Know what you are looking for.
It’s not about how the mat feels, it’s about how YOU feel.
There is a lot of fluffy talk about how “plush” or “buoyant” a mat is, with emphasis on thickness and softness. WE focus on how YOU feel after standing for an extended time, NOT your first impression of how a mat feels*. SmartCells anti-fatigue technology is based on valid, time-tested research, not emotional market-tested buzz words. More Info, below.
*Fatigue from standing is generally able to be measured after standing for at least 20 minutes, so the idea of choosing a mat based on stepping on to it for a few seconds is a misguided exercise (especially if all you are looking for is soft and squishy)
Softer isn’t better.
If your reasoning is “I want something soft and squishy”, we respectfully suggest that you are missing the important stuff. Marketers who prey on consumer’s emotions and lack of information promote “softer is better” products, and you pay the price. Find out more, below.
SmartCells® Anti-Fatigue Cushioning Technology
SmartCells® is a new generation of cushioning technology for standing workers. Its structure provides a stable surface supported by rubber cells that soften in response to surface activity. SmartCells® get softer as compressed, not harder like products made of foam, without bottoming out. SmartCells® also recover/rebound more rapidly than most foam resulting in an energizing responsiveness not found in other anti-fatigue matting.
Go to How it Works
Visit our Products page for exact product specifications. Products in this category include:
Softer is Not Always Better
Watch the Video: Is Softer Anti-Fatigue Matting Better?
Question: If standing on a soft surface is good, why not have workers stand on any surface that feels soft and squishy?
Answer: An overly soft surface can cause more fatigue because it requires more effort to maintain a balanced position (like walking on sand or standing on a mattress).
Foam hardens under pressure
Gel just squishes out of the way
Typical Foam Mats
Foam gets harder as it is compressed, and foam mats and runners can easily bottom out, especially as they break down (which foam can do quite readily). So it is not uncommon to see foam mats and runners stacked up as they lose their “cushion” and what little responsiveness they may have once exhibited. Not only is this a waste of money, but in this condition they also become trip hazards.
To mask the function and appearance of broken-down foam, many foam mats and runners are covered with a stiff vinyl “hard” cover. This “draped top” cover often extends beyond the edges of the foam as an edge piece. This stiff vinyl edge can be easily bent and broken creating exposed edges and additional tripping hazards.
SmartCells® are made of rubber and designed to become softer as they are compressed. SmartCells® will not bottom out (the exact opposite of foam), and the built-in molded rubber edges will not curl or break (8 year warranty on all SmartCells® products)
9 Elements of the Optimal Anti-Fatigue Mat
New generation technology is based on ergonomic research. The optimal surface for standing is a combination of elements.
The latest research has formed the basis for SATECH’s design for SmartCells anti-fatigue technology. Research shows that the best possible health and safety solution for an anti-fatigue surface is a combination of critical elements working in concert; not simply a softer mat. To effectively reduce fatigue from prolonged standing, the mat surface must provide an optimal degree of firmness. It must create some instability to encourage small postural movements, yet it must not be so soft that it creates an unstable condition that causes muscles to work more than necessary to maintain a standing position. The mat must also provide stability to ensure secure footing, and still cushion adequately under pressure. SmartCells function like a spring to return energy. SmartCells technology has been designed to be “in-phase” with the movements of the body, providing a remarkable anti-fatigue characteristic that actually helps every subtle and overt movement involved in standing or walking work compared to other surfaces. This is true anti-fatigue technology.
How it Works:
Watch the Video: In-Phase Response Anti-Fatigue Mat
Stable top surface supported by unstable cellular structures that become softer when they are compressed without bottoming out.
Phase 1: Compression / Absorption
SmartCells are designed to collapse with pressure from standing, shifting, walking or the impact of a fall, cushioning the activity and absorbing the impact energy.
After reaching a “critical threshold” the cell walls collapse laterally, without bottoming out, as impact energy and pressure is cushioned and absorbed, reducing force vectors back toward the body.
SmartCells get softer as force is applied and remain in this
cushioned “sweet spot” for as long as the pressure remains.
Phase 2: Active Rebound / Release of Energy
As the cells collapse, impact energy is effectively
dissipated and partially stored in the collapsed cells.
When pressure is decreased (shifting weight, stepping,
walking), the resilient rubber material and SmartCells
structure work in concert to actively rebound in-phase
with body movements, releasing their stored energy,
much like the stored energy in a spring.
The accumulated effect of the cushioning and rebounding
cells can reduce overall fatigue and pain, two major detractors to productivity.
Important Comparative Notes on Foam Mats
1. As pressure increases, foam gets harder and easily bottoms out at the very point where SmartCells get softer. The more foam is compressed, the less energy is absorbed, causing impact forces to be re-directed back into the body, and can increase accumulative discomfort and injuries.
2. Generally, if foam is compressed more that about 50% of its height, it tends to act as if it is bottomed out. This is why foam-based products compete to be “plusher” or “thicker”. In the process they also become unstable and overly soft, and can increase muscular fatigue and the likelihood of injury. Foam tends to return to its original shape in a passive manner. Often referred to as “memory” foam, it slowly returns to its original shape, assuming its cell structures have not ruptured (in which case they don’t respond at all). SmartCells, on the other hand are highly responsive and “in phase” with worker movements, and will not bottom out.
Watch the Video: Slow Response of Foam Mats
The Phase 1 and Phase 2 processes are integrated and optimized to provide a critical balance of stability and instability, support and cushioning, shock attenuation and resilience, as well as uncommon durability and value.
