Updated in 2025
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 off-gassing 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 off-gassing but this can be mitigated if the outer material is a plastic that blocks this.
Polyurethane faux leather has almost no off-gassing and is considered non-toxic.
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.
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Non-Toxic Polyurethane Anti-Fatigue Mats
GelPro Designer Comfort Mat is an Ergo Foam product containing a synthetic leather top surface made from polyurethane.
This type of polyurethane faux leather contains only a very slight odor at first (most will find it odorless, and it’s almost 0-VOC), and has no plasticizers.
Polyurethane is also a good block of off-gassing from foam inside.
They are approximately ¾” thick.
These mats do not contain rubber, latex, PVC’s, formaldehyde, phthalates, BPA, lead or heavy metals.
This mat is a reliable comfort solution at a good price and comes with a 1-year limited factory warranty.
House of Noa also makes anti-fatigue mats with a polyurethane faux leather cover (almost 0-VOC, no plasticizers) and it’s also a good block of the polyurethane foam inside.
They do not contain phthalates, PVC, formaldehyde or latex.
Nitrile Rubber Anti-Fatigue Mats
M+A Matting makes nitrile mats, also known as NBR rubber.
Some folks who are sensitive to chemical fumes might do well with a nitrile rubber mat, though it’s not as good as polyurethane faux leather (it does have some odor).
While many mats are nitrile/PVC mixes some are just nitrile rubber.
Nitrile mats are professional-grade quality for industrial kitchens, so they should work well for residential kitchens.
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:
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, which does have slight off-gassing at first. EVA foam can contain phthalates, these are phthalate. They can also contain formamide, though I didn’t ask them about that.
You could also use EVA foam exercise mats/kids’ play mats as an anti-fatigue mat. The main thing to look for is phthalate-free. Wesellmats claims to be phthalate-free
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 there could be a bit of rubber odor there).
This American company ships internationally.
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
Lalaya
Do you have any resources on non toxic car mats? Can’t find anyone who does know
rob
is rubber from sap trees non toxic?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes though when it’s made into latex synthetic chemicals are added which could be a problem for super sensitive folks (also it has a natural odor that bothers some people and some people are allergic as well, all technically different issues).
DKI
I could not find any info on GelPro’s site regarding the material used for the non-slip bottom surface of their mats. (Their site is frustrating if you are looking for the actual materials that are in the mats — no product info at all when you browse other than size and design. A bit of a red flag for me, even though I understand the gel they use is proprietary.)
Buried in their blog (https://www.gelpro.com/blog/why-you-need-a-kitchen-comfort-mat-today/), which I only found by googling the verbiage you included in your article, they state: “our mats are PVC, phthalate, and heavy metal free.” There is no mention of them being latex or rubber free. It was updated in Jan 2025 so I am not sure if something changed since 2023.
I did reach out to them over the weekend about it when I requested to cancel an order because I don’t want the backing to mess up the LVP flooring the mats were going to go on. If they respond, I will update.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I spoke to the company but it is always a good idea to double check these things, especially if you would have a serious effect from rubber or latex.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
“These mats do not contain rubber, latex, PVC’s, formaldehyde, phthalates, BPA, lead or heavy metals.” can be found here in the question and answers https://www.gelpro.com/gelpro-elite-mat-linen/?srsltid=AfmBOop9SelYBMCvtqx1JB76zCsHVuXMj4wXIIGLI3easxrI1k6wHsHx
DKI
Thanks, I didn’t look too closely at the elite ones. I focused on the designer ones, so didn’t compare the specs between them, but I assume they are the same materials.
GelPro did not get back to me about the material used for the bottom non-skid surface, but they did cancel my order promptly, which I appreciated.
Marcy
Licloud and USA Mats apparently don’t exist anymore. I just saw GelPro mat in Walmart. Doesn’t have a smell. Says polyurethane.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
ok thanks so much, I just added a new one that is made with a polyurethane cover
Gloria
Do u have antifatique mats with no VOCs?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
for each one i list the offgassing
Jim Kelvin
Matting
Antifatigue Mat
Mat Shape Rectangle
Color Black with Yellow Border
Width 3 ft. X Length 8 ft. Thickness 1″
Mat Surface Pattern Diamond Plate
Mat Surface Material Vinyl
Mat Backing Material Vinyl
Edges Beveled
Please email me back with the prices on this and I will get you the quantity needed. However if you don’t have this type, I would appreciate you contacting me back with some prices and the other types you have or which are much similar. I will be looking forward to hearing from you .
Thanks
Sarah
Treadmill-related questions, cont’d…. Hi Corrine. The deck tiles won’t work as they won’t support the weight of the treadmill plus users of the treadmill, so I’m back to square one. Can you think of anything I could use to treat the floor directly to create a vapor barrier, or is the problem the original construction with an unfinished basement. The wool rug idea is interesting, but as I’m learning about treadmills, carpets shed and fibers are particularly stirred up when the treadmill is in use, unless you’re suggestioning putting a mat over the carpet. Then those fibers get into the motor and electronics and cause problems. (Turns out treadmills require a lot of maintenance for this and other reasons!) Still, I would be concerned about mold under the carpet. If I designate a space for the treadmill, can you let me know if there’s any way to treat the floor that would reduce the mold risk.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
did you look at the garage tiles
Sarah
Have not been feeling well, but plan to buy some early this week o see how strong they smell. The challenge is what to put them on so they’re not directly on the cement floor.
Sarah
I’m hoping to buy a treadmill which will have to go in my unfinished basement since my home is small (though not compared to a tiny house). My basement is climate controlled. There are two HVAC registers that blow from above and we keep dehumidifiers running in warm, humid months so the humidity doesn’t exceed 45%. My question is this: In order to blunt the noise I’m looking into mats to go underneath the treadmill. However I’m concerned about the potential for mold growth btwn the mat and the floor (or I suppose even btwn the mat and the machine, though there will a small bit of space for air flow there). (I’m also concerned about VOCs and odor, but that’s a different question.) Would you have any concerns about putting a mat down on cement floor and putting a treadmill on top of it?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes i would be concerned about that, you could do a test run with just the mat but you would have to test it in all seasons. you could potentially use those deck tiles that raise things off the ground though not sure if they are stable enough or a breathable rug of some kind like wool?
Sarah
Thanks for replying so quickly, Corinne. I really appreciate it. No sure what deck tiles are but going to look them up. Wheels are turning. Wondering about buying a slat system for a bed and putting in on that as long as it would support the weight of the treadmill. If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears…. With gratitude, always…
Sarah
I just looked up the deck tiles you referred to. Very interesting idea. Hybrid question: Since I don’t think they will do much to dampen the noise, what do you think of the idea of setting them up, putting a mat on top of them, and then the treadmill on top of the mat. Still concern about mold, or less concern since the mat would not be directly on the cement floor?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
that should work as long as it can hold the weight
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
there are also garage tiles that are almost the same thing but can hold a car’s weight
Sarah
These are really great, creative ideas that have given me alternatives to solve this challenge!!! Thank you so much!!!!
Sarah
Any thoughts on how these options would be if used on wood floors? I’ve read reviews and comments at various places that many anti-fatique mats can leave a residue or mark.
Corinne Segura
I think that is a problem with rubbers, specially SBR rubber which I would never recommend for anything in a home, but maybe also for natural latex. I’m not 100% positive about nitrile rubber. I would ask each company specifically if it reacts with hardwood finishes. I think this is only a problem for polyurethane finihes. Also there are situations where any mat that forms a vapor barrier which is most options on this list, can cause condensation. That can happen if you have AC inside and below your floor is an unconditioned, hot humid crawl space or basement.
Sarah
Thank you. I’ll make some calls. And thanks for the tip about climate concerns and condensation potential. Mercifully I think I’m ok on that front since our basement is climate controlled.
Bethany
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
I don’t cover lighting. You might try IKEA though, they tend to be better.
Courtney
For anyone seeing this later, according to
https://chemicalfreeaf.com/f/christmas-trees?blogcategory=Products+that+Won%27t+Kill+You, here is how to get lighting safe for the chemically sensitive:
“When buying lights, look for the [**RoHS certification**](https://www.rohsguide.com/rohs-faq.htm)**,** Restriction of Hazardous Substances, to make sure your lights are safe.”