Swain or Zebra mats

[NeverTap145]

alright guys i havent been on sherdog in forever, but need to get some opinions on the mats. going with either the swain roll out 1.5 inch mat or the 1.5 inch sqaure mats from zebra. Both right around 1500 sq ft. Pretty much got them to the same price, was wondering what mats you guys like better. Ive been on zebra at grapplers quest but never stepped foot on swain mat, they look nice and alot of big gyms seem to have them.
Im a head trainer at a gym in PA and got around 7kto9k to spend. Please help me out. Im leaning toward the zebra but not sure

also resilite mats r a freakn rip off, guy would work with us at all and tryd to tell us his 1 inch mat was as good as swains and zebra 2 inch mat.

Jeff

 

[Devils Haircut]

You can't go wrong with zebra, but I believe the roll out types are for home use...not commercial. Email zebra and tell them what you need.

 

[nykayfabe]

I don't think you can go wrong with either, but Zebra are my favorite mats to roll on. I think they have a little more give than Swain mats, making throws easier to take repeatedly. They're also not so soft that I jam my digits when rolling, like I tend to do on puzzle and Resilite mats.

 

[NeverTap145]

i called both, zebra seemed to be the most helpful. Im just worried bout the mats moving and the cracks between them. Swain makes gym mats to, look very nice

 

[ASEGSEA]

Nick@zebramats.com
Cool dude, helped me get my mats.


February 22, 2011

Zebra Mats Inventory Blow-out Sale - 1.5" Blue MMA Mats - $115 each*

Due to the large number of events Zebra has sponsored early in 2011, we are offering a huge sale on the 1.5" Zebra Tournament MMA Mats in Blue (Z802) that were used one time from these events. Orders must ship or be picked up from our California warehouse.
*Tax and shipping charges not included.
**Offer good while supplies last or valid through March 15th, 2011.

Call 1-800-989-8085 or info@zebramats.com to order today.

Here's how I used those:

 

[laohu69]

I've had & used both mats. Swain (actually Dollamur) are what I currently have at home & what are in the school I attend.
IMO the Zebra are harder mats &, as others mentioned, I have concerns about the seams since the mats are 1 x 2 meters. They are also heavier. I had to cut to fit & cut around cage panels / bag stands & they are made of shredded foam glued / compressed together.
The Dollamur (you can talk to Tommy there for your needs) mats are lighter & softer, without being soft enough that you have to worry about sinking in to them. Also there are no seams to worry about since they come in 6 x 42 & you tape the seams with permanent tape. They are made of extruded foam laminated together.
Dollamur also has a "home" type of mat that is also 1.5" (actually the commercial mat is 4 centimeters or 1.6") & is made out of a different type of foam (my mats are about 50 / 50 between the commercial & "home" type). It is slightly softer, but still not soft enough to worry about sinking in. The "home" mats are made of a black closed cell foam while the commercial are made of a white cross linked polyethyline foam. They may be the same type of foam, just different mixtures & coloring added (I used to work in a foam production facility & the foam can be varied quite a bit depending on additives to meet specific needs).
As far as longevity goes I've never seen either the Zebra or the Dollamur mats actually "wear out". The "home" mats are made with the same tatami (or smooth) surface as the commercial Dollamur mats so should last just as well, I'll let you know in 10 or 12 years.
Bottom line- both are quality products & you can't go wrong with either.

 

[fightscience19]

Why not go with the cheapest and lowest maintanence option? That's what we did at my school.
Buy 2.2lb crosslinked polyethylene. 1.5in thick. (usually is sold in around 4'x9' sheets)
Then buy a 18oz flat vinyl tarp from somewhere like Tarpco. tarpco.com

Build a frame to border your foam sheets. stretch out and attach the vinyl edges to your frame.
Done. Seamless, ideal for mma.

 

[AboveThisFire]

Swain

 

[JKDEastNashvill]

I've broken Toes on Resolite.
Dangerous formToes without Shoes.
Dangerous for Knees with Shoes.

A Tatami surface Swain roll out I have trained on had a pretty abrasive surface.
Great traction though with a nice Springy feel and they were sitting on Concrete

 

[black koala]

Swain or Zebra, whichever gives you the best deal. I went with the zebra pro mma mats which are awesome.

 

[Kid Sampson]

My Judo Dojo has Zebra mats, while my BJJ academy has Dollamur, I prefer the Zebra mats hands down. Yes they are much smaller, but i've taken thousands of falls on them with no problem. The dollamur on the other hand, while nice for newaza, aren't as great for throws, i've injured my knees and toes while doing Tachiwaza on them.

 

[MaileJiuJitsu]

alright guys i havent been on sherdog in forever, but need to get some opinions on the mats. going with either the swain roll out 1.5 inch mat or the 1.5 inch sqaure mats from zebra. Both right around 1500 sq ft. Pretty much got them to the same price, was wondering what mats you guys like better. Ive been on zebra at grapplers quest but never stepped foot on swain mat, they look nice and alot of big gyms seem to have them.
Im a head trainer at a gym in PA and got around 7kto9k to spend. Please help me out. Im leaning toward the zebra but not sure

also resilite mats r a freakn rip off, guy would work with us at all and tryd to tell us his 1 inch mat was as good as swains and zebra 2 inch mat.

Jeff

ooooh... i have roll outs. not swain, but zebra. from my experience they aren't very durable as they have started to show some tear. my buddy left his swain folding mats at my place and I use those instead. Good quality mats for rolling at home.

 

[Devils Haircut]

ooooh... i have roll outs. not swain, but zebra. from my experience they aren't very durable as they have started to show some tear. my buddy left his swain folding mats at my place and I use those instead. Good quality mats for rolling at home.

You have pics of the tear? Is it the foam or the surface? I was planning on getting a pair of the 5x10 roll outs...either zebra or dollamur(swain).

 

[MaileJiuJitsu]

You have pics of the tear? Is it the foam or the surface? I was planning on getting a pair of the 5x10 roll outs...either zebra or dollamur(swain).

no pics (im at work), its just the surface, but still bothers the hell out of me considering how much cash i dished out for mats. If i could, i would have gotten folding mats as opposed to roll outs, for me, they seem easier to transport and put away. i keep both of them in the garage and my buddies folding mats lay right up against the wall and my roll outs are next to the wall but i always have to squeeze myself in between them and my car whenever i am entering or exiting my car. also, from my experience, the foldouts are easier to combine as some usually have that velcro at the end of them where the roll outs do not. when i got my zebra roll outs, they gave me mat tape so that the mats wouldnt slide, but for me they still would. i use them in my garage and its a pain in the ass to keep stopping mid roll only to re-set the mats so one of us doesn't bang our head on the pavement. i ended up having to make some 50 lbs sandbags and placing them on either side of the mats so they wouldnt slide. but in the end, depends what you prefer.

 

[cuality]

We have some red and green swain 3x6 tatami at our club that are over 5 years old. They are still in good shape. Only problem with them is the red mats are a bit heavier and slightly different length and/or maybe width. Depending on the layout, even an 1/8" difference can affect lining up the mats. We've recently configured it so it doesn't matter.