If you often stand in front of the sink or stove, you need a cushioned kitchen mat. And after all our testing, the best kitchen mats are commercial-grade models from the brand that first made anti-fatigue mats available to home chefs. It's fluffy but has firm support and won't slide around on the floor, making your time in the kitchen more comfortable.
best kitchen mats
Anti-fatigue mats help protect your legs, hips, knees, and back in areas where you spend most of your time standing, such as washing dishes in the kitchen sink, chopping carrots on the chopping board, or grilling scallops on the stove. It can reduce pain. Beyond your kitchen workspace, place it in your home office as a standing desk mat, on your workbench in the garage, on a folding station in your laundry room, or in your home gym for extra cushioning when lifting weights. You can also. You can also place it in front of the sink if you spend a lot of time getting ready in the morning.
Below, read more about my top picks, how I tested them, what I looked for, and other kitchen floor mats I've tried.
Best overall kitchen mat: GelPro NewLife
GelPro was one of the first brands to offer anti-fatigue mats to home cooks, and over the years the manufacturer has greatly expanded its product line with design options that look more like kitchen rugs than orthopedic accessories. Ta. But if comfort and durability are your goals, choose his professional-grade NewLife mat. This no-frills anti-fatigue mat provides perfect cushioning for long hours standing in front of the sink or stove thanks to its “Energy Return” foam core. Not too hard or too soft, the mat's surface has no patterns or textures that could trap food, making it non-slip. This mat is also highly rated for its ability to stay in place. It slips better on uneven kitchen floors than any other mat I've tested.
What I didn’t like about the GelPro NewLife Kitchen Mat:
Perhaps because this is a “professional grade” product, the aesthetic options are very limited. At the time of publication, this mat comes in black, brown, and beige colors and has no pattern.
specification
Main cushion material: high density foam
Multiple sizes available: yes
Multiple color options/patterns: Yes, it is limited
Non-slip bottom: yes
Hardest kitchen mat: Fulton standing mat
This new mat from sustainable insole brand Fulton is the only mat I tested that isn't made with polyurethane foam. It's handmade in Portugal from sustainable materials, and like the brand's arch support products, it's primarily made of cork with a layer of “natural foam” (latex/rubber) for extra cushioning. Though it only comes in two colors, this mat looks cool and offers great support, unless you're looking for something super fluffy. Think of it as a kitchen mat for people who wear clogs for comfort instead of sneakers.
What I didn't like about the Fulton standing mat
The product description says the edges are chamfered, which is not entirely true, but my only real complaint is that after using this in a high traffic kitchen for a few months… , the surface layer of the beautiful green “vegan cactus leather” is starting to discolor. Lift it up from the corner base. It's probably an easy fix, I'm just not used to it yet.
specification
Main cushion material: natural cork
Multiple sizes available: no
Multiple color options/patterns: Available (2 colors)
Non-slip bottom: yes
The Most Affordable Kitchen Mat: Gorilla Grip Original Premium Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mat
If you're looking for a supportive, no-frills anti-fatigue mat, this model from Gorilla Grip is for you. It's supportive, stays in place, and has a textured surface so delicate you barely notice it's there. There are words in the name, grip In it, the product description is littered with warnings about the fact that this mat is non-slip when wet, but the surface is less slippery than any other mat I've tested, so it's more slippery than the factory one in the kitchen. So that's probably more of a concern. .
What I didn’t like about the Gorilla Grip Original Premium Comfort Mat
I don't have much to complain about with this mat, but it just doesn't feel as supportive or full as the GelPro NewLife mat.
specification
Main cushioning material: High density foam
Multiple sizes available: yes
Multiple color options/patterns: yes
Anti-slip bottom: yes
How we tested kitchen mats
After researching kitchen mats and narrowing down my choices to the most popular and highly rated options, I spent weeks using each mat (many at a time) in my high-use kitchen. I stood on it and cut carrots, flipped pancakes, washed dishes, and a variety of other tasks.
What I was looking for
comfortable
First of all, it is important that the kitchen mat is comfortable. I think it will help my legs, knees, hips, and back, especially if I stand for long periods of time.
Cleat
Although most kitchen mats on the market claim to be non-slip, most still move easily on my rough kitchen floor. This can cause problems if the mat moves into a high-traffic area of the room and poses a tripping hazard. So I looked for a mat that would stay in place regardless of whether I was standing on it or not.
Ease of cleaning
Is the mat easy to clean? Is there a surface that needs more texture than just wiping the dirt with a damp cloth? Do you have corners that stick out and dirt and debris collects underneath?
durability
Is the mat made of high-quality materials? Does it look like it will hold up in a busy home kitchen?
style
Kitchen mats are now available in many beautiful patterns and are sometimes mistaken for kitchen rugs. So, if a high-quality mat is not beautiful, it should at least be simple and not ugly.
Other kitchen mats I have tried
GelPro Elite Fatigue Relief Mat
The GelPro Elite is the softest and most supportive mat I've tested, thanks to its dual base of gel and foam. The beveled edges sit flush with the floor thanks to the weight of the gel, and are available in a variety of styles and patterns, as well as multiple sizes. However, this mat is expensive, and even with its non-slip bottom, which is “certified by the National Floor Safety Association,” I found that it still slipped around frequently on my textured kitchen floor.
Main cushion material: gel and foam
Multiple sizes available: yes
Multiple color options/patterns: yes
Anti-slip bottom: yes
Noah's House Raw Standing Mat
House of Noa is one of the brands that Instagram has built. The brand has brilliantly taken a functional but ugly product (an anti-fatigue mat) and made it beautiful. Nama standing mats come in a variety of modern, soothing colors and patterns (including a sad beige variation if that's your thing). Nama mats are soft, supportive, and free of PVC, formaldehyde, and latex. It's not as soft or supportive as comparably priced mats, probably because it's made with “less toxic” materials. And I've noticed that despite the “non-slip” bottom, it moves around quite a bit on the kitchen floor, but that's nothing a little slippery rug tape can't fix.
Main cushion material: high density foam
Multiple sizes available: yes
Multiple color options/patterns: yes
Anti-slip bottom: Technically
gel pro designer comfort mat
In 2018, GelPro released the Designer Comfort line. This is a plant-based foam mat that is less expensive and more supportive than the original His GelPro mat. Although these mats do not contain the brand's proprietary gel core, they do make your kitchen chores infinitely more comfortable. If you want a supportive foam mat that comes in a variety of sizes and modern patterns, the Gel Pro Designer Comfort Mat is a good option at a price point close to one of the Amazon brands.
