8 ways mats benefit your business

Mats benefit and fulfil various functions in a business context. Whether we are concerned with mats placed at entrances to buildings, design mats that form part of the interior appearance, or mats that support employee comfort and well-being, there are numerous beneficial roles mats play.

Below we highlight our top 8 ways mats benefit your business. We hope these solutions will help broaden your awareness of how useful and multi-functional mats can be in our professional spaces. Most importantly, we hope that you find something to inspire you to make mats a part of your workplace environment.  

So what ways can mats benefit your business?

1. Improving the safety of workspaces.

2. Providing comfort for employees and clients.

3. Enhancing the visual appeal of your workspace. 

4. Offering unrealised branding opportunities.

5. Protecting the investment made in floors and premises. 

6. Reducing the time and expense of cleaning.

7. Increasing employee productivity and reducing absenteeism.

8. Offering a more sustainable solution to office maintenance.

1. Improving the safety of workspaces.  

Mats increase workplace safety through their anti-slip functionality. During winter, when the weather is wet and rainy or in climates where thick snow can be an issue, mats soak up much of the excess water brought in from outside. This avoids potential slip hazards, especially for customers stepping into your premises for the first time. Customer safety is a top priority for any company. Thus, making your place of work safer will be good for business. 

The 2021 Eurostat report from the European Commission shows that slips and falls accounted for 19.1% of non-fatal injuries and 14.4% of fatal ones. While acknowledging that some of these accidents may have been in places where positioning of mats was not possible, it still illustrates the significance of slips and falls as a safety risk. Entrance floor mats are the best way for a business to avoid accidents and liability claims. In addition, floor mats remind visitors they are in a professional workplace which values everyone’s safety.

2. Providing comfort for employees and clients. 

Mats and anti-slip environments are not just a benefit to safety, they are also a comfort issue. Many cultures encourage the removal of shoes, meaning the ability to grip the floor without any concerns is appreciated. Mats provide a soft and cushioning surface. They bring a high level of comfort and a relaxed environment and insulate employees and customers against cold floors. Added to this, mats dampen sound and vibration, neutralising poor acoustics and helping employees avoid noisy distractions. 

It’s worth noting that addressing all of these factors can help alleviate the phenomenon of “presenteeism” (different from absenteeism which will be discussed later). This is the condition of a person being present at work when their physical or mental state does not allow them to be fully productive. With so many offices competing with remote working possibilities, mats are a simple but effective way to enhance the working environment and increase workplace satisfaction. 

3. Enhancing the visual appeal of your business premises.

With vibrant colours and textual effects, stylish and comfortable mats bring a memorable and professional look to your facilities. Selecting a mat or series of mats (instead of laying carpet over the entire floor, for example) is a great way to differentiate the design and appeal of your offices and specific spaces within the workplace. They are more flexible and transferable than carpets, and they bring diversity and variation to your interior design.

The popularity of mats can be seen through the size of the global entrance matting market. In 2018, it was valued at USD 5.1 billion. From 2019 to 2025 it is expanding at a compound rate of 5.1%. In their entrance matting marketing report, Grand View Research highlights the popularity of “walk-off entrance mats in the residential and commercial sectors [as the driver of] the global market in recent years.” This is in no short part due to the way entrance mats can improve the impact and presentation of your business.

4. Offering unrealised branding opportunities.

If you’re looking for an effective way to boost your brand recognition, design mats could be the solution. Have designed a custom mat with your company logo and make an impression on every client that walks in your door. Another benefit of design mats is you can take them wherever you need to go. As your business expands to new premises, the mats go with you. Alternatively, if you are using a temporary space like a trade fair, custom-design mats make a great addition to your branded environment.

Custom mats add to your visual merchandising by engaging with customers. Mats can even be used to guide customers and help them locate what they’re looking for. They can also direct people in the direction you’d like them to go. A floor mat is the first and last thing a customer will see as they move in and out of your building. This makes it an opportunity to create both a good first and last impression.

5. Protecting the investment made in floors and premises. 

Many companies invest in upgrades or refurbishments to workspaces, which are becoming increasingly expensive. Alongside the popularity of premium flooring materials such as marble, wood, laminate, and parquet, floor mats are necessary protection from scratches and damage. In addition, mats can extend the time between interior renovations because they offer variation for your design possibilities. 

As we will explore further below, ergonomic mats are fast establishing a presence in offices around the world, as standing at work is greatly encouraged. By investing in ergonomic mats, you are investing in your most important asset—your team of employees. 

6. Reducing the time and expense of cleaning. 

By positioning mats in critical places like entranceways, they absorb moisture and attract and retain large amounts of dirt that could otherwise mark carpets or stain flooring. It’s worth noting that 80% of dirt from outside is brought in through the front door. A doormat that is 1m2 in size can retain 2 kg of dirt, but only about 10% of dirt can be vacuumed from the carpet. 

In general, an effective matting system decreases cleaning time by 44% and cleaning costs by almost 15%! However, the mats still require cleaning and maintenance. Opting for a comprehensive mat service can make the cleaning process more manageable as well as more affordable. Find out more about Lindström’s full Mat Rental Service in this article.

7. Increasing employee productivity and reducing absenteeism.

Workplace absenteeism is a major issue for companies and national economies. In this article on the Health Management website, absenteeism from work can cost an economy 2.5% of its GDP. In addition, the same study also highlights that presenteeism (discussed above) can be twice as detrimental to businesses. 

There are many reasons for absenteeism but employee wellbeing is central to many issues. Ergonomic mats are a valuable way to support overall employee well-being and reduce absenteeism. It’s worth examining this year-long study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) about the effectiveness of standing at work, as well as this 2019 report by the European Commission. In addition, mats have an impact on workplace air quality, as more than 80% of dust in a building is trapped by the mats on the floor. 

8. Offering a more sustainable solution to office maintenance.

As mentioned, mats are a flexible way to renew the interior design of your premises without the additional resources of new flooring material, the impact of which carries an environmental cost. Mats that are well-designed, well-cared for and well-maintained will last for many years. Durability in design and professional awareness of how to properly maintain mats are benefits that come with partnering with a mat rental service such as Lindström. If you view the sustainability of your business decisions as an important value, click here to understand the ways Lindström’s mat rental service impacts the environment.

Summary – more than just a mat

As you see, different mats benefit you in a variety of ways in the workplace. From the essential function of preventing slips and falls to the practical use in cleaning and maintenance to the visual appeal for customers and comfort for employees. At Lindström, we are happy to assess your situation and suggest what solution would work best for your business, including explaining more about our full mat rental service.