If you’ve ever worked on a standing desk, it’s not uncommon to find yourself frequently shifting your weight from one foot to the other. It’s the body’s natural reaction when experiencing discomfort, after all, something you’re bound to go through when standing for long periods. Why does this happen? Well, standing on a hard surface tends to promote a static posture that can restrict muscle movement, hinder blood circulation, and put strain on the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. Yeah, it’s not exactly the health benefits the sales clerk was touting when they sold you on that standing desk you’re using these days.
Truth is, this type of fatigue and discomfort is very common among people who spend long periods standing in the same place. Professional cooks, cashiers, and factory workers are no strangers to this predicament, with many turning to anti-fatigue mats as a way to alleviate the strain.
Standing desk mats are, basically, anti-fatigue mats marketed towards office use. Some of them look just like their traditional counterparts, with a flat surface, supportive cushioning, and a grippy underside to keep them from moving around. However, the best standing desk mats usually have a more active design that offers side walls to let you stretch your calves, a massage ball for stretching your feet, and, in a few, even massage beads for continuously relieving pressure on the feet.
Standing desk mats can vary in size, thickness, and materials. As far as size goes, just make sure to choose one that will fit properly in your workspace, as well as put away conveniently when you decide to lower the desk to a more traditional working desk height. With thickness, we recommend choosing mats at least half an inch thick, which is the minimum cushioning we’ve found to really alleviate any joint stress. Most standing desk mats you’ll see are made with either some type of foam or a high-density PU material, both of which do deliver the kind of supportive cushioning that can really help keep fatigue at bay.
These are the best standing desk mats to make your ergonomic workspace more comfortable.
Mount-It Anti Fatigue Floor Mat
Pros
- Carry handle makes it easy to move
- Rubberized gel foam cushioning
- Easy to clean
Cons
- No room to move your feet around
- Flat design
Our favorite part of this standing desk mat is the integrated handle, which makes it easy to move around as needed. It’s a more compact size, too, at just 22 x 18 inches, so you can tuck it away in a closet or even just under the desk for those days you’d rather work on a standard office chair. Granted, the smaller size means you’re pretty limited to one spot without a lot of room to move your feet around. If you can live with that, though, you can definitely appreciate the soft rubberized gel foam that delivers excellent support and the anti-slip bottom that keeps it in place the whole time. It’s stain- and water-resistant, too, so the whole thing is easy to clean.
Ergohead 1-Inch Thick Standing Mat
Pros
- Wide enough to allow repositioning feet
- Covered in massage pods
- One-inch thick PU foam
- Massage ball is surprisingly useful
Cons
- Massage ball isn’t secured, so it rolls off occasionally
This standing mat offers a wider surface than the previous option, coming in at 28 x 17 inches, which we still find to be compact enough for limited workspaces. The extra width is also much welcome, since it makes repositioning your feet a lot easier. The entire surface, other than the center, is covered in massage pods, which encourages regular foot movement, while a massage ball sits in the center well, allowing you to roll your foot on it anytime it needs the extra stimulation (you can just put the ball away if you don’t need it). Do note, since the ball is removable, it’s going to roll off a fair amount, which can get frustrating. The high-density PU foam is pretty substantial at a full inch of thickness, making it feel really good to stand on it for extended periods.
Yesmet Standing Desk Mat
Pros
- Convenient built-in carry handle
- Combines massage pods with flat area
- Easy to move and put away
Cons
- Limited size
As with other more affordable options in the list, this standing desk mat is on the smaller end, measuring just 22 x 18 inches. We really like the design, which combines a flat standing surface with two sets of massage pods designed to line up with your feet, so you can reposition a foot to a flat section when needed, as well as a built-in handle similar to the Mount-It model above, making it easy to pick up and reposition, especially when combined with its smaller dimensions. Heck, you can even hang it on a hook to really get it out of the way. It’s 0.8 inches thick, which is thick enough to keep it comfortable when standing for long periods, with a resilient PUR foam construction that holds its shape pretty well over time. If you want a sub-$50 option that’s easy to put away when you want to sit on a chair, this definitely does the trick.
Gaiam Standing Mat for Office Desks
Pros
- Wide variety of molded side walls in one mat
- Large flat surface area
- Two massage balls
Cons
- Non-beveled edges can be a tripping hazard
- Massage balls could be a little firmer
We know Gaiam for their excellent yoga mats and accessories, so we were definitely curious when we found out they also made a standing desk mat. It’s a pretty good one, with an active design that offers plenty of flat surface area across its full dimensions of 27 x 22 inches, two massage balls and different varieties of molded side walls to let you vary how you plant your feet on it throughout the workday. Seriously, we have a great variety of options here, making it feel really versatile for an anti-fatigue mat. The textured backside keeps it in place really well, too although we do wish it had angled edges, because this feels like it can be a tripping hazard if you don’t expect it to be in the way.
AFS-Tex System 2000M Lite
Pros
- Three sizes available
- Massage pods all over
- Firmer cushioning
Cons
- No flat sections
Available in three sizes, this standing desk mat has a textured surface with various shapes of massage pods, allowing it to offer a massaging sensation on your feet while encouraging regular foot movement. It offers plenty of cushioning, which can really ease the strains of standing around all day, while being noticeably firmer than your standard anti-fatigue mats, which we found to be quite pleasant compared to squishier options. Do note, the smallest version only measures 16 x 24 inches, which we find to be a tad too small (you have to keep your feet close the whole time), which is why we recommend the more expensive large version, which measures 20 x 32 inches. Features include a 0.7 inches thickness size, a water-resistant surface, and an anti-slip base.
Vari ActiveMat
Pros
- Tall, angled front wall is great for stretching calves
- Offers excellent variety in foot placement
- Convenient side placement for massage balls
Cons
- Heavier than most
- Slight bevel on side edges might not be enough to prevent tripping
Measuring 27 x 20 inches, this standing desk mat has an active design that combines a flat surface area with two small massage balls near the side edges, an angled footpad with massage pods in the rear, and angled front walls with ridges and grooves. Similar to the Gaiam mat above, we love variety it offers in the way you can plant your feet on the mat. We’re particularly fond of the 3.75-inch high angled front wall and the rear foot pad, both of which we’ve found ourselves using over and over throughout the course of a standing workday. We also like the placement of the massage balls, both of which are pushed off to the side, so the entire center area offers a more traditional flat surface with the balls situated well out of the way. When you need to use the massage balls, it’s easily reachable, too, which we find to be a better solution than putting them right smack in the middle.
It’s made with PU foam that gives it a bit of a squishy feel that’s very forgiving on the feet, with the taller side walls offering a little more firmness to really let you change things up when needed. There’s a slight slope on the side edges, which may be enough to keep it from being a tripping hazard, although we’d have preferred something a bit more angled. The outfit, by the way, sized it to fit perfectly under any of their standing desks, so you can slide it in under if you want it out of the way (assuming you’re using one of their desks, of course).
Ergodriven Topo
Pros
- Side walls are beveled on both sides
- Soft but supportive
- Excellent variety in foot placements offered
- Very useful indent in the back can be used as a carry handle
Cons
- Bigger than most
- Massage ball in the center a bit too squishy
If you’ve ever wondered who started this whole active standing desk mat design, well, that would be this very popular model. Instead of integrating two massage balls like other active mats in the list, this uses only one, which it puts squarely in the middle, making it easy to access, regardless of which foot is needing a little extra flex. We do wish the ball was a little firmer, but it works well enough. Our favorite part, though, are the angled side walls, which have pretty drastic bevels both inside and outside, allowing you to change up your foot positions regularly in a way that feels very natural and comfortable. The outside bevels not only help support your feet when you step off the mat, they also minimize any potential tripping hazard, since your foot should slide up the angle, in case you walk through without noticing the mat on the floor.
We love the fact that they added an indent on the rear wall, which you can grab as a carry handle or hook with your feet to slide the mat into place. It’s extremely handy. It is a little big, though, at 29 x 26 inches, so you might have some trouble fitting it under shallower desks. The PU foam material they use is very supportive, with a satisfying pushback that you won’t find in squishier options, while the varying thickness across its surface and edges allow for different foot feels while you’re standing in place, which most people definitely appreciate.
