The impression you get when you first see something—even if it’s just your house at the end of a long work day—can dramatically affect your mood. Seeing a cheerful wreath on the door and a clean welcome mat helps you leave your stress behind as you enter.
On the flip side, what you see first when you head into work can change how you approach your entire day. A drab exterior of cold stone and fluorescent lighting does not encourage a positive work attitude—nor does it make customers feel very welcome.
Doormats may not seem like world-changing objects, but they contribute to our first impressions when we see a home or office. They can also change how customers see a business. Read our complete guide to different types of doormats to understand how.
Doormats are separated into two categories based on location: residential and business. In general, residential mats are decorations that make the front of your home or apartment look nice. They can also allow you to express a little of your family’s personality.
Business doormats include a wider variety of functions. Some mats are just intended to show off the company’s branding, while others protect floors from rainwater and mud on visitors’ shoes. There are even promotional mats that work like advertising posters—they’re just on the floor instead of the wall.
There are many types of doormats to go in front of your home or apartment. They come in all sorts of sizes and colors. In this section, we’ll go into the main four categories to help you see what options are available:
Keep in mind that many mats combine two or more of these characteristics. For example, you will often see monogrammed natural fiber doormats.
Personalized mats usually have the family’s last name, or even just the last initial as the main decorative element. Some mats allow you to include a founding date (e.g., “Est. 2015”). These mats make wonderful gifts for new couples since you can put their wedding year on the mat.
While personalized mats are mostly decorative, humorous mats allow you to show off some of your personality. Some mats encourage guests to bring food and beverages when they visit, while others include references to popular movies and tv shows. There are so many different quips, and you’re sure to find one that suits your taste in jokes.
Natural fiber mats have become extremely popular in the last several years. The most common ones are made from coir, which is a fiber from the husks of coconuts. The trick with coir doormats is to keep them away from direct sunlight and heavy precipitation. They’re best used in doorways that have at least some kind of covering.
Photo-realistic mats are perfect when you want to show off your family, your pets, or something that’s important to you. These mats allow you to choose your own photo, add text, and more. If you’re the owner of a vacation rental, photo mats are the perfect way to show how to have fun at your rental.
Business mats do more than just decorate a workspace—though they do that, too. Doormats in the workspace often serve a more practical function, like protecting floors from dirt and guests from slipping. These types of mats include:
Logo mats are a great way to create brand impressions with customers. They’ll see the mat at least twice—once when they enter and again when they leave. That’s two free opportunities to make your business memorable. Plus, a logo mat can help people find your office if you share space with others in an office complex.
If the front of your business already does a good job getting visitors to notice your branding, then you may want a subtler entryway. Non-logo mats are perfect for these situations where you don’t want people to notice your doormat, but you still want to protect your floors.
Waterhog mats are a special type of carpeted doormat that can soak up tons of water—up to 1.5 gallons per square yard. If you have floors that get slippery when it rains, a Waterhog mat can help keep everyone safe by soaking up all that water before it hits the floor.
These extra-cushioned mats are designed to help alleviate foot and back pain for people who spend a lot of time standing in one place. Line cooks, receptionists, assembly line workers, and people who use standing desks will all appreciate having more cushion under their feet.
While Waterhog mats are designed to keep water out of your business, scraper mats protect your floors from dirt and mud. These mats are especially useful when placed between different sections of a business. For example, place these mats at doorways between an office and an attached warehouse, or between a body shop and a sales room.
Promotional mats allow you to feature products and services that you offer. Not only do they attract customer attention, but you can also use the mats as signposts to show customers where things are. For example, if you want customers to buy a certain type of wine at your store, you could put a promotional mat featuring the wine right in front of the shelves where it’s stocked.
Now that you’ve read our complete guide to different types of doormats, it’s time to start shopping for one. Before you buy, it’s a good idea to take a look at the location where you’d like to place your mat; that way, you’ll know whether it is protected from the elements, and whether the floor is slippery. You’ll also want to have a good idea of your building’s aesthetic, so you can match it.
If you’re looking for entrance mat companies to buy from, take a look at our supply at The Personalized Doormat Company. We offer dozens of styles in each category, as well as many mats that combine styles. You’re sure to be able to find the perfect mat for your home or workplace needs.
