![Choosing the Right Thickness for Your Home Gym Flooring: A Complete Guide [UPDATED]](http://www.gym-flooring.com/cdn/shop/articles/original_80.jpg?v=1734611396&width=1600)
[UPDATED in 2025]
Regardless if you’re planning on deadlifting or breaking out into a sweat with cardio, choosing to invest in high quality rubber flooring is a worthwhile decision that will greatly impact both the appearance and practicality of your home gym.
If you're wondering how thick rubber gym floor mats or more specifically the best thickness of rubber flooring for a home gym, you’re not alone. The best answer really depends on the type of activities you will perform, the space you have and your budget.
Nevertheless, choosing the correct rubber home gym flooring is also vital in ensuring your own safety while working out.
If you are considering creating your own dream home gym, we'll explore the best thickness for gym flooring tiles depending on your activities, space and location as well as budget considerations.
Table of Contents
- Best Home Gym Set-Up: How Thick is a Floor?
- When Should I Use Rubber Rolls for Gym Flooring?
- When Should I Use Rubber Tiles for Gym Flooring?
Best Home Gym Flooring Set-Up: How Thick is a Floor?
The recommended thickness for rubber home gym flooring can range anywhere from 4mm to 63mm. In order to decide on the optimal thickness of your home gym flooring, it’s firstly helpful to consider the material of the floor that is underneath.
Flat, sturdy surfaces such as concrete or flagstone are characterised as the best foundations for laying out gym flooring, while the likes of weak floorboards are more prone to damage.
Placing the correct home gym flooring will provide safety from impact damage for both yourself and your home’s under flooring. As most home gyms will involve the usage of heavy equipment, rubber is the most effective choice of flooring material as well as the best gym mats for garage and common areas of the home where people tend to build their gym.
For home gyms with heavy machines and free weights, ensure that you have a rubber flooring thickness of at least 15mm to 30mm - this will of course all depend on the weight of the equipment that you use. If you frequently perform deadlifts or lift bulky dumbbells over the weight of 140kg, it’s advised to use thicker flooring from approx 30mm to 63mm depending on your weight capacity.
If your gym has a cardio or plate load area, a thickness of 4mm to 12mm is recommended to support the equipment and machinery.
Those wishing to perform exercises such as pilates, yoga, HIIT, or any other similar workouts, could opt for foam flooring instead. This is because foam is a softer material in comparison to rubber that can provide bounce and cushioning. For best results, try purchasing foam flooring at 20mm up to 40mm, which will ensure a suitable level of comfort.
Here's a quick run down of rubber tiles and their maximum weight drops.
- 11mm - 100kg
- 15mm - 110kg
- 20mm - 140kg
- 30mm - 200kg
- 43mm - 250kg
- 53mm - 300kg
- 63mm - 350kg
When Should I Use Rubber Rolls for Gym Flooring?
Rubber floor rolls are is one of the best rubber gym flooring formats for larger sized home gyms and can be especially beneficial for people who frequently perform fast stop and go exercises. Floor rolls are cost-effective, reduce waste, easy to lay, and include fewer joints which can minimise the risks of slips and trips while working out. They also offer great durability, impact absorption, as well as strong traction.
Consider your home gym floor plan and determine the shape and scale of your space to work out whether rubber sheet flooring is the most suitable option.
Rubber roll tends to come in less thicker options from approx 4mm up to 12mm thick. Opt for a mid to higher thickness for a home gym flooring over concrete subfloor as this will provide the most effective cushioning and support workout equipment the best.
Here's a top tip from our Sales Manager Richard Wilson.
"I would recommend rubber roll for wide open spaces and areas of a gym where there are lots of foot traffic and gym machines, such as a spin studio. Roll doesn't come in very thick options so is best used in areas that don't predominantly use free weights "
When Should I Use Rubber Tiles for Gym Flooring? - The Best Gym Floor Tiles
Rubber tiles are another popular home gym flooring choice due to their convenience. Gym rubber tiles come in a range of sizes, are ideal for both large and smaller home gyms, and can easily be transported and replaced. Rubber tiles are also hugely versatile in their function - most exercises and training can be carried out on their durable surfaces and the thickness option go up to 63mm.
See below for the best flooring formats and thicknesses depending on your choice of space to get some gym flooring ideas for your specific requirements.
Best for Home Gym (spare room) - Gym Tiles - 15mm to 20mm - will provide excellent protection and reduce noise and vibration
Best for Garage Gyms - Gym Tiles - 30mm + for maximum insulation and noise reduction
Best Flooring for a Basement Gym - Gym Roll - 10mm - covers a wide space, offers great protection and supports equipment
When looking at home gym flooring options, it’s good to question how thick a floor is so that you buy the right product for your specific needs. Whether you opt for rubber tiles, foam tiles or rubber rolls is down to preference, space, budget, and use. When you combine all these elements, you can find the perfect gym flooring thickness and properties that fully protect your body, equipment, and subfloor.
Looking for a versatile gym tile that accommodates most training types? Explore our PRO Gym Flooring range and check out our Bestselling 20mm PRO Tile.
