It’s been quite a while since our last standing mat reviews were published, and although there isn’t a ton of innovation when it comes to mats, it is indeed time for an update on the subject!
Lucky for us, the folks over at Wirecutter did much of the work for us. Starting with 10 contenders, their staff tested the mats in a real-world environment for hours at a time, eventually narrowing down the winners in a few separate categories.
Overall Winner: Ergodriven Topo Standing Mat
The ultimate winner was Ergodriven Topo mat, which has an uneven surface that encourages your feet to move around a bit and switch positions (which is healthier than standing in one place). The center area is flat, which allows for a neutral standing position, but the areas around it (and directly in the middle) provide a series of contours for your feet to move along.
This mat currently sells for $99 on Amazon.
Flat Standing Mat Winner: Imprint CumulusPro Commercial Anti-Fatigue Standing Mat
What is you’d like more standing area, or if the contours aren’t needed (or wanted)? Then you have our prior pick for best standing mat, the CumulusPro Mat. It lasts a long time (with a warranty to match), and has a firm but slightly-giving construction that makes it feel comfortable even after hours of standing in the same spot.
This mat currently sells for $73 on Amazon. (This is actually the mat that I personally use in my home office.)
Conclusion
If you’re standing for hours in front of your desk on an almost daily basis, it pays to spend money on a decently constructed mat. Yes, it seems a bit much to spend $100 on what is basically a piece of foam rubber under your feet, but the wear and tear is saves on your skeletal system will more than pay for the cost of it. Remember, you only have one body, so treat it well!
(On a side-note, the trickiest thing I’ve found with using a standing mat is what to do with it when you want to sit down! Right now I need to manually grab it and put it somewhere else before rolling the chair in from under my standing desk, then lowering the table. There has to be a better way, but so far I have yet to find it!)
Find out more, including the entire review break-down over at The Wirecutter.