpets. For carpeted floors choose a mat with small spiked cleats, these are specifically designed to hold the mat in place without harming the carpet.

Anchor Chair Mats are specially designed to reduce noise, protect the rug, and make it easier to maneuver around. We place these mats under rugs and or thinner chair mats to keep them in place.

If your workstation includes expensive electronic equipment, it might be worth researching into an anti-static mat. Anti- static mats are just one way to reduce the chances of static shocking your computer into a blue screen.

Sizing Your Office With A Chair Mat

The Chair Mat Size Guide For All Types Work Station

Make sure the chair mat has enough space to cover your workstation. Too much space is not a big deal, but too little space will bend the sides of the mat.

Assess your workstations area by looking at the total floor space, the size of your chairs bases, and the width of your desk.

Match these dimensions with the standard incremental size that chair mats are sold in.

The Following data was gathered from Amazon, Walmart, & eBay Market Places.*

Chair Mats Industry Standards	Economy	Small	Medium	Large
Length and Width of Mat	36" x 48	45" x 53"	54" x 60"	72" x 96"
Thickness of Cushion	100 mil ~ 1/10"	125 mil ~ 1/8"	145 mil ~ 1/7"	200 mil 1/5"

Office Chair Mat Types | Info

What’s Your Budget, The Average Cost

Chair mats come at different prices, vinyl ones are less expensive than wood-finish ones. Therefore, a Vinyl is the best choice for the budget-minded buyer.

Chair Mats	Vinyl	Glass	Plastic	Laminate
Beteween	20$ - 60$	70$ - 300$	15$ - 280$	15$ - 350$
Best For	Hard Flood	Carpet Floor	Hyrbird	Hybird

DIY Make Your Own Chair Mat

For the people who do NOT want an ugly plastic chair mat to ruin the aesthetic they work so hard to create.

You forgot to budget in a chair mat after spending your hard earned cash on the perfect workstation and ergonomic chair?

If you’re looking to purchase a medium to large mat such as the Aniji Mountain Tri-fold Bamboo Chair Mat can be $200 plus dollars!

Not looking to spend hundreds on a glorified floor covering for your office chair? Here is a cheaper DIY method of creating a premium wooden office chair mats.

STEP 1 | Gather Materials

First, measure out the dimensions of your workspace and decide on how large of a mat you want to create. I’m creating a 4×4 ft square.

Go to your local home improvement store and purchase a piece of plywood. Depending on the wood, the 4×4 cut will range in price between $25 – $50 from Home Depot.
Luxury vinyl flooring will go on top of this 4×4 piece of plywood. A 4×4 vinyl take home sample is only $3 from Home Depot. There are over 200+ different patterns. Some noteworthy designs I liked are Scratch Stone, Twilight Oak, and Islander Bamboo.

STEP 2 | Create Your Chair Mat

You back from getting your materials and your read to slap the vinyl onto the plywood, not so fast!

Lay out the vinyl squares, make sure they’re squared up, and that you can live with the pattern.
Sand the plywood, so it will better stick with the vinyl and clean of the sides to customize the lip with the wheels of your chair.
Attaching the vinyl to your plywood should take around 10 minutes, it’s a straightforward process.

STEP 3 | Pat Yourself On the Back, You Created Something Cool, & Saved Money.

Compared to premium wood chair mats like the Aniji Mountain (47 x 72, 8mm thick) chair mat, which cost over $200.