Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)- will get expensive quickly. Some fighting schools may charge over $200 a month, which may scare away trainees. As a result, some may be unwilling to invest as much in martial arts. That’s when training at home- becomes a valid option.
But, to do BJJ at home, it’ll be best if you buy some essentials, such as a grappling dummy and a mat. Doing so allows you to progress even without people, saving you plenty of money in the long term.
Nonetheless, you may not differentiate between high and low-quality mats. For that reason, I decided to write this article that’ll cover the best grappling/BJJ mats you can buy for your money. So, if you’re a beginner or in any other skill level and want to buy a durable and high-value mat, this article is for you.
When I first started my BJJ journey, I practiced with my friends. To put it simply, we sparred time and time again. Consequently, I began learning the basics without attending a martial arts school. Well, you may not have access to such resources. Hence if you want to train at home without others, it’ll be best to aid your training process with a grappling dummy and a high-quality mat.
Types of BJJ/grappling mats
Before choosing which mat you should buy, it’ll help if you’re familiar with the different kinds. Then, as a result, you’d make a wiser choice and be more satisfied.
The goals of all the following types are the same. However, one may be more suitable for your home than another. As a result, let’s dive into the different types and what makes each unique.
Puzzle mats
The puzzle mat is named after its shape. When you see it, you’ll differentiate between the 3-kinds. Moreover, this is the most affordable and effective one you can buy. My gym uses puzzle mats to fill the entire floor since it’s suitable for purchasing large quantities.
Folding mats
The folding mat is one that I would least recommend buying for your home gym. However, if you desire to train BJJ at home, it’ll help if you purchase one of a significant size. Contrary, the folding mat doesn’t have as much size as you’d want.
Nonetheless, some companies sell folding mats that are larger than the average. However, those are more costly. So, in our list, we’ll also include some of them.
Roll-out mats
The roll-out mat is similar to the folding mat but with different mechanics. As a result, the smaller ones won’t be suitable for your BJJ home gym. However, if you’re interested in purchasing a suitable one, you must order a larger one.
Unlike the folding mats, roll-out ones are more often larger and suitable for martial arts. As a result, I encourage you to buy this one more than the previous kind.
Overall, all 3-types may be suitable if you choose the appropriate product. However, our list will include only high-quality and suitable BJJ mats. Hence you’ll get the most for your money if you buy one of the following products.
Overall Best Grappling Mat
SUPERJARE Puzzle Mat
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 2ft | 2ft | 0.56in |
The one metric every high-quality mat includes- is floor protection. This mat is suitable for BJJ or any other activity, such as weight-lifting. Because of that, we understand that it’s a suitable product.
I decided to list it as the overall best grappling mat because you can do anything on it while keeping your floor safe. However, some of the products on this list won’t fit weight-lifting, as the impact is too powerful.
It covers 24 square feet at a relatively low price. Moreover, it’s 0.56 inches thick, which makes it both durable and capable of withholding significant amounts of impact, such as in aerobics, wrestling, weight lifting, or any other martial art.
I encourage you to buy this mat if you want full protection for your floor against any activity out there. That said, it’s not a dedicated mat for grappling, but it’s suitable for such a purpose.
Best Budget BJJ Mat
BalanceFrom Folding Exercise Mat
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 6ft | 2ft | 1.5in |
I love this mat by BalanceFrom because it provides anything you need from a suitable BJJ mat at a low price.
Because of that, you’ll be solid with this one even if you don’t want to spend plenty of money on a mat.
Its density is 1.5inches, which is fantastic for any activity you want to do. Additionally, it’s 6 feet long and 2-inches wide, which may suffice your BJJ needs.
Because it’s the budget choice, you will most likely need a few of these to construct your own martial arts gym if you want it suitable for BJJ.
Today, finding a grappling mat for your home- is more difficult than attending a martial arts gym and enrolling in a class.
Nonetheless, you most likely want to build your home martial arts gym. As such, if you’re unwilling to spend as much money on a BJJ mat, consider buying this one by BalanceFrom.
Best Grappling Mat Under $60
EliteSRS Premium Mat
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 4ft | 3ft | 0.25in |
This mat is one of the best ones I’ve found throughout the entire market, as it’s incredibly high-quality and suitable for grappling or any other martial art.
Eventually, you may not want to buy a puzzle or a yoga mat, as they’re not dedicated to your purpose. That said, EliteSRS made this product to fit BJJ and grappling.
With most other mats, you may need to buy multiple of them to build your own martial arts gym at home.
However, you’ll need one of these mats since it’s wider than all the other mats (43.5inches). Because of that, it’ll provide considerable floor protection and make the training process more enjoyable.
But again, I encourage you to buy this EliteSRS mat since it’s the most suitable one for grappling and BJJ. As a result, you’ll make the training process more enjoyable, which is the primary goal.
Best BJJ Mat Under $40
BalanceFrom GoFit High-Density Equipment Mat
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5ft | 5ft | N/A |
Most mats won’t suffice most people’s home gyms, as you need large space to work with. However, this one may be what you need.
Although it’s not a puzzle mat, and thus, it doesn’t provide incredible coverage, it may suffice.
Your next step should be to measure your room and plan how much coverage you need for your home gym. If you don’t know or just want to buy a mat, this one or the EliteSRS one- will suffice.
Its size is 2.5feet by 5 feet. Because of that, it’ll suffice all purposes, such as weight-lifting and even holding the impact of exercise equipment, such as a treadmill.
Moreover, it’s also suitable for BJJ and grappling, as it’s dense and soft. Because of that, I encourage you to buy it if the size fits your needs.
innhom Mat for Floor Workout
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 23.6in | 23.6in | 3/8in |
As I’ve previously mentioned, puzzle mats are fantastic because they provide extensive coverage on your entire floor.
As such, when you build your martial arts home gym, puzzle mats are a fantastic choice.
When I first stumbled upon this product, I immediately noticed how high-quality it really is. However, I wanted first to appreciate the work and stability that innhom has constructed it to be.
Moreover, if you do BJJ, you need extensive coverage, as it’s a sport that requires space to maneuver with. As a result, some yoga mats won’t suffice, such as the one I listed previously.
Because of that, puzzle mats- should be your choice because of 2-reasons. First, they provide broad coverage, and they’re also soft. Consequently, you won’t find yourself with back pains after a long grappling session.
MYOYAY 0.6″ Thick Exercise Equipment Mats
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 19in | 19in | 0.6in |
MYOYAY is a fantastic company that constructs suitable exercise equipment mats. Moreover, their product lines are high-quality, and thus, they’re trustworthy.
This puzzle mat- is suitable for BJJ as it provides extensive coverage for your home gym or any other place you’d like to train. It’s incredibly dense, and therefore, it’s also suitable for other activities, such as weight-lifting.
Additionally, this specific mat- is constructed so it won’t cause any floor scratches. Because of that, it makes this product even more valuable.
Adding to that, it has many features I won’t expand on in this section-. Yet, I recommend following the link to read more about this product. In my eyes, it’s one of the most valuable and high-quality ones on this list.
Eventually, if you’re looking for a proper BJJ mat, this one is for you. As much as I fancy BJJ and grappling, it’s difficult to do without a suitable and high-quality mat. Well, here’s one for you.
Large Exercise Mat
| Length | Width | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 6ft | 4ft | 0.28in |
For BJJ, you want a large mat to fulfill your needs. Because of that, some yoga mats won’t suffice for those who want to buy a single product for their home gyms.
So, this large exercise mat is suitable for any home gym and everyone who wants to train in BJJ or any other martial art.
Additionally, it’s a soft mat that will provide you with both the floor and your back protection. I encourage you to buy it, as it’s not as expensive as other products on this list.
Your primary choice is between a puzzle and this type of mat. Well, think to yourself which one you prefer. I like this type of mat for martial arts, not the puzzle one.
Should I buy a grappling/BJJ mat?
Doing martial arts- will get expensive. Because of that, some of you may be unwilling to spend as much monthly cash for weekly BJJ classes.
As such, training at home- is a fantastic choice. In my early training days, I’ve not attended as many martial arts classes (excluding the Krav Maga 14 months course I took). Rather, I trained at home.
You should buy a grappling/BJJ mat for your home to progress without paying monthly fees for martial arts classes. As a result, you’ll save money while training at home, which is more difficult but less painful in the pocket.
What makes a BJJ mat high-quality?
There are numerous factors that decide whether a mat- is high-quality or a rather low-qualtiy one. Because of that, I followed these metrics to decide which products I’ll include in my list.
Here are some of them.
- Durability
- Comfortability
- Coverage
- Space
- Material
- Company
- Type
These are some of the metrics I followed to ensure all the products are high-quality. Some of them have various features that I may have decided to leave out from this post.
Nonetheless, these features make each mat more valuable and raise its quality. For instance, some mats have an anti-slip mechanism, which raises the bar for all other products.
How did I choose the BJJ mats that I listed?
I chose the BJJ mats that I listed by following the metrics that I listed in one of the previous sections. As a result, I ensured that no low-quality product goes through. As such, you can feel secure when buying one of the BJJ mats on this list.
How to clean your mat
Every mat guide, even for martial arts, needs a small walkthrough on how you can clean your mat. Eventually, you will sweat on it. Moreover, you may invite training partners to come with and train, and you want to have a hygienic experience.
So, here is the best way you can clean your BJJ mat.
- Lay out your mat in its full form
- Prepare a bowl with warm/hot water and some dish soap
- Take a rag and soak it in the water.
- Clean the mat with the rag (which has the water and soap on it)
- When the mat is completely wet, dry it for at least 30-minutes.
Final words
Training martial arts at home- is difficult. However, doing BJJ at home- may be more challenging for some. Consequently, if you want to do so, I encourage you to buy a grappling dummy combined with a BJJ mat.
Eventually, some of you may be unwilling to afford monthly BJJ classes. As a result, finding alternatives, such as training at home- may be key for learning to fight appropriately.
Additionally, in my list, I only detailed the best BJJ mats currently on the market. As such, you can feel safe when buying one of the products I listed. I hope you found it helpful and suitable for your needs!