What is the protective mat for a computer chair intended for?
In general, the function of this item is predetermined by its name. It is designed to protect floor coverings from scratches, pressure, rubbing and other troubles. All this can be done by insidious little wheels, constantly moving back and forth.
You can, of course, cover the problem area with a piece of thick linoleum (or plywood), but it will not look very presentable. But if the house has recently undergone a good renovation, and the furnishings are stylish and sophisticated, then this option, of course, will not work. And, naturally, you will want to protect the floor covering.
So it’s better to spend money (just a little, by the way) and buy a nice-looking, neat rug. Moreover, you can always choose its design that most harmoniously matches the interior. For example, under a tree, under a rough matting, with original inscriptions. Or buy a completely transparent model.
One of the advantages of a protective mat is that its surface is absolutely non-slip - the top layer is specially made in relief. But the lower part is made as smooth as possible and has a sticking effect (so that it does not move from the desired place).
And one more advantage: a long service life thanks to the use of high-quality modern materials, which are environmentally friendly.
Transparent protective mat for a computer chair in an office
Why is a carpet needed for a chair for working at a computer - what is its characteristic?
A protective carpet is used under the computer chair to eliminate the risk of scratches on the floor. Even with good application, it is usually impossible to avoid damage to the coating. For protection purposes, a specialized substrate with a thickness of 0.5 - 2 mm is used. The size is chosen based on your chair. In most cases, the width of the product can vary between 100-150 mm.
If you do not use such protection, the chair wheels will quickly damage the floor. Noticeable dents will appear on the linoleum. The rug and carpet will have holes. Harder surfaces such as laminate and parquet will be scratched. Moreover, scratches will appear even when using rubber wheels instead of standard plastic ones. In this case, scratches will be caused by grains of sand caught under the wheels.
Important advantages:
- It is more affordable to purchase a protective carpet than to repair the floor;
- The layer on top has a non-slip surface, increasing comfort during the working period;
- The product has specialized tires, which increases traction on the floor, regardless of the surface;
- The material has a noise-absorbing effect, reducing noise from wheels;
- Long operational period;
- They are not afraid of heating and can be used together with heated floors.
It can be used in a variety of conditions, not only in the office, but also at home. The materials used for production are environmentally friendly and not completely harmful to humans. This makes it possible to place rugs, also for children's rooms.
Types of similar products
Rugs can have a variety of shapes: round, rectangular (including with or without a footrest), square, oval. Their sizes can also vary - there are smaller models, there are larger ones (the choice of a specific one depends on the size of the area that you want to protect). The thickness of the products is usually 2 millimeters.
As for the main material of manufacture, it can be:
- polyvinyl chloride and polyester are the most budget options;
- polycarbonate (PCB);
- polyethylene terephthalate (PET);
- Makrolon (one of the varieties of polycarbonate) is particularly durable, it is produced by the German company RS-OFFICE under license from BAYER;
- silicone
Materials for manufacturing protective mats
Polycarbonate
Makrolon
Silicone Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyvinyl chloride Polyester
To care for carpets, special models of rugs equipped with spikes (for example, made of PET) are often produced. And for hard floor coverings (such as laminate, parquet), the products must have a smooth bottom surface. Silicone mats for a computer chair are suitable for any floor: carpet, linoleum, and laminate.
You will learn further about where to buy a protective floor mat for a computer chair and how much it will cost.
Characteristic
From the name it is not difficult to guess that the main purpose of this product is to protect the floor covering from the impact of chair wheels during operation. The standard thickness of the backing is only 2 millimeters, and the size is about 120x150 cm. Using it, you can protect the parquet from scratches, dents, unevenness and other negative consequences. Even small wheels can damage the floor if used frequently and for a long time.
Agree, it is much easier to prevent consequences than to correct them later, especially if the flooring is expensive and it will be difficult to restore. Some users try to hide the problem by covering the problem area with a piece of linoleum or carpet. This will prevent further scuffs, but it will look rough and unsightly.
Popular models
You can purchase such products in specialized online stores that sell office furniture. As a rule, large companies have a large assortment of such mats. You can also go directly to the manufacturer’s website (for example, Floor Guard).
Note that a silicone mat for a computer chair is not very expensive, but is not very durable. They cost up to 2 thousand rubles. It is difficult to name manufacturers as such.
Floor mat for a computer chair
Floor Guard
This domestic company produces a wide variety of rugs for computer chairs: transparent, colored and originally decorated with photo printing, smooth and with spikes. The materials used are polyester and polycarbonate.
Here are examples of prices for rugs measuring 0.9 by 1.2 meters:
- smooth transparent model made of polyester – 1.3 thousand rubles;
- smooth transparent model made of PCB – 1.7 thousand rubles;
- smooth model with photo printing from PCB - from 2.4 to 2.8 thousand rubles;
- transparent model with PCB spikes (slightly larger in size - 1.5 by 1.2 meters) - from 2.1 thousand rubles.
Stylish rugs for a computer chair from Floor Guard
Casual
Shell
Old map
Other models
Tarkett
The world-famous manufacturer of floor coverings and protective mats for them produces equally high-quality and not too expensive. They are made of polycarbonate and are intended for hard surfaces. Examples:
- model 1.5 by 1.2 meters – 3.45 thousand rubles;
- model 1.2 by 0.9 meters - 2.36 thousand rubles.
Photo of floor mats for a computer chair
ClearStyle
This is a German brand that produces polycarbonate and polyethylene protective mats (with or without spikes) designed to preserve parquet, marble, laminate, carpet, and tiles. The warranty on products made from polyethylene is 3 years, from PCB – 10 years.
Examples:
- smooth square polyethylene terephthalate mat 1.2 by 1.2 meters – 5.9 thousand rubles;
- a smooth PCB rug of the same size – 6.5 thousand rubles;
- a mat with spikes (for carpets) of the same dimensions - 7.75 thousand rubles.
ClearStyle Polycarbonate Safety Mat
Ikea
In the IKEA assortment there is only one rug for a computer chair - the “Kulun” model with dimensions of 1 by 1.2 meters. The material of manufacture is polyurethane plastic. Price – 1.3 thousand rubles.
Mat for a computer chair “Kulun”
RS-Office
Only this company makes rugs from the strongest macrolon. All products are transparent. And here are the prices for them:
- model for carpets (with spikes) 1.2 by 1.3 meters T-shaped - 8 thousand rubles;
- smooth U-shaped model 1 by 1.2 meters - 7.2 thousand rubles.
However, why pay more? If you can make such a rug for a computer chair with your own hands.
Protective mats made from the strongest macrolon from RS-Office
E12150
12-100-T
12-120-O
12-150-O
Manufacturers
In order for the rug under your computer chair to reliably serve for a long time, you need to purchase products from trusted manufacturers who are well known on the market and have received many positive reviews. Thus, products from the domestic brand Floor Guard, which produces both transparent and photo-printed models, have proven themselves to be excellent.
The manufacturer uses polycarbonate and polyester to make rugs. There are mats with spikes and with a smooth surface, their size does not exceed 0.9x1.2 m.
Budget and high-quality rugs are produced by the world-famous manufacturer Tarkett. They are made from polycarbonate and are ideal for protecting hard floors. Standard product sizes are 1.5x1.2 m, 1.2x0.9 m.
If you need to complement the interior in an original way, then experts recommend choosing protective mats from the German brand ClearStyle, which produces products made of polycarbonate. They can be placed on parquet, tiles, carpet, marble and laminate. The manufacturer provides a 3-year warranty on its products. Smooth and spiked mats (designed to protect carpeting) come in a variety of sizes.
Products of the IKEA and RS-Office brands deserve special attention. The rugs are available in a wide range of colors and are made from durable macrolon. The products are transparent, so they fit perfectly into any room design. Models have several sizes - 1.2x1.2, 1x1.2 m (square and U-shaped), 1.2x1.3 m (T-shaped).
Each of the above manufacturers presents high-quality products, the price of which may vary depending on the design of the rug and its dimensions. Therefore, you can easily choose both luxury and budget options.
How to make it yourself?
Fans of tinkering will have to be a little disappointed - it is unlikely that they will be able to build an equally high-quality product on their own. As already mentioned, you can, of course, try to lay some material in the problem area. However, as experience shows, linoleum will eventually collapse, and an ordinary carpet will not solve the problem.
The only thing that can be done is to replace the wheels of your computer chair with more gentle floor coverings. For example, for rubber. They will drive more quietly and will not scratch the floor. But in any case, the rug will not be superfluous - it will protect against squeezing. And for those people whose weight is quite substantial, this is important.
