One of the key questions when purchasing a golf mat is deciding whether to go for a full size large mat or opting for a smaller portable golf mat.
While of course most people picture a large full size mat when they think about a golf mat, a smaller portable golf mat may offer some advantages depending on your specific needs.
See our large range of high quality golf mats here.
In this article, we'll go through pros and cons of choosing a portable mat vs. a large mat when you are in the market for a new golf mat.
We will compare the 2 options in terms of key considerations including Portability, Affordability, Stability, Durability and Usability. We will also provide our recommendation on which product will be best suited to what type of customers.
Portability
With our large mats starting at 18kgs in weight and taking up a lot of real estate, the much smaller and lighter portable mats win in this category. Portability is an important factor if you:
- Have limited space and would need to pack away your practice set up after each session.
- Want to take your practice set up both indoors and outdoors.
- Want to have a chip around the backyard but don't want to damage your lawn.
- Travel a lot but want to work on your swing on the go. I often take a 'mobile golf driving range set up' when we go on trips so I can still get valuable practice in, see photos below.
Affordability
The full size large mat is a lot more expensive when compared to a portable mat.
If you have a limited budget or want to just try out the concept of practicing at home first before investing in a more permanent set up, then initially getting a more affordable portable mat is the way to go.
If budget is a concern, we would definitely recommend getting a good quality portable mat over an 'el cheapo' thin full size mat to ensure you don't cause injuries to yourself. We've been there - and it's not fun.
Stability
Being much lighter than a full size mat, one disadvantage of a portable golf mat is that it does tend to move around, especially if you get a lot of heavy "turf interaction".
Although we have an anti-slip layer at the bottom of our tri-turf mats (see photo below) which does reduce the issue, the full size mats are still a lot more stable.
Full size mats will also shift a bit as well and this can be improved by placing some anti-slip matting or double-sided tape underneath.
Durability
Our portable and large mats are both made with high quality turf material. However given the limited real estate on a portable mat, you will get more life out of a full size mat, especially if you tend to hit a lot of balls.
Usability
One of the usability concerns with the portable mat is the fact that the ball is slightly raised.
You can stand on a thick door mat or foam tiles to get a flat lie, but of course it's a bit fiddly compared to a full size mat.
We also offer a stance mat here at Kaizen Golf which will fit a number of our 60cm x 30cm portable mats and inserts.
Our Recommendations
So here are the pros and cons of portable golf mats and full size mats. If you have the budget and are looking to set up something that is pretty permanent, then definitely we would recommend going with a full size mat.
However, if are looking at a budget set up or if you need to pack away your practice set up, then you should definitely consider a portable golf mat.
You can even get the best of both worlds! Our 1.5m x 1.5m stance mat is compatible with our 60cm x 30cm portable mats and inserts. So you can start with a portable mat and later upgrade to a full size set up when you want to get a bit more serious.
Do you currently have a portable mat or a full size mat? We'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us, we would be grateful for your feedback!