Choosing an indoor doormat sounds simple until you start looking at the options. Size, thickness, absorbency, backing, flooring type and how much space you have beneath your door can all affect whether a mat works well in your home.

The right indoor doormat should help trap dirt and moisture, stay securely in place and fit comfortably inside your entrance without interfering with the door. The wrong one can be too small to be useful, slide across the floor or be so thick that your front door catches on it every time you open it.

This guide takes you through the most important things to check before buying an indoor doormat, in the order we think they should be considered.

1. Start by Measuring Your Entrance

Before choosing a colour, pattern or material, measure the space where your doormat will sit.

An indoor mat needs to be large enough for people to actually step onto it as they enter your home. If most footsteps land partly on the mat and partly on the surrounding floor, it will have much less opportunity to capture the dirt and moisture brought in on shoes.

Measure the Available Floor Space

Measure both the width and depth of the area immediately inside your door. Take into account anything that might restrict the available space, including:

• radiators
• shoe racks
• hallway furniture
• stairs
• adjacent internal doors
• the direction in which your front door opens

Don't assume that the largest mat will automatically be the best choice. The aim is to choose a mat that gives you useful coverage while still fitting naturally into the entrance and allowing doors to move freely.

What Size Indoor Doormat Should You Choose?

As a general rule, a wider mat gives people more opportunity to place both feet on the surface as they enter. A mat that is too small may look neat, but if people continually step around it or over it, it cannot do its job effectively.

For compact entrances, a 60cm × 40cm mat can provide useful coverage without taking over the hallway. Where more space is available, a 75cm × 50cm mat gives a larger surface for shoes to make contact with before people walk further into the home.

The best size will ultimately depend on your doorway and entrance layout, so measure the space rather than choosing purely by appearance.

2. Check Your Door Clearance Before Buying a Mat

This is one of the most important checks you can make when choosing an indoor doormat, particularly when the mat will sit directly behind an inward-opening front door.

Door clearance is simply the space between the bottom of the door and the floor beneath it. If your mat is thicker than the available gap, the door may scrape across the surface, push the mat out of position or fail to open properly.

Many people only discover they have limited clearance after buying a conventional doormat and finding that the door catches on it.

How to Check the Gap Beneath Your Door

Open the door and look at the space between its bottom edge and the floor. The important point is not simply to measure the gap in one position, but to consider the whole path the door travels as it opens.

Floors are not always perfectly level. A door may appear to have plenty of clearance when partly open but pass much closer to the floor at another point in its swing.

For that reason:

1. Open the door fully.
2. Check the gap beneath the door at several points along its swing.
3. Identify the smallest clearance.
4. Compare that clearance with the overall thickness of the doormat you are considering.

If your door already passes very close to the floor, thickness should become one of your main buying criteria.

Why Doormat Thickness Matters

Traditional doormats can be surprisingly thick. That is not necessarily a problem when a mat sits outside the house or well away from the movement of a door, but it can be impractical indoors where space is restricted.

A mat that is too thick may:

• catch beneath the door
• make the door difficult to open or close
• move every time the door passes over it
• bunch or curl
• create a more noticeable raised edge underfoot

If you have generous clearance, you will have a wider choice of mat constructions. If you have very limited clearance, a low-profile or ultra-thin indoor doormat is usually much more practical.

Skinny Mat was designed specifically for situations where ordinary doormats are too thick. At less than 2mm thick, it can sit beneath very low-clearance doors while still providing an absorbent surface and non-slip backing.

View Skinny Mat indoor doormats

3. Think About the Type of Flooring Beneath the Mat

Once you know the mat will physically fit your entrance, the next consideration is the floor it will sit on.

A mat positioned on smooth tile has different requirements from one sitting on carpet, and choosing the right backing can be just as important as choosing the right surface material.

Indoor Doormats for Hard Floors

Tile, stone, laminate and wooden floors can all allow a mat to move if its backing does not provide enough grip.

For these surfaces, look for an indoor doormat with a non-slip backing designed to keep the mat stable when it is stepped on. This becomes particularly important close to an entrance, where people may be stepping onto the mat with wet shoes.

A mat that repeatedly shifts out of place is inconvenient and can also leave the area of floor you intended to protect exposed to moisture and dirt.

Indoor Doormats on Carpet

If your entrance is carpeted, check that the mat and its backing are suitable for the type of carpet you have. Some backings that grip very effectively on smooth flooring may behave differently on a soft or deep pile.

You should also consider the combined height of the carpet and mat if the door passes over both. A doorway that appears to have reasonable clearance above a hard floor can become much tighter where carpet is fitted.

Recently Replaced Flooring

Door-clearance problems can also appear after new flooring has been installed.

Laminate, luxury vinyl tile, engineered wood, carpet and underlay can all increase the finished floor height compared with the previous surface. That can leave considerably less room beneath a door than there was before.

If you have recently changed your flooring and an old doormat no longer fits comfortably, measure the available clearance before replacing it with another conventional mat.

4. Decide How Much Absorbency Your Home Needs

An indoor doormat has an important role in dealing with the moisture and fine dirt that arrives on footwear after someone comes inside.

How much absorbency you need depends on your household, your entrance and how the door is used.

Consider Your Household

A quiet entrance used by one or two adults will have different demands from the front door of a busy family home.

You may want to prioritise absorbency if your household includes:

• children regularly coming in from outdoors
• dogs returning from wet or muddy walks
• several people using the same entrance throughout the day
• a garden or driveway that frequently becomes wet
• an entrance where rainwater is regularly brought indoors on shoes

Signs that your current mat may not be dealing effectively with moisture include wet footprints continuing beyond the entrance, water pooling on the surrounding floor or frequent mopping immediately inside the door.

Thickness and Absorbency Are Not the Same Thing

It is easy to assume that a thick, bulky doormat must automatically absorb more water than a thin one, but thickness alone does not determine how a mat performs.

The material and construction of the surface are also important. Modern absorbent fibres can trap moisture while keeping the overall profile of the mat relatively low.

This matters particularly when you have a low-clearance door. You should not have to choose between a mat that fits beneath your door and one that performs a useful job inside your entrance.

Front Doors, Back Doors and Utility Entrances

Think about the specific entrance rather than assuming every doorway in your home needs the same mat.

A front entrance may need to balance appearance, absorbency and everyday practicality. A back door leading directly into a garden may need to cope with more mud, wet grass and pet traffic. A utility entrance may need something easy to clean because it is used frequently throughout the day.

By identifying how much traffic, moisture and dirt the entrance actually receives, you can choose a mat based on what your household needs rather than simply selecting the thickest option available.

5. Choose the Right Doormat Material

Once you know the size, clearance and level of absorbency you need, consider what the mat is actually made from.

Different materials behave differently when they are wet, dirty or repeatedly walked over. Some are particularly good at absorbing moisture, while others are chosen because they are durable, quick drying or easy to clean.

Polyester Doormats

Polyester is widely used for indoor doormats because it can provide a soft, absorbent surface while remaining relatively quick to dry.

It can be a practical choice for entrances where wet footwear is common, particularly in UK homes where rain and damp weather can create regular moisture around the front door.

A well-constructed polyester mat can also retain colour and pattern well, making it suitable when you want a decorative indoor doormat that still performs a practical job.

Microfibre Doormats

Microfibre mats are designed to provide a large surface area for trapping moisture and fine dirt. Their soft fibres can make them particularly effective at absorbing water from shoes.

However, microfibre mats can vary considerably in thickness. If you have limited clearance beneath your door, always check the total height of the mat rather than assuming that a soft absorbent mat will fit.

Cotton Doormats

Cotton can be soft and absorbent and is often used for washable mats. It can work well in lower-traffic areas or households where being able to wash the mat regularly is particularly important.

As with any material, check the manufacturer's care instructions before buying. Repeated washing can affect different fabrics and constructions in different ways.

Coir Doormats

Coir is made from coconut fibres and is particularly effective at scraping heavier dirt and debris from footwear.

Traditional coir mats are usually much thicker than the low-profile mats used immediately behind low-clearance doors, so they are often more suited to outside entrances, porches or areas where door clearance is not an issue.

Many households use a more abrasive mat outside to remove heavier dirt and a thinner absorbent mat inside to deal with moisture and finer debris.

6. Check the Backing and Grip

The surface of a doormat gets most of the attention, but its backing is equally important.

An indoor mat that moves every time someone steps onto it can quickly become frustrating. On smooth flooring, movement can also expose the floor to the dirt and moisture the mat was supposed to collect.

Look for a Non-Slip Backing

If your doormat will sit on tile, laminate, stone or wood, look for a backing designed to grip hard flooring.

The mat should remain reasonably stable during ordinary use rather than sliding across the entrance or bunching when somebody walks over it.

This is particularly important immediately inside a doorway, where people may step onto the mat while their shoes are still wet.

Check That the Mat Lies Flat

A good indoor doormat should sit neatly against the floor rather than developing raised or curled edges.

Thicker mats can sometimes become more noticeable underfoot, particularly if the edges curl after storage or washing. A low-profile construction creates a shallower transition between the surrounding floor and the mat.

If anyone in the household uses a wheelchair, walking frame or other mobility aid, keeping entrances as unobstructed as possible becomes particularly important.

7. Think About Cleaning Before You Buy

A doormat is designed to become dirty. That means cleaning should be part of the buying decision rather than an afterthought.

The best mat for your home is one you can realistically maintain.

How Often Will the Mat Need Cleaning?

The answer depends on how busy the entrance is.

A mat inside a rarely used side door may need very little attention, while the main entrance to a family home with children and pets may collect dirt almost every day.

Before buying, consider whether the mat can be:

• vacuumed easily
• shaken out
• wiped or spot cleaned
• machine washed
• dried conveniently after washing

Machine-Washable Doormats

If you expect the mat to deal regularly with wet shoes, pets or muddy footprints, machine washability can be particularly useful.

Always follow the care instructions for the individual product, including the recommended wash temperature and drying method.

Thin mats can also have a practical advantage after washing because there is less material to dry compared with a thick, heavy mat.

8. Choose a Design That Works With Your Entrance

Practical performance should come first, but your doormat is also one of the first things people see when they enter your home.

Once you know that a mat fits beneath the door, suits your flooring and provides the level of absorbency you need, you can choose the design with much more confidence.

Think About the Colours Around It

Look at the flooring, walls, front door and nearby furniture. A doormat does not need to match everything exactly, but it should feel intentional within the entrance.

Neutral designs tend to work easily across a wide range of interiors, while patterned or personalised mats can create more of a focal point.

Consider How Much Dirt the Design Will Show

Very pale colours can show muddy marks quickly in a busy entrance, whereas patterns and mid-tone colours may disguise everyday dirt more effectively between cleans.

That does not mean you need to avoid lighter designs altogether. It simply means cleaning frequency should form part of the decision.

Personalised Indoor Doormats

A personalised mat can make the entrance feel more individual without sacrificing practical performance, provided that the construction still suits your doorway.

As with any other indoor mat, check the dimensions, thickness, backing and care instructions rather than choosing purely on appearance.

9. Match the Mat to the Entrance

Different entrances create different priorities. Thinking about where the mat will actually be used can make choosing much easier.

Front Door

For a main front entrance, look for a balance of absorbency, grip, appearance and easy cleaning.

If the front door opens inward over the mat, clearance should be one of the first things you check.

Back Door

Back doors often deal with more mud, garden debris, wet grass and pet traffic.

Easy cleaning and strong absorbency may therefore matter more than appearance alone.

Flats and Apartments

Entrance space can be limited in flats and apartments, and doors may have very little clearance above the finished flooring.

A thin indoor mat can provide useful protection without taking up unnecessary vertical space beneath the door.

Homes With Pets

Dogs can bring significant amounts of moisture and fine dirt indoors, particularly after walks in wet weather.

Look for a mat that can cope with frequent cleaning and that provides enough surface area for paws to make contact with it as your dog enters.

Busy Family Homes

In homes where several people use the same entrance throughout the day, durability, absorbency and cleaning become especially important.

If space allows, choosing a larger mat can give footwear more contact with the surface before people walk onto the rest of the floor.

10. Avoid These Common Indoor Doormat Buying Mistakes

Most disappointing doormat purchases come down to a small number of avoidable mistakes.

Buying Before Measuring

Always measure the available floor area and check the movement of the door before ordering.

A mat can be the right design and material but still be useless if it does not physically fit the entrance.

Ignoring Door Clearance

This is particularly important with inward-opening doors.

If the bottom of the door already passes close to the floor, a conventional thick mat may stop it opening properly. Measure first and compare the available gap with the total thickness of the mat.

Assuming Thicker Means Better

Thickness alone does not tell you how absorbent, durable or effective a doormat will be.

Modern materials can provide useful dirt and moisture trapping in a much slimmer construction, which is particularly valuable where door clearance is restricted.

Choosing a Mat That Is Too Small

A small mat may fit neatly inside the entrance but provide too little surface for footwear to make meaningful contact with it.

If you have room, choose a size that allows people to place both feet naturally on the mat as they enter.

Forgetting About the Floor Beneath It

A backing that works well on one surface may not behave the same way on another.

Make sure the mat is appropriate for your particular floor, especially if you have polished tile, laminate, hardwood or carpet.

Choosing on Appearance Alone

The most attractive mat in the world will quickly become irritating if it slides, catches on the door or is difficult to clean.

Choose the practical specification first, then select your preferred design from the mats that meet those requirements.

Indoor Doormat Buying Checklist

Before placing an order, ask yourself:

• Have I measured the width and depth of the entrance?
• Will the mat allow people to step onto it naturally?
• Have I checked the clearance beneath the door?
• Will the mat fit at every point in the door's swing?
• Is the backing suitable for my flooring?
• Does the mat provide enough absorbency for my household?
• Can I clean it easily?
• Does it lie flat and remain stable?
• Does the design suit the entrance?

If you can answer all of those questions confidently, you are much more likely to choose an indoor doormat that works well in your home.

Which Indoor Doormat Is Right for You?

Choosing an Indoor Doormat for a Low-Clearance Door

If your main problem is simply that ordinary mats will not fit beneath your door, your buying decision becomes much easier.

Measure the smallest gap beneath the door and look for a mat with a total thickness comfortably below that measurement.

Skinny Mat was created specifically for this problem. At less than 2mm thick, it is designed to sit beneath extremely low-clearance doors while still providing an absorbent surface, non-slip backing and a wide choice of designs.

Shop Skinny Mat indoor doormats

Final Thoughts

The best indoor doormat is not necessarily the thickest, largest or most expensive one. It is the mat that suits your particular entrance.

Start with the practical questions: how much space do you have, how much clearance is beneath your door, what flooring will the mat sit on and how much dirt and moisture does the entrance receive?

Once those questions are answered, choosing the right material, backing, cleaning method and design becomes much simpler.

For homes with very low door clearance, pay particular attention to thickness before ordering. A mat that performs brilliantly is no use if your front door cannot open over it.

If conventional indoor doormats are too thick for your doorway, explore our indoor door mats, designed at less than 2mm thick for entrances where every millimetre matters.