Champion Sports Clear Atheltic Mat Tape

Mats are an important part of some sports, offering cushioning for athletes as they navigate across hard gymnasium floors. Wrestling, gymnastics and martial arts all require padded mats to keep everyone safe and comfortable, but those aren’t the only uses for mats.

In sports, though, having mats slide around can be dangerous. Even if you have mats that lock together, there’s no guarantee they won’t slip as athletes move around. Unfortunately, this movement can be dangerous to anyone who depends on the floor remaining steady beneath them.

Mat tape is a great way to secure the mats to each other, as well as to the floor. With a strong adhesive, this tape is designed to hold non-porous surfaces in place. The best tape will also adhere to other surfaces without leaving a residue behind when it’s no longer needed. This part is important since most sports teams are on a gym floor that’s used by other teams. Sticky residue can become a huge inconvenience to athletes playing basketball or volleyball.

One important feature in mat tape is transparency. You’ll want a tape that’s clear in color so it doesn’t show while in use. This will keep your event floor looking visually appealing. Most mat tape is clear in color for this very reason.

Sports mats aren’t the only use for mat tape. You may find it comes in handy for keeping rugs in place. Some mat tape is even specifically formulated to bind carpeted surfaces together, which is useful if you have a rug on carpet.

There are multiple types of mats. Some mats are what’s known as “open cell,” which means they’re porous in order to better absorb sweat. These mats are made to reduce slipping risks, so you’ll find them in sports settings. Yoga mats, as well as the grappling mats often used in martial arts, are great examples of the open-cell design.

Closed-cell mats are what you see in the PVC mats often used in wrestling. You might find it harder to find mat tape that works with closed-cell mats since they’re less porous. If you have closed-cell mats, make sure you look specifically for tape that works with non-porous surfaces.

In some cases, you may set your mats up and leave them. You can find mat tape that’s designed for more permanent installations. This will have a more aggressive adhesive that might be harder to remove. If you’ve chosen this type of tape, it’s a good idea to test it on a small area of the surface you’re adhering it to in order to make sure it won’t cause serious damage when you do need to remove it.

• Your mat tape will come in a variety of lengths, but the widths are also important. A slim profile could help with binding edges of mats together, but a wider tape will cover more surface area as you’re adhering mats to the floor.
• The thickness of the tape itself also comes into play. Thinner tape might not have the strength that you’ll get with a thinner tape.
• If your goal is to attach a mat to the ground, pay close attention to the flooring types that are supported. Some are limited to wood, but others can stick to carpet, vinyl and laminate. It’s also important to make sure it will adhere to the mat itself.
• Tape can leave residue behind when you remove it. A high-quality mat tape is formulated to do its job well, but easily remove without leaving anything behind when you no longer need it.
• Some mat tape can be removed and reapplied without losing its adhesive. This can give you the flexibility to make a mistake during installation.
• If you use mat tape on a regular basis, you might want to look around for a good deal on multiple rolls. This will ensure you always have enough on hand when it’s time for a meet.
• Athletic mats aren’t the only use for mat tape. Some options can come in handy for installing a rug so that it doesn’t move around or repairing rips in carpet. If you’re using mat tape for this sort of thing, make sure it won’t move around while you’re vacuuming.
• You can use some types of mat tape to repair carpet on your stairs. However, this use, like mat tape used during athletics, means it’s important to make sure it’s secure before traffic starts moving over it.
• Mat tape can also come in handy for holding items in place on desks, tables and other furniture. You might use this double-sided tape to secure your charging stations, office supplies or mousepad, for instance.
• You probably are prepared to cut your tape to the length you need, but keep in mind that you can also cut the width. A wider tape might give you the option of slimming your tape as needed.
• Follow the installation instructions carefully as they can differ from one tape to another. With some tape, you’ll only need to tape the mats together but with others, you’ll be sticking the mat to the floor.
• Some mat tape has an odor as it comes from the factory. To avoid this smell becoming a distraction during an important event, install it in advance if possible.
• Reusable mat tape will not only save you money, but it is also more eco-friendly. If you go with this option, though, make sure the tape will have the same top quality as competitors that can’t be reused.