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While not the most exciting part of building a home gym, the type of gym flooring chosen is one of the most essential parts of the entire process. Not only will the type of gym flooring decide what equipment can be used in the space, but it will also impact a wide range of areas including noise reduction, impact absorption, protection of a house's subflooring, and providing enough support during exercise.
Whether you're kitting out an entire garage, developing a conservatory, or simply converting the spare bedroom into a home gym, the flooring you choose can make a big difference. Forming the base of your space, without adequate home gym flooring it's likely you will run into bigger problems such as damage to flooring, annoying neighbors, and ultimately causing more hassle than is required in the long run.
To highlight our top recommendations we included a home gym flooring overview so that you can dive straight into seeing the best options as it includes the pros, cons, and estimated costs of each type of flooring. If you're interested in our full range we also included a breakdown of our full gym flooring options at the end of this blog. Lastly, if you are looking for space-specific information then please get in touch with our sales team.
Home Gym Flooring Overview
| Best Home Gym Flooring at a Glance | Our Recommended Home Gym Flooring |
| Overall Best Home Gym Flooring | Origin Classic Floor Tiles |
| Best Gym Flooring for Strength Training | Origin 40mm High Impact Tiles |
| Best Gym Flooring for Olympic Lifting | Origin Performance Series Rack Platform |
| Most Cost-Effective Gym Flooring | Origin Jigsaw Tiles or 10mm Interlocking Tiles |
| Best Gym Flooring for Stretching | Origin Soft Jigsaw Tile |
| Best Gym Flooring for a Bedroom Conversion | Origin 10mm Underlay + Origin 20mm High Impact Tile |
Considerations
We wanted to briefly touch on a few points you should think about before choosing the appropriate gym flooring for your home gym.
Budget
Starting budget will influence the entire scope of the home gym flooring options available to you. Let's take a rough look at budget requirements based on the average room size in a UK house. If we estimate the room you're going to use is around 17.09m2, then we can get a rough gauge on cost and potential flooring requirements.
Based on this space we would require 18 x Origin 40mm High Impact Tiles which comes to £720, 18 x CAP System Packs to keep tiles from moving which is £94.86, and potentially an Underlay which comes in at £300 per roll. Costing-wise this totals to £1,114.86 but doesn't factor in delivery or include labour costs to have flooring professionally installed. We can estimate a budget of around £1,200 - £1,300 would be sufficient for a space this size, but you may need slightly less or more.
Acoustics
Unless you have no neighbors or live in the countryside, ensuring the gym flooring you choose has great soundproofing is probably a good idea. Realistically this all depends on where you plan to keep and use the equipment. If you plan to only use one cardio machine in the garage then this might not be such an issue, but if you're planning to convert a space into a fully functioning weight room, then keeping noise to a minimum will be essential. This will help you to avoid upsetting the neighbors and receiving any angry letters through the front door!
Ease of Cleaning
When choosing gym flooring, consider how easy it will be to clean. This is vital to ensuring it lasts a long time and for ongoing maintenance, especially in areas where spills, messes, or general sweating will occur. Some people may ask why they can't just use carpet under equipment, however, we find not only is this difficult to keep clean and fresh, but it also wears out pretty quickly, especially when in constant use as gym flooring.
Tile Thickness
This is subjective depending on the type of equipment and where you plan to put the home gym. Planning on lifting heavy weights and installing a rack? Our 40mm High Impact Flooring Tiles and one of our Platforms are going to be right for you. If you're simply adding a cardio machine, then a 10mm Functional Fitness Tile will probably suffice underneath.
To Tile or Not To Tile?
40mm High Impact Tile
The Origin 40mm High Impact Tiles work in almost any gym environment making them the perfect home gym flooring option if you are looking for support when designing a free-weight, Olympic lifting, or strength & conditioning zone. We recommend these tiles for home anyone planning to drop weights at all, as they are designed specifically to withstand high impacts.
The construction of the tile is a 37mm recycled rubber base bonded to a 3mm EPDM top sheet. The base layer provides sound, impact, and vibration reduction whilst the top sheet layer provides a dense, smooth, hard-wearing surface. When combined they make up an effective and functional gym flooring tile suitable for a wide range of home gym flooring applications.
Pro:
- The heterogeneous (dual layer) construction is perfect for impact absorption
- Reduces forces with stable and hard-wearing top sheet
- High levels of noise and vibration absorption
- Underside channels make these tiles lightweight and streamline installation
- 1m x 0.5m footprint ensures efficient installation and allows for versatile layout options
- Can be loose laid making it easier to change if you need to move flooring at a later date
- Excellent performance and value
- Easy to clean
Con:
- CAP system is required if you wish to join plates together
- Bonding requires professional installation and subflooring preparation
Cost:
- Our 40mm High Impact Tiles come in a wide range of colours and swatches at £40.99 per one 0.5m x 1m x 40mm tile.
Premium Fitness Tiles
The Origin 20mm and 25mm Premium Fitness Tiles are just what is needed if you're looking for all-round versatility from home gym flooring. They are ideal for anyone looking to build a gym that includes free weights, functional zones, cardio machines, studio spaces, or stretch zones. These tiles can create a safe lifting zone, but we wouldn't recommend using them for heavy lifting high-impact zones, they are a good alternative to our 40mm High Impact Tiles.
Our 20mm and 25mm Premium Tiles boast a heterogeneous construction, which gives them a unique ability to absorb some impacts, reduce forces, and provide a stable hard-wearing top sheet able to withstand almost anything you could throw at it in a gym setting. The dual layer construction of the tile is a 17mm recycled rubber base bonded to a 3mm EPDM top sheet providing more than enough support for most home gyms.
Pro:
- Heterogenous construction is perfect for impact absorption
- Force impacts are reduced by the stable and hard-wearing top sheet
- High levels of noise and vibration absorption
- Durable materials ensure the top sheet is long-lasting
- Made from recycled materials
- Easy to clean
Con:
- CAP system is required if you wish to join plates together
- Bonding requires professional installation and subflooring preparation
Cost:
- Our 20mm Premium Tiles come in at £32.99 per one 0.5m x 1m x 20mm tile and the 25mm Premium Tiles come in at £46.19 per one 0.5m x 1m x 25mm tile.
40mm Spectrum Tiles
Our Spectrum Tiles are perfect if you're looking to add some individual style to your home gym. Integrating with our High Impact Tiles they come in a wide range of bright colous and are perfect for use in weightlifting zones where any kind of drops will occur. The heterogeneous (dual layer) construction of the tile is a 35mm recycled rubber base bonded to a 5mm EPDM top sheet.
As found with our 40mm High Impact Tiles, the Spectrum Tiles have a base layer that helps to reduce sound, impact, and vibrations while the top sheet layer provides a dense, smooth, hard-wearing open-face surface. Together the dual-layer construction makes this an effective and functional free-weight tile perfectly suited for general weightlifting, Olympic lifting, or Powerlifting at home.
Pro:
- Perfect for anyone looking to drop weights and lift heavy
- A wide range of colours available to add individual style to a home gym
- The base layer reduces sounds, impacts, and vibrations
- The top layer provides a dense, smooth, hard-wearing surface
- Bevelled edges neutralise subfloor imperfections
Con:
- CAP system is required if you wish to join plates together, these can be laid loosely but this might result in tiles moving and not being stable for heavy lifting (check)
Cost:
- Our Spectrum Tiles come in at £65 per one 0.5 x 1m x 40mm tile.
Classic Floor Tiles
The Origin Classic Floor Tile is a simple and effective solution for easily flooring an entire home gym. This tile comes in both 20mm and 40mm thicknesses, making it suitable for a wide variety of different gym applications. Constructed from a high-quality SBR rubber, they offer an affordable solution that is especially great for covering large spaces.
Pros:
- High-quality recycled SBR rubber
- Comes in 40mm and 20mm thicknesses
- Cost-effective affordable flooring solution
- Eco-friendly choice as it uses recycled rubber
- Perfect for covering large home gym spaces
Cons:
- 20mm Classic Floor Tile not compatible for bonding
- 40mm Classic Floor Tile is the only tile compatible with the CAP system
Cost:
- Our 20mm tile comes in at £13.99 per one 0.5m x 1m x 20mm tile and our 40mm tile comes in at £38.33 per one 0.5m x 1m x 20mm tile.
Origin Functional Tiles
Our Interlocking Functional Fitness Tiles are a fantastic flooring solution for home gyms. The close textured surface offers excellent grip and shock absorption which is most suitable for functional, aerobic, or holistic training styles. These simple 10mm tiles are made from top-quality rubber and provide a smooth visually stunning finish to any fitness space.
The jigsaw design means that when you group the tiles together, multiple tiles can easily slot together on any side. As there is no bonding required it means the tiles can be moved around if you choose to re-arrange the gym layout at a later stage. When it comes to placing these tiles together they slot together so easily, not only providing a quick installation but also a near-seamless finish.
Pro:
- Most suitable for functional, aerobic, or holistic training styles
- Provides fantastic grip and shock absorption when used for light training or bodyweight options
- Numerous visually stunning colours to choose from
- Simple to install
- Cost-effective option
Con:
- Not designed for heavy weightlifting so not suitable for Olympic lifting, Powerlifting, or strongman training.
Cost:
- Our Functional Fitness Tiles come in at £41.99 per one 1.02 x 1.02m x 10mm tile.
Jigsaw Mats
Used in many leading gyms and health clubs across the country, our soft or firm jigsaw mats are perfect for home gyms. We recommend these tiles for home gyms if you aren't planning to use heavy equipment as they won't support large bits of kit or provide much protection to subflooring when lifting heavy weights.
These mats are perfect if you have an interest in aerobics, yoga, Pilates, lightweights, or stretching, or if you want to double an area up as a children's play area. The jigsaw mats measure 102cm x 102cm x 20mm (L x W x H) and we have additional beveled edges and corner blocks in a range of colors to enable you to create a safe, smart finish to a home gym.
Pros:
- Perfect for aerobics, yoga, Pilates, light weights, stretching, or for children's play areas
- Anti-slip design
- Lightweight at only 2.5kg making them easy to lift or store
- Fully interlocking on all four sides
- Wide range of colours to choose from
- Easy to keep clean with warm soapy water
Con:
- Not suitable for use with heavy equipment such as cardio machines or strength machines
- Not suitable for use with heavy weightlifting styles like Powerlifting or Olympic lifting
Cost:
- Our Soft Jigsaw Mats come in at £83.50 per 102cm x 102cm x 20mm tile and our Firm Jigsaw Mats come in at £98.96 per 102cm x 102cm x 20mm tile.
Platforms
If you’re planning on turning your home gym into a lifting haven, then we would strongly advise getting a weightlifting platform in addition to gym flooring. The Origin Alpha Series Integrated Platforms, Origin Power Rack Integrated Platform, or Origin Performance Series Platform Alternative make it easy to carry out a wide range of weightlifting needs whilst protecting flooring and equipment from damage.
Pros:
- Must have for Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, or strongman training styles
- Integrates with a wide range of racks
- Creates a safe weightlifting environment
- Protects sub-flooring from repeated heavy impacts
- Prolongs equipment life by reducing long-term damage from repeated use
- Fantastic impact absorption properties
Cons:
- Requires large space for effective use
- Potentially more costly investment for smaller home gyms
- Difficult to move compared to gym flooring tiles once placed
Cost:
- Our Alpha Platform comes in at £1,134, the Performance Series Platform at £1,699, and our Power Rack Platform at £2,638.68.
Origin 10mm Underlay
The Origin Underlay is a key piece of flooring roll that acts as a thin cushion underneath your chosen tiles. Doing this helps to prolong the life of gym flooring and sub-flooring, and acts as additional padding helping with noise absorption. Our Underlay is sold in rolls of 10m*1.25m, 12.5sqm per roll working with a wide range of gym flooring tiles.
Pro:
- Quick and easy to install
- Excellent impact and airborne performance
- Offers long-term performance without collapse or 'bottoming' out under high-point loads
- Resistant to ageing and deformation
- High quality and exact material thickness is guaranteed
- Mildew and moisture-proof
Con:
- One roll size means there is no option for a smaller roll. Please contact our team if you have any questions regarding this.
Cost:
- Our 10mm Underlay 12.5sqm roll comes in at £300.
Corner, Ramps, and Edging Strips
In most cases, you should be able to take gym flooring tiles right up to the wall of a home gym, but in some instances, this may not be possible. If you have a larger space that mixes different flooring thicknesses, then using transition strips can help to create a sleek transition from one tile to the next or to finish off a space. Currently, we offer the following options:
Origin Corner Ramp with CAP System: We offer these in 40mm and 20mm thicknesses making it simpler than ever to create a seamless finish to your home gym. This product will corner off a tile, blend with two perpendicular edging strips, help prevent trips, and provide a more sleek look and feel to your home gym. Edges are manufactured from 100% recycled rubber with a 2mm EPDM top layer.
Origin 40mm-20mm Rubber Floor Transition Strip: If you need to seamlessly transition between different tile thicknesses then our transition strips can neatly ramp down from 40mm to 20mm. These can be useful in larger home gyms where different sizes of gym flooring tiles are used for transitioning from different areas. Our most popular for this tends to be from our 40mm High Impact Tiles to our 20mm Premium Fitness Tiles. The Flooring Transition Strips are CAP system compatible which allows them to be connected securely to the neighboring tiles with ease.
Conclusion
We hope you found this post informative and have a better understanding of which type of gym flooring would be right for your home gym. We know gym flooring can be a difficult decision, so get in touch with our team of experts today on 0131 526 3770 and at [email protected].
Our Gym Flooring Options
| Tile | Single Tile Dimension | Price |
| 20mm Classic Tile | 0.5 x 1m x 20mm | £13.99 |
| 40mm Classic Tile | 0.5 x 1m x 40mm | £38.33 |
| 20mm Premium Tile | 0.5 x 1m x 20mm | £32.99 |
| 25mm Premium Tile | 0.5 x 1m x 25mm | £46.19 |
| 40mm Spectrum Tile | 0.5 x 1m x 25mm | £22.99 |
| 40mm High Impact Tile | 0.5 x 1m x 40mm | £40.00 |
| Soft Jigsaw Mats | 102cm x 102cm | £83.50 |
| Firm Jigsaw Mats | 102cm x 102cm | £98.96 |
| Functional Fitness Tiles | 1.02m x 1.02m x 10mm | £49.99 |
| 10mm Underlay | 10m*1.25m, 12.5sqm per roll | £300 |
| Origin Oak Platform Insert | 2.4m x 1m x 40mm | £706.20 |
| Origin Oak Platform Insert | 2m x 1m x 40mm | £658.36 |
| Origin Alpha Series Integrated Platform | 2563 x 3763 x 30mm | £1,134 |
| Origin Performance Series -Integrated Half/Power Rack Platform | 3048 x 2914 x 44mm | £1,699 |
| Origin Power Rack Integrated Platform | 3110 x 3010 x 60mm | £2,638.68 |
FAQ
What is the best thickness for home gym flooring?
10mmm is regarded today as the best thickness for home gym flooring. However, the kind of rubber flooring you want for your home gym depends on your exercise routine. If you plan to use lighter equipment or free weights then 10mm - 20mm flooring tiles would be sufficient, but if you plan to do strength training then it will be worth considering thicker 40mm tiles.
What kind of flooring is best for a home gym?
There is a wide range of choices when it comes to home gym flooring options, rubber flooring is the best option. Rubber flooring is the most versatile as they are perfect across a wide range of workouts. In addition, it protects your subfloor from the impact of heavy weights while lifting. Rubber gym flooring comes in tiles, rolls, and mats.
Do you need underlay for gym flooring?
If you're going to use heavy-strength machines or are dropping weights, putting gym flooring on top of an unstable surface is not a good idea. If the floor underneath isn't flat, then tiles or rolls might move creating an unsafe workout environment. This means a good quality underlay is recommended.
What is the most common gym flooring?
Rubber is the most popular flooring type for gyms. This is because it is durable, easy to keep clean, and provides a decent level of cushioning.
Is vinyl or rubber flooring better for a home gym?
We advise rubber flooring based on its durability and versatility, it's adaptable across a range of exercise uses and can accommodate a wider range of gym equipment.
