Heavy duty anti-fatigue mats do more than providing a bit of comfort. They minimize the pain and strain of standing for long periods of time, as well as minimize the risk of accident and injury. Everyone from restaurants and retailers to industrial and healthcare facilities can benefit from strategically placing anti-fatigue mats throughout. Below are the top concerns you want to consider when purchasing your mats.
Indoor Or Outdoor
First on the list is whether your new mats will be placed indoors or outdoors. While all outdoor mats can be placed indoors, indoor-only mats should never be placed outdoors. If you place an indoor mat outside, it may slip and slide, degrade in the weather, and provide inadequate traction. Invest in an outdoor mat for your doormen, outdoor displays, and outdoor workspaces where your team will be required to stand for long periods of time.
Wet Or Dry
Next up, you must consider if you need your mats to have the traction required for wet areas. This could include heavy-duty anti-fatigue mats for bathrooms, swimming pools, locker rooms, spas, ice skating rinks, or commercial kitchens. Commercial wet mats do more than just provide traction and comfort; they are mold and mildew resistant and easy to clean. If your workspace has minimal exposure to moisture, you have a far greater selection of colors and styles.
All Day Vs. As Needed
Anti-fatigue mats come in heavy, medium, or light duty. Heavy duty mats are a must for concrete floors, jobs where employees stand all day, or positions where seated employees are required to stand to perform as-needed job duties. For example, your office receptionist may sit for the majority of the day but may need to stand for long periods of time when working on large copy, scanning, and assembly projects. While you might be tempted to invest in a medium or light duty for your as-needed mats, employees who are used to sitting most of the day will tire faster when standing. Also, while light and medium-duty mats are cushier, they provide less fatigue resistance, wear down faster, and may not hold well for employees wearing high heels. If you need portable anti-fatigue mats, interlocking designs are easy to transport. Depending on the surface area you need to cover, one or two square or rectangular mats won’t weight too much but may be a bit awkward to carry.
Size And Design
You will be excited to learn that black is not your only option. Heavy duty anti-fatigue mats are available in a variety of finishes, including a marbleized finish more appropriate for luxury lobbies, retail centers, and off-site displays. For lobby and entryways, mats can be custom-made in any size or shape required, in hundreds of different colors, and inlaid with any pattern, logo, design, or text you desire. That being said, black runners and mats are the most common option for industrial centers and facilities where mats don’t need to be part of the design.
To learn more about your options in anti-fatigue mats, reach out to the team at Source Floor today!
