Ideal Mats

Ideal Mats: UK online mat specialist

Ideal Mats is a UK-based online supplier of door and floor mats, describing itself as a nationwide mat service supplying all types of mats to all types of people for all types of places. The company offers standard and custom sizes, with or without a logo, and states that its range includes carpet floor mats, machine washable mats, heavy duty rubber mats and all-weather mats.

The business presents itself as an online shop with a one-stop-shop approach to matting needs, combining online ordering with the possibility of discussing requirements by phone, email or live chat. It also highlights a free sample service so customers can feel the quality and check colours before choosing a product.

Logo mats and custom printing

A central part of the offer is custom printed logo and graphic mats. Ideal Mats produces floor and door mats with custom printed logos, messages or artwork, and says it handles the design and printing to deliver a crisp, high-quality product. The logo mat range is organised into categories including coir logo mats, custom logo mats, event and promotional mats, military mats, outdoor logo mats, printed logo mats, school logo mats and boat mats.

The company states that all logo mats carry a 12-month guarantee. It also presents logo mats as suitable for welcome mats for shops and businesses or for promotional advertising to highlight specific brands.

Made-to-measure and standard mat ranges

Ideal Mats specialises in bespoke-size floor matting under the idea "Any Mat, Any Size, Any Place". It states that it supplies mats up to 6.6 m long and up to 2 m wide, plain or with a logo, with or without borders and with a backing finish to suit the floor surface. A large part of the catalogue is available in made-to-measure sizing, from modern cotton mats and traditional coir matting to heavy-duty brush mats.

The standard range is grouped into several families:

• Entrance mats, including indoor mats, outdoor mats, fitted mats and well mats, absorbent mats, domestic mats, coir mats, dust control mats, machine washable mats, school entrance mats and door mats.
• Coir door mats, with coir alternatives, colour coir mats, cut-to-size coir mats and coir logo mats.
• Anti-fatigue mats, including made-to-measure length, standard sizes and rolls, and standing desk mats.
• Industrial rubber mats, covering heavy duty mats, swarf mats, outdoor mats, kitchen/grease/oil mats, anti-fatigue mats and safety mats.
• Leisure mats, including changing room mats and matting, commercial gym mats, swimming pool mats and matting, and made-to-measure leisure mats.

Materials and technical characteristics

The company describes several material types. Coir mats are made from coconut fibre extracted from the husk, with a durable PVC backing described as resistant to abrasion and offering anti-slip properties; they are presented as a traditional, natural and eco-friendly option that can be cleaned by vacuuming or shaking out. Rubber matting includes anti-fatigue mats made from high-quality natural rubber, swarf matting designed to catch dangerous debris and offer a non-slip surface when coated in grease in kitchen and workshop environments, and scraper doormats made of rubber for outdoor use.

Soft, absorbent rug-style mats are usually made from absorbent and strong cotton, with some alternatives in polypropylene for greater hard-wearing performance. Cotton door mats are described as machine washable and able to blot rainwater and other liquids at the door, with a mottled design that disguises dirt. Dirt trap and barrier mats are designed to trap and retain dirt, dust and moisture brought in on shoes, boots and the wheels of prams or trolleys, reducing the risk of slippery flooring.

Applications and sectors

Ideal Mats organises part of its catalogue by setting and sector, with specific ranges for schools, restaurants and bars, hotels, offices, retail and shops, kitchens and catering, architects and specifiers, and boats. It also offers pet door mats aimed at muddy and wet paws. Heavy duty rubber mats are presented for commercial kitchens and industrial usage, with benefits including anti-slip safety in areas with wet or greasy floors and comfort for workers who stand for long periods.

Service, delivery and purchasing

The company states that it offers free mainland UK delivery on orders over £70 and express next-day delivery on specific products. It also mentions live support chat, a 12-month guarantee on all logo mats and a wide range of colours. Ideal Mats says it provides unbiased advice on design, colours or product choice, and that its service is based on experience and knowledge built up over more than 20 years.

At the time of writing this profile, the site displayed a holiday season update stating that the online shop would remain open and taking orders throughout the festive season, with orders placed then to be despatched from Monday 5th January.