Do not get this one wrong
ESD matting is not electrical insulating matting, and the difference matters
This is the one confusion on this site that is genuinely dangerous, so it gets its own page and no sales language.
Last checked August 2026
The difference, in one table
| ESD anti-static matting | Electrical insulating matting, BS EN 61111 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does electrically | Conducts. Carries static charge away in a controlled manner | Insulates. Resists current |
| What it protects | Components, from electrostatic discharge | People, from becoming part of a path to earth |
| Where it is used | Electronics assembly, board handling, EPAs | In front of live switchgear and electrical panels |
| Needs earthing | Yes. It does not work without a path to earth | No. Earthing it would defeat the entire purpose |
| Tested to | ESD standards, by surface and point-to-point resistance | BS EN 61111, by class and proof voltage |
| Substituting one for the other | Never | Never |
Why this page exists
Because the two products are visually similar, sold by the same companies, described with overlapping words, and used in adjacent parts of the same buildings. And because the consequence of confusing them is not symmetrical.
Buying insulating matting when you needed ESD gives you a static problem you thought you had solved. Buying ESD matting when you needed insulating matting puts a conductive surface under somebody standing in front of live equipment. Those are not the same category of mistake.
How to tell which one your position needs
- If the risk you are controlling is damage to components from static, you want ESD matting.
- If the risk you are controlling is injury to a person from an electrical source, you want insulating matting to BS EN 61111, at the correct class for the voltage.
- If you are working on energised equipment, the answer is insulating matting and it is not a matting supplier's decision. It is the competent person specifying the work.
- If you genuinely need static control at a position where energised work also happens, stop and get advice. That is not a web page decision.
What we sell, stated plainly
This site sells ESD anti-static floor decks. They conduct. They are for static-sensitive work positions.
We do not sell BS EN 61111 insulating matting on this site. If that is what you need, ring us and we will point you at it properly rather than sell you something from this page.
Which one we would send you
- ESD Anti-Static Workstation Kit, from £417.95 delivered. For a static-sensitive work position on a dry floor, where the risk is damage to components.
Questions people ask
- Is anti-static matting the same as electrical safety matting?
- No. They are opposites. Anti-static matting conducts charge away, electrical safety matting to BS EN 61111 resists current. One protects components, the other protects people. Never substitute one for the other.
- Can one product do both?
- No, and be suspicious of anyone who says otherwise. The two requirements are electrically contradictory.
- Which class of insulating matting do I need?
- That depends on the voltage and it is a question for whoever is specifying the electrical work, not for a matting website. We are not going to guess it for you.