With Rubber Backed Door Mats, you get a premium product that offers the best there is for quality, durability and slip resistance. Many door mats use Vinyl backings which have less grip on smooth hard floor surfaces and are prone to cracking around the edges over time. Rubber is naturally flexible and durable, with the added weight helping to keep it in place.
Top Tip: If you’re currently looking into buying rubber backed mats online, then our advice is to look beyond the price tag. Many cheap alternatives claim to have rubber backings in their titles but check the specifications and you’ll usually find out that it’s really just Vinyl or PVC. Rubber Backed Mats are more expensive but, in return, you’ll receive a product of much higher quality that offers a much longer lifespan.
One of the most common materials for door mat backings is PVC. It has a very similar appearance to rubber, but PVC is a type of plastic incorporating vinyl group of materials. It is a lightweight material and can be produced at a lower cost than rubber, but it is also a stiffer material which can lead to the edges cracking and breaking apart over a shorter period of time. Rubber, on the other hand, is incredibly flexible and durable, hence why it is used for products like wellington boots and car tyres.
There are many reasons why Rubber is an excellent material when used for the backing of door mats.
One study into the different materials used for floorings in buildings, reported here by Interiors and Sources, found that whilst vinyl was one of the lowest cost materials for the initial purchase, the maintenance costs over a 15 year period were 8 times higher than the initial outlay compared with Rubber flooring which was only twice its initial cost. This showed that in the long run, rubber flooring works out cheaper in the long run.
Additionally, a quick Google search online will reveal countless more studies, including many that specifically examine the pros and cons of Rubber vs PVC in matting.
If you have made the wise decision that a rubber backed door mat is the best option for you; now comes the process of picking one that meets your needs for the best price. To aid you with your buying decision, the expert team at First Mats have selected some of our best and most popular products which all offer their own features and benefits;
PremDry is one of the best value mats available in the First Mats Range. It provides excellent resistance to crushing, soil intrusion and can absorb an impressive 5.4 litres of water per square metre. The rubber backing is raised around the edges, creating a more resilient border that is less likely to break over time.
Choose from five colours including Black, Blue and Grey, with three size options ranging from 60cm x 90cm for standard doorways up to 115cm x 175cm for larger entrances.
PremDry Mats feature a waffle pattern design to help scrape dirt from shoes and at prices starting from £28.95, it’s not hard to see why PremDry is one of our best-selling entrance mats overall.
If you’re looking to buy a mat with a luxuriously soft plush pile, suitable for medium levels of foot traffic, then our Renown could be just the thing you need.
Choose from five attractive mottled colours including Red, Green and Blue, mounted onto an oil and grease resistant nitrile rubber backing.
It offers great resistance to crushing and soil intrusion, but the biggest advantage of this mat is that it is machine washable at 30 degrees, making it very easy to care for and keep looking new. It is also available in five standard sizes ranging from 60cm x 85cm to 115cm x 240cm, making our Renown a great and flexible option for various buildings including homes, offices and shops.
Our AquaProtect Super Absorbent mat can soak up an incredible 6 litres of water per square metre, making it our most water absorbent mat available. It is ideal for commercial premises where water being bought into the building on feet is a problem and is recommended for medium to high volumes of foot traffic.
The super absorbent properties make it great for use as a supplementary mat in extreme weather conditions, especially in supermarkets, where the permanently fitted matting systems cannot cope with the continuous stream of wet foot traffic.
The Rubber backing on this mat is raised slightly allowing mopped floors to dry underneath rather than having to wait for the area to dry, ideal in places with regular foot traffic.
If you want a door mat that has the same water-absorbent properties as the AquaProtect but in a building with very high volumes of traffic, then consider the AquaProtect “Plus”. This is our top of the range mat, setting the benchmark for how well a loose laid mat can perform for crush resistance, soil intrusion resistance and water retention.
The 13mm thickness helps this mat, combined with the rubber backing and raised borders, makes it the best choice available for use in the most demanding environments. It’s a great investment for public buildings, such as schools and libraries, where keeping floors dry and safe is an everyday challenge during wetter seasons.
Choose from five attractive colours and a range of sizes to find the perfect AquaProtect mat for you.
The above recommendations are just a small selection of our products which we think you may like, but if you would prefer to browse the rest of our range then you can use our rating system to help you decide if a mat is going to be suitable for you or not.
Our mats are each given a score between 1 and 3 (with 3 being the highest) for each of the following properties;
Crush Resistance – Relates to how well the mat can withstand the pressure of frequent weight. If your mat is to be used in a busy traffic area, a higher rating should be selected to ensure a good lifespan.
Soil Resistance – Mats with a higher soil resistance rating are better at removing mud, stones and dirt away from shoes. They will generally feature textured surfaces with either a channel / ribbed design or a raised “waffle” pattern.
Water Retention – The higher the rating for water retention, the better the mat will be at absorbing water. This is influenced by the thickness and the materials used to manufacture the mat.
Some of our floor mats have additional ratings too, highlighting if they are machine washable, fire-resistant or UV resistant.
With a complete identical appearance in comparison to PVC and vinyl backing, buying a genuine “rubbed backed mat” has become more and more difficult, with the increase of faux eBay and Amazon listings and a complete lack of transparency to the consumer. Below are a few insider tips for things to look out for. If you want to be certain that the mat you are buying is made to the highest standards, then choose First Mats to avoid disappointment.
If the product listing does not mention this, then the backing is most likely going to be vinyl or a thin sheet of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the same material used in carrier bags and plastic bottles.
Keeping your door mat looking clean can be done in the same way regardless of the backing material. Some mats can be cleaned in a washing machine, just bear in mind that anything bigger than 60cm x 90cm will be too large for a domestic washing machine.
For daily or regular cleaning, we recommend that you simply vacuum over the top to remove visible dirt and dust. The mats can also be hosed down and allowed to dry naturally for a more thorough clean. If you are having issues removing stubborn dirt pieces within the mat pile, shake the mat vigorously whilst holding both corners in a well-ventilated area. Vacuum any loose dirt and dust and replace the mat in your desired position.
