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How to choose a chair mat

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Sridhar Balasubramanian
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Shop Chair Mats at OnTimeSuppplies.com An office worker moves his or her office chair more than 300 times in the average eight-hour workday. Chair mats are an ergonomic tool that reduces the likelihood of repetitive stress injuries and lowers fatigue. Chair mats also protect your rugs, carpets and flooring from damage caused by chair casters.

There are three factors to consider when choosing your chair mat.

Do you have hard or carpeted floors?
How large is your work area?
How is your office furniture arranged?
 

 

Chair Mat Thickness: do you have carpeted or hard floors? 

It's extremely important to choose a chair mat thick enough for your flooring. A too thin chair mat will crack within weeks. If you aren't sure, size up. A thick chair mat only provides additional comfort, protection and support. However, don't put a chair mat designed for carpets on a hard floor. Chair mats for carpets have cleated backs to prevent slips that destroy hard floor finishes. Use this guide to determine which type of chair mat your need.

How to measure carpet thickness?
Straighten the end of a paper clip, then sink it into the carpet, through the backing, until it reaches the floor.
Grab the paper clip at the point where it's flush with the carpet. (Be sure you're not matting down the carpet with your hand.) Measure the distance between your fingers and the end of the paper clip. That's the carpet's thickness.
Chair Mat: 1/8" thick; no cleats. Carpet: 1/4" thick or less.
Chair Mat: up to 1/8"
Carpet: 3/4" or less.
Chair Mat: up to 3/16" thick.
Carpet: Over 3/4" thick.
Chair Mat: 3/16" or thicker.
Note: chair mat thicknesses are approximations and vary across brands. However, the flooring terms are universal. Let the product names and descriptions be your guide. The important thing is to choose a chair mat the manufacturer designates for your floor type.

Recommended Chair Mats

EconoMat Hard Floor Chair Mat, 46w x 60l, Clear
EconoMat Hard Floor Chair Mat, 46w x 60l, Clear
EconoMat Chair Mat for Low Pile Carpet, 46w x 60h, Clear
EconoMat Chair Mat for Low Pile Carpet, 46w x 60h, Clear
66x60 Workstation Chair Mat, Professional Series AnchorBar for Carpet up to 3/4"
66x60 Workstation Chair Mat, Professional Series AnchorBar for Carpet up to 3/4"
ExecuMat Studded Beveled Chair Mat, High Pile Carpet, 46w x 60l, Clear
ExecuMat Studded Beveled Chair Mat, High Pile Carpet, 46w x 60l, Clear
       

Chair Mat Size

Chair Mat Guide

How big is your "roll area?" Do you sit still or move from your desk to your file cabinet? It's important to choose a chair mat the right size for your work area. Determine the farthest points of your workspace and choose a mat that covers that area. Do not buy a chair mat so large that you have to put it under office furniture. Chair mats are not designed to support more than you and your office chair. Placing furniture on your chair mat causes cracks and voids your warranty.

Can't find a chair mat that fills your workspace without lapping under furniture? Choose a smaller chair mat with beveled edges so you can roll on and off smoothly

Chair Mat Shape

Once you've determined how large your chair mat needs to be, you can pick out a shape. Chair mats come in three basic shapes: Light Bulb , Lip and Rectangular. Our infograph shows you which chair mats are best suited to the most common office layouts. Rectangular chair mats are the most versatile and fit the most office desk configurations. Light bulb mats are best suited for corner and l-shaped desks. 

Office Chair Mat Shape Guide

Recommended Chair Mats

66x60 Workstation Chair Mat, Professional Series AnchorBar for Carpet up to 3/4"

66x60 Workstation Chair Mat, Professional Series AnchorBar for Carpet up to 3/4"

 

Cleated Chair Mat for Low and Medium Pile Carpet, 36w x 48l, Clear

Cleated Chair Mat for Low and Medium Pile Carpet, 36w x 48l, Clear

 

EconoMat Hard Floor Chair Mat, 46w x 60l, Clear

EconoMat Hard Floor Chair Mat, 46w x 60l, Clear

 

Final Chair Mat Considerations

Unrolling your chair mat: the curls at the edges will flatten naturally in about a day. You can speed up the process by placing books or other weights along the edges.

Chair casters: only use plastic chair casters on your chair mat. If your office chair has metal wheels, consult our chair caster guide for tips on measuring and replacing your casters.

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