The 6 Best Gym Floor Mats

Whether you’ve turned the garage into a CrossFit temple or your office into a temporary yoga sanctuary, the best gym floor mats protect floors, offer enough support for your workouts, and come in a size and style that suits your needs. Here’s what you need to know before you shop.

Materials

The most common gym flooring materials you’ll find are rubber, foam, and vinyl — each has pros and cons.

• Rubber: This is the most durable gym mat material available; it is shock-absorbent which is why it’s regularly used in commercial gyms. Though expensive, it’s a more semi-permanent flooring option that can be placed over carpet, concrete, and hardwood. Cushioning of at least 3/8 inch is recommended for rubber mats. Note that this is a heavy option, so if you plan on moving tiles frequently, this may not be your best bet.
• Foam: High-density foam is less expensive than rubber, lighter in weight, and easy to wipe clean, whereas rubber mats benefit from a more thorough mopping, but it’s also less durable and softer, which is something to consider if your workouts are intense. Similar to rubber, it offers good shock absorption but you’ll want to look for a mat with at least 3/8-inch thickness.
• Vinyl: Resistant to water, mold, and mildew, vinyl options are ideal for basements and garages and for protecting floors from exercise equipment, but they are lacking in shock absorption, so they’re best for low-impact workouts. Two common vinyl options include vinyl flooring that resembles hardwood and requires a more intense installation process and vinyl matting, but this list features vinyl mats that you can easily incorporate into your current space.

Convenience

From interlocking puzzle pieces and foldable mats to roll-out options, there’s a gym floor mat here to suit different spatial constraints. Puzzle pieces fit together like a jigsaw and can easily be rearranged if you need flexibility. Foldable mats can be stored or moved to different spaces, but take up more room in their folded state than a roll-out mat, which is the most transportable and storable of all the options.

Considering all these factors, below you’ll find the best gym floor mats to create the workout-inspiring space of your dreams.

1. A Foam Gym Mat With A Cult Following

With over 45,000 ratings on Amazon, this puzzle piece structure gym mat has struck the balance between quality, affordability, and convenience. Every pack comes with six tiles, measuring 2-by-2 feet each, and each tile is made from high-density EVA foam that features a nonslip surface on both sides. The puzzle pieces fit tightly together to create a seamless workout space but can be readjusted or replaced easily. Available in blue, gray, or black and in various thickness options (1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch), these mats are a popular choice for a range of activities and uses.

A Helpful Review: “These individual mats are large in size and extraordinarily comfortable when standing on them. They are easy to puzzle together and cover a really large area. My wife and I do a multitude of exercises on these mats from jumping jacks, jump rope to sparring and wrestling. These mats make it easy on our knees, legs, feet, body, you name it.”

• Available Sizes: 1/2 Inches Thick, 24 Square Feet; 1/2 Inches Thick, 48 Square Feet; 1/2 Inches Thick, 144 Square Feet; 3/4 Inches Thick, 24 Square Feet (shown here); 3/4 Inches Thick, 96 Square Feet; 1 Inch Thick, 24 Square Feet; 1 Inch Thick, 72 Square Feet

2. An Ultra-Durable Rubber Floor Mat

For the serious at-home gym rat, the ultimate choice in gym flooring is one that’s made of commercial-grade recycled rubber. These mats come in a pack of six interlocking tiles, measuring 2-by-2 feet per tile, and with a thickness of 3/8 inches. Though the puzzle piece structure offers you flexibility in your arrangement, keep in mind that these weigh considerably more than foam tiles (around 8 pounds per tile) and are meant for a more semi-permanent setup. They come in black, as well as four different colors of speckled patterns (which do a great job to keep things looking clean), and they have a myriad number of possible groupings. While more of an initial investment, this option is highly durable and great for heavy impact that demands an extremely stable surface.

A Helpful Review: “I'm very happy with these tiles and glad I didn't opt for cheaper alternatives. These tiles assembled easily and seem like they'll do their job for a long time. They're sturdy and provide the perfect amount of resistance for exercise (not too soft).”

• Available Sizes: 3/8 Inches Thick, 4 x 6 Feet (shown here); 18 more sizes

3. A Thick Foam Floor Mat That Folds

If you’re looking for something with serious cushioning, this folding floor mat comes in a 2-inch thickness to comfortably protect joints and muscles, especially if you’re heavy into martial arts or activities of the tumbling variety. This pick is made with high-density EPE foam and vinyl and one folding mat fully extended measures 10-by-4 feet. It is designed with Velcro on all sides, which is a unique feature because you can link it with other mats and create a larger workout space. The addition of handles makes it easier to carry the mat around and store it. At 15 pounds, this mat is certainly heavier and when it’s folded it measures 4-by-2.5 feet, so it takes up a bit of room in its folded state. However, it is perfect for activities like gymnastics, aerobics, or grappling that require serious protection.

A Helpful Review: “I ordered this in black to add to our collection. This is by far the best mat that we have gotten for the price. My daughter is currently working on her back walkovers and this mat has the perfect thickness to cushion her without having her sink into it. The Velcro on it is very sturdy and in various spots to connect it to other mats.”

• Available Sizes: 2 Inches Thick, 4 x 10 Feet

4. This Roll-Up Vinyl Mat For Your Indoor Bike Or Gym Equipment

At 2.5 by 6 feet, this floor mat is perfect for placing beneath an assortment of lightweight cardio exercise equipment (including your Peloton, elliptical, or other stationary bike). Constructed from odor-free PVC and strengthened with a top layer to withstand cleats, it has a nonslip bottom that helps it stay put while you’re clocking those miles. It is designed with 0.3 inches of cushioning to help protect floors from any potential scratches or damage and you can roll it up for easy storage. This pick has a nearly perfect 4.8-star rating.

A Helpful Review: “I bought this to go under my Peloton. It’s the perfect size and doesn’t slip or slide. It also did not curl up at all and was immediately flat when I unrolled it. I can’t speak to how it would perform as a mat to do exercise on, but as a base it works perfectly.”

• Available Sizes: 0.3 Inches Thick, 2.5 x 6 Feet

5. An Extra-Large Roll-Up Gym Mat

For the easiest setup and breakdown, this gym floor mat can be rolled out in a pinch, and then just as easily rolled away for storage — it even comes with its own carrying bag and an absorbent microfiber towel. If your space needs to remain seriously versatile (hello studio apartments), this could be a perfect solution, and it’s one that has a high 4.8-star rating. Rolling out to a size of 8 by 4 feet and with a thickness of 1/4 inch, it’s unclear exactly what material is used in this mat’s design — the manufacturer says it is pro-foam high density padding, but some reviewers confirmed it feels a lot more like a firmer rubber than a foam mat. Coming with a nonslip top and grip on the bottom, you can just as easily use this for yoga and pilates as you can for weights and higher impact aerobics. Extremely convenient and with three colors on offer (gorilla black, midnight blue and silverback gray), this mat can be rolled out on a variety of surfaces whenever and wherever the mood strikes you.

A Helpful Review: “After two stress fractures in one year, I decided I needed something better than the tile floor to work out on. I researched multiple options and decided to give the Gorilla Mat a try. I instantly loved it! I have done all kinds of cardio on it and it doesn't move at all under my feet. The size is perfect for me to do side to side movements and still be on the mat.”

• Available Sizes: 1/4 Inches Thick, 8 x 4 Feet

6. A Budget-Friendly Foam Gym Floor Mat That Reviewers Love

With more than 11,000 reviews and a thrifty price tag, these floor mat tiles are a great option if you’re just embarking on the home gym journey and you want something easy and budget-friendly to put together. Made from high-density foam with nonskid cushioning, these 2-by-2-foot tiles come in a pack of six and have a thickness of 1/2 inch, these are thinner than the BalanceFrom tiles featured above, but they’re more affordable and appropriate for a number of workouts. Lightweight and available in three colors (black, blue, and gray), these make it easy to transform your space at a price point that won’t break the bank.

A Helpful Review: “Perfect flooring for our basement home gym. Goes together seamlessly in about 3 seconds, comfortable to lift weights on in just your socks, and plenty firm to support our commercial grade squat rack and bench without any squishing or wobbles. Each pack only comes with 6 tiles so I did buy four sets, but it's still a great deal for under $100 total.”

• Available Sizes: 1/2 Inches Thick, 2 x 2 Feet