Kensington Anti-Fatigue Mat Review

Review

The new Kensington Anti-Fatigue Mat for standing desks isn’t your typical multilayered kitchen/standing desk mat. Made of textured rubberized gel foam, it features unibody construction, reserved appearance, and modest black color (which is closer to graphite gray). Putting it to the test, we compared Kensington against brands such as iMovR EcoLast (American-made) and Imprint Cumulus (Chinese-made) mats—both have earned the reputation for the cushiest polyurethane mats in the market—but it came up short.

Let’s start with construction. If you Google “rubberized gel foam”, you’ll find that it’s an exclusive material developed by the Chinese company named Geltec. They manufacture various types of foams and foam products. Changing the structure of polyurethane gel, Geltec produces a closed cell structure PU foam that’s sturdy enough to withstand our tearing test, albeit submitting to a tiny dent and bouncy enough to offer some level of support.

⅝ thick rubberized gel foam doesn’t feel as cushy as ¾ thick polyurethane foam (the latter has slightly bigger air bubbles that add buoyancy to the material). And the surface tension characteristics of the outer shell makes the mat prone to lifting slightly off the floor around the edges, increasing tripping risk. The mat is generally thinner and harder than some others that we’ve tested, which inevitably puts more pressure on your heels, allowing for an earlier onset of fatigue.

Since the mat doesn’t have much give to it, it doesn’t compress much. The same quality makes it less bouncy than some of its competitors. So if you need more support for your feet, knees, and lower back, you might want to look for a cushier mat that has a better balance of buoyancy and surface tension for long-duration standing, especially in shoes..

The mat’s textured surface provides good traction, but can catch debris and crumbs that are easier to sweep off a smooth mat. The mat is lightweight and can be easily moved under the desk or repositioned for standing. Since it just came out, there are no user reviews available on this site or 3rd party sites like Amazon. We will keep an eye on buyer feedback and update the review when we see some user reviews come through.

The Takeaway

At $89, the Kensington Anti-Fatigue Floor Mat is definitely not a bargain. While it’s priced like a premium mat, it lacks the performance as well as size and color options you’d normally expect to see. With ⅝ thickness and less buoyant material it will only provide you with comfort for so long. Plus you can find much cheaper mats of similar quality and construction. For those of you who’d like to prolong their standing time, we recommend using a full ¾ thick mat instead.

Update: Kensington has lowered the price of the mat to $69.99, which is comparable to premium portable mats.

To learn more about how we review standing anti-fatigue mats, check out our post on Best and Worst Standing Mats and our comprehensive office mat comparison review. Anti-fatigue mats are the perfect pairing with an ergonomic balance board for a standing desk to compliment your static standing time with dynamic standing movement.

Specs

Width: 36.8″
Depth: 25.5″
Thickness: 5/8”
ADA-Compliant beveled edge 18° angle
NFSI Certified Anti-Slip Surface
Non-Toxic & Flame Resistant materials are vinyl and BPA-free
Meets Cal 117 fire safety standards
Easy-to-clean waterproof and oil-resistant surface

Warranty

2-Year Warranty
90-Day Money Back Guarantee (Warranty and Guarantee only valid if purchased through Kensington Authorized Resellers)