Chair Mat Sizes and Thickness: A Buyer's Guide for Offices and Retail Ranges

Choose the chair mat size from the area the chair actually rolls over, not the desk size: 90×120cm (36″×48″) suits most single desks, and larger sizes such as 117×153cm (46″×60″) suit wide or L-shaped workstations. Choose mat thickness from the floor: thinner mats with a smooth back for hard floors, thicker gripped mats for carpet.

Our clear PVC mats come in these standard sizes, and other sizes are made on request:

Watch someone work for ten minutes. They roll back to stand up, swing sideways to a drawer, push in close to type. The mat has to cover all of that movement, plus the castors' footprint at the edges.

Measure the distance from the desk edge to the furthest point the chair rolls back, and the width the chair moves across. Add room so the castors never sit on the edge of the mat. If the desk has a modesty panel or the chair pushes right under the desk, a lipped chair mat (a rectangle with a tongue that runs under the desk) covers the floor in the knee space without needing a much bigger rectangle.

Our clear PVC mats are made in 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm thickness, or a custom thickness. Thickness decides how flat the mat stays and how well it spreads the load of the castors.

On hard floors (wood, laminate, tile, vinyl) the floor itself is flat and firm, so a thinner mat with a smooth back lies flat and protects the surface from castor wear. On carpet the mat has to bridge the soft pile. A thicker mat with a gripped back resists denting and bowing, and the grip studs hold it in place. The deeper the pile, the thicker the mat should be. Send us the carpet pile height with your order and we'll recommend the thickness.

The back of a chair mat matters as much as its thickness. A smooth back is made for hard floors. A gripped back with studs is made for carpet. Using the wrong back is a common chair mat mistake: a studded mat on a wooden floor can mark it, and a smooth mat on carpet creeps across the room. Our article on chair mats for carpet vs hard floors explains the difference in detail.

Our clear chair mats are 100% PVC, recyclable and BPA-free, and made to resist scratching and yellowing. For gaming setups and branded ranges, a printed gaming chair mat puts full-colour artwork on a polyester face with a non-slip rubber base; our guide to office vs gaming chair mats compares the two.

For an office fit-out, list the desks by type (single, L-shaped, sit-stand) and the floor under each one. Grouping desks this way usually leaves only a few sizes and thicknesses, which keeps the order simple. For a retail range, cover the common desk sizes in both hard-floor and carpet versions, then add a round mat for gaming and home offices.

Custom-shaped OEM chair mats start at 200 pieces. Stock items typically ship in 7–15 days and custom orders in 20–30 days. See the clear PVC office chair mat, the full chair mat range, carpet protectors for walkways, or send us your desk list.

What is the standard chair mat size? Our universal size is 90×120cm (36″×48″). Our standard sizes run from 75×120cm (30″×48″) to 117×153cm (46″×60″), with round mats in 100, 120 and 150cm diameters.

How thick should a chair mat be? Our PVC mats come in 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm. Thinner smooth-backed mats suit hard floors; thicker gripped mats suit carpet, and deeper pile needs a thicker mat.

What is a lipped chair mat? A lipped chair mat is a rectangle with a tongue that runs under the desk, so the floor in the knee space is covered too.

What is the MOQ for custom chair mats? Custom-shaped OEM chair mats start at 200 pieces.