The Best Gymnastic Tumbling Mats For At-Home Use

As your child’s athleticism excels, they will need to practice their gymnastics, martial arts, or obstacle course training at home. Even if you have a soft and grassy area for them to practice and play, gymnastic tumbling mats increase comfort and minimize their risk for injury. Here are the top 4 options for at-home use.

#1 Folding Mats 

Folding mats are your most versatile option. You can configure them in a straight line for tumbling or in a square to practice martial arts. Be mindful of where the Velcro connects, which will either be on the 2 ends, all 4 sides, or a combination of the sides and the bottom.

Folding mats are soft enough to provide cushion and a bit of shock absorption, but firm enough to easily maintain balance while tumbling or practising floor routines. You can use them indoors or outside, they are easy to wipe down to clean and sanitise, and they can be folded and stacked when your child is done for the day. Just don’t store them outside.

#2 Roll Out Mats

If you have a cement, wood, or carpeted indoor space such as a garage, basement, or spare room that you want to transform into a full or part-time training space, consider roll out mats. These gymnastic tumbling mats are for indoor use only and create a large surface area to practice acrobatics, martial arts, or wrestling. Keep them in place with adjoining Velcro straps for a cushioned yet firm place to train. Roll them back up if it’s a part-time space or keep them flat if the room is dedicated to training. Just be mindful of the ceiling height when jumping or performing acrobatics indoors.  

#3 Crash Mats 

Crash mats provide the ultimate cushion while practising the parallel bars, balance beam, cheerleading stunts, and advanced acrobatics at home. If you have a mini-obstacle course, jump boxes, or vaulting boxes you can strategically place crash mats on either side. You can use crash mats outside, but they should not be stored outside. Crash mats slide with impact so be sure to double mat with folding or roll out mats and consider placing Velcro straps beneath so that they don’t slide.

#4 Air Track Mats 

An increasingly popular option in at-home gymnastic tumbling mats is air track mats. These inflatable mats come in a variety of sizes to personalize training. They come with an electric air pump to quickly inflate, and also to adjust the air pressure to your child’s rebound preference. For gymnasts, the mats provide the spring and responsiveness of a competitive tumbling track, and all athletes will decrease the shock on their wrists, ankles, knees, and joints. Consider a 3-piece inflatable kit or add an acrobatic roll or spot pad to your order. Use indoors or on flat and grassy outdoor areas. Store indoors inflated or deflate and roll up.