Do Office Chair Mats Ruin Carpets? [Best Options]

You covered the office area with a nice carpet that matches perfectly with the interior. The office looks aesthetic and you are proud of it. But how long do you think it will last? It is only a matter of time till you notice some ugly dents on it. So what to do?

The most effective way would be to get some office chair mats. But are office chair mats helpful? Don’t they ruin the carpet too?

Office chair mats don’t ruin carpets. Instead, they protect your floor and the carpet from scratches. Mats act as a protective shield and reduce the impact of rolling caster wheels on the carpets.

Okay, so what are the different types of office chair mats? And how can you pick the best one for your workstation?

We will answer all these questions in this article. So if you want to choose the right chair mat that compliments your floor, stick with us till the end.

What Kind Of Chair Mat Do I Need For Carpet?

 When you go to buy a mat, there are several factors that you have to keep in mind. Let’s look at them one by one.

1. Mat Shape

When it comes to shape, there are a lot of options to choose from. And all of these shapes have a different purpose to serve. So make sure the shape you pick aligns with the design of your office desks.

The most popular shapes are:

1. Rectangular: The general shape for an office chair mat is rectangular. If your desk has a standard length and shape, this should be your go-to chair mat.
2. Lipped: Rectangular-lipped shape comes in handy when you have a U-shaped or double pedestal desk. It makes sure that the mat can slot under the desk perfectly.
3. Contoured: You can choose a contoured shape if the desk size is unusual. For example, L-shaped or corner desks are the best suitable to have such chair mats.
4. Small Square: For offices with smaller desk areas, having a small square chair mat is perfect. It is a square mat that only covers the rollers on a chair and doesn’t stretch beyond that.
5. XXL: What will you do if the rolling area for each chair is quite long. It is noticeable in some offices. For that case, having an XXL chair mate will provide an extra length of protection. It looks like a rectangular mat but only longer.

2. Mat-Backing Type

You only notice the importance of mat-backing type after you end up with the wrong one. Backing type means the design of the back cover of a mat. It can have a flat black or a non-slip rubber back.

What type of back design you choose depends on the floor. If you own a plush carpet that’s very thick and tends to pile frequently, choose the mat with a tight grip. For hard surfaces like concrete, you will do great with vinyl backed mat. It has a flat backing and tends to be non-slippery on rough floors.

However, if the chair mat has to rest on a carpet or smooth surface like marble, hardwood, tiles, etc go with a rubber-backed chair mat. The anchors or small teeth on the backing should be able to give a tight grip on the carpet. But at the same time, it should be gentle enough to not damage the carpet fibers. So that’s the thing you have to be careful about.

3. Thickness

Many people complain that their chair mats keep slipping and don’t stay in one place. The main reason behind this issue is mat thickness. You must check whether the thickness matches your carpet quality or not. Here is the list of the most common chair mat thickness and their ideal carpet.

• Economy: If your carpet is not even 3/8″ thick, you wouldn’t want to invest in a premium quality chair mat. You should stick with an economy-level thickness. It doesn’t have padding and is usually made of low-profile rubber.
• Regular: Carpets with 3/8″ thickness should go for a regular type. It also comes with no padding and is made for low to medium quality carpets.
• Standard: A chair mat with standard thickness will be perfect for medium-quality carpets. Normally those carpets have ¾” thickness. Standard chair mats come with a layer of padding.
• Premium: Now we move to the high-quality luxury carpets with more than ¾” thickness. They require deep protection. You should get a chair mat with premium thickness for these plush carpets.

4. Mat Size

Once you choose the ideal shape for your office chairs, it’s time to decide the size. You can go big or small for any particular shape. You have the option to choose any size between 36″x48″ to 72″x96″.

Don’t forget to consider the chair rolling area first. How much space do the desks have? If the workers have large desks, they would move the chairs more than average. in that case, you have to opt for a larger size. In case you don’t find the right size anywhere, ask for customization.

Can You Use Hardwood Chair Mats On Carpet?

We have already discussed the different mat-backing types for both hardwoods and carpeted floors. And they are different in design and purpose. For hardwood floors, you need a flat mat-backing. The smooth surface helps the mat to stick to one place. Plus, it remains gentle on the floor and doesn’t leave a scratch.

On the other hand, carpets require a chair mat with deep anchors to place a stronger grip. How deep the anchors should depend on the thickness of the carpet. As a rule of thumb, you should go for low to medium anchors if the carpet is less than 5/8″ thick. As the carpet thickness increases you must opt for deeper anchors.

That’s why we wouldn’t suggest using hardwood chair mats on the carpet. The flat mats would constantly slip under your chair and would be very uncomfortable. Since the primary function of a chair mat is to grip the surface and not move, the hardwood mats would fail miserably.

Do Chair Mats Damage Hardwood Floors?

Chair mats are designed to protect the floor. As we move around the desk in our rolling chairs, the caster wheels can leave scratch marks on the floor. Hardwood floors are more vulnerable to this issue. Having a chair mat is the only effective way to reduce the caster impacts on your floor.

That’s why the right type of chair mat is the best gift you can ever give to the floor. But make sure you consider all the factors we discussed above. Many people neglect the backing type and use deep anchored mats on hardwood/plywood floors. It leaves some unwanted marks after several years of strain.

So, if you are wondering why some hardwood floors get damaged while using a chair mat, that’s your answer. All you have to do is, choose a flat-surface mat-backing type and your precious floor will be safe and happy.

Are Chair Mats Worth It?

If you work from home where the floor is covered with a luxury carpet, you need a chair mat. And the same goes for an office that has hardwood or expensive tiles installed on the floor. But how does it help? And are they really worth the hype?

If this question is running through your mind, check out these three basic advantages you will get from an office chair mat.

Protect Your Floor/ Carpet

The first and foremost function of an office chair mat is to protect what’s underneath it. It can be an expensive hardwood floor or a luxury carpet. Often we look at chair mats as an extra expense. But we forget to see the big picture.

As we move around the desk with the rolling chairs, the caster wheels can leave scratches on the floor or dents on the carpet. Especially if the office is busy, your chairs are not going to stay in a place for most of the time. There will be continuous pulling-in and pulling-out. Now calculate how much you have to spend on changing the tiles on the floor or purchasing a carpet for the whole office.

You can skip this bulky expense by spending a fraction of that money on office chair mats. It works as a protective shield and prevents the flooring from being trampled over every day.

Provide Support For Ergonomic Chair

Ergonomic chairs are the most common in any office area. They provide us with great comfort and ease as we deal with the stress of work. But we highly ever think about the impact of these big and bulky chairs on the carpets. Most of the time the specific part of the carpet has dents or impressions on it. So what can we do?

Buying a good office chair mat is the solution. This little fellow will absorb the direct impact of your ergonomic chair. The carpet won’t have to deal with the heavy chair legs or caster wheels rolling on top of it.

The only thing that would pass down to the carpet is the chair’s weight. This might flatten that area a little. But that’s not a problem. You can vacuum the area and your carpet fibers will stand up again.

Make The Chair Movement Easy

Moving a chair too much on the office carpet will leave dents. And that might prevent you from moving the chair freely whenever you want. No doubt it is an unnecessary hassle. Especially if the carpet is expensive, you are continuously reminded to pull the chair out smoothly.

However, you can save your time and effort by investing in a high-quality chair mat. That way employees and visitors will have more chair maneuverability. They can move around the chair and talk with their team members without you frowning every time.

Best Office Chair Mat For Carpet

There are hundreds of options to choose from when it comes to chair mats. The best one differs based on affordable price point, material quality, and design range.

So, we did the digging and found a chair mat that rank for multiple choosing factors. We are talking about the universal cleated chair mat for low to medium pile carpet. Here are some of its features. Take a look.

Universal Vinyl Cleated Chair Mat

This office chair mat has vinyl as the main material. When you go shopping for chair mats, you will probably notice vinyl mats before anything else. PVC is a lot easier to shape and color. That answers why the price point is so affordable for anyone. It is a perfect choice for office carpets with low to medium depth.

More Features

• The three sizes available for the mat are: 36”x48”, 45”x53”, 46”x60”.
• The recommended carpet thickness is 5/8 inches.
• It has a transparent and polished look.
• The mat-backing has studs installed in it.
• It has a lipped rectangular shape.
• Polyvinyl is the main material.

Pros

• It is very affordable.
• You can show off the carpet beneath these clear mats.
• Bottom studs allow tight grip on the carpet.
• Polyvinyl provides higher durability.
• The “lip” shape makes sure you can slide it in a non-edgy desk easily.

Cons

• The production process of vinyl mats generates heavy pollution. So, environment enthusiasts might go for something more expensive but sustainable.
• It only provides tight grips for low to medium thick carpet. It won’t serve well if the carpet thickness is more than 5/8 inches.

Wrapping Up

Just like most of our appliances require a protection cover, our carpets are no different. No matter how pricy the carpet is, it is vulnerable to the trampling of chair legs. Especially if you have frequent visitors in the office, they won’t be as considerate as you while pulling the chairs.

Our advice would be to invest in a nice-quality chair mat and erase the headache forever. And when you go out to choose the perfect mat for your workstation, follow the tips we mentioned here. And then enjoy the beauty of your marble floors or antique carpet for many years to come.