Rolling with Ease on this Chair Mat
Written: Mar 15 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Grips carpet so chairmat does not move, protects floor, chair rolls easily on mat
Cons: Don’t walk on the mat with socks on your feet ... you’ll slip, slide away.
The Bottom Line: An affordable chairmat that solved my problem.
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| dlstewart's Full Review: Rubbermaid Traditional Shape Chair Mat for Low Pil... |
My sewing room is carpeted. Since I use a chair on wheels, the carpeting makes rolling the chair across the floor a chore. Granted, I don’t scoot my chair from one side of the room to the other, but when I need to roll ... I want to roll. Lucky me! I won the office raffle at work. My prize was a new Rubbermaid Traditional Shape Chairmat for Low-Pile Carpeting. I couldn’t have won a better prize.
What the Chairmat Looks Like
This is a well-constructed flexible vinyl chairmat. By flexible, I mean it won’t fold in half, but it has give to it so that it bends. It’s not rigid like some chairmats. Also, the color of the carpet shows through the clear vinyl. The surface of the mat is smooth, and the bottom has stiff plastic “spikes” spaced an inch apart to anchor the mat into the carpet. These spikes are sharp, so watch your fingers when carrying or maneuvering the mat into position.
This chairmat has an overall measurement of 36" wide x 48" deep. It is rectangular with a lip that extends on one end to fit beneath the chair well of a desk or sewing machine table. The lip measures 10" deep x 19" wide. Since the mat has flat edges with no bevel, if you want to roll from the chairmat onto the floor, there will be a small bump between the two surfaces.
Why I Needed a Chairmat
Since my sewing chair had difficulty moving across the carpet, I was afraid that repeated back-and-forth movement of the chair would begin to stress the carpet and cause the carpet to rip. Placing a chairmat beneath the wheeled chair solved the problem.
My Experience
I was so excited to win this new Rubbermaid chairmat. I had priced chairmats a few months ago but didn’t want to invest $40-$50 on one. I had no idea that Rubbermaid made inexpensive yet durable chairmats. Doing some research, I discovered that this chairmat sells for $15.99 at Staples (www.staples.com -- Item # 447139). When I did my earlier chairmat searches, this Rubbermaid mat never showed in the search results.
After winning the chairmat, I wasted no time in carrying it to my car. The mat was a bit awkward to hold with the sharp grippers on the bottom of it, but the mat was lightweight enough to easily carry. I folded down the back seat of my Toyota Camry to extend the truck space, and the chairmat rested flat in the trunk.
Once home, I carried the mat into the house and placed it where the chair sits at the sewing machine table. The extended lip on the mat is designed to fit beneath the desk/table with the larger area of the mat beneath the chair. The way my sewing table is constructed, I had to slide the mat beneath the right wheeled table leg in order to fit the mat in place. No problem.
The mat lays nice and flat on the low-pile carpet. Sitting in the chair, I can easily roll across the chairmat, saving my carpet from wear. I’m very happy.
Likes
* Protects floor surface
* Easy to roll chair on mat
* Gripper back keeps mat in place on carpet
* Compact size
* Clear mat allows carpet color to show
* Easy to clean
Dislikes
If I had to pick one complaint about this chairmat, it’s the smooth top surface. The surface is not textured in any way. If I’m wearing smooth-soled socks, I can’t run or walk fast across this mat ... or else I end up sliding across it. Of course, children might think this is a bonus!
Cleaning
Since this chairmat is in my sewing area, the most cleaning I need to do is sweep loose threads and fabric bits from the mat. Should I spill something on the mat, a simple wipe of a cloth will clean the mess.
This mat is great for my sewing area. Now if I drop a pin, it doesn’t disappear into the carpet. Pins are easier to locate on the chairmat, too. While sewing, I’m constantly snipping threads. I have a wastebasket handy, but inevitably threads find their way to the floor. The smooth surface of the chairmat makes it easy to clean thread and fabric snippets.
Summary
I am glad I won this Rubbermaid Traditional Shape Chairmat. It perfectly suits my needs. My carpet is protected against the abusive movements of the wheeled chair, and the chairmat looks great on the floor. For $15.99, I would have bought it if I had not won it!
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
Rubbermaid Home Products Division
1147 Akron Road
Wooster, OH 44691
Tollfree Phone: 888-895-2110
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST Monday - Friday
Please read my other reviews.
Quilter’s Dream Sewing Table
Horn of America Deluxe Sewing Chair
Bernina Accessory Box
Janome Jem Sewing Machine
Fiskars Pinking Shears & Tutorial
Black & Decker Pro Finish Iron
Quilt Pro Software
Keepsake Quilting Online Store
Joann .com Fabric & Craft Store
2002 Toyota Camry XLE
Copyright 2004 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
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