Best Mats For Jumping Rope – The 4 Best Mats For Jumping Rope

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Jumping Rope Is Amazing!

Jumping rope is one of the most challenging, rewarding; intensive workout one can do. There are so many benefits from this simple exercise.

But jumping rope on the wrong surface will cause problems in the short or long term. This is what this post is about, finding a good mat to avoid potential injuries so that you can benefit from this amazing exercise. So here I will post the best mats for jumping rope!

Why Do I Need A Mat?

About seven years ago I was pretty dang frumpy. Around 270 pounds at 6′ 1″ and I felt it. Bending down and doing simple tasks became hard. So, I embarked on a mission to lose some weight using jumping rope and to lift weights. In about three months I went down to 235 pounds. I fell in love with jumping rope during this time. I started slowly, barely able to skip rope for ten minutes to go to a full 30 minutes of skipping rope by the end of the three months.

Jumping rope is so very rewarding, and I can’t think of a better exercise. It will take your cardio to the next level and then some. It was during this time I developed plantar fascists from jumping on pure unforgiving concrete. A very painful and long-lasting injury for sure. I later learned while researching both plantar fascists and jumping rope, that you shouldn’t be skipping rope on concrete. Wait…what?

Me = Mindblown.

Learn from me if you are plan on jumping rope or are jumping rope right now. To use a mat or a platform (see below for ideas) to avoid possible injuries.

Hopefully, this page or some other informative website reaches you before embarking on jumping rope and developing any sort of injury.

Why?

Well, the short of it is that jumping rope on an unforgiving surface can and probably will lead to problems down the road. Either foot problems or some type of leg problem from constant jumping on concrete or some other form of hard material.

An Alternative To A Mat

Well, maybe you’re a more hands-on type of person and want to build your own jump rope platform, instead of buying a mat. I’ve written a post here, How To Build A Jump Rope Platform. Where I show you how I built my jump rope platform. This will require materials and a bit of know-how and takes up quite a bit more space than say a mat. But it also provides a better forgiving surface to jump upon.

Benefits Of Jumping On A Mat

The benefits of using a mat far exceed the price of a mat, making it a wise choice in the long run.

• Severely limits injuries acquired from jumping rope!!! This is the number one reason, as the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I can’t stress this enough. Having dealt with plantar fasciitis from jumping rope for extended amounts of time, trust me you want to avoid this. Painful and takes a long time to recover from.
  • Avoid Plantar Fasciitis
  • Avoid Patellar Tendonitis
  • Avoid Shin Splints
  • Stress fractures
  • General joint pain
• The ability to travel with a mat and have the ability to jump rope safely anywhere. Most mats are extremely portable, as they can be rolled up easily brought out to get some amazing cardio. Either in your motel room, a gym, outdoors, or just about anywhere you want to jump rope. If you are flying you pack this in a large suitcase and fold it in half.
• Extends the life of your jump rope. While a quality jump rope won’t cost an arm or a leg, they do cost something. Why not protect your small investment and have it last even longer.
• Can jump rope on grass, rock, sand, gravel, outdoors or indoors. Just throw the mat down and get to it. It is very versatile.
• Mats can be used for other things like protecting wood floors from stationary bikes and other workout equipment.
• Mats can be used for practicing yoga as well.

Best Mats 

Before we get into the best mats for skipping rope, I would like to advise you not to purchase the interlocking tiles exercise mats. This will come apart with the constant movement of performing jump roping. At least this was my experience.

Another tip is to get the biggest mat you can, as you will think less about the mat the bigger the mat. For example, if you have a small mat, you will be thinking more about coming off the mat as opposed to a larger mat. Just some little tips that I found from experience.

#1 Crossrope Mat

First off this is just generally a bigger mat than you will normally find. Being as most mats are about 4 feet long, this mat comes in at a solid 5 feet long and 2.5 feet wide. This allows you to not think about the mat as much when jumping, as you don’t have to worry about deviating off the mat while jumping. This is also a quarter of an inch thick, to allow for cushioning support of your joints.

This is a solid mat for jumping rope, allows for the most cushioning while still being solid enough to launch off of. Another bonus is it won’t become slippery when wet. The texture takes care of this providing friction even when wet from sweat or precipitation.

Not the best for freestyle tricking but is mostly for getting your fitness workout in. A bigger mat would be better suited for freestyle tricking. An option for freestylist would be to buy two mats and lay them side by side.

Another reason this ranks so well is this a jump rope company. Who better to buy a mat from then a jump rope company. Supplying jump ropers the quality equipment (different jump ropes, mats, and bags), as well as providing the useful, informative reading on all things related to jumping rope featured on their blog. A wealth of information and a must-read for beginners.

• Easy to clean.
• A big mat. 2.5′ X 5′ and 1/4″ thick.
• A great forgiving surface for jumping rope.
• Doesn’t become slippery when wet.
• A jump rope company that understands the needs of jump ropers.
• Great for outdoors.

#2 Square36 Large Exercise Mat 78″ Long X 48″ Wide 7mm Thick

This is a very versatile mat, probably the most versatile of the bunch. It has two different surfaces the harder surface is for use with shoes, while the other side is for use without shoes. Giving you a lot of options. This mat is 78″ long and 48″ long by 7 mm thick.

This would make a really great mat for jumping rope! As well as other exercises like, p90x, Insanity, and Zumba workouts. Comes with a storage bag and straps that can easily be put away when not using it. You can place an additional mat on top for added support, like a yoga mat for better comfort.

• A nice big mat, coming in at 6.5 feet x 4 feet.
• Made from premium non-toxic materials.
• A large multipurpose mat that can be more easily used for jumping rope and various cardio workouts like Zumba, underneath a heavy bag, etc.
• Square36 makes a variety of sizes of mats, from as small as 6′ X 5′ up to 6′ X 10′. Huge!
• Lifetime warranty on manufacturer’s defects.
• Dual surface materials, as this has a durable top surface for use with shoes and a foam bottom surface for bare feet.
• Comes with a storage bag with two storage straps.
• Can be used with shoes and without shoes.
• Can be a bit pricey, click the link below to check the price.
• Great customer reviews on Amazon.

#3 SuperMats Heavy Duty P.V.C. Mat For Cardio Fitness

This is another bigger mat coming in at 2.5 feet X 5 feet and being a 1/8 inch thick. This mat is a 1/8 inch thinner than the mat listed above. This would be for someone looking for less padding but still having a bigger size. This can be used for a variety of exercises (aerobics, jumping rope, etc.) or also be used for floor protection with exercise equipment like for example, treadmills and stationary bikes.

This is made with a heavy-duty PVC material to avoid tearing and wearing out. This will not wear off onto a light-colored carpet, as many reports that they have used it with no problem with color bleeding.

• Another bigger mat coming in at 2.5′ X 5′ and 1/8″ thick.
• This weighs about 1.04 lbs.
• An Amazon Choice with high positive customer ratings.
• Great for using outdoors with easy cleanup.
• Great support while still providing the needed spring.
• Easy to clean.
• Some reports of being slippery when wet.

#4 Bean Products Pro Eco Guro Premium

This is a durable high grip exercise mat that is available in many different colors. This has a lifetime warranty using yoga and a 1-year warranty with all other physical activities.

This has a nice thickness to it and is wide enough and long enough for jumping rope. The thickness should provide adequate support without being too spongy. The Pro Guro comes in at 26 inches wide x 75 inches long and 1/4 inch thick and weighs about 7 pounds. Importantly enough, this is made with a blend of environmentally friendly materials, which doesn’t contain any toxic phthalates, heavy metals, or latex. While still giving adequate traction and comfort.

• The dimensions of this mat are 26 inches wide and 75 inches long x 6mm thick.
• Doesn’t absorb sweat.
• Very Slip resistant.
• Non-toxic made of natural rubber and a synthetic blend.
• Pretty decent thickness to this mat to help absorbs impact.
• 1-year warranty on all exercises other than yoga, with strictly yoga use, comes a lifetime warranty.
•  Comes in many colors, not just black.

Wrap Up

To conclude this article I would restate the importance of before beginning jumping rope, especially if you haven’t been active for a while to take it slow. Jump no more than 5 minutes 2 to 3 times a week and slowly increase the time after weeks. This will allow you to build up your muscles and tendon strength slowly. Don’t push it by no means. Have adequate rest between sessions.

Secondly, I would highly recommend you purchase a quality mat and never, and I mean never just jump rope on concrete. Have some sort of padding under your feet when jumping rope.

Hopefully following these simple recommendations will keep healthy and pain-free while giving you one of the best workouts in the world.

Would love to hear of any mats recommendations from you the readers or anything else related to jump roping. Peace.

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