Anti-Fatigue Mats: Material, Thickness, Safety Edges

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Choose purpose and firmnessFatigue, slip, cushioning. Avoid trips and fit the areaEdges, size, cleaning. What the studies showEvidence.

Choose the mat's purpose, material and firmness

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) describes anti-fatigue mats as mats designed to reduce fatigue from standing for long periods on hard surfaces such as cement floors, made from materials including rubber, carpeting materials, vinyl and wood. It says they absorb shock from walking and that this cushioning reduces foot fatigue, but that a mat alone may not solve the problem: work design (allowing changes of position, an optional seat or sit-stand stool and footrest), footwear and flooring all contribute. [1]

When selecting a mat, CCOHS advises knowing its purpose, since anti-slip and other mats are not the same as anti-fatigue mats; noting that softer and thicker is not always better, so the mat should give some elasticity without being so soft that a person cannot stand comfortably; and noting that anti-slip matting can make shoes grab and feet slide inside them, causing soreness. [1]

A 2022 randomized crossover trial had 32 healthy college students stand barefoot for two 4-hour sessions, 72 hours apart, on a polyurethane foamed standing mat (density 200 D, hardness 65–75, 1,080 × 508 × 19 mm) and on a wooden floor. Perceived exertion of the feet, calves, knees, thighs and lumbar region and balance-test error scores rose on both surfaces, but the rise was significantly smaller on the mat, and peak plantar pressure was lower on the mat. The authors note that the wooden floor's hardness was not measured, so the comparison between the two surfaces is partly qualitative. [3]

The same paper cites a systematic review of 25 studies that put the onset of clinically relevant low-back symptoms at about 71 minutes of standing (42 minutes for people who already had low back pain) and recommended not standing longer than 40 minutes; this supports CCOHS's point that work design, not the mat alone, controls standing time. [3] [1]

Editorial note: try sample mats at the workstation with the people who will stand on them before ordering in quantity, and ask the supplier for thickness, material, density and hardness data for each option; the trial mat above was 19 mm thick, against 9 mm for the PVC roll described below. [3] [2]

Give the supplier the work area (workbench, line, packing station, food preparation), floor type, hours of standing, footwear, contaminants (oil, water, chips, chemicals), cleaning method, required slip resistance, fire-safety needs, mat size or roll length and width, edge style and colour marking, and quantity.

Set expectations from the published floor-mat studies

Two NIOSH researchers, Waters and Dick, reviewed the evidence on prolonged standing at work and on interventions, including floor mats, shoe inserts and sit-stand workstations (Rehabilitation Nursing, 2014). They write that the benefits of floor mats and shoe inserts "appear primarily to be in reducing discomfort and fatigue after several hours of prolonged standing", and that shoe inserts are "rated about the same as the most comfortable floor mats". [4]

The individual studies they cite show which mat properties mattered. In an 8-hour-shift factory study, seven vinyl and viscoelastic floor surfaces were all rated better than concrete. Mats with more elasticity, lower energy absorption and higher stiffness drew lower discomfort and fatigue ratings than a hard vinyl floor. In a 3-hour test, mat compressibility, ranging from 2.2% to 8.9% across the mats tested, was important to comfort ratings, and the mats with the highest compressibility received the highest comfort ratings. The review also records results where mats made no measurable difference: lower-leg volume after an 8-hour shift did not change significantly between wood block, anti-fatigue mat and insole conditions, and in workers with chronic venous insufficiency, compression stockings reduced leg swelling but floor mats did not. [4]

The review quotes a guideline adopted by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) that caregivers should not stand for more than 2 hours continuously, or for more than 30% of the work day, without a fatigue-reducing intervention such as anti-fatigue mats, footstools, sit-stand stools or chairs, or supportive footwear. [4]

Editorial calculation: 30% of an 8-hour shift is 2.4 hours, so on that guideline a worker standing for 6 of 8 hours would need a mat or another intervention from the start of the shift. [4] Editorial note: ask suppliers for compressibility or compression-deflection data so mats can be compared on the property these studies measured; the mats on this page are described by thickness and material only. [2]

Study cited in the review	Standing time	Finding
Factory workers, seven floor surfaces vs concrete	8 h shift	All surfaces rated better than concrete [4]
Mats with 2.2–8.9% compressibility	3 h (1 h per surface)	Compressibility linked to comfort ratings [4]
Wood block, mat and insole conditions	8 h shift	No significant difference in lower-leg volume [4]
Workers with chronic venous insufficiency	Standing jobs	Compression stockings reduced swelling; mats did not [4]

Avoid trips and slips, and fit the mat to the area

CCOHS warns that mats can cause tripping and falling accidents when installed improperly, and says mats should not slip or create a trip hazard, should have sloped edges (less of a trip hazard and easier for carts to roll over), and may need to be cleaned, which matters in areas such as food preparation. [1]

Aochen lists a sponge PVC anti-fatigue mat 9 mm thick and 90 cm wide, with a raised diamond-pattern surface, in 3, 6, 12 and 18 m rolls that can be cut to length during installation, in black or black with a yellow border that marks work areas, for manufacturing plants, workshops, assembly lines, packing stations and warehouses. [2]

Editorial calculation: an 18 m roll 0.9 m wide covers 16.2 m², and a 3 m roll 2.7 m². Ask whether cut ends need edge strips to keep sloped edges where the mat is cut. [2] [1]

Compare what suppliers offer

Suppliers linked to this page list anti-fatigue mats; each card links to the page reviewed.

The suppliers reviewed list anti-fatigue mats in PVC or foam with other floor mats and tiles; ask each for material, thickness and firmness, edge design, slip resistance, resistance to oils and cleaning agents, fire rating and sizes.

Trace the mat features

This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.

Feature	Role	Fix in the order
Cushioning layer	Absorbs shock; lowered peak plantar pressure in a 4-hour trial. [1] [2] [3]	Material; thickness.
Surface pattern	Grip and comfort. [2]	Pattern; slip resistance.
Sloped edges	Reduce trips; let carts roll. [1]	Edge style.
Border colour	Marks work areas. [2]	Colour.
Roll or tile format	Fits the area. [2]	Size; cutting.
Cleanable surface	Hygiene. [1]	Cleaning method.

Fill the specification fields with values for your area

An anti-fatigue mat quotation needs values for your area. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.

Field	What it means and published values	Ask the supplier for
Thickness (mm)	E.g. 9 mm PVC roll; 19 mm polyurethane trial mat; thicker is not always better. [2] [3] [1]	Options.
Surface Area (m²)	E.g. 0.9 m × 3–18 m rolls. [2]	Sizes; cut lengths.
Load Capacity (kg)	Carts and standing load.	Rating.
Compression Set (%)	Recovery after load.	Test value.
Tensile Strength (MPa)	Tear and handling.	Test value.
Abrasion Resistance	Wear in use.	Test value.
Operating Temperature (°C)	Area climate.	Range.
Flame Retardancy	Fire safety.	Rating.
Slip Resistance	Must not slip. [1]	Test method; value.
Surface Hardness (Shore)	Firmness; trial mat hardness 65–75 (density 200 D). [1] [3]	Value and test scale.
Weight (kg/m²)	Handling.	Weight.
Material	E.g. sponge PVC; polyurethane foam; rubber, vinyl. [2] [3] [1]	Material; oil resistance.

Send the area, use and safety data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Area: [workstation; line; food prep]
Use: [hours standing; carts]
Floor: [concrete; other]
Contaminants: [oil; water; chips]
Mat: [material; thickness; firmness]
Safety: [sloped edges; slip resistance; fire]
Size: [mats; rolls; tiles]
Cleaning: [method]

See manufacturer records Send an enquiry through CNFX

Buyer questions

Is a thicker anti-fatigue mat better?

Not always; CCOHS advises a mat with some elasticity that is not so soft people cannot stand comfortably. [1]

Can anti-fatigue mats cause accidents?

Yes, if installed improperly; CCOHS says mats should not slip or create trip hazards and should have sloped edges. [1]

What sizes do anti-fatigue mat rolls come in?

Aochen lists 9 mm sponge PVC rolls 90 cm wide in 3, 6, 12 and 18 m lengths. [2]

Is there trial evidence that standing mats reduce fatigue?

A 2022 crossover trial of 32 healthy adults standing 4 hours found smaller rises in perceived exertion and balance errors, and lower peak plantar pressure, on a 19 mm polyurethane mat than on a wooden floor. [3]

Do anti-fatigue mats reduce leg swelling?

A 2014 NIOSH review found mats reduced discomfort and fatigue in studies of 2- to 8-hour standing periods, but cited studies where lower-leg volume did not change with a mat and where compression stockings, not mats, reduced swelling. [4]

Sources and what still needs a direct check

Sources checked 2026-10-12. CCOHS is Canada's federal occupational health and safety agency; Zhang et al. (2022) report a randomized crossover trial of a standing mat; Waters and Dick of NIOSH (2014) review studies of prolonged standing and floor mats; Aochen describes its own mats.

Still to check yourself

Define the mat's purpose.
Trial firmness with users.
Check edges and slip resistance.
Confirm cleaning and oil resistance.
Verify the legal supplier and factory.

Anti-fatigue mat (workplace standing mat)