Ground work vs Stand-up
Ground work predominant combat sports require a softer more comfortable floor. That means less burn and a lower density mat. Good news is lower density mats are often cheaper. Mat density is measured by the amount of EVA/PU packed into a cubic meter (kg/cbm) so there is less material required to make a softer mat hence lower manufacturing costs. What it the ideal density for a MMA gym mat? This is a personal choice, lighter fighters generally prefer softer mats than heavier fighters. In our experience 90kg/cbm to 100kg/cbm is about right where 120kg/cbm is a little too hard for most. Samples are available on our website, or you could contact us to arrange to view.
Mat burn is generally proportional to grip or traction. The mat grid pattern comes in many different types, dimple or T-pattern is of a higher grip and more suited to stand up sports that require quick change of direction. While traditional tatami or 5-lines grip would have good grip but less burn.
Jigsaw Mat thickness
The key determining factors here are the amount of heavy throws and whether head protection is used or not. If you are mainly doing groundwork with fewer throws then 30 mm mats would suffice. If however you are doing heavy throws without headgear the thicker the mat the better. 40 mm mats are preferred as compression to zero (when you hit the floor) is minimised. A further consideration is the base floor the mats are being laid on. If you are laying straight onto concrete then consider thicker mats, if you are laying on a spring loaded floor or carpet with underlay (PU) this will obviously provide some shock absorption. Also consider wall mats and gym post protection. You want to make sure you have provided the safest training area possible.
EVA jigsaw mats.
EVA jigsaw mats are generally the best for MMA and Jiu Jitsu as they can be flipped, rapidly installed, most affordable gym mat, anti-bacterial, long lasting, waterproof and portable.
If you have more questions please get in touch via the contact us page.