The Best Turntable Mat [A Top 5 Review]

Do you want a more clear, high-def listening experience from your turntable?

If yes, a turntable mat can provide this and so much more.

While it may sound simple, a turntable mat provides many benefits like balancing your vinyl, reducing friction, recording protection, and enhancing sound quality.

And that’s the gist of it.

Turntable mats come in many styles and materials like leather, felt, and rubber.

With all these options, it becomes challenging to choose the best turntable mat.

So we handpicked five of the best mats and reviewed them for you.

My favorite is the Pro Spin Cork Turntable Mat because of the little things like the label cutout! Check it out at Amazon.

Let’s take a look.

#1. Pro Spin Acrylic Slipmat for Vinyl LP Record Players 

The first product on our list of best turntable mat reviews is Pro Spin.

It reduces static and pops through professional sound dampening and natural absorption.

A tight bass response gives the turntable mat a high-quality listening experience.

The premium sound has a modern aesthetic. It’s compatible with 45 RPM and 33 1/3 RPM records.

The record label recess, in the middle, ensures that the record remains flat at all times.

Plus, the product comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The manufacturer will refund or replace the turntable mat if you do not like it.

Specifications:

• Item weight: 6.4 ounces
• Color: White acrylic
• Compatibility: 45 RPM and 33 1/3 RPM records
• Stability: Record label recess
• Package Dimensions: 12.99×12.28×0.31 inches

Pros:

• The acrylic mat offers high-quality sound.
• The material of the mat is premium and offer a secure fit
• The product arrives in secure packaging.
• It makes the vinyl sound tighter and removes the rumble as claimed.

Cons: 

• The design of the turntable mat is quite basic.
• The mat is only compatible with 33 1/3 RPM records and 45 RPM records.

#2. Jake’s Premium Leather Turntable Mat

Jakes Turntable Mats is a leading company that makes a wide range of turntable mats.

The premium leather slipmat is one of the most popular products in their collection.

The mat offers a considerable reduction in dust, static, and high-quality sound. Additionally, the product design is to work perfectly on metal turntable platters.

This is, perhaps, one of the best turntable mats for enhancing bass response.

Another great feature of the product is the double-sided design. On one side, you have fine leather grain, and the other side has suede material.

It’s like getting two mats in one.

This turntable mat will snugly fit all twelve-inch platters.

It works excellent with Linn, Rega, Music Hall, VPI, Pro-Ject, Avid, Jensen, Audio-Technics, etc.

Specifications:

• Color: Black
• Material: Leather and suede
• Craftsmanship: Hand cut

Pros: 

• The product works great to improve the sound quality.
• The craftsmanship of the turntable mat has received a lot of praise.
• The company has used good-quality material.
• It efficiently reduces static and dust.

Cons: 

• Even though the company has used two materials, they are pretty thin.
• Many customers have complained about the inadequate packaging of the product.
• The dimensions of the mat are uneven.

#3. Pro Spin Cork Turntable Mat 

The Pro Spin cork turntable mat is a great mat worth taking a look at. Like Pro Spin, #1 on our list, this mat reduces static and pop through professional sound dampening and natural absorption.

The audiophile-grade cork is custom cut and designed to be compatible with vinyl LPS. This feature allows the slipmat to provide a premium listening experience.

It features a vintage turntable design, which is ideal for 45 RPM and 33 1/3 RPM records. These anti-static cork mats have a retro look that will look good for a classic setup.

The cork slipmat is compatible with LP surface grooves. This allows the mat to offer more defined lower as well as mid frequencies.

Another key feature of this turntable mat is the advanced damping ability. The cork’s thickness measures 3 mm, which works great to reduce the humming noise and rumble. Moreover, it also offers stability, protecting the record from slipping.

Specifications:

• Package dimension: 12.99×12.24×0.39 inches
• Weight: 5 ounces
• Thickness: 3mm
• Diameter: 30 mm
• Compatibility: 12-inch platter

Pros:

• The label cutout is a good addition, which allows the album to fit perfectly.
• It excellently reduces pop and static to offer good sound quality.
• The thickness of the mat allows the album to have a better fit.
• The recess assists in maintaining the horizontal waves.

Cons: 

• 3mm thickness can be too high to work with warped vinyl on turntables with tight tolerance.
• The large spindle hole affects snugness.
• Customers complain about the cork wearing off over time and collecting dust.

#4. Outus Three-Piece Cork Turntable Mats 

The following product on our list of best turntable mat reviews offers three pieces of cork mats.

It allows you to change the cork daily.

Each cork effectively reduces the record player’s static and pop. This is because the cork has sound damping and natural absorption capabilities.

The platter cork mats’ design is soft and natural. So, you can manipulate the sound without damaging the record player.

All three cork come in the same size measuring 12 inches in diameter and 3 mm in thickness.

The measurement of this turntable mat makes it ideal for almost every vinyl record.

Furthermore, the addition of cork pads helps in reducing the buzz and rumble. It also protects the discs from slipping on the recording machine.

The mat’s surface is smooth and developed with a groove to better work with the record player. The middle hole is said to be an ideal place to install a cork mat on the machine. The disc pad appearance of the cork offers it a retro look.

Specifications:

• Size: 12 inches diameter and thickness 3 mm
• Material: Cork
• Color: Light brown
• Weight: 7.1 ounces
• Package includes: 3 cork turntable mats

Pros: 

• It significantly reduces the static to improve the sound.
• The smooth surface offers better installation of the cork on the record players.
• The retro look of the disc pad adds a visual appeal
• The cork pads offer optimum stability so that you get good-quality sound consistently.

Cons:

• The cork tends to crumble over time

#5. Pro Spin PU Leather Turntable Mat

The final product on our list of best turntable mat reviews is by Pro-Spin.

The product has PU leather that reduces static and pops through professional sound dampening and natural absorption—just like all the others.

The manufacturer has used audiophile-grade PU leather that provides a high-quality listening experience. Additionally, the fact that the material is custom cut adds to the upscale feel of the product.

This turntable mat works great with most vinyl LPs and is ideal for 45 RPM and 33 1/3 RPM records.

The anti-static PU leather mat gives the turntable a retro look and feel. The leather mat complements the surface groove of the LP in both lower and mid frequencies.

It has a thickness of 1.8 mm, which helps reduce the humming noise and rumble. The thickness helps protect the records from slipping away.

Specifications: 

• Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Size: 1.8 mm in thickness
• Material: PU leather
• Craftsmanship: Audiophile craftsmanship
• Compatibility: Vinyl LP record players

Pros:

• It is an ideal product to get rid of the static issue.
• The mat enhances the audio clarity and preserves your vinyl records.
• The suede pattern on the one side helps you to get a more versatile audio experience.
• The smooth surface and thickness of the mat work great to offer proper stability.

Cons:

• Users complain about the mat curling up without a record over it.
• Many claim that the leather used in the product is not real.

Buyer’s Guide

When buying a turntable mat, apply due diligence.

There is a myriad of things that you need to consider when buying a turntable mat.

Here are some of the features you need to put into perspective.

Material 

Turntable mats come in different materials.

And the choice depends on your personal preferences.

Following are the materials that are used in making turntable mats.

Leather 

These kinds of turntable mats are very fashionable. Along with their classy appearance, they have an excellent ability to reduce static and noise.

Leather is one of the sought-out materials for a bass lover as the material sharpens the clarity and increases the overall beat.

Rubber 

It is among the most popular materials for designing turntable mats. It works excellently to dampen the vibrations. The rubber’s gripping properties are also known to make the material more adhesive, thereby reducing slippage.

Felt 

This material is soft and gentle on the record’s surface.

Felt is more challenging to clean than other materials. Moreover, it is also a delicate fabric that can rip easily if not careful.

Felt mats tend to form static charge through friction by spinning.

Acrylic 

The primary purpose of using acrylic mats is not to make the sound less splashy.

The bass comes across tighter and more precisely, offering sharper beats, considering acrylic reduces vibrations significantly.

Cork 

It is a lightweight material that is audio louder than other turntable mat options.

The material also dampens the resonance and prevents slippage.

Thickness 

Once you have decided on the material, the next important factor is the thickness.

Mats vary in thickness, and the one you should select depends on the record player and its design.

Record players with adjustable arms must have the right mat thickness. Mat thickness impacts the overall functionality and feels.

But if the arms are not adjustable, you must be extra careful about the mat’s thickness.

The mat should be in level with the arm and stylus, and you must keep the arm of your record player at the right angle.

Grip 

You can avoid record slippage or fluttering audio by choosing a turntable with a firm grip. Rubber is one of the most adhesive materials that you will find. As opposed to rubber, felt is more likely to slip.

Design 

The print and design on the turntable mat is an essential factor of consideration.

You would want to choose a mat that completes your style and the record player. When you are not using the record player, the mat will be visible.

Although a record player’s main objective is to play music, it can also look good while doing it.

Cost 

Last but not least, a factor of consideration is the cost—the elephant in the room.

Mats come in different price ranges depending on the material, print, grip, etc., it offers.

While the price may not be an issue for some, other people may have a tight budget. There’s a mat for everyone.

A turntable mat can cost you anywhere between $30 and $350. So the good thing is that you can find your perfect slipmat under this budget.

Conclusion

Choosing a mat platter can make a massive difference in the quality of sound coming from your turntable.

Simply adding one of these mats can reduce friction and damage while adding a higher-def listening experience.

With all the different styles and materials available, you now know how to pick one out of the five best turntable mat options.

You can now have a fidelity listening experience to your heart’s content.

We hope you have a better understanding of turntable mats for your desired sound!