How to Choose a Bathroom Mat
A bath mat is one of the first things to get wet, making it a hotbed for mold and mildew. So you want a durable, fast-drying mat that’s easy to wash.
In our testing, this Frontgate premium cotton bath mat performed well. It feels luxuriously soft and gets even softer with every wash. It also comes in an impressive 22 colors, including a coordinating runner.
Cotton
Cotton is the classic bath mat material. It’s soft underfoot and absorbs water quickly. Look for organic cotton bath mats that are hypoallergenic and easy to launder. Choose a towel-like terry cloth style for extra comfort and a more luxe feel. You can also find cotton bathroom rugs with a nonslip backing that holds the rug in place, especially on wood or tile floors.
A good bath mat should be absorbent enough to prevent puddles on the floor, which saves users from walking on wet surfaces and also protects floors from moisture damage. The ideal mat should also have a reliable grip to keep it in place when people step on and off. Mats with rubber linings are one way to achieve this, but a durable mat doesn’t necessarily need such a feature.
Many of the best cotton bath mats have a looped weave that feels plush underfoot and provides excellent absorption. Look for a mat with 1-inch loops designed with sink sizes in mind to work well in single and double sinks. This model from L.L. Bean receives high marks for durability and comes in 23 colors and four sizes, so you can get a great fit in almost any bathroom.
Another option is to opt for a textured cotton bath rug, like this one from Gorilla Grip. The cotton is woven with exceedingly strong, long-wearing yarns for superior durability and a softer, more luxurious texture underfoot than standard bath mats. The bath rugs come in an array of colors and have a nonslip backing that prevents the mat from sliding around, even on wood or vinyl floors.
The most stylish cotton bath rugs are adorned with decorative designs, from florals to stripes to geometrics. Choose a style that coordinates with your towels and other bathroom accessories. You can even opt for a cotton bathroom rug with braided edges that adds a classic touch to your space.
To make sure your new cotton bath mat stays looking and feeling its best, you should wash it frequently and avoid using fabric softener. It’s also important to shake out your bath mats before putting them in the washer and then drying them so they don’t lose their shape. Alternatively, you can hang them to dry in the sun or a sunny room.
Chenille
If you want something soft and luxurious to step on after getting out of the shower, a chenille bath mat is a great option. Made of thick chenille with an ultra-plush shag pile, it feels good underfoot and absorbs water to prevent slips and protect floors from moisture damage. It’s machine-washable and dryer-friendly, dries quickly, and comes in an array of sizes and colors.
This chenille bathroom rug from Gorilla Grip is one of our top picks because it’s plush, feels good underfoot, and absorbs water well. It also features a heavy-duty thermoplastic rubber backing that prevents slips and safeguards floors from water damage. It’s available in a wide range of colors and sizes, and is budget-friendly.
A chenille bath rug is often made of cotton, but bathroom mat it can also be made from synthetic materials such as polyester or microfiber. Its quality varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so it’s important to check the fabric’s fiber length and thickness before making a purchase. Lower-quality chenille wears down quickly, while higher-quality ones hold up to heavy use for years.
Another option to consider is a bamboo bath mat. Like chenille, bamboo is a natural textile that’s both eco-friendly and durable. It dries quickly, doesn’t harbor mildew or mold, and is resistant to water damage. It’s also a sustainable resource because bamboo stalks grow back after harvesting.
This cotton bath mat from Pottery Barn Kids is soft, absorbent, and incredibly cute. It’s woven from 100 percent organic cotton and has a 750-gram weight, which means it’s very plush. It also dries quickly, is machine-washable, and resists shrinking.
This chenille bathroom rug from Yimbora has a textured surface that feels good underfoot and absorbs water well. It’s machine-washable, dries quickly, and is available in a wide array of classic colors. It’s a good choice for a master bathroom or kid’s bathroom. The only downside is that it sheds a lot of lint, especially the first few times you wash it. However, it’s still an excellent value for the price.
Memory Foam
Stepping out of the tub or shower onto a cold, wet floor is both uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. A quality bath mat not only sops up excess moisture, but it also provides a soft, cozy bathroom mat cushion for your feet and helps prevent slips. A memory foam mat can add an extra layer of luxury and comfort to your bathroom, making it a relaxing space to start or end the day.
This plush bath mat is filled with thick, comfortable, and luxuriously soft polyurethane memory foam that’s surrounded by a coral velvety microfiber. The top of the mat is machine washable and dries quickly, while the non-slip base features PVC dots that grip the floor securely, keeping the mat in place as you move around the bathroom. This mat is available in a variety of colors and sizes, from 17″ by 24″ up to an extra-long runner that’s ideal for a long bathtub or walk-in shower.
A lot of people are turned off by memory foam because it’s heavy, expensive, and doesn’t seem to absorb water very well. However, this mat proves that it is possible to get the benefits of memory foam at a much more affordable price and still have an absorbent, durable, and comfortable mat. It is woven from a high-quality cotton, and it’s machine-washable without any risk of color fading.
Another plus to this memory foam bath mat is that it’s able to be rolled up and stored easily in the corner of your bathroom or under a sink. It comes with a built-in handle that makes it easy to carry around the house and put away when not in use.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly memory foam bath mat, this one from Yimobra is a great option. It’s made from a soft, lightweight material that’s machine-washable and dries in no time at all. It’s also mold- and mildew-resistant, and it comes in a wide range of colors. Many customers have given this mat five stars, and they love how soft and lightweight it is, while also noting how absorbent it is.
Polyester
The slats of this bath mat are made from recycled polyester that has been given new life as a plush, soft and warm mat. It is non-slip and machine washable, and it comes in a variety of colors that will match any bathroom decor.
Unlike cotton, polyester is produced with less water and pesticides, making it a sustainable and more eco-friendly material. Additionally, polyester is often blended with cotton and other materials to create a wide range of textiles including fleece, flannel, and toweling. Some of these materials are also more water resistant than others, which can help the mats hold up better in the event of a spill or splash.
Another type of material that can be used for bath mats is cork. Cork is a sustainable natural resource that can be sourced in an environmentally friendly manner. Many cork bath mats are marketed as being non-slip, and they can be wiped down and allowed to dry between uses. They are able to repel water, so they are less susceptible to developing mold and mildew than some other bath mats.
Bamboo and teak are two more types of sustainable materials that can be used for bath mats. Both are durable, and they can be treated with anti-mold and anti-mildew coatings to make them more resistant to water damage. These solid, reusable mats are more expensive than other options, but they can be a great way to create a spa-like bathroom with the added bonus of providing an aesthetically pleasing natural finish for your floor.
Plastic and rubber bath mats are typically not as soft as other types of bath mats, but they are usually inexpensive and can be molded to fit any bathtub or shower. These models are usually designed to be a nonslip surface, and they can have suction cups to keep them in place. They are not as absorbent as other types of bath mats, and they can leave a puddle on the floor.
If you’re looking for a luxurious, soft and absorbent bath mat, look no further than The Company Store’s chunky looped model. This cotton mat is made from a massive amount of fabric, and it has a thick, 2-inch-thick high-pile texture that feels amazing between your toes. It’s machine-washable and dryer-friendly, but it will probably shed lint in its first few washes. The price tag is around $30 to $50, which is pretty reasonable considering the quality of the material.