5 of the Best Rubber Turntable Mats [2022]

Turntables have become quite popular in recent years. What was once an old pastime has surged to new life again.

This new trend of turntable interest has led to the demand for accessories, such as mats.

There are many mat materials to choose from, but perhaps the best would be a rubber turntable mat.

Quick Pick: I recommend the Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Mat because of its overall performance, slip resistance, and ability to reduce vibrations!

The primary function of a turntable mat is to reduce vibration, which rubber is very good at.

Also, rubber has excellent gripping properties that make it super adhesive to reduce slippage.

If you’re looking for a mat to protect your record and reduce friction, this guide is your one-stop-shop.

Let’s dive in.

1. Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Mat – Best Overall

There are quite a few turntable mats on the market, making finding the best one quite difficult.

However, this Hudson Hi-Fi option is one of the most recommended due to the many advantages compared to its competitors.

Despite being one of the more expensive choices, it’s worth it.

One main benefit is that it’s compatible with most turntables, so you should be able to fit most systems. But it’s best practice to check your turntable model to make sure if the mat fits.

Moving along, the rubber silicone material is scratch-resistant, as well as slip-resistance. The recess and grooves in the mat’s designs give it a better gripping surface.

So you shouldn’t have to worry about the mat slipping at all, which is good for record stability and sound quality.

Sound absorption is where the mat excels. You’ll have uninterrupted sound caused by anything happening around the turntable.

Pros:

• Includes a label recess and grooves to prevent slippage.
• The material itself has been designed to be as slip- and scratch-resistant as possible.
• Compatible with all major turntable brands.
• Vibration absorption is much better than competitors.

Cons:

• It can generate a decent amount of static.

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2. Ywhomal Turntable Platter Mat – Best Budget

Ywhomal has made quite a name for itself in the music industry. That’s because the majority of its products have been high-quality and offer exceptional sound.

This 12-inch platter mat is no exception, as it has several prominent benefits. The largest of these is its sound absorption.

A lot of its sound absorption features come from the mat’s thickness. At 3mm, it’s definitely on the thicker end of the spectrum. It might be too thick, so check your turntable for capability.

The grooves on the mat’s surface help cut slippage to enhance the sound quality. The mat’s weight also helps in preventing slippage.

Almost all turntables are compatible with this mat, but you still need to check to be sure for certain. For example, the center hole for this might be a little too big for some turntables. If the center hole isn’t snuggly fitted, it causes slippage ruining a crisp sound.

Pros:

• The thickness should provide a significant amount of sound absorption.
• They are designed with grooves to prevent any slippage.
• You can use it with almost all major brands.

Cons:

• The Center hole may be slightly too big for some turntables.

3. Ywhomal 7 Inch Mat – Best Runner-Up

The majority of music lovers want to hear the music the way the artist intended. While there are quite a few rubber platter mats that can do this, one of the more prominent is this Ywhomal. It’s easy to see why people have been buying it in droves with a host of benefits.

The main reason for this is its vibration dampening capabilities. This helps to isolate the music’s sound from any external sources, making the sound clearer and natural than you would have expected. Compared to others, this option shines in the absorption department.

Scratches and tears are an afterthought with this mat. It has incredible durability, so you shouldn’t have to worry about tears anytime soon.

The Ywhomal is also slip-resistant, which should add to the overall clearness of the sound quality. While you can use the mat for most turntables, which is a benefit, it’s not recommended for LPs.

That’s because the option shines much better with 7-inch records than it does with others. Though it isn’t a bad choice for larger vinyl, it is not recommended for use.

Pros:

• It can be used with any turntable.
• Much more slip- and scratch-resistant than its competitors.
• Its vibration dampening capabilities are much better than other turntables.

Cons:

• It is not recommended for LPs.

4. CORKery Cork N Rubber – Turntable Platter Mat

While rubber mats have their benefits, so do other materials like cork. Thankfully, you don’t have to choose between the two. You can get the best of both worlds with Hudson Hi-Fi Store, which features a cork and rubber blend.

There’s a lot of advantages to having a hybrid mat. Let’s go over some benefits.

The main benefit is that the mat offers a decent amount of sound absorption. Remember, the more your mat absorbs vibration, the better sound quality you will have.

Another advantage of this hybrid mat is its durability. It is much more durable than any other mat on this list.

This will be an excellent mat for new turntable owners due to its superb sound quality and durability. So if you’re not sure what kind of mat you need or what exactly you’re looking for, then this is recommended.

The mat is as universal as they come as it fits the most turntable.

But there is one setback to all these great benefits.

While it doesn’t make much noise, it has generated a decent amount of static. That can prove much more irritating than you might expect.

Pros:

• Has cork built into the mat for added sound absorption.
• It’s one of the more durable mats on the market.
• It makes less noise when in use.
• It can be used on the majority of turntables.

Cons:

• It generates more static than you would expect.

5. Deco Gear Turntable Platter – Best Alternative

Quite a few mats suffer from slippage, which can often force a fluttering sound through the turntable when playing.

This can drastically affect the quality, and it isn’t something that you’ll want to hear too often, if at all.

Thankfully, the Deco Gear mat can help to get rid of the fluttering sound completely. It would be best if you didn’t have to worry about slippage at all.

That isn’t the only benefit. There’s more.

The mat has excellent vibration absorption capabilities. Not only will this dampen the engine vibrations, but also any nearby footsteps or movement.

Let’s say you’re hosting a party and have a lot of background noise. This mat will still give you excellent sound performance.

To say this mat is stylish would be a crime because it is very stylish. Looks probably mean nothing to you, but if it does, you’ll have an attractive mat on your hand.

Whenever your turntable isn’t in use, it can just sit there and look pretty.

Now before you get too excited, they are notable drawbacks. The mat tends to warp.

While this isn’t going to be an issue at the start, it can worsen over time. That could mean that its performance will continually get worse. As a result, you might have to replace it faster than you would have expected.

Pros:

• Great at dampening vibrations from the motor and other sources.
• It has a much better grip than competitors, which minimizes slip.
• It should look nice with almost any style of turntable.

Cons:

• It tends to warp.

What To Consider When Buying A Turntable Mat

When you’re buying a turntable mat, there are a few things that you’ll need to consider.

The material will be the most obvious. For this, let’s stick to rubber mats.

Besides material, thickness is the second most crucial factor to consider. That’s because it can affect the mat’s overall performance.

While this wouldn’t matter too much for turntables with adjustable arms, it can be vital for those who don’t. That’s because you’ll need to make sure that your turntable can accommodate mats of a certain thickness. If it can’t, then buying the mat would be a waste of time and money.

You might also want to consider the mat’s weight, as this could also affect performance. While rubber mats are typically more lightweight than other materials, some options still weigh more than others. That could play a small role in your decision.

The mat’s grip is another significant area to consider. Essentially, the grippier the mat, the less likely it is to slip when in use. Slippage typically results in a fluttering noise when a record is being played, something you might want to avoid. To make it clear:, More grip is better.

Also, you might want to consider whether you want your turntable mat to have a design or not. While this isn’t a vital aspect, it’s an optional extra that’s worth thinking about. When the turntable isn’t in use, the mat will be visible.

Therefore, you might want to buy an easy-on-the-eye mat that will make your turntable more attractive if that sort of stuff matters to you.

However, whether a mat is pretty or not shouldn’t affect the mat’s performance.

Cost is another area that you might want to consider. There’s a broad range of turntable mat prices. Working within a budget is fine, as you can find a suitable option regardless of how much you’re spending.

That being said, it can often be worth having a decent budget for your mat.

While affordable turntable mats are good, the higher-cost options can offer much greater benefits, especially when it comes to sound quality.

It could be worth starting with a low-cost option and upgrading over time.

Wrapping Up

All the above options are recommended by the majority of people who buy them. That’s good for them, but we need to determine what is good for you. And I hope this guide as done helps you choose a rubber turntable mat.

But if you want my honest opinion, here you go:

The Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Platter Mat stands out somewhat better than its competitors. That’s thanks to quite a few notable benefits.

While some competitors are better in certain areas, they can’t match Hudson’s mat’s overall quality.

However, that does come with the drawback of the mat being slightly more expensive than the others.

But you can also look at it as an investment. It will serve your purpose for a long time to come.

If you’re looking to keep things on the more affordable end, the Ywhomal 12-Inch Silicone Turntable Platter Mat is a great choice. It’s an inexpensive turntable mat, keeping more money in your pockets to buy more records.

Although it’s affordable, it isn’t cheap. So don’t worry, you won’t be compromising on quality, and you’ll still get a great sound.

There you have it. You now know about five of the best rubber mats for your turntable.

I hope you make a good choice and enjoy your music with whichever one you choose.