Rubber Backed Door Mats

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 door 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.

Benefits of Using Rubber Backed Door Mats

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.

• Rubber is a heavier material than Vinyl or PVC, which helps to reduce the chances of the mat moving on the floor. The added weight also helps to counteract any moisture or grease leaking underneath the mat, which could also cause the mat to lose traction.
• This is aided further by the fact that Rubber mats can also feature a bobbled or other textured under surface making it even better at gripping the floor.
• Rubber is naturally very flexible and durable, meaning that you can expect a longer life span from a rubber backed door mat than one made with Vinyl or PVC, especially in areas with high volumes of foot traffic.
• Rubber helps to absorb shock, making it ideal for areas where noise needs to be kept to a minimum, such as apartments and flat entrances.
• Rubber backed matting has better noise absorption, insulation and prolonged comfort compared to their vinyl or PVC counterparts.
• Buying rubber matting compared to other matting is also beneficial to the environment, as complete rubber contains no toxins or hazardous chemicals in the production of the mat backing. Rubber is also 80% recyclable and most rubber used in our mats will be made from recycled rubber beforehand.

Rubber Vs Vinyl in Floorings

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.

First Mats Buying Guide

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;

Best Value Rubber Backed Door Mat - PremDry

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.

Machine Washable Door Mat - Renown

If you’re looking to buy a mat with a luxurious 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 on to 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.

Super Absorbent Door Mat – AquaProtect “Super”

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 permanent 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.

Heavy Duty Rubber Backed Door Mat - AquaProtect “Plus”

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.

100% Rubber Door Mat - DirtTrap

If you don’t feel that a rubber backed mat is right for you but still want the benefits they bring, why not consider a 100% Rubber Mat? Our DirtTrap mat is made from natural rubber and features a pattern of raised fingers that effectively scrape dirt and stones from shoes.

This mat can be used both indoor and outdoor, but we recommend using it outside with a separate indoor mat as rubber is not an absorbent material so won’t offer much protection against water intrusion alone. It is however available from entry-level prices in four standard sizes to cover most standard doorways.

First Mats Product Ratings

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.

How to Identify Rubber Backed Mats vs PVC or Vinyl

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.

• Read the product description and try to find out the type of rubber the mat is backed with. Genuine listings for rubber backed mats will list the variation of rubber, normally natural or nitrile rubber, and state the percentage of the backing made from this compound. For example – 75% Nitrile Rubber, 25% Natural Rubber.

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.

• As rubber is more expensive to manufacture and produce, the price of the mat can be a dead giveaway to any fake and phony alternatives on the market. As a rule of thumb, mats priced £15.00 or less, tend to be mass-imported from China, India or Sri-Lanka using cheap, low-quality perishable compounds, only made to last for a couple of months before cracking and tearing down. True rubber backing products, will reflect a realistic reasonable price to the consumer.

• Lastly, the rubber border on the mats is always complete in a standard black matt finish. Unlike PVC and vinyl, rubber used on mats will not reflect light when exposed to light sources and UV rays emitted from sunlight. Always check the product images for any shiny borders as it more likely to be a PVC or vinyl backing.

How to Clean Rubber Backed Mats

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.

Why buy from First Mats?

For any high-quality, high-performance rubber backed matting, First Mats provide transparent product descriptions, exceptional customer support and an unbeatable range of fantastic products not available anywhere else.

Our origins as suppliers of industrial floor matting ha
s helped us to develop a culture of Safety and Quality as our priorities, an ethos that has been carried across all our product ranges including entrance mats. Our mats are sourced from established ISO accredited manufacturers, which are then tested to internationally recognised standards.

At First Mats, we offer;

• High-Quality Matting
• Competitive prices
• Free Samples
• Fast Delivery
• Extensive Range of Mats

Many of the best and biggest household names in the UK. including Debenhams, DHL, the BBC, along with many schools and government facilities trust us with providing the upmost best matting solutions within the country, so why don’t you join them and make First Mats your first choice for premium floor mats.