Sometimes you just want to get a workout in at home. Sometimes, you don’t have the time to commute to the gym. And, sometimes, you absolutely need to put in some extra time and your schedule doesn’t allow for you to do so without putting in that time at home. There are plenty of good reasons why you’d want to get a nice new gymnastic mat for your home or bedroom. But, having good reasons doesn’t equal buying the right mat. Keep reading to find out what gym mat is right for your home or office.
What to Look for in a Quality Gymnastics Mat
One of the most important factors to consider while shopping for new gymnastics mat is the durability. While usually not too expensive as home workout equipment goes, they aren’t so cheap that you would be comfortable replacing one every few months. Choosing a mat that will last is paramount. Another important factor is size. Is the mat both big enough for you to do what you need while small enough to fit in the space you have allotted for it? This depends on whether or not you are doing gymnastics, tumbling or yoga. Also, if you don’t have a dedicated workout room, you should look into a folding mat that is easy to store when you aren’t using it. Lastly, it’s difficult to really do any kind of serious shopping without considering your budget. Looking at mats that are within your means is just as important as any other factor. That doesn’t mean however to always choose the lowest priced option, as there is generally a correlation to price and quality. It means that you should have a budget in mind and try to find the best value gymnastics mat that falls within it.
Reviews of The Top Gym Mats
There are a lot of options out there while shopping for a gymnastics mat for your home. Here are some of the best options.
For whatever it’s worth, a lot of these mats can be used for much more than gymnastics and tumbling. They can also be used for MMA, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training, aerobics, pilates, and even yoga.
Best Choice Folding Mat
If the look of this mat isn’t enough to sway you, then the features and quality will. Marketing as a multipurpose gym mat, it’s perfect for at home gymnastics training as well as any other workouts you might be into.
While the pin design is visually stunning, there is a less visually appealing blue design that will save you a few dollars without having to sacrifice on quality.
MAJOR FEATURES
For home use gym mats, this is one of the larger ones on the market. Measuring in a 10 feet in length and 4 feet in width, it gives you plenty of room. But, it folds up nicely too due to its quad-fold design, so you don’t have to dedicate a large portion of your home to this mat.
Aside from looks and size, it’s also very well made. The mat’s cover is made of non-absorbent PU leather that is both long-lasting and very easy to clean. Inside the cover is 2 inches of EPE foam to give you a firm but ample cushion.
Additional Features include:
- Carrying Handles – After you fold this mat up, you can easily move it to storage, or even take it with you to a new location due to it having carrying handles.
- Velcro Latches – If one mat is not enough, don’t worry. You can quickly and easily connect two or more of these with the built-in velcro end latches.
- Great for Extra Protection – While it’s perfect for tumbling routines, it can also be used under gymnastics equipment for extra protection.
PROS & CONS
- Size – It’s a very large mat compared to many other similar products.
- Quality – This is a real value as you get something that very well made and it won’t break the bank.
- No Slip Mat – You will still need to consider purchasing a slip mat to place this on if you’re using it on a wood surface to protect it from slipping around.
Soozier Folding Tumbling Mat
The mats from Soozier are another great option. They offer a great balance between value and functionality, meaning you can get a really good product without paying a premium.
When researching the Soozier mats, you’ll notice they share a lot of similarities to the BCP mat reviewed above. To be fair, there’s only so much you can do to make one gymnastics mat different from another, so it’s only logical they share a lot of the same qualities.
MAJOR FEATURES
All of the Soozier mats comes with a tough but easy-to-clean PU leather shell. The shell won’t absorb moisture, so that helps with keeping them sanitary. They also use a 2-inch EPE foam interior to keep you safe from the hardness of you floor, whether it be wood, tile, or even stone.
This is also a multi-purpose mat making it great for gymnastics, martial arts, or many other fitness activities.
Features include:
- Tons of Color Options – If you don’t like the pink and black pattern above, you can choose one of the over a dozen other color options, like the blue, red, yellow, and green pattern, or even a solid black mat.
- Tons of Size Options – Choose a 4 foot x 6 foot, 4 foot x 8 foot, or 4 foot by 10 foot mat.
- Four Panel Design – The four panel design make these easy to fold and store.
PROS & CONS
- Velcro – You can easily connect this side-by-side or end-to-end with other similar mats.
- Safe – You won’t smell that all-to-familiar chemical stink as they meet CPSIA standards for lead, phthalate, and formaldehyde.
- Weak Handles – The seams around the handles have been known to separate and aren’t as strong an many users would like.
Tumbl Trak Folding Gymnastics Mat
Like most quality gym mats, you can use these Tumbl Trak ones for either gymnastics or other fitness activities that require one. They are well made, have a very positive overall consumer rating, and just do their job.They are a little different than the other two models previously reviewed however.
The Tumbl Trak mats are slightly thinner, measuring in a 1.375 inches of thickness instead of 2 full inches. They are also covered in 18 oz. vinyl instead of PU leather.
MAJOR FEATURES
This is a very high quality design that’s great for your home, but is also of a high enough quality that you’d be comfortable using it in your gym or studio as well. The heavy vinyl ensures they can take a beating without you having to worry about them holding up.And, while the thickness of the foam is less than a lot of other mats, the fact that EVA foam is used, which is about as good as it gets quality wise, means you won’t notice a reduction in performance. If you have a little extra room in your budget, these mats are very much worth the extra cost.
Features include:
- Two Sizes – While the length and width is the same (4′ x 8′), you can opt for the thicker 2-inch thickness if you fee the 1.375-inch thickness won’t be enough for your needs.
- Colors Galore – There are plenty of color options should the plain black not appeal to you.
- CPSIA Tested – You don’t have to worry about nasty unhealthy chemicals with these mats.
PROS & CONS
- Velcro Flaps – You can connect these mats end-to-end to make a longer track for long tumbling runs.
- Slip Resistant – Due to the choice of using vinyl instead of faux leather to cover the mats, they are very slip resistant and don’t slide all over the place, though a slip mat is still suggested if you plan to use it on a slippery surface like wood.
- Not Much – There really isn’t much to not like about this mat. It’s well made and does what you expect it to do.
Final Word
When shopping for a gymnastic mats for your home, you should no just try to find the cheapest option. You should really look for a mat that’s the correct size that also offers the best value. All three of the mats reviewed above are very solid picks that you should feel comfortable with as far as the value delivered. They have minor differences, but unless you plan on opening a large gymnastic training center or martial arts studio, they should do the job.