rubber flooring for fitness home gyms

How Thick Should Your Home Gym Rubber Flooring be?

Quick Guide to Rubber Flooring Thickness. How Thick Should Your Home Gym Rubber Flooring be? Once you've decided to install rubber flooring in your home gym because of the notable benefits of the flooring, it's time to find out the ideal thickness. Rubber flooring is most popular in gyms today because it is affordable, durable, safe, and soundproof. Rubber flooring also protects existing flooring surfaces better than most floors. 

For rubber flooring to offer all these benefits, (ie: safe for you to drop a bunch on heavy weights on it) it must be of the right thickness. This isn't hard, we will go into details, but really, remember this... thicker is better. Thicker is more expensive. So find you budget and buy what you need, and get back to working out!

rubber floors for your home gym

In general, I will reference 4'x6' mats, or interlocking tiles. If you have a big area, buy more. Again, this isn't rocket science. We usually sell in 24 square fit increments... so measure your area and thick about a puzzle of 4' x 6' sheets and buy what you need for your space.

Quick Benefits to save you reading time

Benefits like durability and soundproof nature depend largely on the thickness of the rubber flooring. Knowing that you need a rubber floor for your home gym is just the beginning. You need to choose the right thickness to get the best out of your floor. Thicker is better... but don't over pay for what you don't need. Below should help you select the right rubber flooring thickness for your home gym.

How thick should your home gym rubber flooring be?

Rubber floors are commonly available in 5/16", 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4" thickness. If it is thinner than this, it is essentially a yoga mat. Yoga mat is good for body weight, nothing else.

FAQs about rubber flooring thickness for home gyms

When should you choose 5/16-inch rubber flooring?

Thin rubber flooring (like 5/16th" thickness) is ideal for a home gym flooring that will be installed beneath an elliptical machine or treadmill.

A 5/16" rubber mat is adequate enough to protect your flooring from being scratched by your elliptical machine or treadmill. The flooring thickness will also protect your equipment from damage by hard flooring surfaces such as concrete. It can also protect the floor that it is placed on top of. The 5/16-inch rubber flooring can also cope with light weights being dropped on the floor periodically. This is like 20lb dumbbells or less. Lighter weights and light impact.

Rubber floor mats can also withstand high foot traffic if your household has several people who will be using the home gym. This flooring thickness is ideal for typical home gym applications that you will be using lighter weights. 

rubber floors for your home gym

When should you choose 3/8-inch or 9.5mm thick rubber flooring for your home gym?

This is the top seller. It solves all your needs... thick enough for heavier weight workouts, and very durable. This thickness is used inside hockey dressing rooms where players are wearing skates. Its durable and resilient.The difference between 3/8-inch (9.5mm) and 5/16th rubber flooring is negligible. However, 3/8-inch-thick rubber flooring has been a standard for most commercial gyms for a long time, and for us, it is what we recommend for home gyms when you are using heavier weights. 

When should you choose 1/2-inch or 3/4" rubber floors? 

When choosing thick rubber flooring, in either mats or interlocking tiles, it is usually for one of three reasons:

sound... the thick floors really help deaden the sound in the space. Extra sturdy feel underfoot. Extra durability. Added cushioning.

If you are a heavy lifter, and want to leave your heavy weights on top of the flooring between workouts, then 1/2" or 3/4" are worth the investment. And, they look hardcore!

Thicker rubber floors are popular for commercial applications, and many people do use it in home gyms. They are extra durable, and if you are very serious home gym rat with heavy heat weights, then consider the thicker options.

Just to hammer home the point... if you will use heavy iron, among other equipment required for heavy deadlifts and barbell lifts, it's advisable to select thicker flooring (½ to 1-inch). This thickness is recommendable under bench presses, squat racks, and power cages. 

Best rubber flooring thickness for cardio and strength training at home

If you wish to do cardio and strength training with lighter weights, dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells, you need at least 3/8-inches of rubber flooring. 

Best rubber flooring thickness for plyometrics training at home

If you want a home gym to do jump training or plyometrics, you need rubber flooring thickness that can handle such jumps. Plyometrics training is characterised by muscles exerting maximum force over short intervals with the goal being to increase power.

For such training, you need 5/16th to 1-inch-thick rubber flooring. The 5/16th thickness is great as underlayment for Plyometrics training. This is not definitive solution... many experts do suggest that for intense, regular plyometric training then at least 1/2-inch-thickness stand-alone rubber flooring (tiles or mats) if recommended. Flooring that is thinner than 1/2-inch can't cope with the explosive movements and powerful jumps. Again, it is up to how serious training you do and how often you do it. Of course, it can come down to how large of a human you are. Physics are at play, so if you are worried about the force you training will come down on the flooring surface, then consider 1/2" or thicker.

The right rubber flooring thickness will not only allow comfortable training but help your body recover faster after intense circuits. 

Please call, email or visit our showroom to explore options. We'd love to help you out.