Short answer. For boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai at home, a firm 20 mm EVA jigsaw mat is the usual choice; go to 40 mm (1.5 in or more) only if you get thrown or taken down, as in BJJ, judo or MMA. Most martial arts jigsaw mats are 1 m × 1 m tiles, so a 3 × 3 m floor takes nine, one Blitz kit. Lay them on a flat hard floor, cut the last row to fit with a sharp utility knife, and clean them with a mild cleaner.
How thick?
Thickness follows what happens on the floor. If you stay on your feet, as in boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, a firm 20 mm mat is the usual choice: your foot barely sinks, so stances and footwork stay stable. If people get thrown or taken down, you need thicker, softer foam to absorb the landing (Martial Mats, Bushido, Greatmats).
| Training | Thickness | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai | 20 mm (Greatmats: 3/4–1 in) | Firm and light underfoot for footwork, pads and bag work |
| Muay Thai with sweeps and dumps from the clinch | 40 mm | Martial Mats steps up to 40 mm once you drill throws |
| Shadowboxing, skipping, conditioning | 20 mm | Martial Mats: a home room for pad work, shadow work and conditioning doesn't need 40 mm |
| MMA, BJJ, judo, wrestling | 40 mm (1.5 in or more) | Greatmats' minimum for grappling is 1.25 in, with 1.5 in preferred for throws |
Sources: Martial Mats (20 mm or 40 mm), Bushido's thickness guide, Greatmats' thickness comparison. Greatmats calls 1 inch the crossover point between striking and grappling mats.
Density matters as much as thickness. Denser foam takes more impact before it compresses all the way. Jigsawmats4martialarts lists 80 kg/m³ for 20 mm striking mats and about 120 kg/m³ for 20 mm mats that also see some ground work. Bushido says plainly that 20 mm is not for throws or breakfalls.
How many mats you need
Jigsaw mats for martial arts usually come as 1 m × 1 m tiles, sold in kits. Home ranges are often smaller, 2 × 2 ft (Greatmats). Measure the floor, round each side up to whole tiles, and cut the last row to fit if the room isn't an exact number of tiles. Both kits on this page hold nine tiles.
| Floor | Good for | Blitz (1 m tiles) | Revgear (40 in tiles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 m | Skipping, shadowboxing on the spot | 4 tiles, 1 kit | 4 tiles, 1 pack |
| 3 × 2 m | Shadowboxing with a few steps each way | 6 tiles, 1 kit | 6 tiles, 1 pack |
| 3 × 3 m | One Blitz kit, no cutting | 9 tiles, 1 kit | 9 tiles, 1 pack |
| 4 × 3 m | A bag with room to move round it | 12 tiles, 2 kits | 12 tiles, 2 packs |
| 4 × 4 m | British Judo's minimum per athlete over 12 | 16 tiles, 2 kits | 16 tiles, 2 packs |
Tile counts round each side up to whole tiles; a 40 in tile is 1.016 m. British Judo's guideline of 3 × 3 m per athlete under 12 and 4 × 4 m over 12 is quoted by Jigsawmats4martialarts. It is a club rule of thumb for throwing; for striking alone at home, less will do.
How many mats do I need?
How much space
For shadowboxing you need room to take two or three steps in every direction. For a bag you need room to walk all the way round it and kick high (see Muay Thai at home alone). One nine-tile kit makes a 3 m × 3 m square; the table above shows what bigger floors take.
Before you lay them
- The floor underneath. Jigsaw mats go on a flat, clean, dry hard floor. On thick carpet the tiles can creep apart (Martial Mats).
- Doors. A 20 mm mat raises the floor by 2 cm and a 40 mm mat by 4 cm. Check any door that opens inwards over the mats (Martial Mats).
- Weights. Foam dents under a loaded rack or a dropped barbell. Put rubber flooring under the weights and keep the foam for training (Martial Mats).
- One make, one thickness. Interlocks differ between manufacturers, and joining two thicknesses leaves a trip edge (Greatmats).
- Cutting. Mark the line, hold a straight edge on it, and make several shallow passes with a sharp utility knife. Fold the tile back and finish from the other side (Greatmats). Jigsawmats4martialarts suggests leaving about a 7 mm gap at the walls.
- New mats can be slippery. Greatmats says new tiles often carry a release agent from manufacturing, which goes after one or two cleans.
Keeping them clean
Sweep or vacuum, then wipe or mop with a mild household cleaner (Greatmats). Check the maker's care note first: Blitz says harsh chemicals void its mats' warranty. Wipe the mats down before and after training. Closed-cell foam doesn't absorb moisture, which is why it is easy to keep clean (Greatmats).
UK pick: Blitz
Blitz is a UK store and one of our partner stores. It sells one jigsaw mat for home and club floors, in a kit of nine, plus a small sample piece if you want to feel the foam first.
Blitz Reversible Jigsaw Mat Kit
Nine 1 m × 1 m tiles, 20 mm thick: one kit makes a 3 m × 3 m floor.
- 20 mm triple-layer EVA foam, hardness 38 (Shore C), density 90 kg/m³ (Blitz)
- Reversible, two colours (blue/black, blue/red or red/black), textured micro-grid surface (Blitz)
- Each mat comes with a four-sided edging strip for a flat, finished edge (Blitz)
- Wipe clean; Blitz warns that harsh chemicals void the warranty
The sample is a piece of about 10 × 10 cm, to check density, thickness and texture before you buy the kit (Blitz).
US pick: Revgear
Revgear, a US store and one of our partner stores, sells a 100 sq ft pack of tatami-texture puzzle mats.
Revgear Tatami Style Puzzle Mats (100 sq ft)
Nine 40 × 40 in tiles, 1 inch thick, with 12 border pieces: one pack covers 10 × 10 ft.
- 1 inch EVA foam with a tatami texture on both sides (Revgear)
- Removable borders for a clean edge; waterproof and easy to clean (Revgear)
- Black, blue or red; Revgear lists it for home gyms, martial arts, MMA and grappling
One inch is the crossover thickness on Greatmats' chart. If you will be thrown or taken down often, the thickness guides above point to thicker foam.
On Amazon (US)
If you are in the US and want other sizes or thicker foam, search by thickness and check the tile size and the number of tiles in each pack.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Put the floor to work
Try the heavy bag workout for beginners, the jump rope workout or a solo Muay Thai session. No bag yet? The heavy bag guide covers hanging and freestanding bags.
FAQ
How thick should mats be for Muay Thai or boxing?
20 mm is the usual choice for boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai. It is firm enough for footwork and still softens a hard floor. Go to 40 mm if you drill sweeps, dumps or takedowns.
Is 20 mm thick enough for BJJ or MMA at home?
Not for rolling or takedowns. Mat makers recommend 40 mm (1.5 in or more) for grappling and throws. 20 mm is only enough if you drill technique without anyone being taken down.
How many jigsaw mats do I need?
Measure the floor and round each side up to whole tiles: a 3 × 3 m floor takes nine 1 m tiles, one Blitz kit. If the room isn't an exact number of tiles, cut the last row to fit.
Can I put jigsaw mats on carpet?
They work best on a flat, hard floor. On thick carpet the tiles can creep apart, so a firm floor underneath is better.
Can you cut jigsaw mats?
Yes. Mark the line, hold a straight edge on it, and make several shallow passes with a sharp utility knife. Then fold the tile back and finish the cut from the other side.
How do you clean foam training mats?
Sweep or vacuum, then wipe with a mild household cleaner. Avoid harsh chemicals; Blitz says they void its mats' warranty. Wipe them before and after training.
Can I use different brands of puzzle mats together?
It's better not to. Interlock shapes differ between makers, and joining two thicknesses leaves a step you can trip on.
Sources
- Martial Mats, 20mm or 40mm martial arts mats? How to choose the thickness
- Bushido, Mat thickness guide: 20mm vs 25mm vs 40mm
- Greatmats, Martial arts mat thicknesses for striking vs throwing
- Greatmats, Martial arts mats buyer's guide (cleaning, release agent)
- Greatmats, 2x2 foam tile installation (cutting, mixing makes and thicknesses)
- Jigsawmats4martialarts, Mat layout guide (density, British Judo training space)
- Jigsawmats4martialarts, How to cut and fit EVA foam mats
- Blitz, Reversible Jigsaw Mat Kit
- Blitz, Reversible Jigsaw Mat sample
- Revgear, Tatami Style Puzzle Mats (100 sq ft)
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