Water Absorbent Indoor Mats

The Half-Circle Waterhog Entrance Mat takes the bi-level Waterhog face you'd put inside a busy front door and curves one end into a half-oval, so a plain rectangular runner reads as a finished, grand entrance. It scrapes shoes and holds water below the walking surface, and the rounded end softens the look at lobby doors, hotel vestibules, and curved thresholds where a square mat looks cut off.

What a Waterhog Mat Stops Before It Reaches Your Floor

Most of the dirt and water in a building walks in on shoes. ISSA field data shows a building takes on up to 12 times more dirt during wet weather, and it takes six to eight steps for a person to track moisture off their soles. A mat at the door is where that gets caught — or where it gets missed and ends up on your floor.

The bi-level face does the catching. Raised ridges scrape grit and moisture off shoes, then drop it into the channels below the walking surface so it isn't picked up again and tracked deeper inside. A water-dam border rings the mat and holds what it collects — up to 1.5 gallons of water per square yard — keeping it off the floor instead of spreading it around the threshold.

Why the Bi-Level Waterhog Face, and Why the Half-Circle

The face is solution-dyed PET fiber, about 30 ounces per square yard, made from at least 90% recycled content reclaimed from plastic bottles. Rubber reinforcement runs through the bi-level pattern so the pile holds its shape and doesn't crush flat under steady traffic — a crushed mat stops scraping and starts looking tired, which is the usual reason an entrance mat gets pulled early.

Underneath is an SBR rubber backing that contains 20% recycled tire content and lies flat without curling the way vinyl-backed mats can. You can spec a universal cleated backing, the standard for carpet, or a smooth backing for hard floors. Beveled edges ease the transition on and off, so the mat sits as a safe step rather than a trip point.

The half-circle is the reason to choose this version. The half-oval end finishes a run of matting with a curve instead of a hard corner, so you can build a longer grand entrance by pairing the curved end with a rectangular mat. Set against the bi-level textured face and a color-coordinating fabric border, it reads as a designed threshold, not just floor protection.

Where the Half-Circle Belongs (and Where It Doesn't)

This is an indoor entrance mat first. It earns its place in lobbies, hotel vestibules, restaurant foyers, healthcare entries, and office building doors — high-visibility spots where the floor is on display and the threshold sets the first impression. The curved end suits wide or rounded entries and revolving-door approaches, where a rectangle would look stranded.

It is not a coarse outdoor scraper for mud, gravel, or grease, and it isn't the mat for a loading dock or a wash-down bay. Put it where people walk in from a parking lot or sidewalk and you want the building to stay clean and look finished — not where the heaviest grit needs to be knocked off before anyone reaches the door.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

Three things decide whether this mat fits your entrance.

First, the floor under it. A universal cleated backing grips carpet and keeps the mat from creeping; a smooth backing is the right call on tile, stone, or polished concrete, where cleats can rock. Match the backing to the surface or the mat will shift underfoot.

Second, the size of the run. The half-oval ends come in roughly 3-, 4-, and 6-foot widths, and they pair with rectangular mats to extend a true grand-entrance length. Measure the door swing and the walking path so the mat covers the six-to-eight steps it takes to dry a sole, not just the doorway itself.

Third, the look you want at the door. Seven colors and a color-coordinating fabric border let you tie the mat to a lobby palette or a brand standard, and the curved end is what separates a presentation entrance from a plain mat. If the threshold is on display, that finish is the point.

Why Mats Inc.

Mats Inc. has specified commercial entrance matting since 1964, so when you ask whether a half-circle layout suits your doorway, you're talking to people who match mat construction to real traffic rather than reading off a box. This mat is certified high-traction by the National Floor Safety Institute, which carries weight at a wet entrance where a slip is a liability, not just a mess. We help you size the run and pick the backing for your floor, and point you to the rest of our commercial entrance matting if the half-circle isn't the right fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the bi-level surface actually keep dirt off my floor?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

The face is built on two levels. Raised ridges scrape grit and water off the bottom of shoes, and the lower channels between them hold what's scraped below the walking surface, so it isn't picked up again and carried farther inside. A raised water-dam border rings the whole mat and traps moisture — up to 1.5 gallons per square yard — so it stays in the mat instead of running onto your floor. That's the difference between a mat that collects and one that just spreads water around the threshold.

How long will it hold up in a busy entrance?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

In a typical commercial entrance, expect several years of service before the look starts to fade. The reason it lasts is the rubber reinforcement molded through the bi-level face — it keeps the pile from crushing flat. A crushed pile is what usually ends a mat's life: once it lies down it stops scraping and starts looking worn.

The solution-dyed PET fiber resists fading and won't rot, so it holds its color and its grip instead of going dull and slick. What shortens that life early is the wrong backing for the floor, or a mat sized too small for the traffic it's taking.

Should I get the cleated or the smooth backing?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Match it to the floor. The universal cleated backing is standard for carpet — the cleats bite in and keep the mat from creeping as people walk across it. The smooth backing is the one for hard floors like tile, stone, or polished concrete, where cleats can rock and flat rubber stays put.

Both versions lie flat without curling, and the beveled edges give a safe transition on and off. The one real mistake is a cleated mat on a hard floor, or a smooth-backed mat on carpet.

What sizes does the half-circle come in, and how do I build a grand entrance?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

The half-oval ends come in roughly 3-, 4-, and 6-foot widths. On their own they round off a doorway; paired with a rectangular mat they extend into a longer run — a curved end, a straight middle, and a second curve if you want both ends rounded. That's how you build the grand-entrance look down a wide vestibule.

Measure the door swing and the walking path before you order, and size for the six-to-eight steps it takes to dry a sole. You want the mat covering the traffic, not just the doorway.

What does it look like, and what colors can I get?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

It's a refined, low-profile look rather than a utility mat. The bi-level face has a finished texture, and a color-coordinating fabric border frames it cleanly at the edge. There are seven colors to choose from, formulated to stay colorfast with the recycled fiber, so you can match a lobby palette or keep to a neutral that hides traffic between cleanings. The curved end is what reads as designed — the detail that makes the entrance look intentional instead of just protected.

Can I match it to our brand or pair it with mats we already have?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

You can build around your space. The seven-color range and fabric border let you tie the mat to a brand standard or an interior scheme, and the half-oval ends are designed to pair with rectangular Waterhog mats so a curved entrance and a straight runner read as one set. If you're after a printed logo at the door, that's a different construction — a logo mat — and we can point you there, but for a clean, color-matched threshold the half-circle does the presentation work on its own.

By Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing, Mats Inc.

Super Berber Matting is a dense berber entrance mat that does the two hardest jobs at a busy door at once: it scrapes grit off shoes and soaks up the moisture they carry. The needle-punch berber surface is solution-dyed in up to 40 colors, and a custom logo can be inlaid right into it — so it cleans the entrance and carries the brand in the same mat.

What Super Berber Does Before Dirt and Water Reach the Floor

At a busy entrance, dirt and water arrive on shoes — ISSA research shows the door is where most of a building's dirt comes in. Left to cross the threshold, that grit grinds at the floor and wet shoes leave a lobby slick. The dense berber pile catches both: it scrapes solids loose and holds moisture in the fiber, while the all-weather rubber backing keeps the mat planted, so the dirt and water stay on the mat, not the floor.

Why Solution-Dyed Berber, and Why This One

The mat is built from 100% solution-dyed polypropylene berber, needle-punched into a dense half-inch pile that weighs about 52 ounces per square yard. Solution-dyed means the color is locked into the fiber rather than printed on top, so it does not bleach or wear pale. The polypropylene is UV- and abrasion-resistant, which is what lets the mat hold its look under heavy traffic and sun.

Of the two jobs an entrance mat does, this one leans toward wiping — the deep pile is built to pull moisture and fine dirt off shoes and keep it there, with strong scraping behind it. An all-weather rubber backing grips the floor and stands up to wet conditions, so the mat works at an interior lobby or a covered outdoor entrance alike.

Where It Belongs, and What It Is Not

Super Berber fits heavy-traffic entrances where appearance counts as much as cleaning — office buildings, shops, lobbies, schools, airports, and sport concourses. It works indoors or at a covered outdoor entrance, and it sits in our range of moisture-control entrance matting as the absorbent option that traps water in the pile rather than channeling it away.

What it is not is a drainage grid or a heavy-mud scraper. It holds the moisture it collects, so where standing water has to drain off, an open grid mat is the better tool — and where shoes arrive caked in mud, a coarse scraper out front will spare the pile. Super Berber is the mat that finishes the job: wiping shoes clean and dry once the worst is knocked off.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

First, decide what the door mostly throws at it. If the entrance is about moisture and a clean, finished look, Super Berber is built for exactly that. If shoes arrive heavy with mud or grit, set a coarse scraper ahead of it so the berber handles the wiping rather than clogging with debris it was not meant to take alone.

Second, size it and pick the edge. It comes in standard mats up to four by fourteen feet, in rolls, or custom-cut to your dimensions — up to thirteen feet two inches wide and inlaid runs to a hundred feet. Borders can be heat-sealed, square-cut, or beveled, and custom shapes are on the table if the entrance calls for one.

Third, plan the logo and colors early. The logo is needle-punched into the pile from a palette of up to 40 colors, so it needs camera-ready artwork before a quote. One thing to know up front: this construction does not do exact PMS brand-color matching — you choose from the 40 — so check that your colors are covered before you commit.

Why Mats Inc.

We have specified entrance matting since 1964, and a logo mat only works if the artwork, the colors, and the size are right before it is made. We take your logo, match it to the available colors, confirm the size and border, and lay out the inlay — so the mat that arrives cleans the entrance and reads as your brand, not a near-miss. Send your artwork and we will start there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Super Berber Matting made of?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is built from 100% solution-dyed polypropylene berber, needle-punched into a dense half-inch pile of about 52 ounces per square yard, over an all-weather rubber backing. Solution-dyed means the color runs through each fiber instead of sitting on the surface, so it resists fading and bleaching. The polypropylene is UV- and abrasion-resistant, which is what lets the mat keep its look under heavy traffic, indoors or at a covered outdoor entrance.

How much traffic can it take, and how well does it handle water?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is rated for heavy traffic, and wiping is its strong suit — the deep berber pile is built to pull moisture and fine dirt off shoes and hold it down in the fiber, away from the floor. The solution-dyed, UV- and abrasion-resistant construction keeps it from looking worn or faded as the traffic adds up. Like any pile mat, it performs best when it is vacuumed regularly and washed when it needs it, so the trapped soil does not pack down into the pile.

Is it a scraper or a wiper, and where should I place it?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It does both, but it leans wiper — it is at its best absorbing moisture and fine grit rather than knocking off heavy mud. Place it where it covers the full walking path so shoes take several steps on it. If the entrance sees heavy mud or sand, put a coarse scraper mat outside the door first and let Super Berber do the wiping inside; that two-stage setup keeps the pile from clogging and keeps the floor beyond it clean and dry.

Can you inlay our logo, and how sharp will it look?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Yes — the logo is needle-punched right into the berber pile, not printed on top, so it wears in with the mat instead of scuffing off. It is one of the largest custom logo mats made, which gives a logo room to read cleanly at the door, and custom shapes are possible if you want the mat itself to follow a form. We do need camera-ready artwork before quoting, so the inlay is laid out accurately from the start.

What colors can we get, and can you match our exact brand color?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

There are up to 40 colors to build the base and the logo from, which covers most brand palettes. The one honest limit to flag: this construction does not offer exact PMS brand-color matching — you choose from the 40 standard colors rather than a custom-mixed shade. Because the colors are solution-dyed into the fiber, whatever you pick holds up without fading. Send your brand colors and we will confirm the closest matches before anything is made.

Will it still look professional after a season of heavy use?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

That is what the solution-dyed berber is for. With the color locked into the fiber and the polypropylene resisting UV and abrasion, the mat holds its appearance far better than a surface-printed mat, which tends to go pale and tired at a busy door. The berber texture reads clean and upscale rather than utilitarian, so it suits a lobby or storefront where the entrance is part of the first impression.

By Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing, Mats Inc.

Coir Matting is natural coconut-coir fiber tufted onto a solid vinyl base — the original boot-scraping fiber, set on a backing that keeps what it catches off your floor. The stiff coir brushes grit and moisture off shoes at the door, while the vinyl base seals the underside so nothing leaks through to the floor below. It cuts cleanly to fit a recessed well or a vestibule.

What Coir Matting Does Before Grit Reaches the Floor

Coir has scraped boots clean for well over a century, and the reason is the fiber: stiff, dense, and naturally good at brushing grit and soaking up moisture off shoes. ISSA research shows the entrance is where most of a building's dirt arrives, so a mat that pulls it off early keeps it from grinding across the floor inside. The vinyl base does the other half of the job — it holds the dirt and water on the mat instead of letting it leak through to the floor underneath.

Why Coir on a Vinyl Base, and Why This One

The mat is natural coconut coir tufted into a heavy vinyl base, about five-eighths of an inch thick overall. The coir is the working surface: a tough natural fiber that brushes and holds dirt and moisture the way a synthetic mat cannot quite match. It is the fiber people picture at a welcoming front door, and it has been doing the job since coco mats first came to the States in the 1800s.

The vinyl base is what sets this apart from a plain woven coco mat. A woven-back mat lets water seep straight through to the floor; this one seals the underside, so the floor stays protected and dry beneath it. Because the fibers are locked into that base, the mat can be cut to any shape without unraveling — which is what makes it work in a recessed well.

Where It Belongs, and What It Is Not

Coir Matting is at its best in covered, contained spots — vestibules, lobbies, and recessed entrance wells at commercial and residential doors. It comes in six-foot-wide rolls cut to size, and for a large recess the pieces can be cut and fused so the seam barely shows. It sits in our range of moisture-control entrance matting as the natural-fiber option that traps grit and water on a sealed base.

What it is not is a fully-exposed outdoor mat or a drain-through grid. Coir is a natural fiber, so constant sun and rain wear it faster than a synthetic — it lasts far longer under cover. And the vinyl base means water does not drain through it; it holds moisture on top, so where a spot needs water to run away, an open grid mat is the right tool instead.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

First, check how exposed the spot is. Under a portico, in a vestibule, or recessed at a covered entrance, coir holds up well and looks the part. In an open doorway that takes direct sun and driving rain, it will wear and fade faster than a rubber or synthetic mat — so save coir for the sheltered entries and use something weatherproof where the elements hit.

Second, measure the opening, especially a recess. The matting comes in six-foot-wide rolls cut to your length, and custom shapes are workable because the fibers will not unravel at a cut edge. For a recess wider than a single piece, sections are cut and fused together so the joint is hard to spot. Send the well's dimensions and we will plan the layout.

Third, pick the color and expect a little shedding at first. It comes in natural, chocolate brown, and maroon, with printed designs available if you want a pattern. Like all coir, a new mat sheds some loose fiber for the first week or two — that is normal and settles down with a few vacuumings, not a defect.

Why Mats Inc.

We have specified entrance matting since 1964, and coir is a material we know how to place. We will match the thickness and color to the entrance, cut the roll to your recess, and fuse the seams so a large well reads as one clean mat — then point you to a weatherproof option instead if the spot is too exposed for natural fiber. Send the dimensions and we will lay it out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Coir Matting made of?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is natural coconut-coir fiber tufted onto a heavy vinyl base, about five-eighths of an inch thick overall. Coir is the stiff, dense fiber from coconut husks — the classic boot-scraping material — and here it is locked into a solid vinyl backing rather than a woven one. That sealed base is the key difference from a plain woven coco mat: water and grit stay on the mat instead of leaking through to the floor underneath.

How long does coir last, and can it go outside?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Coir is tough and scrapes well, but it is a natural fiber, so where it lives matters. Under cover — a vestibule, a portico, a recessed entry — it holds up and keeps its look for a good while. In a fully-exposed doorway taking direct sun and rain, it wears and fades faster than a synthetic or rubber mat, so those spots are better served by a weatherproof option. One normal quirk: a new coir mat sheds loose fiber for a week or two before it settles, which a few vacuumings clear up.

Can it fit a recessed mat well?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Yes — that is one of its strengths. The matting comes in six-foot-wide rolls and cuts cleanly to any shape without unraveling, because the fibers are anchored into the vinyl base. For a recess wider than a single piece, sections are cut and fused together so the joining line is hard to see, and the whole thing sits down in the well at the right height. Send the recess dimensions and we will plan the cut.

What colors does it come in?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Three: natural, chocolate brown, and maroon. The natural tone is the warm, golden coir look most people picture at a front door, while the brown and maroon read a little richer and more finished. All three suit a traditional or hospitality entrance where you want the doorway to feel welcoming rather than industrial — coir has a warmth that synthetic mats do not quite have.

Can we get a custom size, shape, or a printed design?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Yes to all three. Because it is cut from wide rolls and the cut edges hold without unraveling, custom sizes and shapes are straightforward — useful for an odd-shaped recess or a wide entrance. Printed designs are also available if you want a pattern or motif on the coir rather than a plain field. Send your dimensions and what you have in mind, and we will confirm what works.

Does it look right at a nicer entrance?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

It does, in the right setting. Coir reads natural and classic — the brushy texture and warm tone are exactly what people associate with a welcoming, well-kept doorway, which is why it suits hospitality, retail, and residential entries. It is less the look for a sleek modern lobby, where a finished synthetic or grid mat fits better, but for a traditional or warm entrance under cover, coir looks the part.

By Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO, Mats Inc.

The Waterhog Elite Herringbone is a bi-level entrance mat built to pull dirt and water off shoes and keep them off your floor. Raised nubs scrape debris and moisture down below foot level, while a raised water-dam border around the edge holds the runoff on the mat instead of letting it spread onto the floor. The herringbone face gives it an upscale look right at the door.

What the Waterhog Elite Herringbone Does Before Water Reaches Your Floor

Most of a building's dirt and water walks in on shoes at the entrance — ISSA research puts the bulk of it right at the door. This mat's bi-level surface scrapes that grit and moisture off and drops it below the level your shoe touches, so it stays in the mat instead of riding onto the floor. A raised water-dam border around the edge keeps the trapped water from running off, which is what stops a slick spot from forming at the threshold.

Why Recycled PET and a Bi-Level Face, and Why This One

The face is solution-dyed PET — a polyester made from recycled plastic drink bottles, at least 90% recycled content — woven into a dense herringbone at about 30 ounces per square yard. Solution-dyed means the color is locked into the fiber, so it resists staining and will not fade or rot. The raised nubs that do the scraping are reinforced with rubber, so the pile does not crush flat under steady traffic.

Underneath, the SBR rubber backing — a synthetic rubber — contains about 20% recycled rubber from car tires, and comes in a smooth or a cleated version. The mat is certified high-traction by the National Floor Safety Institute, and beveled edges ease the step up onto it. The water-dam border holds up to 1.5 gallons of water per square yard before it overflows.

Where It Belongs, and What It Is Not

This is an entrance mat for the front of the building — lobbies, office and retail entries, hotels, and restaurants, indoors or out — where you want both performance and a finished look. The herringbone face and recycled build earn it a place in our range of water-capture entrance matting, where the job is holding tracked-in water on the mat and off the floor.

What it is not is a mat for a kitchen or a fuel or service bay — the PET fiber should not sit in areas exposed to animal fats or petroleum, which break it down. It is also a single stage: it traps a lot, but in a downpour or very heavy traffic, pairing it with a second mat just inside keeps the floor beyond it dry.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

First, choose the border. The classic border is rubber — rugged, and the better pick for an exposed outdoor or high-abuse entrance. The fashion border is fabric, wrapped in the same recycled material as the face, for a more finished look in a lobby or retail space. Both come in a range of seven colors, so you can match the mat to the floor or the décor.

Second, match the backing to the floor. The cleated backing grips a carpeted surface and resists shifting, while the smooth backing sits flat on hard floors like tile or stone. Picking the wrong one is the usual reason a mat creeps or wrinkles underfoot.

Third, size it to the entrance. It comes in a range of standard sizes and can be made to order in whole-foot lengths up to sixty feet, for a long approach or a wide doorway. Aim for enough length that a person takes several steps across the mat — that is what gives the nubs the chance to clean the whole sole.

Why Mats Inc.

We have specified entrance matting since 1964, and a performance mat like this only pays off when it is matched to the entrance. We will help you weigh the classic border against the fashion border, pick the backing for your floor, choose from the seven colors, and size it to the doorway so it traps what it should. Tell us the entrance and we will spec it to fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Waterhog Elite Herringbone made of?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

The face is solution-dyed PET — a polyester woven from recycled plastic drink bottles, at least 90 percent recycled content — set in a herringbone pattern at about 30 ounces per square yard. The raised nubs that do the scraping are reinforced with rubber so the pile will not crush flat under traffic. Underneath is an SBR rubber backing, a synthetic rubber, made with about 20 percent recycled rubber from car tires. That recycled content may also count toward LEED credits, depending on the rating version and the project.

How much water does it hold, and how slip-safe is it?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

The raised water-dam border around the edge holds up to 1.5 gallons of water per square yard before it overflows, which keeps tracked-in rain and snowmelt on the mat instead of pooling on your floor. The surface is certified high-traction by the National Floor Safety Institute, and the beveled edges give a safe transition from the floor up onto the mat. Because the PET is solution-dyed, it resists staining and will not fade or rot, and it stands up to salt and ice melt without breaking down — useful through a hard winter.

Should I get smooth or cleated backing, and where can I use it?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

The cleated backing grips a carpeted floor and resists shifting; the smooth backing lays flat on hard surfaces like tile or stone — match it to whatever the mat will sit on. The mat works indoors or out at an entrance. The one place to avoid is anywhere exposed to animal fats, like a commercial kitchen, or to petroleum products, since those break down the PET fiber over time.

What sizes does it come in?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

It comes in a range of standard sizes for typical doorways, and it can be made to order in whole-foot lengths up to sixty feet — handy for a long entry approach or a wide double-door opening. The thing to aim for is enough length that someone takes several steps across the mat, because that is what lets the nubs clean the whole sole rather than just clipping it. Send the opening dimensions and the walking path, and we will point you to the right size.

What colors and border styles are available?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

There are seven colors to choose from, and two border styles. The classic border is rubber — clean and rugged, the usual pick for an outdoor or heavy-duty entrance. The fashion border is fabric, wrapped in the same recycled material as the face, for a softer, more finished edge that suits a lobby or retail floor. The herringbone face pattern gives either version an upscale look, rather than the plain appearance of a basic utility mat.

Will it look right at a customer-facing entrance?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Yes — the herringbone pattern and the fabric fashion border are what set this mat apart from a plain entrance mat, so it reads as intentional in an office lobby, a hotel, a restaurant, or a retail entry. If the entrance is more exposed or takes rougher use, the rubber classic border holds up better outdoors while still looking finished. Either way, you get a mat that performs like a workhorse but does not look like one.

By Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing, Mats Inc.