ES Robbins Extra High Pile Chair Mat Rectangle with Lip 36x48 Beveled Edge

We have a fairly plush carpet, and we looked at four or five different types of chair mats before settling on this one. This mat was the best price to value of all the mats we looked at, and this is a thick, well constructed chair mat. The prices for these mats are all over the map depending on where you look, and Amazon has the best deal from our research. For example, you can get this same mat at Home Depot for $95 + tax if you want - which is 50% more!! Now, if Amazon raises the price, and you are reading this at a later date then your assessment of whether the price to value still holds up may change! *Shipping* - we bought two of these 36x48 mats, and for the first one shipped there were no issues - it was shipped in a massive box and it WAS NOT ROLLED UP as another reviewer experienced. However, for the second mat we received - it WAS SHIPPED ROLLED UP - but it seems to be OK due to the short duration / distance it had to travel rolled up. (we have an Amazon Fullfillment center locally). The mat that was shipped rolled up had clear packing tape around to keep it bound, and the box it arrived in was a fraction of the size of the box for the first mat of similar size we received. After tearing off the clear tape, it was more of a challenge to get it flattened out and in position as it wanted to roll back up ;-), but we put weights on it over night to flatten. The GOOD NEWS is that the mat seems fine, there is not damage due to the rolling. I think it will be fine. We have an Amazon Fullfullment Center in town, and I think the short ride and one day delivery minimized time to do any real damage. The other mat that was NOT rolled up for delivery was folded / bent over gently and in a big enough box to make the bend a non-issue. The first mat went down easily and immediately was put to use. Interesting how one mat arrives not rolled, and the next one is. Clearly not a consistent process to package these mats for delivery! *Quality of mat* - like I already mentioned, we looked at a few locally first before settling on this. I used a caliper to measure thickness of the different mats, then did a bend test, made my own subjective assessment of cosmetic appearance, clarity, etc. This mat was the thickest and best made of the ones I looked at from Staples, Office max and a local supply store. Staples had a lesser spec'd version of this mat at a higher price, so obviously we choose this one! The main thing we like about this mat - it stays in place, and does not slip / walk around!! Plus, even when I roll around on the mat at 205 lbs, there is only a small depression. Other mats I have used in the past used to sag greatly under the weight, and my chair would get "stuck in a rut" from the deep depressions caused by the mat being too thin. For my wife and kids who are much lighter, it is a non-issue. These are simply well made mats.... of course they still have to pass the test of time, we have only owned them a short time! We have since purchased a third ES Robbins Performance mat of a larger size as we really like the quality, thickness and overall usability of these mats! We would recommend them to anyone looking... they are not cheap, but they are good! Five stars so far! If anything changes, I will update the review at a later date! ****NOTE: The ES Robbins Polycarbonate chair mats sold here on Amazon (the mats reviewed here are vinyl, and are much different) that are advertised for 1/2" carpets and above - be aware that if your carpet thickness PLUS your pad underneath are greater than 1/2" (most are) the polycarbonate one is not right for you. Polycarbonate mats are great for *thin* carpets with a pad (like the commercial ones found in lobbies, etc), or up to 1/2" carpets / rugs with no pad, and for hard floors. But for carpets of any thickness over a pad that totals > 1/2" - they are NOT ideal! Read this to reinforce this point: [...] To summarize what is at the link :-) : "Although polycarbonate mats boast greater rigidity there is one downside, however, of this chair mat material over vinyl. Polycarbonate desk mats do not flex or dimple like traditional PVC and therefore keep their shape making rolling easier. PVC mats are slightly more pliable. The issue arises most notably on thicker pile, plush carpet. This type of carpet compresses more so when weight is applied and, whereas a vinyl chair mat will flex to mold itself to the compressed carpet, the polycarbonate will remain rigid and, if enough pressure is applied the mat can crack since it is not designed to flex. Thus, it is recommended that polycarbonate mats be used on hard surface and lower pile carpets." This information on polycarbonate mats comes from one of the premier mat suppliers in the country. The polycarbonates are fine mats, don't get me wrong, but only for the right application. Thanks for reading! Read more

I hate to give a 1 star bc the mat isnt terrible. The beveled edge is nice and it looks fairly clean in a luxury apartment living room. This mat is specifically marketed as a high pile mat though. While it works decent on my carpet, the chair sinks in and leaves "memory bumps" where the chair will tend to roll into and stay. This is inconvenient in short and long sessions. In short sessions the chair will indent within a minute or so, then if you need to change your chair position, this can be very difficult as the chair will try to go back to where it was. Overnight it will leave indentions that make the next session difficult to start bc your chair will keep trying to roll you away from keyboard position and back into the indentions. The mat seems to lose those "memory bumps" so they aren't permanant or damaging to the mat. They are, however, irritating enough that to call this a "EXTRA HIGH PILE CHAIR MAT" is very misleading and I would return if not for how insanely difficult it was to unroll this mat over the course of several days. OTHER THAN THAT Its actually quite nice. Read more

I first purchased this mat for my home office in 2017. I'm 350lbs and have been using my home office more regularly since 2018. I use these mats on medium to high pile carpet (slightly under an inch thick including pad and carpet) and not extra high pile carpet but I do have some weight so I needed more strength in my mat. I have a writing and computer desk and have always wanted another mat for the writing deck. My original mat did take several months to finally lay completely flat but it eventually did and still does. There is no signs of cracking or any damage of any sort. My only complaint is the impressions my chair leaves after sitting on one place for any length of time. To slightly adjust the location of my chair, I have to hold it in the new desired location for about 5 seconds, not letting it roll back into the last spot. Without me in the chair the mat barely gives under the weight of just the chair. The mat I recently ordered and received is clear where my original mat was opaque but Amazon shows the same unit as being ordered twice. Once in 2017 and recently in 2024. I'll update this review if the clear 2024 mat ever shows signs of wear or proves to be any less durable or cooperative (in regards to laying flat) than my original 2017 mat. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the product and was happy to review it after years of use. Read more