Vinyl Link Mat

A vinyl link mat is an entrance mat made of short vinyl links woven tightly over steel wires. The close weave grips shoes, pulls dirt off at the door, and stays safe for high heels. It comes in thirteen colors and can carry a custom logo or lettering, so the mat that cleans shoes can also greet visitors with your brand.

What a Vinyl Link Mat Does Before Dirt Reaches the Floor

Most of the dirt inside a building walks in on shoes, and ISSA field data shows about twelve times more dirt comes in during wet weather. A vinyl link mat gives every step a firm, textured surface to scrape against. Grit comes off at the threshold instead of being tracked across the floor inside.

It also handles a problem many entrance mats ignore: footing. The gaps between the links are less than one-eighth of an inch, too narrow for a heel to sink into. That makes it a strong fit for lobbies, offices, and event spaces where dress shoes and high heels cross the door all day.

Why Woven Vinyl Links, and Why This One

Each link is a piece of extruded vinyl, half an inch wide and two inches long. The links are threaded onto galvanized steel wires and packed close together. The finished mat is seven-sixteenths of an inch thick and weighs about 2.3 pounds per square foot, so it lies flat and stays put under steady foot traffic.

The vinyl is stain-resistant, which helps the mat keep a clean look at a busy door. It comes in thirteen colors: black, blue, gray, green, brown, rust, light blue, yellow, maroon, purple, red, white, and sand. Logos and lettering are set into the mat in contrasting colored links, with bold block letters a popular style.

The edge is finished one of two ways. A beveled edge slopes down to meet the floor, for a mat that sits on top of the surface. A square edge is made for a recessed well, where the mat drops in level with the floor around it. You pick the edge color separately from the mat color.

Where It Belongs, and What It Is Not

A vinyl link mat fits entrances where cleaning and first impressions both count: office lobbies, hotels, banks, churches, schools, and retail storefronts. It works as a surface mat or set into a recessed well, and it sits in our range of entrance mats for the door that needs a scraper with a finished look.

What it is not is a drying mat. It is built to scrape and grip, not to soak up water. At a door that sees rain, pair it with an absorbent mat just inside so wet shoes dry before they reach a hard floor. That two-mat setup keeps both the dirt and the water at the entrance.

Three Things to Check Before You Spec It

First, look at who walks through the door. If dress shoes and high heels are common, the tight link spacing is the main reason to choose this mat, because heels do not catch in openings under one-eighth of an inch. For a door that mostly sees work boots and heavy mud, a more open, aggressive scraper may be the better call.

Second, measure the opening and choose the edge. Width runs left to right across the door, and length runs in the direction people walk. The recommended maximum width is eight feet. Pick a beveled edge for a mat that sits on the floor or a square edge for a recessed well, then choose the edge color.

Third, decide whether the mat should carry your brand. A plain mat can be ordered in any of the thirteen colors. A logo mat needs high-resolution digital artwork, as a JPEG, TIFF, or EPS file, and a signed proof before it goes into production. Build that approval step into your timeline.

Why Mats Inc.

We have specified entrance matting since 1964, and a vinyl link mat is one we build to the opening, not pull off a shelf. Send us the door width, the walking direction, and whether the mat sits on the floor or in a well. We will help you choose the edge, settle the colors, and walk your logo artwork through proof approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a vinyl link mat made of, and how does it hold up?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

It is built from extruded vinyl links, each half an inch by two inches, woven tightly onto galvanized steel wires. The finished mat is seven-sixteenths of an inch thick and weighs about 2.3 pounds per square foot, so it lies flat and resists shifting. The vinyl is stain-resistant, which helps it keep a clean look at a busy door.

How long it lasts depends on the traffic it sees and how much grit crosses it. Rather than quote a number of years, we size and spec it to your door so it is working in the conditions it was built for.

Is a vinyl link mat safe for high heels?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Yes, and that is one of its main strengths. The links are woven close together, leaving openings of less than one-eighth of an inch. A heel tip has nowhere to sink or catch, which is a real concern on open scraper mats with wide gaps. The textured vinyl also gives good traction underfoot, so it suits lobbies, offices, and event spaces where dress shoes are the norm.

Can it sit on the floor, or does it need a recessed well?

Answered by Dustin Thompson, Owner & CEO

Either works, and the edge decides it. For a mat that sits on top of the floor, order a beveled edge, which slopes down to meet the surface. For a recessed well, order a square edge so the mat drops in level with the floor around it.

Square-edge mats are held to a tighter tolerance, plus zero to minus one-eighth of an inch, so they fit the well snugly. Beveled mats hold to plus or minus a quarter inch.

What colors does it come in?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Thirteen: black, blue, gray, green, brown, rust, light blue, yellow, maroon, purple, red, white, and sand. You choose the mat color and the edge color separately, so you can match a building's palette or frame the mat with a contrasting border. Darker shades such as black, brown, and gray hide everyday dirt well, while brighter colors make a bolder statement at the front door.

Can you add our logo or lettering?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Yes. Logos and lettering are set into the mat in contrasting colored links, and bold block letters are a popular style. We need your artwork as a high-resolution digital file: a JPEG, TIFF, or EPS.

Before production, you will get a proof to review and sign, and nothing is made until that signed approval comes back. That step makes sure the colors and layout look right before your mat is built.

How do I size and order a custom vinyl link mat?

Answered by Jinna Hopson, Vice President of Marketing

Every mat is built to the size you give us. Measure width as the left-to-right distance across the door, and length in the direction people walk. The recommended maximum width is eight feet. Along with the size, tell us the mat color, the edge color, and whether you want a beveled or square edge, and we will take it from there.

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