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Entrance mats are essential for any business or home. Not only do they help to keep your premises clean and tidy, but they also protect your floors from dirt, grit and moisture. However, with such a wide range of entrance mats available on the market, it can be challenging to know which one is right for you. This buying guide will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision and find the perfect entrance mat for your needs.

Entrance mats are available in a wide range of sizes, colours and materials. The size of the mat will depend on the size of the doorway and the amount of foot traffic. For high-traffic areas, a larger door mat is recommended. The colour of the entrance mat should complement the décor of your premises. And finally, the mat's material should be durable and easy to clean. Choosing the perfect entrance mat can be daunting, considering many factors. However, with this guide, you can easily find the perfect door mat for your needs.

Alternatively, see our full Mats and Flooring range for more matting types.

What are Entrance Mats?

Entrance mats, also known as door mats, are primarily used to trap dirt, soak up moisture and catch pieces of debris off footwear. They are made from various materials and in multiple sizes, colours and styles, which all have their own unique purposes.

The benefits of using Entrance Matting include;

  • Keeping your floors cleaner for longer
  • Reducing slip accidents from wet and dirty floors
  • Making an entrance more welcoming for visitors
  • Protect floors from damage caused by stones and grit

What Type of Entrance Mats do I Need?

With such a vast choice of entrance mats available, how do you know which one to pick? Let us guide you in making the right choice!

Indoor Entrance Mats

The most common place to find an entrance mat is just inside the main doorway. This is where you can form a barrier to capture as much dirt as possible at the door and prevent tracking throughout the building.

For the best performance, choose thicker mats with rubber backings as these will last longer than vinyl-backed versions and move less around the floor thanks to their natural high-grip properties.

Indoor door mat in an entrance


Outdoor Rubber Door Mats

The best way to keep floors inside the building clean is by stopping dirt from ever making it through the door. That’s why we offer a range of entrance mats suitable for outdoor use in all weather conditions. Their coarse-textured surfaces are superb at trapping mud and stones, allowing the indoor mat to focus on soaking up water.


Outdoor doormat by a front door

Matwell Entrance Mats

Also known as fitted, recessed and inset door mats, our matwell entrance mats are perfect for both low-profile, regular and high-depth mat-wells. Relatively easy to install, most matwell mats will only need to be cut to size with a Stanley knife and accurate measurement equipment. Coir Mating is also included in this category.


Fitted Matwell Entrance Mats


Barrier Matting

Another term coined to describe entrance mats, Barrier Mats create a safe barrier between clean floor surfaces and the outside world, preventing debris, dust and moisture from entering.

Barrier mats are commonly used as a runner, and many of our mats can be purchased in either a fixed length up to 3m long or a custom length.

Cotton Door Mats

Cotton door mats have grown in popularity due to their being fully machine washable and providing a soft, comfortable surface, making them ideal in homes with pets. Affordable and long-lasting, our cotton door mats are available with and without a rubber border, with a smart low-profile finish for all of the mats.

Flame Retardant Door Mats

Whilst all door mats should provide a certain level of flame resistance, not all of them meet the more stringent fire safety requirements used in certain types of buildings. Residential living areas such as flats are particularly cautious about allowing their tenants to use door mats.

For these areas, we recommend our Dura-Plush Flame Retardant Door Mat. It is fire tested to Cfl-S1 and has become increasingly popular with local councils and landlords. While offering a better level of fire safety than standard door mats, it still performs well in removing water and dirt from shoes and keeping surrounding floors clean and dry.

What Size Should My Entrance Matting Be?

Choosing a door mat in the correct size can be the most significant performance factor. The rule of thumb is that the bigger your entrance mats, the better! This is because your feet need to be in contact with the mat for it to work, so the more times you can step on a mat, the more dirt it will remove.

Our entrance matting is available in sizes from 60cm x 90cm, ideal for domestic doorways, up to 115cm x 180cm for large commercial entrances, plus a range of extra long runners and made to measure door mats where you can choose the size you need.

The standard thickness of our entrance mats is 9mm, but there is plenty of choice either side of that, from our 5mm thin door mats to our 11mm thick absorbent mats.

Why Buy Entrance Mats Online from First Mats?

First Mats provides all product-testing information about the different types of entrance mats. All orders are dispatched between one and three days, and you can request a free sample to get a true feel for the matting before committing to purchase. Our team will be pleased to guide you through the wide variety of quality, tried-and-tested entrance mats in our store and help you get the best value for money.

Read our reviews on Trustpilot to find out what our existing customers think of our high-quality entrance matting and first-class service. Looking for advice on mats for your workplace? Get in touch with the team at First Mats today!


First Mats Choice






Further Reading for Entrance Mats



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