iMovR RightSize™ Premium Anti-Static Treadmill Mat Review

What a Proper Office Treadmill Mat Can Do For You

Under-treadmill anti-static mats serve a number of purposes besides keeping the dust bunnies under your treadmill from replicating like, well, bunnies. But just as office walking treadmills are different from exercise treadmills, a good office treadmill mat is different from a traditional equipment mat. A good office treadmill mat will

• prevent damage to the floor, while absorbing the shock impact that is transmitted through the four feet of any treadmill base, thus reducing vibrations,
• reduce noise in the office, and noise transmission to the tenants below you if you’re not on the ground floor,
• keep the motor works clean and keep dust out of the treadmill belt, reducing friction and the required frequency of cleaning and lubrication of the deck,
• be made of 100% recycled rubber,
• be at least 1/4″ thick,
• be properly sized for the footprint of your treadmill,
• be made in the USA, and offer a substantial full-performance warranty

Treadmill mats, also known more generically as equipment mats or anti-static mats, come in many sizes and thicknesses, and can vary greatly in quality -from cheap, thin, easily ripped PVC mats made in China, to thick, durable, 100% rubber mats made in America. Our expert review team has evaluated all of the treadmill mats on the market and rated this iMovR RightSize™ Premium Under-Treadmill Mat as the best you can buy for a treadmill desk situation, earning a 5-out-of-5 star rating. Here’s why:

Floor Dimensions

Most mats are designed for larger gym equipment like running treadmills (very long) or elliptical machines (very wide), so their dimensions tend to be overly large for an office treadmill workstation. Besides looking ugly on your office floor, they create a trip hazard, and can run into the legs of your height-adjustable desk – making it impossible to center your treadmill on the mat, or forcing you to put one leg on the mat and the other on the floor, tilting your entire desk. The RightSize Mat, as the name implies, is custom-cut to 32″x72″ to ideally tuck under all popular models of office walking treadmills without any of these issues.

The RightSize mat keeps all four feet off the ground while having a short “tail” at the back end of the treadmill to make it easy to clean all the dirt – typically brought in on the bottoms of your shoes – that rolls off the end of a treadmill. (Our experienced treadmill desk users often keep a special pair of comfortable walking shoes next to their treadmill desk, just in order to avoid introducing dirt from the outside.)

Thickness

Most mats are just far too thin, sold as disposable items to people buying gym equipment for their home, that everyone knows will just end up in the garage or attic after a couple of months. Mats that are only 2 mm or 4 mm thick (e.g. the LifeSpan Treadmill Mat and Nike Grind Equipment Mat, respectively) are not going to provide as much shock absorption and won’t be as durable as higher-quality mats like the RightSize. Good mats are 6 mm thick (1/4″), like this one. Anything thinner will provide minimal protection from noise, vibration and damage to the floor. Thinner mats have a tendency to curl at the edges over time – causing an even greater trip hazard – or leave deep impressions from the feet of the treadmill. If a mat is thick but made of cheap, low-density material it will offer the treadmill a too-soft surface, which can impose torsional stresses on the treadmill frame and lead to a host of mechanical problems and shortened equipment life. For these reasons skimping on the quality of the mat under your treadmill is, in our opinion, absolutely the wrong place to save $10 or $20.

Material

Beware of mats made of PVC (vinyl), these are the cheapest but they’re not made to last, and their manufacturing process is much more harmful to the environment. For this reason most PVC mats are made in China, where the EPA isn’t around to enforce environmental laws. A good treadmill mat will be made of 100% rubber. A better mat will be made of recycled rubber (typically from tires). The best mats, like the RightSize, are also made in America. That goes for quality as well as environmental sensibility. If you read the user reviews on cheap treadmill mats offered on Amazon you’ll also frequently read about unpleasant outgassing odors that no one needs in their office.

Treadmill mats get dirty. But some mats can be ridiculously hard to clean from dust and footprints, again not something you’d want to have to hassle with in your office. You want a nice, firm mat that can be easily cleaned without special chemicals, just soap and water. Better yet, getting a mat that is perfectly sized to your treadmill will keep all but a tiny surface area from being exposed, so you don’t have to hassle with keeping the mat looking nice.

At the end of the day, even though a mat made in the USA from 100% recycled rubber will cost more, it should last forever, saving money, time, hassle, landfill space, and a whole lot of pollution.

Treadmill Compatibility

At 32″ x 72″ in footprint, the RightSize Under-Treadmill Mat is ideally sized for all popular office treadmills including the iMovR ThermoTread GT, Lifespan Fitness TR800/TR1200/TR5000, Rebel Desk 1000, TreadDesk, and Steelcase Walkstation.

Warranty

Ironically, you would think that a really tough product like a rubber treadmill mat would come with a long warranty. The fact that the vast majority of inexpensive treadmill mats on the market don’t offer any warranty at all is very telling! Rarely, you’ll see a three year warranty. The iMovR RightSize Treadmill Mat was designed to last, and features an industry-leading FIVE YEAR full-performance warranty. Meaning it is warrantied not only against manufacturing defects but also against edge curling or any other degradation in performance.

Shipping

If ordered on its own the iMovR RightSize Rubber Treadmill Mat is shipped by FedEx Ground. Free shipping is included in the price. If ordered together with an iMovR treadmill the product is shipped on the same pallet, also with no extra shipping fee. The mat is 32″ x 72″ x 1/4″, and weighs 20 lbs.

Compare

See our comprehensive Treadmill Mat Comparison Review to learn more about the best treadmill mat for your walking workstation setup.