Simplifying the WaterHog Mat Selection Process

The WaterHog product line includes mats in a wide array of patterns, colors, and sizes.  With so many options and a unique nomenclature, selecting a WaterHog mat can seem challenging at first, but these five steps are designed to simplify it.

Step 1: Pick your fabric weight 
WaterHog mats are primarily available in two fabric weights: 24-ounce PET (polyethylene terephthalate) for the original WaterHog line, and 30-ounce PET for the WaterHog Eco line.  PET is an eco-friendly polyester made from recycled plastic drink bottles.  The fabric on both WaterHog and WaterHog Eco products is made with a PET that features 100% post-consumer recycled material.

Step 2: Pick your pattern and color
The original WaterHog (24-ounce) line comes in three designs with 19 color options:

• Waffle pattern - the original WaterHog
• Diamond pattern - WaterHog Diamond
• Hexagon pattern - WaterHog Legacy

The WaterHog Eco (30-ounce) line comes in four design with 8 color options:

• Diamond pattern - WaterHog Eco Premier
• Herringbone pattern - WaterHog Eco Elite
• Hexagon pattern - WaterHog Eco Legacy
• Swirl pattern - WaterHog Plus (commercially launderable)

Step 3: Pick your border
You’ll often see WaterHog mats include the words Classic or Fashion in the title.  These two words indicate the border of the mat.  Most mats in the WaterHog and WaterHog Eco lines include the option to choose either a classic rubber border or a fashion fabric border.

Step 4: Pick your backing
All WaterHog mats are backed with rubber.  The standard backing is a 78-mil SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) with either a smooth surface for placement on smooth floors (like marble, wood, or tile) or with a universal cleated surface designed to perform on both carpeted and smooth floors.  Select WaterHog mats with a classic border are available with Anchor Safe^® backing, a 100-mil nitrile backing with a heavy tread design to ensure the mat stays in place, even in areas with very heavy traffic.

Step 5: Add some optional grandeur
If you’re interested in adding a little grandeur to your entrance matting, you may want to consider a WaterHog Grand or WaterHog Eco Grand mat.  The luxurious rounded mats can be placed at the end of WaterHog Diamond, WaterHog Legacy, WaterHog Eco Elite, WaterHog Eco Legacy, and WaterHog Eco Premier mats.

The WaterHog Decision Tree provides a visual map of the five steps listed above.

WaterHog Tiles & Roll Goods

If you’re in need of tiles or roll goods for a large or custom installation, there are several WaterHog options:

• WaterHog Tiles featuring 24-ounce PET fabric over 100-mil or 200-mil universal cleated SBR rubber with your choice of 18 colors and four designs - waffle, diamond, diagonal, or geometric.
• WaterHog Eco Tiles featuring 30-ounce PET fabric over 100-mil or 200-mil universal cleated SBR rubber with your choice of 8 colors and three designs – diamond, diagonal, or geometric.
• WaterHog Modular Tiles featuring 24-ounce PET fabric over 200-mil universal cleated SBR rubber interlocking tiles with a waffle pattern in your choice of 12 colors
• WaterHog Eco Elite Roll Goods featuring 30-ounce PET fabric over 78-mil smooth SBR rubber with an attractive herringbone pattern in your choice of 8 colors.  Roll Goods are available in 6’ x 67’ rolls or custom sizes up to 50’ and are designed to be installed like carpet or loose-laid like a mat.  You can have your logo or design inlaid into these mats.  See WaterHog Eco Elite Roll Goods Logo Inlay.

Other WaterHog Products

If you’re looking for branding or messaging opportunities, WaterHog Impressions HD mats feature your high-definition custom design printed on 30-ounce PET with a 65-mil nitrile rubber back making them suitable for commercial laundering.  If you prefer an inlaid logo versus printed, WaterHog Inlay mats are available in the waffle pattern and WaterHog Legacy Inlay mats are available in the hexagon pattern.

Alternative pattern options include a parquet pattern available on WaterHog Masterpiece Select (28-ounce polypropylene), and a Berber diamond pattern available on WaterHog Diamondcord (26-ounce polypropylene).

WaterHog Low Profile mats are a great option for areas where a lower-profile mat is desired (either for door clearance or a smoother floor-to-mat transition).  They feature 14-ounce PET with Anchor Safe 100-mil nitrile rubber backing to ensure the mat stays in place.

WaterHog Forklift mats are specially designed to keep warehouses and distribution floors clean and dry.  They can withstand up to 14,000 pounds and prevent forklifts from bringing moisture and debris inside and tracking it over the floors.

WaterHog Eco Elevator mats are available in four sizes to fit standard elevators.  They aid in noise reduction and are extremely popular in hotels and buildings in sandy areas because they are incredibly effective at trapping moisture and sand below foot level to keep guests from tracking it throughout the building.

More About WaterHog

The WaterHog was introduced commercially in 1986 and quickly became America’s favorite mat.  It offers industrial-strength performance with a variety of attractive patterns to suit any taste.  The signature bi-level surface features stain-resistant fabric over durable rubber nubs, recessed channels, and a water dam border.  The nubs effectively scrape dirt and wipe moisture from shoes, trapping it in the channels below shoe level to prevent tracking. 

The eco-friendly PET fabric dissipates moisture quickly for very fast drying time, and the durable rubber backing ensures it lays flat and doesn’t “creep” across your floor.  PET fabric is resistant to staining and fading, so WaterHog mats can be used both indoors and outside.

The WaterHog Difference

See how the bi-level surface minimizes tracking