If your shop or garage is like the HomeFixated HQ, then chances are you’re frequently standing on a concrete floor. You may be standing at a workbench, stationary tool, or even in front of a sink trying to clean that last bit of paint out of a brush (that always takes an eternity). Wherever you’re standing around the home or shop, the end result is usually tired feet, a sore lower back, and other ailments that make you feel old. We were recently sent a couple Stanley Utility Mats for review, and they might just be what your body has been waiting for during tedious standing tasks.
Some utility mats have an ultra durable look and feel. Unfortunately, they often tend to be almost as hard as the floor they are placed on. The Stanley Utility Mat defies convention with a mat that somehow manages to blend a delightfully cushy softness with a rugged, durable design. By the way, that’s probably the first and last time you’ll read the words “delightfully cushy softness” on HomeFixated.
Stanley Utility Mat Feel and Function
Durability and Warranty
Aside from its rugged good looks, the Stanley Utility Mat is also resistant to oil and chemicals. Its tear-resistant design does a great job of laying flat too. A beveled edge makes this oasis for your feet less of a trip hazard, which also helps keep the mat out of harms way. When I first read the warranty info, I assumed it was a typo. Turns out, the mat really does have a 20 year limited warranty. When a manufacturer puts a lengthy warranty on something that takes as much abuse as floor mats do, I take that to mean they have higher-than-average faith their product will hold up well. Given that it’s a limited warranty, you probably should not wear your ice skates on it, nor use it as a sacrificial base for circular sawing. For general wear and tear though, the mat seems solid.
Here’s a quick video overview:
http://youtu.be/ll7NPc9sFNk
My advice is to place a Stanley utility mat anywhere you want to do MORE work; at your workbench, sink, standing desk, pinball machine, or beer cooler. You may find yourself drawn to it and more productive than ever! Regardless of your age, I would even venture to say it might make you feel less old too. At 24 inches by 36 inches, really the only complaint we could manage to come up with is that it isn’t any bigger. It’d be nice to have a larger size to accommodate work stations that require a bit more mobility in the immediate area. Other than that, we think this product is a solid “buy now.”
Where to Buy
Speaking of buy now, you can find the Stanley Utility Mat
I suppose if it holds up to chemicals it would hold up to the occasional basement floor of water. Just don’t vacuum up gasoline while standing on it with the Hitachi Wet/Dry Vac or it and you may all go up in flames. Just wondering did it have any pages of safety warnings?
My neighbor bought a battery operated motion detector light that got held on with two screws to stick on her shed and it said not to install it while intoxicated.
I’ve looked at various floor softening tiles and they’ve always left me higher not softer but while I was getting my hair cut the other day I just happened to walk across the stylists mat. Wow I thought, this is really soft. I hadn’t thought any further about it but now I’m curious about it’s price comparatively speaking.
Todd, I don’t recall any safety warnings on the Stanley mat, but this being the Litigious States of America, I’m sure there were warnings somewhere. That’s too funny about the motion sensor install warning! I’m picturing countless motion sensors installed behind obstructions from drunken sensor installers! Definitely check out the mat from Stanley, my guess is you’ll find it at least as comfy as the stylist mat you “demo’d”
Marc – I’m disappointed you did not compare it against the current, reigning King of the workshop floor. How does this Stanley mat stand up to a irregular, trapazoidal chunk of carpet, already well beyond its useful life-span, hastily hacked from sour, pet-stained discardings as they are dragged out to the curb? I’m just not certain how this “delightfully cushy softness”, crisp design, and high quality can stand up against my compressed, sawdust hoarding, trip-hazard with its quaint, unravelling edges and WD-40 stains. $ 50 for the Stanley? Ha! I cannot sell mine for any amount of money; its literally priceless.
That’s a good point John. Next time I’ll reach out to you for a snippet of that priceless, heirloom-quality floor protection! 😉