Best Home and Commercial Gym Flooring Options

When it comes to flooring for your home or commercial gym floor, there are some things to consider. If rubber flooring is being considered, think about if it is important to have the flooring be low-smell. For home gyms, we generally recommend a low-odor option. This is because, if you have forced air and decent insulation, that smell can disperse throughout your home and be a nuisance for some time. Some rubber flooring has a strong “new tire” smell, but it’s not determined by whether or not the rubber flooring is made from recycled rubber. The binding agent (usually sulfuric or urethane based) will determine the power of the odor.

Home and Commercial Gym Flooring

If rubber or foam tiles seem to be the best option, We typically recommend a smaller sized tile option (such as our Interlocking 2x2 tiles).For a larger area, we will usually quote you a larger tile size (Geneva 3x3). This is because, in a smaller area, you will typically find yourself wasting less product when cutting for a wall-to-wall installation if your tiles are smaller. For use in a larger facility, the larger tile size is nice as it leads to fewer seams in the floor.

best commercial gym flooring

Foam flooring for home gyms and kids play rooms

Greatmats’ lightest, softest, and most vibrant home gym flooring option are out foam floor tiles. Our interlocking foam tiles are available i

Foam home gym flooring

n a variety of thicknesses and mat densities. This determines how hard they feel when you jump (or fall) on the tiles as well as how long the foam tiles hold up. Density is a measurement of the amount of foam there is in each square inch of material. One foam floor tile can be thicker but less dense than another foam tile. As an example of this, our denser 3/8 inch Elite Exercise Tiles are a longer lasting product on average for aerobic use than our Premium 5/8 inch tiles even though the Premium tiles are the thicker of the two products.

kids foam flooring

When choosing between different types of foam tiles, it's important to keep in mind how the flooring is going to be used. If you're creating a play area for toddlers, the Premium is an excellent choice. Available in a variety of colors, they create a fun play floor for kids to run around on. If instead the flooring is going to be used for adults practicing Judo, Greatmats' suggest a different foam tile option, such as our Grappling 1-5/8” mats.

foam tiles for kids

Foam is lightweight and easy to install. It’s as simple as putting the tile together with their interlock system and then cutting down any border tiles to perfectly fit the tiles to your space. Border strips are available for most foam mats and allow you to turn your puzzle tiles into border or corner tiles. The border strips make creating an island an easy and hassle free task. It also aids in creating a wall-to-wall layout because you can start against the wall with a straight edge piece.

kids foam gym

Foam mats are available for barefoot use as well as for shoes and boots. How the flooring will be used, who will be using the flooring, and how long the flooring is expected to last should all factor in the decision on which foam mats to purchase.

What Kind of Floor Should I Exercise On?

There are numerous benefits to exercising regularly, but it takes discipline to keep up with it. If you're exercising on the wrong type of floor, you could risk injuries, unnecessary pain, and overall discomfort that makes it even more difficult to motivate yourself to exercise regularly.

Kind of exercise floor

It doesn’t matter whether it’s about working towards keeping a New Year’s resolution, or just to lead a healthy lifestyle, having a home space to exercise is key to keeping up a routine and truly reaping the benefits of exercise. Greatmats has numerous options for home gym and exercise flooring.

Choosing the Right Exercise Floor for Your Needs

We wish we could tell you the perfect workout floor for home use, but the truth is that the right flooring for your needs will depend on a number of different factors. Below are a few considerations that our flooring experts recommend keeping in mind when choosing flooring that will be best suited for different use types.

Types of Exercise

The first thing that should be considered is the various kinds of exercise that the floor will be used for.

- High-impact activities, like exercise involving lots of jumping or repetitive movements, is hard on your joints and on your body. Ideal flooring will provide the firmness that’s needed to push off from a jump or leap, but will still absorb some of the shock of the impact when landing. Good shock absorption is particularly important, since it can help to prevent injury and will increase your overall comfort.

- Floor exercises, like sit-ups and most yoga positions, require a fitness floor that provides extra cushion and comfort without sacrificing stability. Personal exercise mats are made with foam that has enough give to it so that it can offer the comfort and support that is needed for exercises, while still helping avoid pressure points on the body during floor exercises.

- For weight lifting, you'll need a completely different type of flooring. Weight lifting demands a dense, strong fitness floor that can help to protect your subfloor and cut noise while maximizing your output. Typically rubber mats, tiles, and rolls are the most popular flooring option for weight lifting as they are dense and durable, allowing them to be strong enough to withstand the shock of dropped weight. This is particularly true of thick rubber mats.

home gym flooring ideas

- Martial arts training requires a flooring that offers superior shock absorption with a proper level of firmness and traction. For some disciplines, you'll need to carefully choose a floor that can absorb much of the impact of a throw, helping to keep you safe and reducing the chance of injury. Greatmats has a wide selection of martial arts tiles that were designed with specific disciplines in mind. Folding gym mats can sometimes also be used for martial arts flooring.

Amount of Traffic

You'll want to consider how much traffic your fitness floor will see. Flooring that will be used in home gyms and workout spaces won’t need to be nearly as durable as products that would be installed in a commercial gym. Be sure to choose a product that is highly durable. Many of the products that Greatmats sells include best-in-class warranties. Some product are also reversible, allowing for both sides of the flooring product to be used, thus increasing the life of the product.

Traction Needs

When choosing a fitness floor, traction can mean the difference between a successful workout and one that ends in a slip and an injury. While the actual surface of the flooring product is an important consideration in itself, the type of shoes that will be used while working out on the flooring is the other half of the traction equation.

Then, consider the types of activities that the floor needs to provide traction for. If the flooring is going to be used for yoga, then the flooring should have a little less grip than for a higher impact workout such as Jazzercise.

Exercise Equipment

Will exercise equipment be used in the workout space? If so, choose fitness mats that are strong enough to support the weight of heavy exercise equipment without being damaged.

Foam mats and tiles are a popular flooring choice for home gyms due to their comfort, ease of installation, and affordability. However, most foam workout mats are so soft that placing a heavy piece of equipment on them can cause permanent indentations if left for long periods of time. Some higher-density foams and plastic products may be suitable, but if you'll be working with heavy equipment, then investing in a rubber mat may be the best option. Rubber is incredibly durable and provides excellent support to exercise equipment, so there will be no concern that the flooring will be damaged by the gym equipment.

If there will be exercise equipment in the room but more comfortable flooring is needed elsewhere in the room, placing a rubber mat underneath the exercise equipment but using softer flooring as the primary flooring material is a practical way to get the best of both without having to install two floors.

Location. Location. Location.

You'll also need to think about the location where you'll be installing the flooring. If the flooring is going to used in a basement there are unique considerations that may need to be made. Many basements have moisture issues, so it's important to choose a flooring that can withstand moisture. Most of the flooring options offered by Greatmats are waterproof, making it easy to pull up the foam flooring tiles and allow the floor underneath to dry out.

Alternatively, we offer a selection of plastic tiles with a raised plastic base. This raised base allows air and moisture to freely circulate beneath the tile, speeding drying and helping to eliminate mold and mildew. These tiles are a great choice for damper areas where moisture build up will be a concern.

floor mats for exercise room

If you're working with a concrete subfloor, then you'll also appreciate how foam flooring can help to suppress the cold from permeating up into the floor. This allows the flooring to be a comfortable workout area year around, allowing New Year’s resolutions to be kept during even the coldest of Januaries.

Temporary and Permanent Options

Don't have a designated exercise room at home? Greatmats offer many personal exercise mats that are portable and temporary, allowing any space in a home to be used as a workout area. You don't have to dedicate an entire room or space to just working out, since you can pull up the flooring, relocate it, or store it between uses. This is a perfect solution for those who only have access to a multipurpose room in a home that can’t be converted into a dedicated room.

If you are lucky enough to have a designated space for your home gym, then you'll have a wide variety of options to choose from. Tiles, folding mats, and rolled rubber flooring are all great options for use as permanent gym flooring. There are also numerous products that can be installed temporarily.

Ease of Installation

Will you be installing your fitness floor yourself? Greatmats offers many products that are easy to install, and that can make for simple DIY projects right in your own home. Greatmats offers a wide range of workout flooring options that range from personal exercise mats that can be simply rolled out of unfolded, to interlocking tiles that can easily be installed by fitting together like puzzle pieces.

Most of our products are conveniently sized, so they're easy to carry into your home. Our tiles and personal workout mats are small and lightweight, allowing them to be transported through narrow hallways and down stairs, both considerations that are important for metropolitan living.

flooring for exercise room

Rolled rubber is a heavier option, and requires a bit more of an involved installation. If rolled rubber flooring is the right option for a room, multiple people will be needed to handle and install the rolls as each rolls is too heavy for one person to safely carry. Rolled rubber results in fewer seams in your floor than you'll see if you use tiles, and it may be a more budget-friendly option when you're working with a larger area. Many homeowners still choose to purchase tiles over rolled rubber as they’re easier to transport and install with one of two people.

Almost all of our products can be trimmed to fit the area that you're installing them in. Some tiles are available with border pieces, so you can create a clean island installation. Most other can simply be trimmed with a straight edge or sharp utility knife.

Budget

Your budget will also factor into determining which workout floor is right for your needs. At Greatmats, we work to provide a versatile selection of budget-friendly options. Our product team carefully considers many options when choosing what products we offer, allowing our customer to have the most choice possible. Our direct relationships with manufacturers allows us to never sacrifice quality for cost, while still offering highly competitive pricing on all our products. Plus, we offer a price match guarantee. We're confident that you'll be happy with any exercise floor that you choose at Greatmats.

Please be sure to use our Pro Floor Designer as you plan out your exercise floor. This online tool can help you to design your floor, using the actual dimensions of your space. The tool will help in determining the amount of product needed to cover a room, allowing for informed decision making about cost and quality of flooring needed.

exercise floor

Buying Your Fitness Floor

Are you ready to purchase your new fitness floor? Please contact our customer service team. Greatmats flooring experts are available to provide live help, product samples, and shipping quotes. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the different options available on the market today and can help choose the best flooring for any specific situation.

Home Gym Flooring - Rubber vs. Foam

When it comes to flooring for your home gym, the most popular options are rubber and foam. Both flooring materials are good options, but they each serve different needs. Your priorities and how you'll be using the space should help to determine which product is best for your application.

Rubber v.s. Home - Home Gym

Rubber is the best choice and most popular option for home gym flooring. It is also inexpensive, easy to install, and incredibly durable. Rubber is most commonly found in areas where weights or exercise equipment will be used. It doesn't add much by way of cushion for aerobic activities such as jumping or bounding. (An an option, Plyometric rubber does work well for aerobic option as it is less dense than normal rubber and subsequently offers more cushion)

Home Gym Flooring Ideas

As a rule, rubber is more challenging to install than foam simply because of the sheer weight involved. Rolled rubber rolls are heavier than a single rubber tile or mat, but rolled rubber once installed will lead to fewer seams in the installed floor. Rubber flooring does NOT need adhesive for installation in your home gym - no matter what the purpose. However, a double sided carpet tape can be used around the perimeter and at the seams for a rolled installation. Most tiles can be installed without any adhesives, although some rubber tile products use a dowel connection system.

Flooring for Home Gym

Foam is typically cheaper than rubber because it is lighter than rubber. Foam flooring comes in a variety of densities and thicknesses. Foam gym flooring is more geared toward home gyms where cardio exercises, floor workouts, tumbling, or grappling will be done. Foam will not be as durable as rubber and will not hold up well from weights being dropped, or exercise equipment being put on top of the foam. As foam is lighter it usually is easier to install than rubber, as well as less expensive to ship.

Home Plyometric Gym Flooring

For those looking for new flooring for their home gym, they want a home gym flooring option that will be both durable and tough for their plyometric floor exercises. However, they're also in need of a floor product that will provide cushion for aerobic or cardio workouts. Greatmats offers several flooring options that are perfectly suited for these use cases.. One option is plyometric rubber in rolls. Plyometric rubber (or plyorobic) comes in rolls of four-feet wide. Rolls are cut to lengths of 25 linear feet or longer and are available in two thicknesses; 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch.

Home Plyometric Gym Flooring

 

We also carry rolls of plyometric rubber that are 4 feet by 10 feet by 8 mm thick. Both of these flooring materials are perfect solutions for small exercise areas in the home, as well as for use under individual pieces of exercise equipment such as under elliptical machines or treadmills.

High Impact Rubber Flooring

Plyometric rubber is less dense than standard rolled rubber for gym floors. This enables plyometric rubber rolls to provide a higher level of cushion to users when compared to a standard rolled rubber floor.  Plyometric rubber is very durable and can often be found in both home and commercial gym applications where machines will be located and where an anti fatigue flooring surface is needed.

Best Home Gym Flooring Over Concrete

Home Gym Flooring over Concrete

- Do you use your basement to lift weights or do other exercises?

- Do you have a concrete basement floor?

If you answered yes to both of these questions, it is time to consider some professional flooring to take your fitness to the next level. Although you can work out on concrete, it is not an ideal flooring option for exercise for many reasons.

First of all, concrete is hard on the body. For both standing and floor exercises, concrete does not provide any cushion to help lessen the stress and strain being put on the body from the exercises. In fact, it actually increases the strain. Standing or exercising on concrete for long periods of time will cause the body discomfort, aches, and pains and can even lead to long-term damage.

Second, concrete is not a safe surface to exercise on. Concrete does not have good grip or traction, especially when it is wet. Slipping and falling on concrete is much more likely to happen than on other surfaces. On top of that, there are serious consequences if an accident does happen. Falling on concrete can cause serious abrasions, concussions or broken bones.

Basement Gym Flooring 

Further, concrete is not an inviting surface. Especially in basements, concrete tends to be really cold, which never feels good on the body. It is nearly impossible to stay barefooted on concrete for long. Not only is concrete not ideal for contact with the human body, it also is not ideal for heavy equipment or weights. Concrete can be cracked or damaged by heavy dropped weights, or alternatively, weights will become damaged.

Finally, concrete is a pain to keep clean. It is not easily disinfected, which is important where sweat and other bodily fluids are involved. Concrete does not dry quickly, and in particularly moist environments, it can end up harvesting mold and mildew.

If you have been spending a lot of time working out on concrete, you probably already know many of these things, and you are probably ready to learn about the best home gym flooring over concrete options.

Rubber

The most popular product for home gyms is rolled rubber. It is one of the less expensive basement gym floor options and creates few seams in your gym floor. If you'd prefer an easier installation, you can opt for interlocking rubber tiles, which fit together tightly and end up being nearly seamless. Neither rubber rolls nor rubber tile options require glue for installation. However, in the case of rolled rubber, we generally recommend using a double-sided carpet tape beneath the rolls at the perimeter and at the seams between rolls.

Basement Gym Designs 

Looking to do aerobic or cardio activities on your basement gym floor? A great product for that is our Plyometric rubber flooring rolls. This rubber material is less dense than standard rolled rubber, Plyometric rubber flooring creates a cushioned surface that is great for jumping, lunging, and other aerobic X type activities.

PVC Plastic Tiles

Tiles made from PVC plastic is the best gym flooring over concrete for those who really struggle with moisture issues in the basement. If you struggle with moisture in your basement gym area, you may wish to consider our StayLock floor tiles. StayLock floor tiles are similar to plyometric rubber flooring in that they provide comfort while simultaneously protecting the concrete below from heavy equipment or dropped weights. Easy interlocking these tiles together to make installation simple. These tiles are also nonabsorbent and will keep your workout surface above the damp concrete.

Home Gym Floors

If moisture is not a big concern and you would like some cushion to your home gym floor, consider installing a rubber or foam underlay under a PVC floor.

Foam Tiles

Foam tiles are best home gym flooring over concrete for those looking for a padded surface. Gym Rubber by Greatmats offers a huge selection of soft yet durable foam tiles perfect for exercising. For a wood grain look consider our Wood Grain Foam Tile product that has three colors to choose from. This very high-density foam tile is durable and has the right cushion for aerobic and dynamic dance exercises. Install directly over your concrete floor in your basement for an upscale designer look. This tile is interlocking and easy to install with no adhesives required.

For more on this topic please review our Home Gym Flooring and Mats product page.

For more on this topic please review our Home Gym Flooring product page.

Best Horse Mats for Home Gyms

This may sound like the start of a bad joke, but it turns out there's actually a legitimate answer: Horse stall mats make excellent gym floors. It may sound unlikely, but there are several reasons horse stall mats can be perfect for home gyms. 

First and foremost, horse stall mats yield a durability that stands up to the test of time and extreme use. They are designed to withstand large, sustained loads, so heavy exercise equipment is no problem. Further, home gym mats need to offer stability and support to the limbs and joints of users - just like horse stall mats must support healthy bones and joints in horses. Next, horse stall mats offer enough grip to prevent animals and handlers from slipping and falling, even in moisture-prone environments. This quality is essential in home gyms as well, as traction is key for safety while working out. Finally, horse stall mats tend to be low maintenance and easy to clean, which translates perfectly to a gym environment. 

For even further proof, flooring experts from Gym Rubber by Greatmats picked out the five best horse mats for home gym settings.

Horse Mats for Gyms

 

1. Horse Mats for Home Gym: 
2x2 ft. x 3/4 inch interlocking black punter top 

Some horse stall mats are simply too large and heavy duty to make sense in a home gym. This is not the case for Interlocking Black Punter Top tiles. The smaller size and low-key installation process of these tiles make them awesome horse stall mats for home gyms. These tiles can be laid down in a garage, a basement or any other room in the house for an instant gym floor. Each tile is 2 x 2 feet in size, which makes it easy to custom fit into any space. Tiles can be used to construct a home gym island in the middle of the room, or they can easily be put in for a wall-to-wall installation. 

These horse stall mats for home gyms are 3/4 inch thick and made of tough, quality rubber. Tiles are designed to take the repeated punishment, perfect for withstanding the dropping of heavy weights. Athletes will always remain sure-footed on these tiles, as the pebble top surface provides just the right amount of traction. Interlocking Punter Top tiles connect together swiftly and without hassle, yet are so tight-fitting they are nearly seamless. Even after being uninstalled and reinstalled time and time again, the tiles stay just as tight as the first day. 

2. Best Priced Horse Mats for Gyms: 
4x6 ft x 1/2 inch straight edge pebble top

Horse Stall Mats for Gym 

For the best horse mats for home gyms at a killer value, consider Straight Edge Pebble Top mats. These mats are some of the most affordable horse mats on the market. That being said, they are still super high quality. Tiles are created from a top-of-the-line rubber that is designed to last you with very little maintenance. Because the mats are long-lasting and low-key to take care of, they make the initial investment the only one you will have to make. There will not be any unexpected maintenance costs popping up in the future. It only takes sweeping or damp mopping to keep these horse stall mats for a gym looking fresh and clean. At only $1.75 per square foot, that makes the overall cost of these tiles incredibly hard to beat. 

In addition to low cost, these tiles provide a well-rounded package. Tiles support health and safety as they provide both comfort and stability underfoot with 1/2 inches of rubber. Meanwhile, the pebble top surface texture provides just the right amount of traction for exercise. No special tools or adhesives are needed to install these mats. All it takes to install is an easy dry lay on any hard, flat surface. 

3. Pre-sized Horse Mat Kits for Gyms (West Coast): 
Horse Stall Mats Cascade 3/4 Inch 12x12 ft kit 

Horse Stall Mats Cascade kits make creating a home gym from horse mats an easy and affordable process. These custom kits ship from Oregon and service the entire West Coast with low shipping rates. That means that for those in the west, Horse Stall Mats Cascade are some of the best horse mats for home gyms. These horse mat kits for gym floors come in a total of nine tiles to create a 12 x 12 foot floor. The mats ship straight from Oregon to service all of the West Coast. 

Cascade mats are produced from 100 percent recycled rubber content, which makes them an environmentally conscious choice. With that recycled rubber comes unmatched resilience. They are specifically designed to deliver maximum durability while still providing comfort. Cascade stall mats are made in the USA and carry a 15-year warranty. Each one is precision cut to make every installation a perfect one. Installation is recommended on a hard, flat surface. 

4. Pre-Sized Kits Horse Mats for Gyms (Central USA): 
Horse Stall Mats Custom Kit Sizes 

For those that live in the Central USA, Horse Stall Mats Custom Kits are the best horse mats for home gyms in terms of customizability and shipping. These horse mats for gym floors come in a standard of 4x6 ft x 3/4 or 1/2 inch rubber interlocking mats that are then cut down to match the specific needs of your custom gym area. Based on your measurement and design, Gym Rubber by Greatmats will have the horse mats cut down for a perfect fit. 

To ease the planning process, Gym Rubber by Greatmats offers an easy-to-use online floor planner. This tool allows you to enter your actual dimensions in order to provide a scaled image of what your space will look like with horse mats for home gyms. Once the plan becomes reality, the custom cut makes these mats a breeze to install. This product is made in the USA and features a 12-year warranty against manufacturing defects. However, Horse Stall Mats Custom are rated to last at least 20 years or more in an equine environment, which means they will likely last even longer in a gym. Mats yield safety and comfort underfoot. 

5. Horse Mats for Heavy Lifting: 
4x6 x 3/4 Inch Straight Edge Punter Standard

Horse Mats for Home Gym

Flooring experts say that for serious lifters, Straight Edge Punter Standard is the best horse mat for home gyms. These mats are the straight edge version of the very popular Interlocking Punter Top Stall Mats (product #1). They offer serious strength, durability, and stability under even the heaviest of weights and weightlifting equipment. In addition, mats provide the bounce back desired by weightlifters and athletes. Punter Top Standard mats present supreme slip resistance for safety while exercising. 

These horse mats for gym floors ship from all over the country and Greatmats will give you the best possible shipping rate. Installing mats does not require more than simply laying mats out on the floor. Like other horse mats for home gyms, these are completely waterproof and easy to take care of. Damp mop with hot water, using two buckets to keep the mop clean. If using a cleaner on rubber, always use one that is pH neutral. Otherwise, chemicals can erode the rubber. 

Final Note 

Do be aware that most rubber products arrive with a strong odor. Rubber horse stall products tend to yield a particularly strong stench. Make sure to set your home gym up with proper ventilation before installing horse mats. You can also follow some of Gym Rubber's other tips for removing odor from rubber flooring, which can be found in the Customers Guide. If this (or anything else) is a concern, you can also check in with Gym Rubber's customer service. They can help you choose horse mats for gym floors certain to suit every one of your needs.