The Easy Upgrade That Will Protect Your Carpet From Chair Damage

If you’re tired of ruining your carpeted floors or area rugs with wheels and chair legs, it might be time to invest in a chair mat. These handy carpet coverings protect the flooring underneath while also making it easier to slide or roll the chair in or out. 

After researching 25 options, we like the Evolve Clear Office Chair Mat With Rounded Corners. Available in multiple sizes, it has a wide, tapered lip that minimizes the risk of wheeled office chairs rolling off. It’s best for low-pile carpet, so if you have medium- or high-pile carpet, another of our picks will be a better fit.

We also consulted with Seth Wuollet, owner of Midwest Flooring in Cokato, Minnesota, who gave us expert advice on choosing the best materials and features to look for. Keep reading to learn why the following picks are among the best chair mats for carpeted surfaces and what you should know before you buy.

1. BEST OVERALL: Evolve Clear Office Chair Mat With Rounded Corners
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2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: HON Office Chair Mat for Carpet
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3. UPGRADE PICK: Marvelux Heavy-Duty Polycarbonate Chair Mat
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4. BEST FOR LOW-PILE: Dimex Clear Rectangle Office Chair Mat
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5. BEST FOR HIGH-PILE: ES Robbins EverLife Chair Mat for High-Pile Carpet
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6. BEST DECORATIVE: Anji Mountain Rug’d Collection Chair Mat
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7. BEST MULTISURFACE: Lorell Tempered Glass Multi-Surface Chair Mat
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Chair Mats Comparison

Our Top Picks

This list features some of the best chair mats for carpet options that accommodate different budgets and pile heights, so compare each carefully before making a decision.

Those looking to protect the carpets underneath their desk chair or other furniture will want to give this Evolve transparent chair mat a look. This sturdy piece of PVC comes in sizes from 44 to 60 inches long by 33 to 45 inches wide, offering coverage for a variety of chairs. We like that all sizes are shaped with rounded corners to provide users more space on the mat itself with less chance of rolling off compared to square-cornered mats.

The Evolve office chair mat for carpeted floors contains 0.11 inches of material. It will resist sinking from wheels or chair legs, with no curling or bending. It has durable studs underneath to grip onto most surfaces without slipping. 

Get the Evolve office chair mat for carpet at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Anyone hunting for budget-minded floor protection will want to check out HON’s chair mat. This polyurethane mat with a lip comes in a large size: 48 inches long by 36 inches wide, providing ample coverage for even the largest chairs and office spaces. 

This desk chair floor mat features an extended lip that slides underneath a desk for maximum protection. It contains durable studs that grip onto office carpets, ensuring the mat doesn’t slide around underneath a chair. There’s a nonslip surface on top of this mat as well, providing better footing for ergonomics and safety.

Get the HON chair mat for carpet at Amazon or Walmart.

For a high-end approach to carpet protection, check out the Marvelux chair mat. Marvelux makes this mat from heavy-duty polycarbonate thermoplastic, giving it the strength and durability necessary to support wheels and chair legs. It comes in several sizes, including 48 inches long by 30 inches wide, 48 inches long by 36 inches wide, 53 inches long by 47 inches wide, 51 inches long by 48 inches wide, and 60 inches long by 48 inches wide. 

This wide variety means there’s an option for almost any chair or office setup. The specially designed stud pattern will keep this chair mat in place on carpets up to 0.5 inch thick.

Get the Marvelux chair mat for carpet at Amazon.

When it comes to chair mats, low-pile carpets can cause some difficulties. The studs on the back of this Dimex mat keep it in place on carpets 0.375 inch thick or less. Made from durable BPA-free and phthalate-free plastic, it won’t bend or curl under pressure. Shoppers will want to note, however, that the mat arrives rolled up in a tube, so they’ll need to give it some time to flatten out.

This mat for carpet flooring is available in four sizes: 48 inches long by 36 inches wide, 53 inches long by 45 inches wide, and 60 inches long by 46 inches wide. The mat also features a lightly textured top surface, providing some grip for sliding in and out. 

Get the Dimex chair mat for carpet at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Overstock.

Many chair mats only suit low- and medium-pile carpet, making it difficult to find a quality chair mat for high-pile carpet. Fortunately, this vinyl-constructed mat from ES Robbins works for high- and extra-high-pile carpets of up to 1 inch, when measuring the carpet and rug padding combined.

Equipped with the company’s AnchorBar chair mat cleats, this office chair mat for thick carpet​ can firmly grip the floor without causing damage, and comes in three sizes to fit a variety of spaces. Even though most customer reviews indicate that this is a quality mat, there are some reports of the mat denting under the weight of chair wheels after extended use. 

Get the ES Robbins chair mat for carpet at The Home Depot.

While transparent chair mats are meant to blend seamlessly into a space’s existing decor style, this chair mat from the Anji Mountain Rug’d Collection is designed to stand out. We like that shoppers can choose from multiple color and pattern options, from bold, colorful prints to more subdued, neutral designs. 

These mats are made from jacquard-woven polyester rather than plastic or glass and are therefore best suited for protecting hard surfaces and low-pile rugs. Each one includes rubberized dots on the underside to ensure it stays in place and a PVC core that provides additional support. 

Get the Anji Mountain chair mat for carpet at Amazon, Target, Costco, Staples, or Anji Mountain.

Since rugs and carpets naturally compress when there’s weight on them, there’s a risk of a glass mat cracking or breaking. This option from Lorell, however, is made from durable tempered glass that’s 0.25 inches thick and has a total weight capacity of 1,000 pounds. Due to its construction, it’s compatible with all floor types, from wood floors and tile to rugs of all pile heights.

The glass chair mat’s surface is scratch-resistant and the mat is totally transparent, allowing the home’s flooring to shine through. One downside is that this model only comes in a square-shaped design in a single size, although Lorell does offer other sizes and shapes in addition to this particular option. 

Get the Lorell chair mat for carpet at Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock, Office Depot, Lorell Furniture, or Walmart.

How We Chose the Best Chair Mats for Carpet

Years of experience covering home and office products as well as extensive product research went into creating this guide. We explored more than 25 chair mat options that can enhance a home office space and weighed a number of practical considerations before choosing our recommended picks. 

• Material: We chose a variety of materials for different user needs and price points by including polycarbonate plastic, glass, PVC, and fabric options. 
• Thickness: Since chair mat thickness is a key consideration, we omitted any products that were less than 2 millimeters thick. 
• Value: Chair mat prices vary based on style and material, so we aimed to feature products that offered excellent value regardless of their material or price point. 

What to Consider When Choosing a Chair Mat for Carpet

While there might be a few factors to consider before buying a chair mat to go over your carpet, it’s clear that these helpful mats offer much-needed flooring protection, especially when under wheeled home-office or gaming chairs. “Rolling directly on carpet grinds down the fibers and creates deep ruts, especially if you’re in the same spot all day,” says Wuollet. “A mat spreads out the weight from the wheels and gives you a smoother surface to roll on. That means your carpet lasts longer, and you don’t have to fight your chair to move it around.”

Chair mats for carpets are built with studs on the bottom that are suitable for different pile heights, and there are other features to consider, like antistatic and antimicrobial properties. There are also numerous chair mat materials to choose from. Make sure to keep these points in mind when choosing the best chair mat for carpet in the home or office.

Material

Chair mats come in a variety of materials like tempered glass, plastic, rubber, and PVC. But the best material for a chair mat on a carpeted surface is polycarbonate plastic. This material is a thermoplastic that’s incredibly durable, easy to mold, and often see-through. It remains flat without breaking or bunching underneath the wheels or legs of a chair.

Carpet compresses underneath wheels, feet, and furniture sliders, so tempered-glass chair mats are susceptible to breaking, and rubber mats make rolling difficult. Polycarbonate plastic is flexible but remains easy to roll or scoot a chair upon—excellent properties for a chair mat. “If you go with vinyl, choose a thicker, higher-quality one; the cheap ones tend to dent and wear out fast,” advises Wuollet. “For carpet, make sure whatever mat you choose has little grippers on the bottom so it doesn’t slide around.”

Dimensions and Shape

Chair mats for carpet come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The larger the desk or table, the larger the mat must be to adequately protect the carpet underneath. For a standard desk and chair setup, a 48-inch-long by 36-inch-wide mat is usually sufficient. Smaller desks can go with downsized versions, while a table might require something a bit wider. 

Many of the best chair mats for carpet surfaces also feature an extended lip that sits underneath the desk. This lip will typically protect the carpet underneath an office desk from the frontmost wheel of an office chair.

Carpet 

Carpets and area rugs come in different pile heights, which is basically the fluffiness of the carpet. High-pile carpets are thick and plush, while low-pile carpets are thin and durable. Plastic mats for office chair use have tiny studs in the bottom to grip the surface of the carpet, so the pile height is an important factor.

Mats for low-pile carpets are typically shorter, while higher-pile mats have longer studs to keep them in place. While using a shorter stud might work on a high-pile carpet, a longer stud won’t allow the mat to sit properly on a low-pile carpet.

Thickness 

How well a floor mat for office chair use keeps its shape and holds up to frequent use will have a lot to do with mat thickness. Generally speaking, the best mats are between 3 and 5 millimeters thick, as this thickness provides enough strength and rigidity to resist pressure caused by four desk chair legs or five wheels. 

There are thinner mats, but they might not work as well on most types of rugs or carpeted surfaces. These mats tend to sink or bunch underneath a wheel, making it challenging to roll across their surfaces. They’ll protect the carpet but might be frustrating to use.

Bottom Surface

Mats for hard surfaces like hardwood floors, tile, and vinyl floors are smooth underneath so they can lay completely flat. That’s not the case for carpet mats.

As touched upon earlier, the best rolling chair mat for carpeting will have studs underneath. These studs act like little cleats, holding the mat securely in place. The studs keep the mat from scooting around as the chair is adjusted. They’re absolutely necessary for getting the best results out of the chair mat on a textured surface.

Additional Features 

There are a few other features shoppers might find appealing, making one product more suitable for their needs over another. For example, some chair mats are antistatic, which could be helpful for reducing the odds of shocking a laptop or keyboard from energy built up while rolling.

Nonslip textures on the top of the office mat for carpet can be a big help as well, offering a more ergonomic grip for pushing an office chair out from under a desk. Wuollet also advises choosing a mat with beveled edges. “They make it much easier to roll on and off without catching your wheels,” he says.

Shoppers might even find chair floor protectors that are antimicrobial, meaning they’ll reduce the chance of mold or mildew growing underneath. If the office or home has a humidity problem, this might be an appealing feature. 

FAQs 

If you still have some questions about the best chair mats for carpet, this section is for you. It’s a collection of some of the most frequently asked questions about the best mats for carpet, so be sure to check below to see if there’s an answer to your question.

 

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