Comparisons
One big mat, or a kit of interlocking tiles
There is a good argument against interlocking matting, made by a credible manufacturer, and it is worth answering rather than ignoring.
Last checked August 2026
The difference, in one table
| One-piece mat | Interlocking kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Seams | None inside the mat | One around every tile. This is the real criticism |
| Sizing | Cut to the size you order, and that is the size forever | Three sizes, and it can be extended or reconfigured later |
| Damage | Damage anywhere means replacing the whole mat | Swap the affected tile |
| Getting it there | A large single piece, often palletised | One or two parcels on a normal courier van |
| Handling on site | Awkward. A big mat is a two-person job | Tiles you can carry one at a time |
| Drainage option | Rarely | Yes, an open grid version exists |
| Edging | Usually moulded in | Included in the kit, and this is not universal in the category |
The criticism, stated fairly
The strongest argument against interlocking matting is made by Ergomat, a technically credible manufacturer of one-piece mats, and it runs roughly like this. Tiles of 46 to 60cm mean a great deal of friction-fit mechanical seam for every square metre of matting. Many interlocking tiles are made of open-cell material that absorbs oil, swells, deforms and never recovers, at which point the seams lift. And some manufacturers answered the swelling problem by moulding tiles in hard non-porous plastic, which does not swell but does pool liquid on the surface.
Every part of that is true of the products it describes. If you are comparing a one-piece mat against cheap open-cell foam tiles, the one-piece mat wins and it is not close.
Where it applies to us and where it does not
- Seam count: fair, and unarguable. A tiled deck has more seam than a one-piece mat. What makes a seam a hazard is whether it lifts, and a 25mm deck tile with real mass in it does not lift the way a 12mm foam tile does. Judge that by standing on one rather than by reading either of us.
- Swelling in oil: aimed at a different construction. The failure described is open-cell material absorbing oil. A closed rubber deck does not behave that way, and the anti-slip variant exists specifically for oily floors.
- Pooling: this is the strongest counter we have. The criticism is aimed at non-porous plastic tiles that hold liquid on the surface. An open drainage grid cannot pool by construction. That variant exists exactly because a solid surface on a wet floor is the wrong answer, which is the same point Ergomat are making.
- Edging: half their differentiator, removed. Their case rests partly on one-piece mats always being bevelled on every side. Our kits ship with bevelled edging for every open edge included, so this is not a difference between the products.
What one-piece genuinely does better
Fewer seams. That is real, and if your position is dry, unchanging, exactly one size forever, and you never expect to damage it, a one-piece mat is a perfectly good answer and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
The reasons to choose a kit are that it arrives on a normal van, one person can lay it, a damaged tile costs the price of a tile, and there is a drainage version for the floors where a solid surface is the wrong thing.
Questions people ask
- Do interlocking mats come apart underfoot?
- Cheap thin ones can, particularly if they swell or if the joints are loose. Mass is what keeps a deck seated, and a 25mm tile has considerably more of it than a 12mm one. If movement is a concern at your position, contact us before ordering and we will talk through the floor and traffic.
- Are the seams a trip hazard?
- A seated joint on a heavy deck is flush and you do not notice it. A lifted joint is absolutely a trip hazard, which is why the construction and the thickness matter more than the marketing does.
- Can I extend a kit later?
- Yes, which is the practical advantage of tiles. A one-piece mat is the size it is forever.