Been off the forums for a while, but I wanted to take advantage of Black Friday sales. Can't find a lot of good info, but what I did learn is that mousepad-style mats are typically the best.

Here are the potential brands I've found:
FFG
FrontLine Gaming
Game Mats
Grip Mats
Warzone Studio
X-RayPad
UrbanMatz
F.A.T. Mat
Deep Cut Studio

Questions:
What are the pros and cons of neoprene vs natural rubber? Let's say that I'm looking for longevity, and I'll be playing in an indoor environment.
Which brands are better than others, and why? (cutting precision, vividness of color, quality of materials, durability, etc)
What is the desired thickness of a mat?
What do you personally use, and what do you think of it?

The FFG mats are really good quality; I"d go for those (although they might be hard to track down) or a similar material.

I've got a couple of FFG mat and a couple of acrylic mate, and the acrylic mate tend to be much sloppier and cause more issues with accidental knocks in play

My local store uses the F.A.T. Mats and they seem fairly good? I'm not exactly a mat connoisseur but they've survived years of use, so if nothing else they seem reasonably durable. I've not really noticed any issues with them sliding about or getting caught on the models or such either.

I’ve got one friend with a grip mat with the “grippy” texture. Seems really solid for playing on because it’s harder to bump things on accident. The ffg mats I have have survived for years and look awesome still, but they are a bit of an ice rink.

I own several FFG mats and am very, very happy with them. I wouldn’t buy anything but mousepad after using them.

the FAT mats are nice

Get a 72x36 yoga mat on Amazon for under $30. Best playing surface ever for non-competitive play.

(I have two F.A.T. mats available, if anybody wants them. HINT: They suck.)

On 11/29/2020 at 10:25 AM, FTS Gecko said:

The FFG mats are really good quality; I"d go for those (although they might be hard to track down) or a similar material.

I've got a couple of FFG mat and a couple of acrylic mate, and the acrylic mate tend to be much sloppier and cause more issues with accidental knocks in play

wrong size