I am considering purchase of a glass chair mat to replace an old vinyl chair mat. There have been recent ads for this one:
Does anyone have experience with a glass chair mat? Recommendations?
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I didn’t even know these things existed! Pretty impressive (and I guess the price reflects that). Looking forward to hearing the experiences of anyone who has one and/or your experience if you buy one.
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I own a glass chair mat - I’ve had it for a little over a month now. I got sick of the plastic ones getting dented up. One “mid-pile carpet” chair mat from the office store had a non-usable dent in it within 24 hours! Those plastic ones are a joke.
The glass mats are all about 1/5 - 1/4" thick, and heavy as hell. I grabbed this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K95V7X2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and I’d previously upgraded my chair casters to:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CSGXTLD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
mostly to squeeze another inch or so of maximum height out, and in a futile attempt to try and get the chair to roll nicer on the carpeted floor (which was a failure).
I haven’t had any issues with stubbing my toe or anything, but make sure they’re big enough for your space - if the chair rolls off the edge it’s definitely noticeable. Mine is very solid and no issues so far on top of the mid-pile residential carpet. The caveat is that the chair mat very much sits on top of the carpet, so it adds a bit of height to the chair. Probably not an issue, but just in case it is, be aware. 
Also, glass can be cold. So if you’re doing the home office sit/stand thing, you’ll probably want some sort of slipper / shoe.
Either way, I’d definitely recommend glass mats!
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Don’t forget the popular alternative of replacing your chair wheels with oversized rubber wheels that work well on both carpet and hardwood.
There are other threads/discussions here on the topic, if you search the board. Or go to Amazon and search for rubber chair wheels.
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I currently use this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/KAISER-Germany-Carpet-Medium-Friendly/dp/B07G2HYD4C
It’s a hard plastic mat with little “feet” regularly underneath to reduce crushing the carpet pile (so halfway between a flexible plastic/rubber mat and a glass mat). I wish it was another 6 inches wider as occasionally a wheel slips off the mat. But it’s lasting well. I’ve had it over a month using it daily with no deformation, but a bit of superficial marking where the wheels have been which is only visible when you lift it.
@kjw97 and @anon20961960 asked for experience with the glass chair mat. It’s great! I waited for a 20% off coupon and bought the Vitrazza mat pictured above (post #1).
Plastic mats tend to develop dents from the weight of the chair wheels, but there is of course none of that with the glass mat. The office chair glides smoothly now. As @webwalrus suggested, err on a larger rather than smaller size to prevent the chair wheels from rolling off.
My office space appearance is much improved. Discoloration of the old plastic mat caused my office-sized area rug look old and dingy. The new glass mat makes the underlying carpet look new again. I opted for the “Luminoso” or extra-clear low-iron option despite the extra cost.
Patience is advised. If you provide an email address to Vitrazza well in advance of your purchase, you may receive promotional offers. There were 20% off coupon codes just before Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo.
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When I had to solve this problem about 10 years ago, I bought a 4 x 5 piece of plywood and put self-adhesive floor tiles on it. Cheap, very effective, and still in use today. But if I had to do it over again, I’m pretty sure I’d spring for the glass mat (although I’m also pretty sure I’d give @KirkS’s rubber wheels a spin first).
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I searched the board for rubber wheels and it brought me back here. Do you have a link a discussion or perhaps the name/brand of a recommended oversized wheel product?
I purchased a vinyl mat but
- It’s too small.
- it doesn’t stay put on my medium-pile carpet.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=desk+chair+skate+wheels&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
I bought some because of the “hype”, but they made my Herman Miller chair worse.
Having wheels with low-friction ball bearings is not necessarily the best idea for a desk chair on a hard floor. I got constantly pushed away from my desk. And do not underestimate their height. They are about 1.5" higher than those plastic wheels that were installed by default. Especially with Herman Miller chairs that tend to have quite a high front line of the seating area the 1.5" difference can cause ergonomic issues if you are already running your chair on a low seat position and don’t have the required 1.5" of wiggle room.
All in all not a fan.
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After a lot of consideration and a decent discount code, I went with the Vitrazza mat. First impressions: it’s so ridiculously smooth!
Which leads me to the only downside: It’s identified that my office, which is in a previously enclosed porch, does not have a 100% level floor. The chair wants to roll to one side on the previously unnoticed tiny slope, because the friction is so low.
I think I’ll work with it to see just how maddening that will be. For now, the ease of movement seems like it will outweigh the traveling chair. Already, I notice that all i need to do is keep my feet on the floor. There’s no need to push back against gravity. The one that’s a bit harder to figure at the moment is when the chair is empty and it rolls to the edge of the mat.
Great experience buying though, and the packaging was very well thought out.
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Bungie cord yourself to another piece of furniture or file one of the wheels a bit flat? 
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The Vitrazza glass chair mat comes with 3 sets of clear rubber bumpers, each a different height. You might try installing the taller bumpers near the edge of the mat on your room’s low side, the short bumpers on your room’s high side, and the medium height bumpers in the center of the mat. The resulting slight “tilt” might be enough to prevent your chair from rolling.
I think that Vitrazza will send extra bumpers if you need them.
I could be wrong, but I think that might stress the unsupported expanses of the mat, especially in the center where there might be flexing. But that’s a good question I can ask the company.
A few hours on, I don’t really notice it as much and I’ve learned to “park” at least one wheel perpendicular to the fall-line and the chair stays put. Until the cat jumps on it. Wheeeeee!
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You could put a piece of carpet on it 
For folks contemplating replacing wheels - larger wheel can change the offset leading to excess stress on the chair frame, and the sides of the wheel socket breaking out. Good idea to check the Amazon (or wherever) reviews.
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@webwalrus Bought the same glass chair mat based on your recommendation. Thanks for saving me $100s (usually my activity on this website ends up in my spending more money). The mat works great!
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