When it comes to choosing door mats for your business, there are many more different types of entrance mats than you may have realised. What’s more, each variety will offer different benefits.

As the UK’s leading industry specialists, we at UK Mats are often asked about what the best kind of entrance mat is. We always say that the best way to choose the right product for your organisation is to consider the following: what type of business you are, footfall and whether or not clients or customers tend to actually visit your premises.

What is the purpose of an entrance mat?

This may seem like an odd question – or you may feel you already know very well what entrance mats are for. But these rugs play a greater variety of roles for your business than you may have realised. Here are some of them:

• They give your business a professional look while welcoming visitors
• They provide a safe and secure walking surface
• They help prevent trip-and-slip accidents by absorbing moisture, dirt and debris from outside as people walk over them
• Because they collect grime, dirt is not walked over surfaces, keeping floors spotless and saving on cleaning costs and time

What different types of entrance mats are there?  

When it comes to commercial mats for businesses, we essentially supply three main types of these floor coverings. Each one will have its own pros and downsides, and, of course, your choice will depend on your individual needs and on what you expect from your mats.

#1 Rubber-backed mats

Rubbed-backed mats, which we often refer to as our ‘Standard’ mats are the most cost-effective and popular type of entrance matting, and it provides a highly professional look while remaining thoroughly professional.

These mats are made from nylon and, as their name suggests, feature a nitrile rubber backing to keep them in place (given that these are not fitted mats). In summary, they make a suitable entrance mat for most types of businesses.

Here are their key benefits:

• Excellent at trapping dirt
• Highly water-absorbent
• The rubber backing provides outstanding anti-slip properties
• They come in varied colours to suit your brand hues and business décor
• You can brand these floor mats with your company logo
• It’s often possible to rent these entrance mats, reducing initial outlay for them
• They are also cost-effective in that they do not need fitting or require a mat recess
• It’s easy to either clean them yourself or outsource the job to a professional mat-laundering service

#2 Coir matting

Coir mats, also known as coconut mats, are a hugely popular choice of entrance mat which are made from natural coconut fibres, typically with a rubber or PVC backing on them. Coir entrance mats are usually fitted into a mat recess, or mat well.

Coir mats gives your premises a timeless look that will never date and works well in a range of business settings, particularly those that customers or clients often visit. The end result is a highly elegant look. Coir mats work especially well in high-end settings, from hotels, bars and restaurants to retail environments. At the same time, they can look great in offices, or indeed anywhere a professional look is of the essence. Coir mats can also be branded so display your logo or brand message.

The key benefits of coir entrance mats include:

• A high level of durability: coir mats are the hardest-wearing models on the market
• They suit areas of heavy footfall
• These mats are excellent at trapping dirt and dust
• They have highly effective anti-slip properties
• They’re made from natural materials for an eco-friendlier feel and are the most sustainable entrance mat type – ideal if that’s the focus of your brand
• Creating a professional, high-end look
• Provides a comfortable walking surface, being softer and thicker than most other mat types
• Coir mats can be dyed in different colours and branded with your company logo or custom design
• They can also be made into custom shapes to fit any type of mat recess, whatever the shape
• Works well for rotating entrances where a fitted mat is usually the best option

#3 Milliken Obex mats

We’re distributors and specialist contractors for Milliken Obex modular mats, including both Forma™ and Prior™ models, used in entrance wells.

These fitted mats go into mat wells and are created specifically for recessed areas. They’re effectively a tiled matting system, which makes them the ideal solution if you’re after bespoke-shaped fitted mats since you get an aesthetically pleasing entrance with no compromise on functionality. So you can look forward to an innovative, flexible solution for covering your floors.

Among the key benefits of these entrance mats are:

• Effective moisture and dirt-trapping properties – grime and liquid are stopped at the entrance, so never make it inside, since these mats have a three-zone barrier system significantly minimising the risk of accidents from slipping or tripping on wet flooring
• Slip-and-trip prevention, since the mats can lie flush with the floor, which stays dry
• They’re long-lasting and hardwearing, and so great for areas of high footfall
• The tiled system makes them ideal for custom-shaped mat wells
• A good option for when you need fitted mats
• Easily cleaned and maintained – these mats also stay clean
• It’s easier to replace small sections of these products thanks to the tiling system
• They create an excellent first impression
• Fibres are made from 100% regenerated polyamide sourced from post-industrial and post-consumer waste, for a highly sustainable solution

Fitted vs. loose-lay matting

Another consideration when deciding on the type of entrance mat to go for is whether to opt for loose-lay or fitted entrance mats. Here are some of the pros and cons:

Pros of loose-lay mats

• Cost-effective since no fitting or mat recesses are required
• Good anti-slip properties
• They stay in place thanks to the rubber or PVC backing
• Easily replaced and removed for cleaning
• You can reduce initial outlay by renting these mats

And … a few downsides of loose-lay mats

• Obviously, they’re more likely to move underfoot compared with fitted mats
• They’re not so well suited to high-end settings, where fitted models are typically more appropriate

Pros of fitted mats

• You get an upmarket, professional look – these models are especially well suited to the retail and hospitality industries
• These mats provide extra protection against trips since they lie flush with the floor

And … a few downsides of fitted mats

While there are not many of these, here are a few points to bear in mind:

• This option is generally more expensive, particularly if you do not yet have a mat well for your floor coverings
• Because fitted mats are not generally available to rent, initial outlay expenses can be greater

Choose entrance mats from UK Mats Direct

At UK Mats, we produce, supply and fit only the highest-quality entrance mats, including logo mats and coir matting, including branded coir matting, fitted entrance mats and Obex well mats, many of which you can order from us directly online. Additionally, as part of the UK Mats Group, we can also help with mat rental services, as well as mat cleaning. Just give our friendly team of mat specialists a call – we’ll be only too pleased to help.