Chair Mat Lip vs No Lip: A Detailed Guide!

People sitting on a chair for long hours in the office or at home realize the importance of a good chair mat. Chair mats not only provide grip to your chair but also protect your floor and carpet from scratches, indentation, or damage. They also provide back support, prevention from static friction shocks and are not very expensive.

There are mainly two types of chair mats: with lips and without lips. Now many people get confused about chair mat lip vs no lip. Chair mats with lips have a small patch extending outwards from the main mat whereas the ones without lips have no such extension.

The selection of a suitable chair mat depends on a lot of factors including the size and shape of your workstation, the nature of the floor surface, and the area of chair mobility.

A detailed description of both types is given below with special consideration to their advantages and disadvantages.

Table of Contents

Chair Mats with Lips

A chair mat with a lip is designed in such a way that if the mat is extended underneath the desk or table, it covers that section of the floor on which the desk chair is fully pushed in. The lip on the mat extrudes from only one side of the mat.

The dimensions of a chair mat with a lip include information about the length and width of the lip in addition to the length and width of the mat. Mats with lips are useful for tables and chairs in confined spaces.

Advantages of Chair Mats with Lips

The lip on the mat protects the floor or carpet under the desk when the chair is scooted in.
It allows the chair to roll over smoothly while being tucked in.
The lip provides additional grip to the mat and keeps it anchored to the floor.
You would never have to slide the mat forward and backward to keep it underneath the chair.
Mats with lips are available in different sizes. There are longer, wider, or smaller lips available according to one’s desk size.

Disadvantages of Chair Mats with Lips

Due to the absence of a lip, the floor area immediately under the desk can get scratched or the carpet fibers can get damaged due to the inward movement of the chair.
Without a lip, when rolling or sliding, the chair’s wheels or feet can extend past the mat’s edges. Direct contact between the chair’s parts and the floor, as a result, may damage the chair legs or wheels.
The user may face a hindrance in sliding the chair especially when sitting and reaching out things at a distance on the table.

Chair Mats without Lips

The chair mats without lips are either rectangular, circular, or torn in shape with no protrusion or extension on any side. The rectangular ones have specific lengths and widths while the circular ones have a fixed diameter. These mats are suitable for tables in free spaces away from the walls or corners. They are shaped just like ordinary mats.

Advantages of Chair Mats without Lips

The chair can be easily moved on and off this mat without hindrance.
They provide a large covering area for free chair movement.
The absence of a lip removes the risk of tripping a chair or even a person.
They are aesthetically more pleasing and make the workspace look neat and finished.
Mats without lips are easier to clean as compared to chair mats without lips.
They are preferred in open-layout offices where people alternate between sitting or standing.

Disadvantages of Chair Mats without Lips

Due to the absence of a lip, the floor area immediately under the desk can get scratched or the carpet fibers can get damaged due to the inward movement of the chair.
Without a lip, when rolling or sliding, the chair’s wheels or feet can extend past the mat’s edges. Direct contact between the chair’s parts and the floor, as a result, may damage the chair legs or wheels.
The user may face a hindrance in sliding the chair especially when sitting and reaching out things at a distance on the table.

Comparison between Chair Mat Lip vs No Lip

Here is a brief comparison between chair mats with and without lips based on five important considerations:

Area coverage on the floor

Size and Shape

Suitability and Cost

Ease of movement

Protection of floor

This brief comparison can help you select a chair mat of your choice.

Characteristic	Chair mats with lips	Chair mats without lips
Area coverage on the floor	Cover more area on the floor with the lip portion under the workstation table	Cover the floor only underneath the chair, not the table
Cost	Expensive because of additional protection for the floor	Cheaper
Ease of movement	Very much	Not much
Protection of floor under the work table	Yes	No
Shape	Available in various shapes	Mostly rectangular or circular
Size	Usually, bigger	No lip is present so they are usually smaller
Suitable for	Desks with drawers on each side	A large workspace with no drawer underneath that you will be rolling around in

Chair Mat Lip vs No Lip: Which One Should You Choose?

Now that you have had a fair idea about both types of mats, it’s time to choose one for your working space. But if you’re still confused about which chair mat to choose between the lipped and not-lipped, let us help you choose one.

Keep in mind that the right choice is the one that protects your equipment, ease of movement of the chair, and fits well in the work area. Therefore, your decision to choose a chair mat must take into account the size of your table, chair, and the space of movement.

If you have a desk with drawers on both sides of the table or the floor is vulnerable to any damage due to the movement of the chair, for instance, in the case of vinyl, shiny tiles, or hardwood, we would recommend you to select a chair mat with lips. But if there is no danger of any damage to the floor, you can select a chair mat of the desired shape without a lip.

For people frequently moving around the workstation while sitting on the chair, chair mats without lips are the right choice because they provide flexibility and eliminate the chances of tripping. On the other hand, a mat with lips is suitable for a designated sitting area, especially in corners.

Bottom Line!

In short, a chair mat with or without lips seems to be a trivial furniture accessory but it can save your floor, carpet, and furniture from damage in the long run.

While lipped chair mats are important for the protection of the floor portion underneath the table or desk, non-lipped mats are helpful in workspaces with frequent chair movements.

Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages but one thing is sure that their merits weigh more than their demerits. So, it is highly recommended to invest in good chair mats from my side.

FAQs

Yes, you do need a lip on your chair mat if your under-table floor surface can get damaged, scratched, or indented due to frequent movement of the chair. Floors of vinyl or hardwood can be protected by using lipped mats.

The main purpose of the lip on a chair mat is to protect the floor surface which comes underneath the table. The lipped portion of the mat makes sliding the chair under the table easy.

Yes, spikes of chair mats can damage the carpet if they are of poor quality, press down for longer periods, or are frequently dragged against the carpet. Nonetheless, spikes are necessary to keep the mat firm on the carpet.

You should consider the height of the carpet pile and the thickness of the mat. This is because if you place thinner mats on carpets with thick cushioning, they may bend or break.

Chair Mat Lip vs No Lip