The majority of anti-fatigue mats are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride aka vinyl), SBR rubber (styrene-butadiene rubber), polyurethane foam, or a mix of those materials. PVC and SBR generally are higher in odor and offgassing than the options I’m going to go over on this list and are not often tolerable for the chemically sensitive.
Polyurethane foam has a little bit of offgassing but this can be mitigated if the outer material is a plastic that blocks this.
The following anti-fatigue mats come in more typical looks and I will also mention a few unique solutions.
These mats can be used in the kitchen, laundry room, for standing desks and anywhere else in the house where you stand for long periods of time. The preferable materials are vetted by the chemically sensitive.
This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Non-Toxic Polyurethane Anti-Fatigue Mats
The Licloud anti-fatigue mat claims that it has no offgassing odor. It’s not completely clear what it’s made of but it looks like it might have a polyurethane cover.
Polyurethane faux leather doesn’t offgas and also blocks offgassing from the interior material.
This type of anti-fatigue mat is ideal for the kitchen or desk area and it’s anti-slip. It has really good reviews on Amazon.
USA Mats claims to be all polyurethane. That should mean polyurethane foam inside and a polyurethane faux leather on the outside. They claim this has no offgassing odor. If the outer layer is polyurethane that would have no offgassing (and block the offgasing from the foam).
This looks like a high quality mat and the reviews do note that it’s good quality and will last a long time.
This is ideal for the kitchen, laundry room, and desk areas.
Both options are sold through Amazon.com but ship to Canada as well through the links above.
Nitrile Rubber Anti-Fatigue Mats
M+A Matting makes nitrile mats, also known as NBR rubber.
Folks who are sensitive to chemical fumes might do well with a nitrile rubber mat. While many mats are nitrile/PVC mixes some are just nitrile rubber. Most NBR has no odor at all.
Nitrile mats are professional-grade quality for industrial kitchens, so they should work well for any household need.
Wearwell 24/ Seven makes another nitrile rubber option made for industrial use that could be used in a home.
Some other nitrile mats to check out:
Non-Toxic TPE Mats
You could use a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) yoga mat as an anti-fatigue mat. TPE yoga mats tend to be non-toxic and safe for many chemically sensitive folks.
This yoga mat pictured is made from TPE which does not offgas strong fumes or have a strong odor. It has fairly good anti-slip resistance even if slightly wet.
It’s available on Amazon.com and Amazon Canada through this link.
EVA Foam Anti-Fatigue Mats
The Famo Kids Leather Kitchen Mat is made from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam. They say it’s anti-slip and has an anti-slip backing on it as well. However, a company rep said this is not actually an anti-fatigue mat and that their GraphEVA Play Mats make better anti-fatigue mats. These are made of EVA foam as well.
This is an American company that ships worldwide.
Here is another EVA foam option from MSC Direct. Originally meant as an anti-fatigue kneeling mat for the automotive industry, it could certainly be used in a house as well.
You could also use EVA foam exercise mats/kids play mats as an anti-fatigue mat. The mats from Flooring Inc are the only ones I know of that test for formamide. Note that they come in different thicknesses. EVA does tend to have a slight offgassing odor at first, but is overall a safer plastic that is used by some chemically sensitive folks. (I used it myself when very sensitive but I did have to air it out first). The exercise mats are not very slip resistant when wet compared to other options on this list.
Wood Anti-Fatigue Springboard
This is a very unique option for a standing desk. The springboards from Fluidstance are made of a five-ply wood atop a blended natural wool felt. It has a no-slip grip and a good amount of give to it. The no slip grip bottom is made from recycled rubber (so could be a bit of rubber odor there).
This American company ships internationally.
Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
Bethany says
I don’t know how to reach you about lighting. How do I find non-toxic lamps? So many lampshades smell awful from fabric and glue. I tried searching for non-toxic lamps but only sustainable/eco-friendly options turn up that don’t address toxicity. Please advise. Thank you.
Corinne says
I don’t cover lighting. You might try IKEA though, they tend to be better.