7 Best Treadmill Mats in 2024

So you want to get a treadmill but need a way to protect your delicate floor?

By absorbing and redistributing machine vibrations, treadmill mats prevent floor damage and reduce noise. This makes them essential for home gyms.

This article will help you choose the best treadmill mat for your workout space. We compared our findings and consulted our colleague’s treadmill mat reviews and chose 7 picks, all of which have their unique positives. Let’s check them out.

Top 7 Best Treadmill Mats Reviewed

1. NordicTrack Large Equipment Mat – Top Pick
2. ProForm Equipment Mat – Runner-Up
3. Sunny Health & Fitness Home Gym Floor Protector Mat – Budget Pick
4. Concept2 BikeErg Floor Mat
5. Treadmill Doctor Regular Treadmill Mat For Home Fitness Equipment
6. ProsourceFit Treadmill & Exercise Equipment Mat
7. BalanceFrom Heavy Duty Equipment Floor Mat

Product	Total	Material Quality	Durability	Portability	Price/ Quality
NordicTrack	39.5	10	10	10	9.5
ProForm	39	9	10	10	10
Sunny Health & Fitness	38	9	9	10	10
Concept2	37.5	10	10	8	8.5
Treadmill Doctor	37	9	9	9	10
ProsourceFit	36	8.5	9	9	10
BalanceForm	35.5	9.5	9	9	8

NordicTrack is a globally-famous fitness brand that has been in the game since 1975. The company is highly regarded as one of the best cardio machine manufacturers in the world. Their product arsenal contains but is not limited to exercise bikes, ellipticals, and treadmills. Their machines can be found everywhere from home gyms to premium fitness centers.

The NordicTrack Large Equipment Mat is a high-quality and universal piece of floor covering and is easily our top pick. It does come at a slightly higher than average price point, but still nowhere near enough to make it a deciding purchasing factor.

Looking at the specs, it’s clear that NordicTrack used its extensive experience to make this mat.

The mat is made from durable polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material with excellent shock absorption properties. It’s suitable for use with a variety of exercise equipment, including treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, rowers, and similar. Thanks to the material’s flexibility, it can be rolled up for easy storage and carrying.

At 40 inches in width and 80 inches in length, it’s comfortably larger than the average cardio machine (most treadmills fall from 30 x 70 to 40 x 80), while not taking up too much excess room on your floor. The mat is also 0.188 inches thick, which creates two-way protection by removing the gap between the floor and the machine. This prevents dust, debris, and spillage from accumulating underneath and getting inside.

It also comes with a 90-day manufacturer warranty. While this may not sound high, it’s actually above average for this type of product. There’s also a 30-day return policy, which should give you enough time to decide whether the mat is right for you.

ProForm is another brand synonymous with high-quality cardio machines. It belongs to the same family as NordicTrack, seeing as both companies are owned by ICON Fitness, the world’s largest exercise equipment manufacturer.

ProForm is heavily praised for bringing popular cardio equipment out of the gyms and into people’s homes with their innovative ergonomic designs. For example, they made and trademarked the SpaceSaver® foldable treadmill.

The ProForm equipment mat offers optimal size and protection for your floor and machine for a moderate price.

If you already have or are thinking of getting one of the ProForm exercise machines for its compact design, couple it up with this excellent floor mat.

With a 36 x 72 inch footprint, it’s ideal for most cardio equipment. That said, you shouldn’t blind-buy it, as this mat could be slightly shorter, narrower, or both than some larger treadmills.

The mat itself is made from durable, smooth vinyl that’s excellent at preventing scrapes and scratches on your floors. The material is easy to maintain by simply wiping clean or vacuuming the accumulated dirt, dust, sweat, etc. Additionally, it can be rolled up for easy carrying and storage when not in use.

It’s measured at 4mm thick, which is equivalent to 0.16 inches. This is more than enough to provide durable cushioning for your machine on smooth, even surfaces. However, on harder, more rugged surfaces it may prove too thin. For example, you should avoid using this treadmill mat for hardwood floors or concrete.

Sunny Health & Fitness is a brand that specializes in producing affordable exercise equipment for home use. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

They offer a wide range of fitness equipment, including treadmills, exercise bikes, ellipticals, rowing machines, and more. The brand has garnered a high reputation among the home gym community for offering products that are high-quality, compact in design, easy to assemble, and affordable.

With that in mind, it was easy to put the Sunny Health & Fitness Home Gym Floor Protector Mat as our budget pick and third overall best.

The mat is constructed from high-density PVC padded foam with a textured top surface that prevents slipping and keeps the machine in place. However, over time, heavier equipment may cause it to lose its shape.

Unlike most treadmill mats that are "one size fits all," this Sunny Health & Fitness mat comes in four different sizes that cover a wide range of equipment machine sizes. This, in addition to its already low price, makes it an even more attractive purchase.

The mat is highly flexible and can be rolled up for easy storage and transportation, with the smallest size weighing just 1 pound and the largest only 5.1 pounds, which is lighter than average.

Furthermore, the mat comes with a 1-year warranty, which is a fairly high level of coverage for this type of product. Additionally, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Concept2 is a brand that started its fitness journey by creating high-quality, commercial-grade rowing machines. The company was founded in 1976 in Vermont, USA, by two Olympic rowers, Peter and Dick Dreissigacker.

Concept2 machines are known for their durability, ease of use, and data accuracy, making them popular among both recreational and professional athletes.

The Concept2 floor mat was designed to accompany their award-winning exercise bike, the BikeErg, but it’s perfectly capable of holding various exercise machines.

The treadmill mat is made from 4.5mm (0.1875 inches) thick black rubber, a naturally high-quality material that retains shape for a long time, doesn’t slip and slide, and is easy to clean. Rubber mats for treadmills are also excellent at shock absorption, significantly reducing vibration transfer between the machine and the floor.

In terms of durability, it’s hard to find a PVC or other mat that will outlast rubber. That said, this does bump its price slightly higher than average for this type of product.

It measures 30 inches in width and 60 inches in length, making it ideal for a large number of fitness machines. However, it is somewhat smaller than the average treadmill, so you should measure out the machine you’re going to get before purchasing this mat.

Treadmill Doctor is a company that specializes in providing repair and maintenance for fitness equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes. The brand also sells replacement parts and accessories, such as belts, decks, and console overlays, for a wide range of fitness equipment brands and models.

They offer a variety of services, including on-site repairs, phone and email support, and have plenty of instructional videos and articles online to help people diagnose and fix common issues with their workout machines. This experience has led them to create some of the best exercise equipment mats on the market.

The Treadmill Doctor mat is made from 0.25 inches thick PVC foam, making it thicker than average. It’s rollable for easy storage and, at only 4 pounds of weight, light to carry around.

A great thing about this mat is the edges have reinforced stitching on the back that prevents tearing from the corners and sides, which is common on cheaper mats.

Apart from protecting your equipment, this is a perfectly fine substitute for an exercise mat, too. So, if you find yourself no longer using the machine it was on, you can just repurpose the mat instead of throwing it away.

ProsourceFit is a brand that offers a variety of fitness accessories with decent quality at affordable prices. Their product range includes resistance bands, foam rollers, weighted vests, balance balls, kettlebells, dumbbells, and equipment mats, among others.

Their treadmill mat is inexpensive and has some unique properties that make it worth mentioning.

ProsourceFit offers two variations of the Treadmill & Exercise Equipment Mat - rollable and foldable. The latter option is only slightly more expensive but comes with a few unique perks. Firstly, it takes up even less space when fully folded and doesn't need to be secured from rolling out. Second, it can be folded over itself to create an even thicker surface for placing heavier equipment with smaller footprints, such as stair steppers.

Last but not least, we have the BalanceFrom Heavy Duty Equipment Floor Mat.

This mat comes in two material options: PVC and rubber. The PVC version is lightweight, thin, and less expensive. On the other hand, the rubber version is thicker and more durable but also comes at a higher price point.

The PVC BalanceFrom mat version is 0.25 inches thick, which is above average compared to similar products, and will support most exercise equipment. It also comes in two sizes, 33 x 62 inches, and 36 x 78 inches. They’re available both in foldable and rollable versions with slight price variations.

The rubber version is a 0.75 or ¾ inches thick treadmill mat made from 100% recycled vulcanized rubber. With its excellent shock absorption, this is a good treadmill mat for hardwood floors, tiles, and other delicate floor materials. It’s also available in a 10-pack bundle, which may make it more appealing to commercial gym owners.

What Are the Benefits of Buying a Treadmill Mat?

✅ Protecting Your Floor

Treadmill mats serve as a protective layer between your treadmill and the floor, which is particularly important if you're placing the machine on delicate flooring, as often found in living spaces. The best mat for treadmill placement creates a barrier against scratches, scuffs, spills, and other forms of damage caused by the machine’s heavy weight, vibrations, and friction.

✅ Extending Machine Life

Vibrations don’t just affect your floor. The key driving mechanisms of your treadmill are found on its bottom. Lowering the amount of force felt underneath the machine will significantly reduce its wear and tear, extending the machine’s life cycle in the process.

Additionally, by removing the gap between the floor and the machine, a treadmill mat prevents spillage, debris, dust, and other forms of dirt from going underneath and eventually finding their way inside the mechanisms.

✅ Reducing Noise

Treadmills are arguably the loudest exercise machines, especially when placed on hard flooring such as wood or tiles, instead of gym flooring. To address this, you can use a treadmill mat, which can absorb and evenly distribute the vibrations created by the machine.

Without a mat, these vibrations can transfer through the floor and into the surrounding living space, which can create disruptive noise for your tenants or neighbors. This is especially important for those building a home gym in an apartment or higher floor of a house.

✅ A Safe Workout Environment

It's not uncommon to feel a bit unsteady or off-balance when stepping off a moving treadmill onto a stable surface. This sensation will be familiar to our readers who use treadmills regularly, particularly during intense cardio sessions.

Having a soft and non-slip protective surface to step onto can make the treadmill workout environment safer, especially in case of an emergency stop, as it reduces the risk of slips, falls, and injuries.

What to Look For in Treadmill Mats?

1. Material Quality

It's important to note that not all treadmill mats are created equal. The type of material and quality of construction are key factors in determining the effectiveness and longevity of a mat.

The most popular material for treadmill mats among manufacturers is PVC, due to the material's durability, low cost, and ease of maintenance. Although PVC may become slippery over time as it gets smoothed out from wear and tear, requiring sooner replacement. Vinyl mats are ideal for lighter machines and portability, but they may not last as long and often tear at the edges.

Rubber mats for treadmills are typically the most reliable choice as they are denser and won't allow the treadmill or other equipment to sink in. However, they can emit a strong rubber odor until washed and may be affected by heat, for example from sunlight exposure.

Mats made from fabric, such as cotton, are often the least expensive and easiest to clean, but they may not provide as much support for heavy equipment. These mats are better suited for covering existing gym flooring, such as connective tiles, to create an even surface for your machine.

2. Durability

The durability of your treadmill mat is affected by several factors, including material and build quality, frequency and intensity of use, the type of equipment placed on it, as well as the type of flooring underneath it. For example, an uneven, rough surface like garage concrete can cause more wear and tear on the bottom of the mat than a smoother surface like vinyl found in a living room.

However, the thickness of the mat is often the most significant factor in its durability. A thick treadmill mat can better absorb the impact and vibrations from your machine and provide greater protection between your floor and equipment.

Moreover, the ease of cleaning and maintenance of the mat surface can also play a role in its lifespan. Mats that are easier to clean and maintain will have a longer life cycle and maintain their visual appeal.

3. Portability

All listed mats are light enough for a single person to carry around, however, better treadmill floor mats have certain features or material properties that make this easier and more convenient to do. Some mats can be rolled up, some are foldable, and some have handles or straps for easy carrying.

If you’re thinking about moving in the future or you move your equipment from one room to another, getting a portable mat is the best choice. Additionally, if you store away your equipment after use, a rolled-up or folded mat will take up less space. The price difference isn’t that high but the convenience factor can be huge.

4. Price/Quality

As a general rule, the higher-priced mats will be of higher quality material and build, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, you’re overpaying for the brand name for a mat that won’t outperform a more affordable one.

Luckily, treadmill mats are already fairly inexpensive for what they provide and most likely the price differences aren’t high enough to sway your decision.

As a quick reminder, this is a top list of the best treadmill mats to buy currently out of the hundreds we’ve used throughout the years.

All choices are good, but if you don’t mind spending a little more to get a brand that may be more familiar to you or to match the brand of your equipment, that’s fine too.

FAQ

What Is the Best Type of Mat for Under a Treadmill?

The best mat for under treadmill placement varies depending on factors such as the type of floor, weight of the machine, and exercise intensity. For most people, PVC mats will cover their essential needs very well due to the material's durability and ease of maintenance, and they’re also inexpensive. As long as the mat size covers the entire machine and has a textured surface to prevent slipping and sliding, it should perform well.

Should I Have a Mat Under My Treadmill?

Yes, using a treadmill mat is essential, especially if you don't have other types of gym flooring to put your machine on. These mats protect both the floor and the treadmill from damage caused by exercise impact, while also creating a safe, non-slip surface for yourself and the machine.

How Thick Should a Treadmill Mat Be?

The thickness of the mat should be chosen depending on the type of floor and the weight of the machine. Most mats will be around 0.18 to 0.25 inches, however, if the equipment is heavy or you’re putting it on a more delicate surface, you should look to get a thicker one. For example, the best treadmill mat for carpet or other fabric flooring is a thicker one that will prevent the machine from making dents in it.

Conclusion

If you are planning to get a treadmill or any other cardio machine for your home gym, it is essential you get a treadmill mat to place underneath. These mats offer protection to your floor and equipment from the impact of exercise and create a safer, non-slip workout environment.

Based on our experience and research, we concluded the NordicTrack Large Equipment Mat is the best treadmill mat to get

Do you have or plan to get a cardio machine, such as a treadmill, for your home gym?Did you consider using a treadmill mat to protect your floors? Let us know in the comments and remember to follow our social media pages for more valuable fitness content.

Also read:

• Best Treadmill for Shock Absorption
• Best Proform Treadmill
• Best Treadmill for Bad Knees
• Best Compact Treadmill
• Best Budget Treadmill
• Best Treadmill With Auto Incline
• Stairmaster vs Treadmill

References:

1. Treadmill Mars Market // Persistencemarketresearch: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/treadmill-mats-market.asp
2. Soundproofing: How to keep noise levels low in your gym // Geometrik Target: https://geometriktarget.com/en/blog/soundproofing-gym
3. How Thick Should The Treadmill Mat Be? Find Out Here // FitnessBoxy: https://fitnessboxy.com/thick-treadmill-mat/
4. Should You Put A Mat Under Your Treadmill?// 3gcardio: https://www.3gcardio.com/mat-under-your-treadmill/
5. Do I Need A Mat Under My Treadmill? 5 Reasons Why You Should // Mainly Fitness Talk: https://mainlyfitnesstalk.com/do-i-need-a-mat-under-my-treadmil
6. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.