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From plush and premium to sustainable and Scandi, pick one of these mats and your feet will thank you
As well as making sure we don’t slip when we get out of the bath or shower (or flood the bathroom floor), the best bath mats provide a treat for our feet, which happen to be among the most sensory parts of the body.
Bath mats come in all shapes, sizes, textures, colours and levels of absorbency, but some of the top criteria to consider when choosing one are how practical, absorbent and non-slip the mat is.
Choosing a bath mat is also entirely subjective. While some people may opt for the softest and most cushioned option, others will keep design, colour and style front of mind. After all, a bath mat is a fairly affordable item that can give your bathroom a pop of vibrancy or character.
You could even have more than one on rotation. Many of the mats we tested can be tucked or rolled away or hung over the side of the bath or towel rail when not in use.
Whatever your style, keep scrolling for the bath mat inspiration you didn’t know you needed.
We tested myriad mats over the course of a month. Top of our list of things to consider were comfort, absorbency, non-slip capabilities and aesthetics. Washability was also a key reviewing metric: there’s nothing worse than when a bath mat sheds flecks of cotton or becomes wafer thin after one or two washes. Keep reading to find out which ones are worthy of a spot in your bathroom.
When it comes to The White Company, you know what to expect: understated elegance and style, and this bath mat is no exception. It’s also impressively bouncy, soft and thick, thanks to its hydrocotton element. We tested the large option, which provided a vast amount of coverage and would be better suited to a sizable bathroom. It also remained like new after a few wash cycles.
If you’re looking for a soft and stylish bath mat that doesn’t break the bank, this is an option well worth considering. Its striped and retro yet pared-back design would suit most bathrooms, especially those that don’t shy away from pops of colour. While it did feel a tad thin underfoot, its soft cotton material provides enough volume to lend it a nice, subtle bounce. It is also very absorbent and dries rapidly, no doubt aided by its thin profile.
Designed in London but made in India, this bath mat is handwoven using cotton and bamboo. The result is a really bouncy, thick, luxurious feel, yet that added volume doesn’t stop it from drying quickly. The dual-sided design means you can just flip it over rather than put it through yet another wash. Panda London offers a one-year guarantee on the product, which gives you security. But the brand also clearly has the longevity of the product in mind.
It’s a universal truth that one of the most appealing aspects of staying at a hotel is making the most of the soft and fluffy towels, bathrobes and bath mats. Tielle has recognised this, bringing its trade bath mats – found in luxury hotels such as The Dorchester – and offering them to consumers. If you’re in the market for a simple, elegant white mat, this is the one to go for. It also comes in at a relatively affordable price point, especially as it’s made from 100 per cent cotton. If we were to be ultra pernickety, we’d expect a little more volume for a product described as “extra deep”, however, it still has plenty of cushioning.
If you’re somebody who likes to stay on top of the latest trends, this is the bath mat for you, as it features the Pantone Colour of the Year 2024: peach. It says as much, too, with a playful “Nice peach” message emblazoned across it. This bath mat is not just about looks, though – it’s supremely comfortable underfoot, aided by the handy attachable bath mat pad, which the brand recommends purchasing along with the mat cover – though, you can buy just the mat cover (£99, Ruggable.co.uk). It’s also incredibly absorbent and dried rapidly.
The pom-pom bobble texture of this bath mat isn’t just for looks – it feels wonderfully comfortable underfoot, too. Made from a blend of 63 per cent recycled polyester and 37 per cent recycled cotton, it’s comfy and bouncy but not noticeably voluminous. It washed well – with the bobbles retaining their shape even after going through the washing machine and enduring a busy family of three stomping all over them. The price is relatively purse-friendly, too.
The terrazzo trend doesn’t appear to be going anywhere any time soon, and this unique stone bath mat not only looks the part, but its quick-dry capabilities are impressive, too, drying in 60 seconds. It also boasts some impressive eco credentials. It can be wiped clean, due to the stone material it’s made from, and we envisage it to be a long-lasting pick.
If you are on the lookout for a raw material, board-based mat, this is a worthwhile option. It’s equally sturdy and stylish, with its minimalistic design tapping into the Scandi spa aesthetic. Its bamboo material means it just needs to be wiped clean – the wood dried fairly quickly during testing, too. The handy anti-slip pads on the bottom of the board are effective and provide stability, even if the floor is a little wet underneath.
This runner is ideal if you want a mat that stretches the length of your bath. Due to the handcrafted nature of the product, no version is the same, which lends it a wonderful uniqueness. It’s light underfoot, without feeling wafer thin, and it washes well. The main draw of this product is its eye-catching design, which is influenced by vintage rugs – it would suit anyone looking to imbue their bathroom with a bohemian feel.
This contemporary, colourful mat from Habitat is brilliant if you’re looking to give your bathroom a colour injection. The tufted, shaggy texture is a nice touch, and we liked the fact matching towels are available. We found it washed well and is very soft underfoot, despite not feeling particularly thick to touch. It’s worth noting there isn’t a grip or anti-slide mat underneath, but we didn’t find it sliding out of place during testing.
While part of choosing the right bath mat for you will, of course, depend on what matches best with your bathroom, there are some other factors to consider.
Firstly, size and shape are important. If you have a smaller bathroom, you won’t need the biggest of mats and a round one might work well in this case. Square and rectangle mats, on the other hand, are better suited for a larger bathroom.
Then, for obvious safety reasons, the mat should not be slippery, and you’ll want it to be absorbant and soft.
The rule of thumb here would be to replace your bath mat every two years, however, nothing is set in stone and this would depend on the quality of the mat and how well it’s faired over time.
Whether you can wash your mat in the machine depends on the material, however, you should be fine washing most by machine. We recommend having a quick look at this when purchasing, as it’s wise to wash your mat every three to seven days, so having to do this by hand could be a bit of a faff.
The White Company bath mat is a strong all-rounder: stylistically on point as well as being soft and durable. A close second has to be the Panda London mat, which is great value for money as well as being handcrafted and eco-friendly.
Want more recommendations? These are the best bath towels that are wonderfully soft and quick to dry