Foam floor tiles

Foam floor tiles are a popular flooring option used mostly for martial arts and other combat sports. However, they are also seen in classrooms, yoga studios, gymnastics, and many other places. Foam floor tiles are good for shock absorption, fall protection, and absorbing impacts during jumps.

Top uses for foam floor tiles

Foam floor mats are used for a variety of reasons in many different places.

1. Perhaps the most common use is for martial arts flooring. As mentioned above, they are ideal for shock absorption and preventing hard falls. Essentially, the surface texture supports both barefoot and various shoe types due to their thickness, hardness, and stability.

2. Home or private gym floorings are also covered in foam floor tiles. Since they are dense enough to hold and be used under heavy workout equipment and soft enough to provide extra cushioning, they are preferred to other flooring types.

3. Outside the workout room, foam tiles may also be used in kid’s playrooms. The soft cushioning and thick material are ideal for ensuring kids’ safety while being playful or physically active. Foam floor mats may also serve as a comfortable resting area during nap or story time.

4. Foam tiles are often seen at trade shows to support various booths. There is a seemingly endless choice of colors available, and the lightweight material makes for easy and fast installation.

Types of foam tile flooring

Interlocking foam tiles can come in a variety of different materials. However, the three main used are polyethylene, polyurethane, and EVA. PE flooring, also known as polyethylene, is perhaps the most durable of the options for foam tiles. They are generally designed in a closed-cell format to make them firmer than open-cell tiles as well as firm, waterproof, and soft. For sports like gymnastics, wrestling, and cheerleading, this is often the preferred choice. Foam mat tiles used to complete EVA flooring also have a closed-cell design, making them soft, flexible, and lightweight for easier installation and better shock absorption. These are great to use in baby rooms, kids’ play areas, and childcare centers. PU or polyurethane flooring is known to provide the maximum amount of cushion for foam tiles as it uses memory foam commonly found in pillows. These foam tiles absorb impact but do not distribute energy as closed-cell options, making them not as reliable for combat sports, heavy gym equipment, sharp objects, or other materials that could potentially pierce the tiles.