ProsourceFit Weaved Pattern Extra Thick Exercise Puzzle Mat 1-inch, EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles for Protective, Cushioned Flooring for Home and Gym Equipment; Black, 24 SQ FT, 6 Tiles

Why it's worth it

One-inch EVA tiles with a woven texture, sold with border pieces for a finished edge. They're the most cushioned floor in this guide, which makes them great under a standing workstation, an elliptical or a stretching corner.

A full inch of foam changes how a room feels. Owners stand on these for eight-hour shifts in a workshop without the leg fatigue that concrete causes, and they drop to their knees mid-workout without wincing. If your gym doubles as a hobby space or you spend a lot of time on the floor, that extra padding earns its keep.

Foam is quiet in a way rubber isn't. The material and the thickness together take the edge off a machine's hum and the thud of a kettlebell set down between sets. Owners with ellipticals and treadmills on upper floors report noticeably less noise traveling through the house, plus a machine that stops walking across the room.

From our review of 7 home gym flooring, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +A full inch of foam changes how a room feels
• +Foam is quiet in a way rubber isn't
• +The woven-texture surface gives you traction without the puzzle-tile look, and the included border strips clean up the perimeter
• +Assembly takes minutes and disassembly takes less

What to know

• –It's still foam, and the listing says so plainly: surface compression happens under heavy equipment
• –One inch of soft foam can feel unstable under a heavy squat or press