The Best Mats For Peloton Bikes, Tested & Reviewed

After investing in a Peloton bike, the last thing you want is another shopping list. But there are a few Peloton accessories you’ll need before you start using your bike. And at the top of that list is a solid bike mat that’ll protect your floors and stabilize your bike while you’re riding. While Peloton sells their own bike mat for a not-insignificant extra cost, I wanted to talk to experts and test out a few of the other options to see which bike mat is the best for Peloton bikes.

Experts

Joshua Bartlett is the CEO and Editor-In-Chief of the home improvement site, I’ll Just Fix It Myself. He is a home improvement specialist who also happens to be a huge fitness enthusiast.

David Mason is a qualified personal trainer in the UK and writer and editor of Barbells Abroad, a fitness advice website.

Do you need a mat for under your Peloton?

The short answer? Yes. Peloton publicly states that they recommend you use a mat underneath the bike. But to confirm I reached out to a personal trainer and a floor specialist to weigh in.

David Mason, a qualified personal trainer, says, “Obviously, you want to use them for your workouts, but matting is equally crucial for use with those heavy pieces of equipment. Put matting underneath your treadmills or bikes to stabilize them, and also protect your flooring from any scuffs and scratches.”

Joshua Bartlett, CEO and Editor-In-Chief of the home improvement site, I’ll Just Fix It Myself, says, “While most workout equipment is heavy enough to stay in place, certain flooring options (concrete or wood) or pieces of equipment (exercise bikes or treadmills) have a tendency to slide or move during use without adequate traction.” While there’s a range of options you can go with for flooring, make sure it has good traction and nonslip features.

So whether you’re looking to protect hardwood floors, stabilize your bike on carpeting, or simply minimize noise for your downstairs neighbors, a mat is the way to go.

What to look for when shopping for a Peloton:

Given that most exercise mats look similar and their reviews, while helpful, can be hard to sort through, I decided to test some of the most popular bike mats for under your Peloton. After considering the materials they are made of, how waterproof they are, whether they stay put on hardwood floors and carpets, and the quality and durability of their design, I feel confident in recommending you the mats below (including a really great alternative to the Peloton bike mat for under $30).

The Peloton Bike Mats I Tested, Ranked:

1. Overall Best ($): BalanceFrom Equipment Mat

2. Runner Up ($$$): Peloton Bike Mat

3. Best For Small Spaces ($): Naisi Heavy-Duty Indoor Exercising Bike Mat

4. Narrower Than The Peloton Mat ($$): SuperMats Heavy-Duty Equipment Mat

5. Narrow, But More Expensive ($$$): CyclingDeal Bike Bicycle Trainer Floor Mat

Also Great For Sweaty Riders ($$): TrubliFit Mat Sweat Towel

1. The Overall Best Peloton Bike Mat

What I liked about it:

• Great nonslip features
• Affordable price
• Extra thickness to protect your floors
• 11,000+ Amazon reviews

What I didn’t like about it:

• No known cons

This BalanceFrom equipment mat shares so many similarities with Peloton’s bike mat, I couldn’t believe it’s a fraction of the price. In my initial search, the BalanceFrom equipment mat struck me as the most similar in both appearance and performance to the one designed by Peloton. And as soon as I opened it, I was impressed. They’re both made of polyvinyl chloride, it’s only 1 millimeter thicker, and it’s the same exact width as Peloton’s mat. When I first unboxed this mat it did have a little bit of a smell to it, but that went away within hours.

Side by side with Peloton’s mat, this has a very similar texture to it, both on the top and the bottom. It performed similarly when I tested it to see how much it slips. The main difference between this one and the Peloton mat is the absorbency and the length. It is slightly more absorbent than the Peloton mat (although the water never soaks through the mat to the other side), and it’s 6 inches longer. Keep your space in mind, of course. But for most people, this much cheaper mat is the way to go. It’s even a bit thicker than the Peloton mat, which provides more cushioning for your floors.

Comfort Score: 3/5 | Nonslip Score: 5/5 | Overall Score: 8/10

Dimensions: 78 x 36 inches | Thickness: 5 millimeters | Material: Polyvinyl Chloride | Absorbent? Yes.

2. Peloton’s Mat

• Available on: Peloton, $75, DICK’s Sporting Goods, $64

What I liked about it:

• Very durable
• Non-absorbent
• High-quality details
• Sized perfectly to fit the bike

What I didn’t like about it:

• The price

I’m not going to deny that the Peloton bike mat is nice. It was the hardest and the thinnest of all the mats I tried, which likely translates into a bit more stability and a more ground-like surface under your bike. It is the least absorbent on this list, and sweat will definitely not absorb into this mat. There are some slight aesthetic features on this mat that look nicer. For example, I liked the lightly rounded edges, and it certainly feels like it was made by a high-end brand. If you’re a brand loyalist willing to pay a little more, this might be the way to go.

Comfort Score 3/5 | Nonslip Score: 5/5 | Overall Score: 8/10

Dimensions: 72 x 36 inches | Thickness: 4 millimeters | Material: Polyvinyl Chloride | Absorbent? No.

3. The Best For Small Spaces

• Available on: Sears, $41

What I liked about it:

• The smaller size and rounded edges
• Nonslip features
• Non-absorbent

What I didn’t like about it:

• It’s a little soft so might be more vulnerable to damage

I’ll level with you: I picked the Naisi bike mat to test because I live in a small apartment. And while the two mats above are a generous size, this mat is a much smaller design that still fits the full footprint of both the Peloton Bike and the Peloton Bike+. So if you’re living in a small space, or if you have your Peloton placed in a room that isn’t just for the Peloton, you may want this mat instead. I also really loved the rounded corners of this design that make it easier to fit in smaller spaces. This is a similar thickness to Peloton’s mat, but a little softer in feel. It also has a nonslip design on both the front and back. In comparison to Peloton’s mat, this may be marginally less stable and secure. But after testing it, I don’t think you’ll notice.

Comfort Score: 3/5 | Nonslip Score: 4/5 | Overall Score: 7/10

Dimensions: 70.5 x 28.75 inches | Thickness: 4 millimeters | Material: NBR (Nitrile rubber) | Absorbent? No.

4. Narrower Than The Peloton Mat

• Available on: Wayfair, $39

What I liked about it:

• Narrow design
• Affordable price
• 5,000+ reviews

What I didn’t like about it:

• It lacked nonslip features on the bottom.

The SuperMat equipment mat is one of the most popular mats on the internet, which is a big reason I wanted to test it up close. It’s narrower than the Peloton mat by a few inches, but so is the mat above this and below this in the roundup. It’s really comfortable to stand on, and is a similar thickness to the mat Peloton designed. Aesthetically, this mat has a sheen to it that you can see in the pictures below. This mat will get the job done, but it wasn’t my favorite, and if it were a little pricier it might have ended up a spot lower on this list.

Comfort Score: 4/5 | Nonslip Score: 1/5 | Overall Score: 5/10

Dimensions: 72 x 30 inches | Thickness: 5 millimeters | Material: Vinyl | Absorbent? Yes.

5. Narrow, But Expensive

• Available on: Walmart, $60

What I liked about it:

• Narrow design
• Extra thickness to protect your floors
• Near-perfect Amazon rating
• 8,000+ reviews

What I didn’t like about it:

• No nonslip features on the top surface
• The price

Given the near-perfect Amazon reviews on this floor mat from CyclingDeal, I felt obligated to test this one. Of all the mats on this list, it does have the best overall rating on Amazon (a 4.8-star average rating is not easily achieved). But when I first unboxed it, I was a bit surprised. While most of the mats I tried featured some texture on the top surface in order to aid the grip of the bike, this one was smooth. While it does feature a bit of texture on the bottom to help it stay on the floor, since bike mats pull double duty (protecting your floors and stabilizing your bike), texture and grip feel like important features to look out for on both sides. It’s thicker than Peloton’s mat and won’t absorb any sweat. But since the dimensions of this mat are similar to the cheaper one above, this doesn’t bring a lot more to the table.

Comfort Score: 4/5 | Nonslip Score: 2/5 | Overall Score: 6/10

Tester’s note: This mat scored higher than the one directly above it, but because it’s significantly more expensive, it’s lower on this list.

Dimensions: 72 x 30 inches | Thickness: 7 millimeters | Material: Polyvinyl Chloride | Absorbent? No.

Also Great For Sweaty Riders

• Available on: Sears, $49

This sweat towel doesn’t go under your bike, but as soon as I stumbled across it I knew I had to see it for myself. While every mat on this list can be easily wiped down to get rid of sweat, this is such a quick solution that fits the standard Peloton bike. (Note: The cut outs on this towel do not fit the layout of the Peloton Bike+.) I easily slipped it onto a standard Peloton bike and it fit perfectly. It’s made of a soft and not-too-bulky microfiber that absorbs sweat and I especially love that it’s machine washable.

Dimensions: 78 x 38 inches | Thickness: N/A | Material: Microfiber | Absorbent? Yes.

How I Picked These Mats

I started my search for the best Peloton bike mat with the OG pick, the Peloton mat itself. But since the mat is pricey, I wanted to find some options that won’t set you back so much. I looked at material, length, width, and thickness, I perused Reddit threads, and read through hundreds of reviews and settled on this group of mats. They include mats at a lot of price points, available in a lot of dimensions, and a range of thicknesses so I could test how they compared to the Peloton bike mat, and whether they would work under the bike.

How I Tested Them

I tested each mat for their waterproofing and absorbency, how comfortable they feel, and how securely they stayed beneath heavy weight on a hardwood floor. This involved me laying each mat side by side and standing on each to determine which materials felt soft versus firm, and which felt comfortable and durable. I also put each mat down on hardwood floors and weighted each down at four points similar to the base of the Peloton, and then attempted to move the mat to determine its nonslip score. I factored in whether it had nonslip surfaces on both sides of the mat, as well. Lastly I put a few drops of water on each mat to see how well it absorbed over the course of 30 minutes.

What are the dimensions of the Peloton Bike and the Peloton Bike+?

The Peloton Bike and the Peloton Bike+ are similar in footprint. The Peloton Bike+ is a tiny bit narrower, but most of the difference between the two bikes comes down to height. The Peloton Bike is 59 by 53 by 23 inches (length by height by width). The Peloton Bike+ is 59 by 59 by 22 inches (length by height by width).

More Ways To Improve Your Peloton Experience

Looking for the best riding experience? Check out this roundup of the best Peloton accessories, according to avid Peloton riders. And, in case you might need them, we’ve also reviewed the best Peloton shoes and the best seat cushions for your Peloton.

About The Tester

Amy Biggart is a shopping researcher and product reviewer with five years of experience reviewing every product under the sun, from pillowcases for her acne-prone skin, to hypoallergenic earrings, to fitness platforms. She has logged hundreds of hours on spin and stationary bikes, including Peloton bikes.

Experts:

Joshua Bartlett is the CEO and Editor-In-Chief of the home improvement site, I’ll Just Fix It Myself. He is a home improvement specialist who also happens to be a huge fitness enthusiast.

David Mason is a qualified personal trainer in the UK and writer and editor of Barbells Abroad, a fitness advice website.