loaded barbell on rubber gym floor mats

Your home gym flooring is one of the most critical aspects of your home gym setup, you may not have the money to buy commercial gym standard, the seamless rubber flooring you see in the free weights room, but you can make sure to get the best suited and safest flooring for your budget.

The first four home gym flooring mats we have reviewed are for men and women who are serious about weightlifting.

The next set of three reviews are for the foam-filled interlocking mats used more for aerobics or yoga. We need to remember, although much cheaper. They are not best suited for bodybuilding.

“Scroll past the heavy-duty rubber floor mats if looking for foam-filled- interlocking mat Reviews for Yoga- Aerobics”

No Foam Filled For Weightlifting

I’ve tried training on the cheap foam mats at a friend’s home gym many years ago, and they were a bit of a disappointment, they were way too soft underfoot, absorbing a lot of the force we put into the lift.

Also, they can rip easily if you go too cheap. However, they are perfect for Yoga and aerobics also great for protecting your floors if need some cheap flooring to go under fitness machines, etc.

For weightlifting, we need mats with the highest possible amount of density for our budget. Reviews below.

Best Home Gym Flooring Comparison Table

Reviews

DWC heavy duty rubber flooring white background

DWC Heavy Duty Rubber Mat Flooring 4×6′ x 3/4″

DWC – The standard in powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting gyms,  they’re super heavy duty and will withstand just about any weight being dropped on them without damaging the floor underneath.

There is no better mat for durability, made from recycled tires. These mats are tough!

The mats are available in either a smooth top surface or a diamond plate surface. There is simply no better rubber mat for your home gym; these mats will last for years and years.

The only reason the DWC mats made joint first spot rather than take the first spot on their own is that the DWC mats are hard to get hold of, if you’re lucky they sometimes come into stock on Amazon.

The Good

Ultra-durable grade A rubber mat flooring

Industry standard equipment for gyms

Heavy 115lb per mat, no cheap material used

3/4″ thick

Non-slippery

The Bad

Thickness will make them harder to cut to size

                                                                           

xmark fitness heavy duty flooring in home gym

Xmark Fitness Ultra Thick XMat 4×6′ x  1/2″ thick

A heavy-duty rubber mat, weighing in at 75lbs and 1/2″ thicks means the Xmark is going to be a durable mat, a very good thickness, will handle just about anything you throw at it. Slips should be kept to a minimum as the XMark mat comes with a textured non-slip surface.

It’s one to consider, slightly cheaper than the stall mat and nice and dense, not too much cushioning, just what you are looking for!

XMark fitnesses mat is geared towards the weightlifter. I could not see any weightlifter complaining about the quality, indeed good enough for any home gym. It will last for years and should be no harder to cut than the stall mats.

A good buy on the whole and a mat you will not regret buying. The density of the mat is its selling point for me.

The Good

Heavy duty

Dense and durable

At 75lbs this mat should not move about much

Easy to clean

Non-slip

The Bad

A little pricey

                                                                                 

equine horse stall mat white backround

Horse Stall Matt by Equine 4×6′ x 1/2″

Don’t think we’re crazy recommending horse mats. They’re ultra-durable.

If a 1000lb horse can stand on them for years, then they certainly should hold up to anything us weightlifters can throw at them.

They shouldn’t move around much, the mats weigh in at 75lbs not as heavy as the DWC but still heavy enough.

They’re not too hard to cut, you can use box cutters, 1/2″thick but they are dense so will hold up to overhead bar drops.

I use similar ones to Equines. I bought locally.

It might be worth checking out anyone local who sells them, be aware if you are buying a few of them, the weight’s soon going to add up. So if you are not planning on purchasing from Amazon, from our link below, make sure you have a pickup truck/van to collect them from the farm supplier.

The Good

Heavy duty multi-use ideal for home gyms

1/2″ thick

Made from recycled rubber

Textured surface will reduce possibility of slippage

Dense

The Bad

There isn’t any real drawbacks to the horse stall mats. Although sometimes they can be hard to get hold of as Amazon doesn’t always have them in stock

                                                                            

rubber cal gym mat white background

Rubber-Cal Elephant Bark Floor Mat Various Sizes 3/16″ Thick

Made in the US, Rubber-Cal mats are much thinner than our other heavy-duty mats but come in at a more affordable price.

Made from recycled rubber truck tires, the mats will be hardwearing. They are thick enough to handle most weightlifters’ needs, but I’d be hesitant dropping any weight from a height if you are training to failure, as the thickness and density of the mats might not protect the floor from such force.

Easy to cut using a utility knife. The lighter mats will move around more. I’d suggest using an adhesive to stick them in place. The mats have received excellent reviews.

There have been a few issues of the flooring once unpacked rolling back up again, but that’s easy enough to fix, place it down the other way and put a few weights on top of it for a day or two, the mat will soon straighten out. The rubber cal mats have a slight texture to them, so should help with any slippage issues.

The Good

Affordably priced

Made from recycled tires

Durable

Easy to clean

The Bad

3/16″ may not be thick enough for some weightlifters needs

                                                                             

Rubber Flooring Buying Tips

Type of Flooring, What it Needs to Do!

  •  Protect the flooring underneath. Can it take heavy overhead weight drops and deadlifts?
  • Is it easy to clean up?
  • Does the mat absorb sweat?
  • Will it reduce noise because we will definitely have grip slips, drop weights, especially if training to failure (important if you own an apartment)?

Rubber Flooring Underlying Base

You should first be thinking whether or not  you will need an underlying base for your rubber flooring, if you’re going to put the rubber flooring over concrete such as in a garage, you can forgo the underlying base.

If you plan on putting the rubber on top of carpet or wooden floors, then we highly recommend you put down a layer of three quarter inch plywood underneath.

This will give you a nice solid base and will give you the extra protection if you drop heavy weights.

1/4" plywood to under rubber flooring

Density

Density will  be the most important aspect of choosing the right rubber flooring for your home gym, for weight lifting you will want the densest of materials, we don’t need any bounce from it or as little as possible, “we want minimal force into the floor and maximum force into our efforts”, says Craig Cecil author of Bodybuilding At Home.

It’s best to try and avoid the mass marketed 2×2 floormats sold in packages, they are cheaply made and do not have the required density we are looking for.

Cheaply made mats are ok for placing under any cardio equipment or anything that doesn’t move and will still protect the floor but are not suited for racks.

Thickness

Most gym flooring is available in thicknesses from 1/4″ to 3/4″. When choosing thickness you will find the thicker the rubber the higher the price. If you choose a more dense rubber flooring this may allow you have a slightly thinner rubber, but usually doesn’t save you much.The thickness and density will primarily determine the durability of a mat, dense and thick at one end will last longest. Light and thin at the other, but even light and thin rubber is a better choice than any foam mat.

Interlocking Rolls And Mats

Interlocking rubber mats

  • Cost more
  • Easier because it’s already cut for you

Mats or cut from a roll

  • Harder because you have to cut, density and thickness can make this job much tougher
  • Much cheaper
  • Use a utility knife to cut or a saw for thicker mats
  • Mats will have to be securely placed up against each other and so may have to be cut accurately to fit.
  • Might be a good idea to buy strips from a hardware store to put under mats to make more secure.

How Much Rubber Flooring Will I Need?

Walk around the space you have for your home gym and work out where you will need your rubber flooring

  • Under the rack
  • Under bench and feet
  • Storage, it’s a good idea to have rubber flooring under the storage, its easy for slips here and weights falling, but it less important than the other two main areas. So if on a budget you could leave this part out.

Once you have chosen the correct flooring for your home gym we thought you might like a little help showing you the best way to cut the rubber flooring, here’s a short how-to video. 

Best Foam Filled Mats

As we mentioned earlier foam filled mats are not considered the best idea for serious weightlifters they are however great for bodyweight exercises, yoga, and many other indoor activities.

Let’s not forget, some of the high-density foam mats can be used under your fitness equipment, here they’ll do an excellent job at protecting your floors and are, in general, a much cheaper option for this job than rubber.

Top 3 Foam-Filled Gym Mats

Reviews

pro source mat white background

Prosource Fit Puzzle Exercise Mat

One of the best selling interlocking foam mats on Amazon and its easy to see why installation of the mats is almost effortless as they lock together with ease.

What we like most about these mats is the high-density foam used in the construct.

High-density foam is the durable stuff, it’s hard to damage and won’t rip easily under heavy fitness equipment.

What’s also nice about these top quilty mats is they provide a non-skid textured surface which will protect your floors, whilst allowing enough comfort for most indoor exercises.

Single mats purchased do have a tendency to slip which is why it is recommended to buy the whole pack, but from the many reviews I’ve read about the Prosource mats, when people have only purchased the one or a few, they say it only slips by a few inches, not a lot I know, but can be off-putting.

                                                                               

balance form rubber mat white background

BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat

There’s not a huge difference between the BalanceForm and the Prosource Interlocking mats, apart from the Prosource offer you a little more grip, which can be very important if you are using the mats for regular exercise.

Again the BalanceFrom mats are made from Durable EVA high-density foam, which provides you with excellent support and cushioning. The BalanceFrom mats are super simple to put together, and just like the Prosource mats, you are provided with six tiles and twelve end borders if you choose to buy the whole package.

A well made durable set of home gym mats, great for keeping your floor protected but offer you less grip for exercising than the Prosource mats. Both the ProSource and BalanceForm mats are water resistant.

                                                                              

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Yes4All Interlocking Exercise Foam Mats

Another popular choice amongst many people looking for budget mats to place under there workout stations is the Yes4all Interlocking exercise mats.

Priced slightly cheaper than the others, but that’s only because they are half the size, which means they are quite expensive.

They are very well designed little mats with excellent grip if you want to use them for floor workouts, but what’s slightly disappointing about the high-density mats is the many customers who complain the mats are left with indentaions after use.

                                                                               

To Sum Up

Xmark make some of the best heavy-duty fitness equipment on the market, their weight bench is a beast, one of the toughest we’ve ever seen, and their floor mats are in the same league.

So, yes, if you have the cash we’d certainly recommend the Heavy Duty Xmark xMats or The DWCs 3/4” for serious weightlifters.

Still if funds are limited and you’re looking for something a little  cheaper, I’d go for the Rubber Cal Mats, whilst they won’t protect your floors as well as the thicker rubber mats, they are a very affordable rubber option that beat the foam alternatives hands down.