Gym matting is a broad category that includes various types of mats, such as:

EVA Foam Matting: Lightweight and comfortable for yoga or Pilates.

Rubber Rolls: Seamless flooring for large gym areas.

Yoga Mats: Portable and perfect for low-impact exercises.

Silicone Mats: Non-slip, heat-resistant, and durable for high-impact workouts.

Neoprene Gym Mats: Cushioned, shock-absorbing, and water-resistant for heavy use.

Polypropylene Gym Mats: Lightweight, durable, and moisture-resistant for high-traffic areas.

Indeed, the real challenge is to be able to find the motivation necessary to continue training throughout the year. Start with rubber Gym flooring

Here are the factors you need to consider:

Space & Design

You just need a little space in your house or apartment to set up your home gym, whether it is in the basement in the family room, in the garage, a corner of your room, an office, or another free room. (or less used).

Rubber Gym Floor:

To avoid damaging your floors, to reduce noise, but also to reduce the impact on your joints and increase your level of comfort, it is important to obtain floor mats.

Several options are available to you depending on the type of equipment and the price:

Basic Gym equipment:

The basic gym equipment includes the following but is not limited to a treadmill, dumbbells, foldable bench press, kettlebells, and above all weights

Gym Equipment

Often when people think of the gym. There is basic equipment that comes into mind. The likes of treadmills, dumbbells, kettlebells, multi-gym stations, crossover machines, and others.

What often gym lovers forget is whilst everything is set up, they need a safe, cozy gym flooring.

Hence, we have included rubber gym flooring as part of the necessary gym equipment one should seriously and a must consider.

Gym Matting

One would wonder why to bring up gym matting as a topic. Gym matting is a term that refers to a variety of all types of exercise mats:

Types of gym matting:

Yoga mats

Rubber interlocking mats

Pvc Interlocking mats

Rubber roll flooring

Rubber Tiles

Pvc Tiles

Gym Mats

Any type of flooring that can be used in a form of exercise is referred to in the broader category as gym matting

With the coming of the Covid-19 Pandemic, most people even those who did not care about their fitness have started doing some form of workout or fitness training. There is no fitness training without great flooring suitable for gym flooring.

There are three categories of fitness flooring available

Foam flooring

Foam workout mat tiles

Interlocking floor squares

Playground foam mats

Work out mats

Interlocking works out mats

Work out mat tiles

Rubber workout mats

Soft Floor mats

Soft floor tiles for gyms

Soft flooring mats

Soft foam flooring

Rubber Gym tiles are the most common and known type of gym flooring that can be used for both home gyms or and commercial gyms for the following practical reasons:

Thickness varies from 10mm to 50mm there is no other tile that can reach those thicknesses

Maximum impact absorbance, the thicker the rubber mats, the higher the impact absorption. For those who want maximum safety are inclined to choose the thicker rubber gym mats, it should also be noted that the thicker the rubber tile, the more expensive it becomes, the vice versa is also true

Transportability, because rubber gym tiles are larger in nature and usually, they are difficult to transport as compared to either PVC gym tiles or Eva foam gym tiles, hence are costly

There are two types of rubber gym tiles available to choose from:

Recycled Gym Tyre Tiles

These are made from recycled vehicle Tyres and therefore are 100% eco-friendly and economically viable to purchase.

Because they are made from tires, they have a high Tyre rubber odor

They weigh less than pure rubber Gym tiles, one that is made from original organic compounds.

They tend to disintegrate easily because they have some spaces in between them

Pure Rubber Gym Tiles

These are made from natural rubber, hence are not very economically viable to get and are not eco-friendly

It is a medium Grade NR/SBR Sheeting, thickness varies from 10mm to 60mm, and has a shore hardness of between 45-65.

It is the strongest and most durable of all rubber material

It is less comfortable than the one made from tires

It is more costly than the Tyre rubber gym mat

It protects more the equipment than the user

The thicker the gym tiles the more protective and costlier it is

Pvc Gym Tiles are the most favored gym tiles because of the following reasons?

100% eco-friendly and made from recycled materials

Cost-effective, they are the cheapest per square meter as compared to any other Gym tiles

Easy to transport hence cheaper to transport

Can be installed and uninstalled and be used in any other place without being deformed hence very good for the home gym for homeowners who want to leave with their flooring Gym tiles.

They are quick to install, for anyone who does not have any special DIY skills can do it

Hardness is between 65 and 90

Eva foam is the softest type of gym flooring that has interlocking edges. It has the following properties.

Anti-slip

Easy to assemble

Very light to carry hence less costly to transport

Stain Resistant

Waterproof

Adapts to uneven floors

Can be installed both indoor and outdoor flooring

Though Eva foam Gym tiles are the most comfortable type of gym flooring than other types of flooring, they are also less durable than the rest.

Features

Length 600mm width 600mm

Thickness 12mm

65 Shore density

Flammable

Carpet Gym Tiles are the original type of flooring that was used for general multipurpose flooring including flooring. They are extremely cheap and they are still being used by people who less afford the rubber, PVC, or Eva foam type of flooring.

Advantages

They are easy to lay

Easy to transport

Very affordable

Disadvantages

Less durable

Worn out easily

Carpet fiber is not good for those who are allergic to it

Vinyl gym tiles are a modern, versatile flooring option ideal for low- to moderate-impact workout spaces. While not as heavy-duty as rubber, vinyl tiles bring a balance of durability, comfort, and aesthetic appeal to home gyms, yoga studios, and light commercial use.

Key Features of Vinyl Gym Tiles:

Attractive Appearance – Mimics the look of wood, stone, or custom patterns for a modern finish

Moisture Resistant – Great for humid environments or spaces prone to sweat buildup

Easy to Clean – Wipeable surface makes post-workout cleanup quick and hassle-free

Comfortable Underfoot – Softer than concrete or ceramic, ideal for bodyweight and mat exercises

Simple Installation – Comes in interlocking or peel-and-stick tiles for DIY convenience

 When Not to Use Vinyl Tiles:

Vinyl is not ideal for high-impact or heavy weightlifting areas, as it may dent or tear under pressure. For those zones, opt for rubber or PVC flooring instead.

Imagine having a gym flooring that is slippery where among there is heavy equipment the users need to lift, which will be a health and safety hazard. The primary goal of gym flooring is to provide safety and comfort to the user first and then secondly to the equipment.

The tiles normally have a profile that will make the tiles themselves not move or they are heavy that they are not easily movable. Also, note the top profile also have some type of profile as in the case of especially Pvc Interlocking gym tiles and Eva-foam tiles. The other rubber profile might be smooth with rough abrasive nature that won’t allow slipperiness.

Comfortability

Training knowing there is comfortable flooring brings peace of mind to the user. All flooring unlike rubber is not comfortable to conduct floor training as this will bring discomfort to the user because of the rigidness of the surface. The best comfortable floor is provided by Eva foam Tiles as it tends to shape accordingly to user weight and position.

Durability

Rubber flooring is very durable as it does not break on impact and does not wear out as much as carpet does and any other flooring

Impact Absorption

As one of the primary options to protect the user and provide safety any impact is absorbed very well by rubber and the thicker the rubber the better and more efficient the absorption.

Protection

Protection comes in two forms

User body protection

Gym equipment protection

As alluded to earlier in this article the primary focus of gym floor tiles, is to ensure safety to the user and their equipment. If the gym user falls and there is good rubber flooring of the right thickness and right comfort that person will not get injured and the same applies to the equipment that becomes protected and will not break at any fall.

Economical

Rubber gym tiles are more economically viable than any other type of flooring that can be used as gym flooring hence it becomes a perfect choice for any gym lover.

The best tiles for home gyms are interlocking PVC or rubber tiles, as they provide durability, shock absorption, and are easy to install. EVA foam tiles are also great for low-impact workouts like yoga and stretching.

Yes, but it’s recommended to lay a hard underlayment over soft surfaces like carpet for stability. For hardwood, placing tiles directly is fine, but non-slip backing is essential to prevent movement.

Yes, most rubber gym tiles are water-resistant or waterproof, making them ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. They are also mold and mildew resistant.

Yes. Most tiles are designed with textured surfaces to prevent slipping, especially important for sweaty or high-movement environments

Yes. One of the key advantages of interlocking tiles is that they can be individually replaced without removing the entire floor.