Top 5 Best Heavy-Duty Exercise Mats for Deadlifting Platform

Dropping weights is an indispensable part of deadlifting. You will not simply throw away the bar, but there are higher chances that you might drop them hastily due to tiredness or accidentally more often.

All these cause potential damage to the precious flooring, and you should take every step possible to avoid ruining your floorings.

For this, putting a deadlifting mat over your flooring is an ideal choice. We choose the five best heavy-duty deadlifting platform mats that would protect your flooring as well as keep your mind at peace while performing deadlifts.

For those who in a hurry, here are our top 5 picks of  the best exercise mats for deadlifting:

• Rubber-Cal Shark Tooth Heavy Duty Mat (3/4 inch)—Best Heavy-Duty Protector Mats
• BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat (3/4 inch)—Multi-functional Home Gym Mat
• Rubber Mat Flooring 4′ x 6′ x 3/4″ for Gym or Equine Stall (3/4 inch)—Indestructible, Non-Slip Deadlifting Mat
• IncStores 3/4″ Premium Mega Rubber Gym Mats (3/4 inch)—Durable Rubber Deadlifting Mat
• XMark Fitness XMat Ultra Thick Gym Flooring (1/2 inch)—Best Seller on Amazon

See the overview, pros & cons below.

How to Choose the Best Exercise Mats for Deadlifting?

So, you have finally decided to make a wise investment on a mat that could protect your expensive flooring from deadlift-related damages.

Still, the primary question now is to what factors you must consider while selecting a product.

How to choose the best mats for a deadlifting platform? The major important factors that you should consider and could make or break your mat quality include thickness, mat gaps, size, and material of the mat.

#1. Thickness

 The thickness of a mat is critical to your mat-related decision-making. Heavy-duty deadlifting mats with ¾” thickness are the best insurance for your flooring.

Rather than breaking your head on deciding between varying thickness options available, it is better to straightaway finalize on a ¾” thick mat as you are spared of any confusion and could enjoy a peaceful exercising experience.

A mat with this thickness prevents you from reinvesting in higher quality mats as these are equipped to handle as high as 500 pounds of deadlifting weight.

Be free from upgrading headaches or additional expenses.

A ¾” thick mat could be the sturdiest and toughest mat in the market, suitable for every kind of rough use at home or the commercial gym, and the best for deadlifting.

The general mat size is 4’x 8′, but if your room doesn’t have so much space, you can always go for a  4’x 6′ size mat most suitable for garage gyms. Custom sizes are available too.

If you love using heavy dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells, a ½” free weights mat should do a neat job.

They are optically thick and good for using strength training equipment such as squat racks, power cages, bench presses, and utility benches.

If you cannot afford a ¾” thick mat, the ½” thickness should be more than sufficient as it can withstand anything that’s dropped onto the floor.

These are available in the same sizes as the ¾” thick mats.

You even have mats in other varying thicknesses such as 1/4″ and 3/8″ made of different materials and colors, which could fit your bill depending on the needs.

#2. Size

The size of the mat is entirely dependent on the size of your room, the equipment you would be placing on it, the shape of the room, square footage, and the lifting that would be performed on it.

Larger the mat, the fewer the seams that are present. You get mats of varying sizes, and some even have options for customization.

#3. Material

Mats could be made from recycled rubber, vulcanized rubber, or foam.

Though foam mats are lightweight, waterproof, easy to clean, and come in various colors, they are at a higher risk of indentations under heavyweights, and durability is also comparatively less compared to rubber mats.

Rubber mats are best suited for exercises such as deadlifts as they are designed to handle the toughest of workouts and are built to withstand heavyweight equipment.

Also, easy to clean and to add green to the environment being recyclable. Your first choice should be on choosing a rubber mat for your flooring.

#4. Mat Gaps

If you plan to purchase many horse stall mats to fill your floor, you could see that they bring about huge gaps between them.

Horse stall mats (3/4 inch thickness) are excellent for weightlifting and produce increased gaps.

To avoid this, any time before purchase, it is necessary to be sure that the mats are ‘trued.’

Truing the mats finetune the four edges perfectly that they don’t bring about gaps when multiple mats are fit together.

Though expensive, it is worth every buck paid if you are looking out for uniformity.

Why Do Some Rubber Deadlift Mats Smell Bad?

Rubber has a unique smell that is predominantly present in any product that you buy, including tires, dumbbells, flooring, and weight plates.

Not all mats smell the same, and the difference lies primarily in their design and construction quality.

Why do some rubber deadlift mats smell bad? Because low-quality mats contain greater amounts of sulfur additives and vulcanized or virgin rubber. While the pricing is extremely enthralling, luring every buyer to choose these mats, you will repent the decision immediately after you start using it as the entire room stick bad enough to make you dizzy.

We don’t want our efforts to go in vain by making such incorrect decisions.

Quality rubber mats add ‘odor mitigates’ that negate the bad smell.

Though these mats might have a lingering ‘tire shop’ smell, their presence vanishes in a couple of days.

Can You Trim or Cut Your Deadlift Platform Mats?

Though the size might be just right, we could also need to make a few adjustments here and there to bring about the perfect fit of the mat that’s suitable for our room space. Luckily, deadlift mats could be trim or cut as per our requirements to accommodate other equipment or get rid of an obstacle.

Before you lay your hands on the mat to cut, it ensures that the mat is acclimatized and brought to room temperature.

This makes sure that the mat expands or contracts before making any modifications to the size.

Use the right tools that would ease the chore rather than complicating the process.

Do Deadlift Mats Need Adhesive?

Deadlift mats exist for the main purpose of providing a heavy platform against any damage to the floor, and by default, every mat is designed to be heavy, which means that they don’t need any adhesive to stick onto the flooring.

Generally, a ½” mat weighs around 3 pounds per square foot, and a ¾” mat weighs around 4 pounds per square foot.

These mats don’t require any flooring tape or liquid urethane adhesive to help them stay firmly on the ground, especially when we use multiple mats that are laid together side by side.

What Is the Best Way to Clean Your Deadlift Mats?

Maintenance depends on the frequency of usage, and in a place such as your home gym or commercial gym where there is average foot traffic, the mats need minimum maintenance.

Though black mats display dust and dirt more prominently than speckled ones, both show excellent effects when cleaned with a vacuum.

If there is chalk, mud, or dirt in the mat, the best way to clean your deadlift mats is to use a mild solution of soap and water to clean it using a mop.

If you would like to sort out any spillages or generally maintain the mat regularly, it is better to use a neutral PH flooring cleaner to deodorize and make it as good as new.

Top 5 Best Heavy-Duty Mats for Deadlifting Platform

Though mats are an integral feature in your home gym arrangement, they don’t seem to get the attention they need.

What is there on the flooring of your home gym has a great impact on whether your floor or equipment is protected.

Selecting the perfect mat would help you with greater cushioning, non-slip grip, and more comfort while working doing deadlifts.

Given below are the top 5 best heavy-duty mats for deadlifting.

1. Rubber-Cal Shark Tooth Heavy Duty Mat (3/4 inch)

The Shark Tooth floor mats are an excellent protective gear shielding your flooring from any damage due to deadlifting.

The ¾ inch thick heavy-duty mats made of dense, recycled rubber saves your expensive flooring from deleterious damages and avoids any expenditure on fixing them.

The thickness of the mat is ideal for providing the perfect cushioning between the equipment and the flooring.

Place them on the floor and feel free to lift weights, use your dumbbells and even drop deadlifts with ease as the thick rubber material absorbs maximum impact and vibrations, safeguarding the floor under any circumstance.

These are the best mats for heavy equipment, such as weights providing excellent cushioning and protection. Two features are most expected from exercise mats.

2. BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat (3/4 inch)

If you are prone to slips and falls, the BalanceFrom puzzle mat should be an ideal choice as it comes with double-sided non-slip surfaces that offer great slip resistance and utmost grip to prevent any injuries.

Every mat is ¾ inches thick and made from high-density EVA foam material that promises long-lastingness and sturdiness when performing any exercise.

The moisture-resistant technology used in the mat’s design makes it easy to maintain the mat using soap and water.

The mat’s thickness makes it an excellent protection guard to your spine, hips, knees, and elbows against the hard flooring.

Don’t worry about mat gaps, too, as the interlocking is perfectly set with razor-sharp precision cuts and finish.

3. Rubber Mat Flooring 4′ x 6′ x 3/4″ for Gym or Equine Stall (3/4 inch)

Here is an industry standard for Crossfit and other commercial gym purposes.

Hence, using it on your home gym should be a piece of cake as the manufacturer has used a premium-quality durable Grade-A rubber mat for manufacturing the mat.

Made from heavy-duty 100% recycled rubber tires, the mats promise environmental protection and are among the best eco-friendly options to buy.

Each mat is designed and made with utmost preciseness and hence, promises maximum durability and comfort.

They could be ideally used in home gyms, commercial gyms, horse stalls, and other places as the mats are extremely hard.

And the bottom surface is designed to absorb and distribute weight equally without paving the way for any balance-related issues.

The mats promise sturdiness and protecting against slippages due to its non-slip grip design.

4. IncStores 3/4″ Premium Mega Rubber Gym Mats (3/4 inch)

The look of the mat oozes strength, sturdiness, and long lastingness.

Be it for the home gym or commercial purpose, and you could rely on IncStores mats for serving your purpose as they are made of high-quality material and presented with an excellent finish.

Each mat is made from 100% dense and durable recycled rubber that promises eco-friendliness and environmental protection, making every nature lover heave a sigh of relief.

The mats are specially designed for heavy weightlifting purposes and constructed to bear any slippages or occasional weight drops to the floor.

Every mat is ¾ inches thick, providing good cushioning between the heavyweight equipment and the flooring.

Your flooring is in good hands with this rubber gym mat, which is touted to be one of the most durable mats in the industry.

5. XMark Fitness XMat Ultra Thick Gym Flooring (1/2 inch)

Ready to handle anything that’s thrown at it, the XMARK fitness Xmats is a versatile product that is a necessary addition to any home gym.

Made from recycled rubber that’s of high quality, this heavy-duty rubber mat is apt for weightlifters who are passionate about lifting greater pounds of weight.

Weighing 75 pounds and bearing a ½ inch thickness, the mat offers optimal cushioning between the equipment and the floor.

Be sure to stay peaceful and worry-free once you purchase this mat, as the product lasts for years together without any hassles.

If you are inclined towards weightlifting, doing bench presses and weight presses, don’t think twice but purchase the XMARK mat as it offers optimal thickness, good cushioning, and a comfortable exercising experience.

Final Thoughts

You’ve done a splendid job setting up your home gym with the latest equipment that’s sure to send your fitness levels skyrocketing.

There is also the concern that this equipment can cause potential damage to the flooring when used regularly.

That’s mainly because heavy equipment is used with greater intensity and starts chipping away on the legs wrecking pieces of your flooring.

Such cracks induced can affect the entire flooring over time. Also, dropping a loaded barbell could bring about hazardous effects to the flooring ruining your home.

Hence, protecting the flooring right from the beginning when you set up the home gym is an indispensable part of the home gym setup process.

Selecting the best gym mats is a rigorous process that needs caution.

The good ones always offer traction, shock absorption, and non-slip surfaces, thereby protecting the user, flooring, and equipment from damages.

Spend a generous amount on a high-quality home gym mat to cherish a versatile exercising experience that’s safe and secure.

Read Also:

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