When it comes to making the most from your turntable, it is imperative that you also invest in a premium quality turntable mat so that you can be confident that you’re getting the best from your vinyl! Luckily, choosing a great turntable mat doesn’t need to be difficult, and with our list of the top 5 turntable mats, you should be able to find one that meets your budget and requirements!
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Why Do I Need a Turntable Mat?
If you’ve never had a turntable mat before, you might be asking the question of, why do I need a turntable mat? Turntable mats are actually incredibly important for a number of different reasons, and understanding this will allow you to make sure that you get the best from your vinyl. Reasons why you might want to consider getting a turntable mat include providing protection for your vinyl; to increase the quality of the sound being produced; and to reduce the amount of interference from the sound of the turntable working.
Top 5 Turntable Mats
Pro-Ject: Leather It Platter Mat – Black
- Alternative turntable platter mat with special sound characteristics
- Damps resonances, particularly from metal turntable platters
- Minimises static build-up on the mat
- Less 'slip' effect than a typical felt mat
When it comes to quality turntable mats, the Pro-Ject Leather Platter Mat is a good choice for many people. This simplistically designed turntable mat is the most expensive on our list of turntable mats at $59, although with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon from past customers, it is still safe to say that you can expect food things from this mat. It is also suitable for DJs, making it a potentially versatile turntable mat for you to consider.
Acrylic Turntable Mat – Green Lit – LP Slipmat
- Acrylic Turntable Mat for Optimal Soundstage & Clarity - Deemed by LP enthusiasts as one of the best options for turntable platters as the material is virtually the same as a vinyl record, this acrylic turntable record slipmat more effectively couples the record with the playing surface. The Hudson HiFi Acrylic Record Player Mat allows for better performance and sound quality
- A Stylish Vinyl Platter Upgrade - Our audiophile grade turntable clear platter mat is made from precision CNC'd acrylic material, and thoughtfully designed to serve as an appealing accessory to your sound system. All thanks to the reflective green edge of the turntable slipmat, every spin and every listening experience is even aesthetically satisfying
- Acrylic Record Slipmat Built for Better Sound - Do your record collection justice and upgrade to our acrylic record turntable mat. Unlike the traditional vinyl cork mat, leather turntable mat, or felt anti static slipmat, acrylic LP pads are far better at controlling resonance generated by the stylus scrubbing in the record groove, and thus providing excellent static and resonance control, a flat & even record contact, and overall better playback
- Designed in NY for Every LP Enthusiast - Made compliant with RIAA standards and housed in a secure scratch-resistant packaging, our acrylic vinyl slipmat is also designed with a label recess to ensure record stays flat during playback. While this can also be used as an anti skate test record, we also have vinyl cork mat, acrylic turntable mat, cork rubber turntable mat & Swiss leather platter mats, to satisfy your LP-loving heart's desires
- High Fidelity Audio Accessories for Elevated Listening Experience - Our products are the result of a close collaboration between musicians, engineers, producers, designers, and Hi-Fi enthusiasts. Our turntable platter mats and the rest of our offerings aim to share the passion for music NYC instilled in us to all fellow audiophiles worldwide.
Priced at $22.50, this is one of the slightly more expensive turntable mats on our list of the best turntable mats, but with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 790 past customers, you can be fairly certain that you’ll be getting a premium quality product when you choose this one.
The acrylic turntable mat comes in to bright colors – orange and yellow – and helps to provide a superior bass while also being able to enhance the sound of mid range audio too. The record label recess which is found in the center of the mat is designed to ensure that records don’t slip as frequently and the team offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, meaning that if you aren’t entirely thrilled with the quality of the mat, you can get a full refund.
Cork Turntable Mat for Vinyl LP Record Deck Platter
- improves turntable sound quality with dampening characteristics of cork + rubber
- combines the best characteristics of cork mats and rubber mats
- more grip, less slippage, more accurate timing
- not recommended for DJ usage
- more static resistant than standard felt record mats
If you’re looking for an affordable and durable turntable mat that can provide you with what you require for protecting your vinyl and enhancing the sound quality, then this could be a suitable option for you to consider. The Cork Turntable Mat has achieved an average rating from over 50 past buyers on Amazon of 4.6 out of 5 stars and is great for numerous different applications. Namely, this turntable mat is particularly good for providing great anti static properties and grip, which makes it of notable benefit for use with metal platters and vinyl disks; however, it should be noted that it may not be so suitable for other types of platters. Furthermore, there is a slight risk of this turntable mat scratching the record itself if it is not maintained and carefully checked prior to use every time.
Premium Leather Deer Hide Turntable Mat
- Significant reduction in static and dust
- Dampens resonance from metal turntable platters
- Enhances bass response
- Individually hand cut
- Double sided - Leather Grain and Suede -2 mats in one
If you’re looking for a turntable mat that can provide a great range of different features and benefits then this mat could be a great one for you to consider.
Made from premium quality deer leather, this turntable mat is great for helping to protect your vinyl while also enhancing the quality of sound that you will get from the music. It is highly durable and can be expected to have a long life span, while also offering antistatic properties and not attracting dust and other such particles. Furthermore, it is easy to clean and is useful in particular for enhancing the bass tone of your vinyl music!
This turntable mat has an average rating of a whopping 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 600 past customers and so could be a good option for you to consider. Compared to some other turntable mats, it is slightly more expensive, however, this is balanced out by the fact that it is made from such premium quality materials.
Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Platter mat – Audiophile Grade Silicone Rubber Design
- How Silicone Turntable Platter Mats Should Be - A popular choice among lovers of jazz and classical music, our silicone rubber record player mat helps bring out a clearer, transparent sound. With a firmer grip on the platter, our silicone turntable mat conforms to the spindle–decoupling vibrations and steadying your vinyl during play for better, high-fidelity playback
- Vinyl Platter Record Slipmat Built for Better Sound - While the rubber record mat that came with your record player can get the job done, the most basic slipmats also create the most static. Upgrade to our silicone vinyl slipmat and enjoy neutral sound quality w/ improved dynamics. Thanks to your new slip mat, your LPs get extra protection, damped resonance, reduced static load, and tighter bass response.
- Rubber Turntable Slipmat for all Types of Record Players - Housed in a secure scratch-resistant packaging, we crafted each rubber slip mat with utmost precision and the sole purpose of elevating your listening experience. This audiophile grade decoupling mat is made from a proprietary silicone rubber composite for a 12” flat, scratch and slip resistant surface.
- Record Player Slipmat for Every LP Enthusiast - Designed in NY, compliant with RIAA standards, our anti scratch slipmat has non-slip grooves and a label recess to ensure the record stays flat for optimal playback. We also have vinyl cork mat, acrylic turntable mat, cork rubber turntable mat & Swiss leather platter mats, to cater to your vinyl-loving heart's desires.
- High Fidelity Audio Accessories for Elevated Listening Experience - Our products are the result of a close collaboration between musicians, engineers, producers, designers, and Hi-Fi enthusiasts. Our turntable mats and the rest of our offerings aim to share the passion for music NYC instilled in us to all fellow audiophiles worldwide.
Our top pick for the best turntable mat is the Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Platter mat, which provides a high standard of protection for your vinyl while also being highly affordable to purchase! The mat itself costs just $15 and the manufacturers offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee with no questions asked if you aren’t completely satisfied with the turntable mat.
This turntable mat, as the name would suggest, is made from rubber and has been designed and made in compliance with the RIAA specifications. The mat includes non slip grooves when further help to keep your vinyl records safe and secure during use, and the silicone rubber composite material provides a surface that is slip proof while also being scratch resistant. The only drawback to this mat is that repeated, regular use can give a slight rubbery smell due to the friction, although this is a minor complaint for most reviewers.
The Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Platter mat has achieved an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 from nearly 500 past reviewers, potentially making this the perfect mat for you to consider!
Final Thoughts
Turntable mats can offer a number of benefits for their users, allowing people to benefit from superior sounding audio and record protection during use. However, in order to get the most from your turntable mat, it is important that you invest in one that will give you the expected features that you desire, as not every turntable mat is created equal! Nonetheless, we hope that our list of our top 5 picks for the best turntable mats will have helped you choose a mat that is right for you.