GYMNASTICS MATS
The right flooring makes a huge difference for your gymnastics practice. Whether you’re just starting out with the basics or you’re working on advanced skills, it’s important to get a gymnastics mat that can help you get there. Here’s everything you need to look for when buying gymnastic mats and the best products to count on for your practice.
What to Look for in a Gymnastics Mat
Safety is always the biggest thing to think about when searching for gymnastics mats. Whether you’re looking out for your kids or you’re just starting out as an adult gymnast, there should be no question that your floor is a safe landing space for your tumbles.
Most beginner’s mats are thick enough to protect you during falls from moves like handstands, forward and backward rolls, cartwheels, front and back walkovers, etc. Many of these mats are also appropriate for intermediate level movements like front and back handsprings.
The more advanced you are as a gymnast the thicker mat you’ll want beneath you. Thicker mats give better shock absorption, which is a must for all the heavy impact you’ll be throwing down when you stick your front tuck.
This is the area you don’t want to skimp on. You may pay more, but a thick mat will make you safer. It could, possibly, save your life. It’s worth it.
Helpfulness
This factor is especially important for beginner and intermediate gymnasts. When you’re just starting out, you want all the help you can get, right? Although most beginner’s level mats won’t do much in the way of help other than protect you (which is important!), there are plenty of accessories that you can check out to help you learn the basics.
A great start would be the combination of a 4’x8’x2” Folding Mat + an incline mat or balance beam to help you practice your floor work, plus some extra skills. If you’re learning at home and don’t have someone there to spot you, these extra tools can be especially helpful.
If you’re working on moving to the next level in your skills, a good, shock-absorbent mat designed for intermediate level gymnastics will allow you to take more risks.
Durability
The more advanced you become, the more hours you’re likely spending practicing on the mat. Make sure you choose a mat that is durable and built to handle the amount of practice you’ll be putting in. Since mats for advanced gymnastic moves tend to be a little pricier, you want something that will hold up against all your wear and tear.
It’s important to spend the little bit extra up front to save money in the long run with an advanced gymnastics mat that will last for years to come.
Easy Maintenance
The best gymnastics mats offer ease and convenience. You want to be able to clean up any sweat and store your mats as efficiently as possible, so it’s not a drag to get them out every day.
Many of our mats and accessories have a smooth vinyl casing that makes them incredibly easy to clean with just a damp cloth or a traditional sanitizing product. Some of our gymnastics mats come with a carpet top, which are also easy to clean but may be more difficult to keep sanitary. The carpet-top mats are still a favorite for their comfortable surface, a necessity for barefoot students practicing flips and tumbles. Running a vacuum over them regularly can help get rid of bacteria and keep them clean.
Finally when you’re done with practice for the day, simply fold up your mat and put it away. Each of our mats are very portable, lightweight and easy to move.
Now that you know what qualities to look for in your gymnastics mats, let’s take a look at the best products for your gymnastics studio or home practice space.
4’x8’x2” Eco Folding Mats
A high-quality mat at an affordable price, our Eco Folding Mats feature less dense foam than our standard Folding Mats. These mats are less stiff but still the right amount of sturdy, the perfect combination for the beginner gymnast. Also, they’re colorful, which kids will love! They come in beautiful color options like a whole rainbow pattern or a soft pink. (These also come in black if colors don’t impress you.)
Features of 4’x8’x2” Eco Folding Mats:
- Cost-effective
- Easy to clean
- Encased in durable vinyl
- Comes in pretty colors
- Lightweight and portable
- Perfect for beginner to intermediate gymnastics moves
- Non-toxic
- Mold and mildew resistant
Incline Mats
Incline mats are more of a teaching tool than an all-use mat. They aid tumblers in getting comfortable with the movements of a new trick before practicing it all out on the mat. If you’re looking for a beginner’s teaching tool, the Incline Mat is definitely the way to go.
Features of Incline Mats:
- Available in 14”, 15” and 16” high
- Great tool for learning forward rolls, front walkovers and more
- Work best as an add-on to the folding mat
Balance Beams
Our foam Balance Beams are the perfect beginner training tool. Before your beginner gymnast gets up to the high beam, they can begin practicing on this approachable, low-to-the-ground foam beam. This way, when falls happen (because, when it comes to the balance beam, falls always happen!), they’re only 2.5” off the ground.
For extra safety protection, place the foam Balance Beam on your Folding Mat so your little ones can fall safely to a soft surface, encouraging them to push themselves more and gain confidence.
Features of Balance Beams:
- Great training tool for beginner to intermediate gymnasts
- 2.5” off ground
- Folds in half for easy transport
- Encased in 18 oz. vinyl with a medium-density core
Home Cheer Mats
This is a tried and true intermediate level mat. It’s the perfect fit for almost anything you want to practice – cheer, tosses, back handsprings, you name it.
While they may be called “cheer” mats, these mats are so versatile that they end up being a perfect fit for almost anyone, including training gymnasts. Also, they are built to last for the long haul.
If you want a mat that will stick with you through multiple levels of gymnastics, our Home Cheer Mats are the way to go.
Features of Home Cheer Mats:
- Come in multiple size and thickness options so you can get exactly what you need
- Easily velcro multiple mats together to cover a large surface
- Easy to store
Tumbling Mats
These are for the intermediate level gymnast that will likely become super advanced. It’s more of an advanced mat, but it is definitely a mat you can grow into that will support you through your entire learning process.
When you’re soaring high in your double back layouts, you want a little something extra in your training mat. Extra durability, extra shock absorption and extra guarantee (in the form of a 1-year warranty).
These tumbling mats come with some cool extra capabilities. You can use them to create an entire flooring surface or even as a wall padding. If you’re super skilled in gymnastics, need to fill an entire floor space or want some extra wall padding, the 5’x10’x2” Tumbling Mats are the perfect match for you.
Features of Tumbling Mats:
- Extra durability
- Extra shock absorption
- Customizable to fit your floor surface
- Features a V4 System, with Velcro on all sides of the mat
Landing Mats
These hardcore mats are tough enough to protect athletes at the top competitive level. In fact, they’re so shock absorbent that they are also referred to as “crash mats.”
Landing mats are tough enough to withstand falls from the high bar, but we’re hoping you won’t have to test that out for yourself too often. Place these mats under the balance beam, rings or vault where gymnasts will be landing from extremely tall heights.
This is the top level mat, and certainly, not everyone needs a top-level mat. Our Landing Mats are commercially rated and designed to provide the maximum shock absorbency for the highest impact, while still maintaining a solid foundation.
Also, if you travel for competitions, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. These mats come with handles that make them super easy to move around.
These bad boys are so tough, we even back them up with an impressive 3-year warranty. Mostly because we’re sure we’ll never have to use it. But for real, they’ll last you for 3 years, and if something happens, we’ve got you covered.
These mats are ideal for coaches and studio owners engaging in all facets of gymnastics. You don’t need them for your basic tumbling, but they will be your best friend when you come down on the ground from 10ft in the air.
Features of Landing Mats:
- 3 year warranty
- Handles for easy transportation
- Maximum shock absorption
- Mold and mildew resistant