Athletic Mats That Keep You Safe Without the Harmful Chemicals
For decades, coaches, contractors, and school facility managers have faced a frustrating tradeoff:
Protect the athlete, or reduce exposure to harmful materials.
Most traditional options are built with vinyl-coated fabrics that include plasticizers, phthalates, and heavy metals. Over time, these materials can off-gas, especially in enclosed environments like gyms or wrestling rooms.
That off-gassing raises real concerns for both athletes and maintenance crews. While these mats may cushion a fall, their long-term health and environmental costs are much harder to ignore.
Renegade offers a better foundation. Our coated fabrics meet the performance standards of high-use training spaces. At the same time, they offer a cleaner chemical profile that aligns with modern expectations around safety and sustainability.
If you’re outfitting a wrestling club, upgrading gym equipment, or sourcing durable solutions for athletic programs, Renegade delivers peace of mind. These solutions work for the athletes who train on them, the professionals who supply them, and the institutions that rely on long-term safety and value.
From Youth Leagues to Pro Gyms: 10 Places Where Athletic Mats Come in Clutch
No two sports programs are exactly alike. But nearly all share the same goal: keep participants safe while supporting performance.
Whether it’s absorbing the shock from a fall or creating a defined space for training, the right flooring solution plays a pivotal role in safety and experience.
Here are ten of the most common places where quality matting helps protect athletes and elevate facility standards:
1. School Gyms & Athletic Programs
K-12 schools and universities use high quality mats to protect student-athletes across multiple sports. From gymnastic tumbling to indoor conditioning, these products must hold up to daily use and provide consistent safety.
2. Training Facilities
Strength and conditioning centers require flooring that can support equipment, movement drills, and varied intensity levels. Padding helps reduce joint strain during exercises like plyometrics. It also protects the floor itself.
3. Recreational Centers
Municipal and privately owned rec centers often host everything from pickup basketball to cheerleading practice. Mats in these environments need to serve multiple functions. They must also stand up to repeated cleanings.
4. Climbing Gyms
For bouldering walls and belay zones, dependable landing pads are a necessity. They must provide the proper shock absorption while resisting tears and abrasions from repeated impacts and footwear.
5. Home Gyms and Basements
Personal workout spaces are growing in popularity. Whether it’s weight training, yoga, or wrestling drills, durable and easy-to-clean flooring helps turn any room into a reliable training space.
6. Ski & Snowboard Areas
These locations use mats to line aerial training pits, landing zones, and gear-up stations. Temperature resistance and water shedding are especially important in snowy and wet environments.
7. Outdoor Sports Fields
Athletic programs that practice outdoors need portable and weather-resistant padding to protect athletes during drills and high-contact activities. UV resistance and drainage are key attributes.
8. Daycare Playrooms
Safety comes first for the youngest athletes. Floor padding for indoor play areas reduces the risk of injury. These surfaces also need to be free from harmful chemicals or heavy metals.
9. Martial Arts Studios
From judo to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, combat sports require smooth and resilient flooring. It must handle rolling, grappling, and high-impact throws.
10. Wrestling Rooms
Takedowns and intense contact put stress on mats every day. These rooms rely on high-quality products that don’t wear out quickly. The mats must also be easy to sanitize between practices and meets.
This Athletic Mat Material is Trusted by Institutions & Coaches Alike
In high-performance environments, compliance is not optional. Coaches, athletic directors, and purchasing teams need confidence that their protective equipment does more than just cushion impact. It must also meet strict safety standards for use in educational, municipal, and professional facilities.
Here are five certifications that underscore the credibility of Renegade’s athletic mat fabrics:
– NFPA-701: Certified flame retardant for public-use textiles. These fabrics are ideal for wall pads, floor mats, and gym curtains in schools and recreational centers.
– Cal Fire Marshal Title 19: Approved for both interior and exterior use in California. Whether padding a gymnasium or outfitting outdoor athletic zones, these materials meet some of the nation’s strictest fire safety regulations.
– CPSIA Component Compliance Testing: Renegade fabrics are certified free of lead and phthalates. That makes them suitable for spaces where young athletes train, from preschool playrooms to middle school wrestling rooms.
– EU Toy Safety EN 71-3: Tested and passed for heavy metal content. This standard is critical for applications where skin contact is frequent and prolonged, such as in tumbling mats or climbing zones.
– Proposition 65 Compliance: Renegade’s non fire-retardant fabrics are made without harmful chemicals listed under California’s Prop 65. This gives institutions another layer of confidence when sourcing materials for student and athlete safety.
Each of these accreditations adds a layer of trust. Combined, they offer unmatched assurance for programs that cannot afford to cut corners.
Whether you’re outfitting a public school or a private athletic facility, Renegade’s athletic padding solutions help you meet standards while maintaining high levels of performance and sustainability.
7 Best Athletic Materials for Everyday Protection (& How to Choose the Right One for You)
Choosing the right materials for sports padding is about more than color or cost. In high-traffic athletic environments, one quickly learns that the materials beneath the surface matter. They influence everything from durability to cleanliness to how easily those pads can be fabricated, installed, and maintained.
Each material below has been vetted in real-world applications and backed by institutional users such as Idaho Sewing for Sports, who fabricate everything from competition-grade crash pads to field house wall protection using Renegade fabric:
1. PPI-270: A versatile lightweight fabric offering balanced strength and flexibility. Ideal for multi-sport facilities, general-purpose wall pads, and gym divider curtains.
2. PPI-370: A step up in thickness and resilience. This heavy-duty option performs well in applications where high traffic and repeated impact are the norm.
3. PPI-370 Embossed: The same strength as standard PPI-370 with a textured surface to increase grip and traction. Perfect for flooring or training mats that need slip-resistance.
4. PPI-420: Our most rugged fabric in this category. Designed for the most demanding environments, including wrestling rooms, tactical training centers, and military installations.
5. Flex-270: Lightweight and flexible for easy fabrication. Used in high quality mats that require precise sizing or folding without compromising on tensile strength.
6. Flex-320 Embossed: Adds surface traction to a flexible construction. This fabric is great for movable crash pads, stretching zones, or mats used in climbing gyms.
7. Flex-370: Strong yet pliable. This is a go-to option when you need something lighter than PPI-370 but still tough enough for continuous athletic use.
All of these materials are all made without lead, phthalates, or PFAS*. They’re bleach-cleanable, UV-stable, cold-crack rated, and designed to resist delamination over time. For athletic programs looking to minimize material failures and maximize safety, this lineup offers a reliable foundation you can take pride in.
What’s the Difference? 9 Key Considerations When Buying an Athletic Pad
Not all gym pads and safety mats are the same. Whether you’re outfitting a school gym, designing a new fitness facility, or fabricating custom protection for impact zones, these nine factors are worth close attention:
1. No Toxic Chemicals, Plasticizers & Off-Gassing
Many traditional vinyl-coated materials can contain up to 40 percent phthalates by weight. These additives are linked to serious health concerns and can leach into the environment over time.
Renegade’s coated fabrics are made without lead, phthalates, or PFAS*. This offers a safer alternative for indoor spaces where athletes and children train and play.
2. Water & UV-Resistance
Renegade’s materials are inherently water-resistant and UV-stable. They won’t degrade quickly under sun exposure. This makes them especially suited for outdoor applications like sideline mats, dugout padding, and ski or snowboarding zones.
3. Cold Crack Rated to -56°C
When mats are exposed to freezing temperatures, traditional PVC can become brittle and prone to cracking. Our cold crack rating ensures that materials retain flexibility even in the harshest climates. They remain reliable for year-round outdoor use.
4. Flame Retardant Exposure
Depending on the environment, flame resistance may be essential. Renegade offers options that meet strict fire safety standards. These include NFPA-701 and Cal Fire Title 19 certifications, which ensure compliance with both indoor and outdoor regulations.
5. Durability of Materials
Impact resistance, abrasion protection, and structural integrity are all critical in sports facilities. Whether used in wrestling rooms or climbing gyms, Renegade’s fabrics are engineered for the future. They do not crack, delaminate, or unravel over time.
6. Up to 40% Lighter Weight than PVC/Vinyl
Fabricators and end-users benefit from lighter materials. They are easier to cut, sew, transport, install, and reposition. Renegade’s lightweight construction helps reduce labor strain and lowers shipping costs. All of this is achieved without compromising performance.
7. Ease of Cleaning/Storage
Sanitation is critical, especially in shared or high-use environments. Our materials can be cleaned with bleach and other disinfectants without degrading. Vinyl coatings, by contrast, often break down when exposed to oxidizing agents.
8. Recyclability of Factory Scrap
Scraps from fabrication don’t have to go to waste. When paired with polypropylene thread and accessories, finished mats and pads made from Renegade fabric can be collected at end-of-life. These can then be reprocessed through our recycling program to support a closed-loop solution.
9. Easier to Work With
From ultrasonic welding to traditional stitching, Renegade fabrics are compatible with a wide range of construction techniques. They handle well on industrial equipment and reduce fabrication failures. Fabricators who use our materials find they are ideal for the job, with greater flexibility and fewer material limitations.
Protect Your Players (& Your Planet) With Renegade’s Athletic Mats
Every training environment brings its own challenges. Whether you are outfitting a climbing gym, upgrading gymnastics mats, or building custom pads for an outdoor training field, safety and durability come first.
But as material standards evolve, so do expectations around toxicity, recyclability, and performance. Today’s institutions and coaches focus on solutions that protect people without compromising environmental responsibility.
Engineered for versatility, Renegade’s stock of coated polypropylene fabrics deliver on all fronts. These materials are:
– Free from lead, phthalates, and PFAS*
– Engineered to endure impact and flex, repel moisture, & resist harmful UV rays.
– Tested for both indoor and outdoor use
– Certified for the criteria relevant for athletic and recreational spaces
– Designed with the ability to recycle materials through our take-back program
Setting the industry standard for excellence, Renegade fabrics provide confidence for decision-makers and comfort for users.
Let’s build a safer, more sustainable athletic world. Send us a message or give us a call at (920) 348-4554 to get started or request a sample today.
*(Made without intentionally adding per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, may contain trace amounts.)