The coconut fibres used to create our coir doormats

Coconut fibres, also known as coir, have several properties that make them a great material to use for doormats. Here are some reasons why coconut is commonly used for this purpose:

Water Absorption

Coir has excellent water absorption capabilities. When used as a doormat, it can effectively trap moisture from shoes, preventing it from being tracked into the house. This is particularly useful in the rainy climate of the UK. 

However, coir is not made for excessive amounts of water. If the mat was to be saturated  it would stain and end up bleaching the coconut fibres.

Dirt and debris trapping  

Coconut fibres have a rough texture, which helps to scrape off dirt, dust and debris from the soles of shoes. The bristly nature of coir mats makes them highly effective in trapping and holding onto particles. This prevents the particles from being spread into the house.

Natural and Sustainable

Coconut fibres are derived from the outer husk of coconuts, making them a natural and renewable resource. Using coir doormats promotes sustainability. Woven backed coir doormats are made from organic materials that have not been in contact with any harmful chemicals – if you’re looking for eco-friendly mats, I would recommend our standard mats, they’re all 100% organic. Such as our latex, braided or luxury mats. If your looking for a mat that needs to be cut to size, then the PVC made to measure is a good option. The coir is still natural however the backing being PVC uses glue and oil which does not make it 100% eco-friendly.  

One of the things that make coconuts the perfect material is that it is only the husks that are used to create the mats and if this wasn’t used to create items such as this, they would just end up being in landfill as they are essentially a waste product. Instead, they now have a new lease of life and a great practical use being made into coir products.

 Switching to more eco-friendly products, such as woven backed coir mats, is a simple change that is also a great way to have a positive impact on the environment. You are also supporting economies primarily across Asia, where local farmers are preparing and drying the coconut husks for your mat.

Slip resistance  

Our PVC Backed Coir Doormats have very little grip. That’s why we recommend to be in a matwell, if wanted to be free standing the anti-slip underlay would be the option to use so the mat would gain more of a grip and it helps keep the mat in place. Our Bespoke Hand Made Coir Doormat can be used in a mat well or laid straight onto the floor due to the woven backing.

Why Coir is low maintenance  

Coir doormats are relatively easy to maintain. They can be cleaned by simply shaking, or using a specific coir mat brush to get rid of the accumulated dirt. If mud or wet dirt gets into the mat it is recommended to let it dry. Then use one of our coir brushes to help clean it and get the coir mat to how it was previously. We do not advise vacuuming our coir products as this can disrupt the fibres.

Coir Cleaning Brush

Coir's Aesthetic Appeal  

Coir doormats have a rustic and natural appearance, adding a touch of warmth and charm to the entrance of a home. They come in various sizes, shapes and designs allowing homeowners to choose a style that complements their overall décor. 

Some may assume that as coir mats are usually a brown/neutral colour that this is the only option. The good news is that this is not the case. Coir mats can be made in a variety of colours to meet your needs. This provides you scope to choose a mat that truly matches the rest of your space and leads to endless personalisation possibilities. Such as incorporating a picture, wording or a logo.

An example of a Personalised Printed Coir Mat

While coir doormats have many advantages, it’s worth noting that they may not be suitable for every environment. In extremely wet or humid conditions, coir mats can retain moisture and take longer to dry. This may affect their durability overtime. However, for most regular household use, coir doormats are an excellent choice.   

The type of footfall your entrance gets will help determine the type of mat

The level of footfall your entrance receives will help determine on which mat is best for your area. We offer 3 different grades of PVC Backed matting, each one perfect for a different footfall:

Budget Coir – Our lowest cost option PVC Backed Coir matting. It still has good brushing action and is effective at removing dirt. However, it will shed a little more and the fibres can become bent overtime. This matting is recommend for minimal footfall or as a temporary matting option.

Premium Coir – Our most popular PVC Backed matting. It is our recommended option for residential homes. It is a hardwearing, absorbent, long lasting mat with a strong brushing action to remove dirt from shoes, helping to protect your floors.

Heavy Duty Coir –  This is our hardest wearing and highest quality matting. It is perfect for heavy footfall, with denser and more compact fibres making it our most durable.  Our Heavy duty is also DDA compliant therefore suitable for wheelchair users. This is our recommended matting for businesses and offices.

We wouldn't recommend these three grades of matting to be located outdoors or freestanding. The PVC mats are designed for matwells and therefor supplied without borders. Stepping on the unsupported edges can cause the sides to bend and buckle. This can also pose as a trip hazard. If located outdoors, rain will pool the PVC backing and the natural fibres will become sodden and damaged.

Is your Coir mat free standing or will it be in a mat well recess?

For free standing we would recommend our woven backed matting with a range of edges making them perfect for free standing.  For example our Bespoke Hand Made Coir Doormat. They are more suitable for use in areas likely to get wet, the woven backing allows this mat to dry out quicker and therefore last longer.

Our PVC backed doormats are perfect for mat wells as they’re all cut to your specific dimensions, we offer different thicknesses for your door clearance such as – 14mm, 17mm, 20mm,24mm and 30mm.

Door clearance and the depth of your matwell

The door clearance is important to know as it determines the thickness of matting to order, if you have little door clearance and order a thickness that’s higher than the door clearance, the door will not open. Which is why we advise measuring the gap between bottom of door to the floor, to order the best thickness of matting for you. 

If  we don’t have the exact thickness, you want no problem! If you have a deeper matwell and need a thickness above 30mm, you can solve this using plywood. Simply put a piece of plywood of the appropriate thickness into the well and place your mat on top. The top of the bristles should lie flush with the floor to minimize the trip hazard.