7 Best Chair Mat Alternatives

A chair mat can be a really useful addition to your gaming setup or office for many reasons, not only for aesthetic reasons as looks but also for safety reasons, as some of them are designed in a way that can protect your chair from slipping around and falling. In addition to their capability of protecting any type of flooring from damage caused by caster wheels.

But, sometimes a chair mat, might not be the best choice to make, as sometimes they come at a price more than we can afford, while other times they can be poisonous and toxin, which is hazardous especially if you have pets or kids.

That’s why in this list I’ve gathered the best chair mat alternatives that won’t only substitute chair floor mats but can even be more useful than them.

Chair Mat Alternatives

First, Rollerblade Style Wheels

Okay, that might be more like a caster wheel alternative than an alternative for chair mats, but it is the best choice to make if you are looking for an alternative chair mat option.

Rollerblade wheels are Slim, polyurethane wheels that look & feel just like the kind of caster wheels you get on standard sets of rollerblades.

There are 4 main advantages of polyurethane wheels:

The first advantage is that the rollerblade-style wheels cover a less surface area than standard plastic office chair casters, which means that even if the user tends to move his chair around a lot, the caster style wheels will move over a less office space, which in turn results in less damage.

The second advantage is that rollerblade-style wheels are way more durable than traditional plastic wheels, which means that they will be providing ample support for a longer time.

The third advantage is that you won’t be restricted by your type of floor, as not every chair mat is suitable for a carpet floor or hardwood floor, giving you more freedom in your workstation or gaming setup.

Finally & most importantly, and I think this is the main reason you are looking for mat alternatives, is that they cause significantly less damage to your floor type.

All in all, standard plastic office chair wheels may be excellent for moving around the workstation, but they can result in a wide range of problems, including rubbing off the finish of the tile, vinyl, laminate floors, and more, leading to deep scratches, gouges, and indentations that ruin the look of the beautiful hardwood floors.

On the other hand, rollerblade-style wheels, are 100% safe on a polyester rug surface, wood surface, and carpeted surfaces, and cause no damage no matter how long you be moving around your office.

Here are some of the best Rollerblade wheels on the market.

Read more , Best Chair Mat for Vinyl Plank Flooring

Second, Office Chair Bell Glides

If the solid flooring of your gaming setup or workstation is coated and covered with a thick, plush carpet, you will definitely find your chair wheels leaving deep impressions on the carpet, that won’t only look unsightly, but will also damage your valuable carpet on the long term.

In fact, this is one of the main reasons users, search for the best gaming chair mats or the best mats for hardwood floors and so on, but even when they get one, the body weight of the user will make a pressure that leads to the same damage.

Happily, there is a perfect solution, which is the Office Chair Bell Glides. They are designed to decrease the amount of pressure caused by your body weight on your carpet.

The bell glides work simply by getting attached to the underside of your office chair or gaming chair’s wheels for increasing the surface area, which means that the pressure gets spread out over a wider area, causing a less impact and, as a result, less damage to your aesthetically pleasing carpet.

So what are the drawbacks of using Office Chair Bell Glides? Using these glides means that you will be sacrificing portability & flexibility.

Because once the glides are attached, you will no longer have the ability to roll your chair around the floor, it won’t only be hard to glide it around, it might completely stop you from doing that unless you carry it.

So, if you don’t really mind keeping your office or gaming chair in a fixed position all the time, Bell Glides is an affordable solution that you will really love.

Here is one of the best Bell Glides to get.

Also read, Best Gaming Chair Mats for EVERY Floor Type

Third, Chairs Without Wheels

This option is mainly for those whose floors are hardwood, laminate, or vinyl, if you have plush carpeting, then you should never try it, let me tell you why.

Even the best chair with no wheels can still leave imprints on your carpet, which leads to damage in the long term.

On the other side, chairs with no wheels will be super convenient with hardwood floors and will eliminate any chances of scuffs and scratches.

Here are some of the best chairs with no casters available on the market.

Also check our picks of Secretlab Titan Evo Review: an Honest Opinion

Fourth, Standing Desks

Okay, that might not be the best alternative for office chair mats, but if you don’t have to work for long extended hours, then it might be really beneficial.

Sitting down for extended hours is really bad for health and will lead to serious health issues in the long term especially if you sit so long in the exact same position, which is most probably the wrong sitting position.

When you are standing, you are more inclined to want to move around a little more, which is good. But let me tell you that if you are an employee or a gamer who spends long hours of work, a standing desk won’t also be the best choice to make because standing for long periods is also bad for health.

Furthermore, standing desks are also usually expensive, so not everyone will like them.

Here are some of the best standing desks that you might like to own.

Read more, Best Chair Mat for Tile Floors

Fifth, Felt Pads

One more excellent alternative for office chair mats is felt pads, they can make a significant big difference in your workspace.

Felt Pads utilize a simple peel & stick approach, with a strong adhesive backing that gets attached to the underside of your chair’s leg effortlessly, which prevents scratches and dentations on hardwood, laminate, vinyl, tile floors as well as high, low, and medium-pile carpet surfaces.

The only drawback of these pads is that their adhesive starts to wear out after months of use, but that isn’t actually a big problem as these pads are cheap, so you can easily replace them from time to time without paying a lot.

It is worth mentioning that Felt pads aren’t only designed for chairs, they have a wide variety of beneficial applications.

One of the best pads product you can ever purchase is

Also check, Best VR Floor Mat for Virtual Reality Gaming

Sixth, Rugs

Rugs are the most stylish chair mat alternative, they make attractive additions to your place, especially for gaming setups, so if you are a gamer who is looking for an alternative for gaming mats, a rug is just the one for you.

They help you glide smoother and you can also change them easily.

So, what about their downside? Rugs can easily be damaged over time by your chair whether it has casters or not.

But the fact that they are almost available in every home and sometimes they come at a cheaper price than mats makes them worth it.

Also read, Dowinx Gaming Chair Review: Does it Live Up to the Hype?

Seventh, Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is kind of similar to rugs, it can protect your floor from the damage caused by your chair, but the main difference is that tempered glass actually lasts longer than rugs and even chair mats.

Yes, they might cost more, but they are 100% worth the money as they can serve you for long years to come.

It is worth mentioning that, tempered glass is more compatible with carpet fibers as they are less slippery and provide a smooth area for the chair to roll on.

Also check, Best Chair Mat for Laminate Floor

Final Thoughts

As you have just read, there are lots of alternatives to chair mats, some of these alternatives can be even more pleasing to the eye than chair mats, and more affordable too.

 So, if are still wondering what is the best chair mat alternative, I will tell you that you are the only one who can decide that, as it depends on your flooring type which style you like the best, your budget, and do want your chair to move around or to be fixed?