Ever wondered what the difference is between Coir Matting and Coconut Matting?

The long and short answer is there isn't any difference, Coir Matting and Coconut Matting are the same type of entrance matting.

Coir matting is often known as Coconut matting. Natural coir fibres are a short, coarse texture fibre, extracted from the outer shell of coconuts, the husk. The coconut fibres appear when the coconut is mature and ready to be processed.

A dried coconut that has been split open showing the coconut or coir fibres ready to be extracted

How does it get from a coconut to the Coir fibres we need?

Once the coconut is mature and ready to be processed the husk will be left to soak in water over several months. In this time bacteria will eat away at the husk leaving only the raw coir fibres behind. Those coir fibres will then be placed inside a rotating drum which will help them to significantly loosen up. When the fibres are loose and ready to be used, they are then split into various groups depending on their length.

How the fibres are then made into a Coir mat

The coconut husk that has been extracted and spun into the coir yarn

Once the fibres have been extracted and split into their different groups, they are then spun into yarn using traditional wheels. Now they have been spun into yarn, they are then placed into big yarn balls.

Now the Coir yarn is ready they are woven together in various ways and secured to make the natural coir coconut matting we all know. This means Coir mats are available in numerous styles and sizes, so you can find the perfect mat for your home.

Our Bespoke Hand Made Coir Doormat is lovingly hand-stitched here in our UK workshop from the highest quality coir. The natural coconut fibres make the mat tough enough to scrape the unwanted dirt and debris from your shoes.

100% Coir Matting that has been woven together, this is then used to make our high quality coir matting

Why is Coir the best way to go?

There are many reasons why a coir doormat is the best option, for residential or business over a regular mat. If you are unsure if it is the right matting for you, here are some reasons below:

Eco - Friendly

Our Handstitched and Standard Coir Doormats are 100% biodegradable and require no special disposal steps. Once you are ready to discard your Coir mat it can be simply put on your garden or compost bin, as it is an organic material it will not sustain any environmental damage.

Durable  

Coir matting is made out of tough natural fibres meaning if you maintain them correctly, they can last for a long time before needing to be replaced. Coconut coir matting effectively traps dirt off shoes before it has the chance to be dragged through your home. For more information on maintaining your coir mat prior or purchasing take a look at our Care and Maintenance tips blog alternatively, all our orders are sent out with a care and fitting guide.

Removal of Water Moisture from shoes

The coconut matting can absorb significant amounts of moisture, which makes them ideal for stopping wet shoe prints from tracing through your house! It will also help prevent slips and falls by taking the moisture off the bottom of your shoes.

Please note, to help with the longevity of your coir matting we do not recommend placing any coir mat outside where it is directly exposed to the elements. As it is made from a natural material, if left sitting in water for long periods, this will increase the degradation of the coir matting. In the event of your coir matting getting wet. We recommend picking the mat up and allowing the mat and the area it is placed on to fully dry off before placing your coir coconut matting back down.

The different types of Coir matting we offer

PVC Backed­ Coir Matting

Our PVC Backed Coir Mats are perfect for mat wells. Here in our UK workshop, we will cut your mat to the size you have specified on your order. However, they can be also trimmed down to an exact fit in situ if you have an irregular shaped mat well.

PVC Backed Coir can be trimmed at home using a sharp utility knife

We do not recommend PVC Backed Coir for outdoor use as the PVC backing prevents the water from running away. However, if it becomes wet from shoes or umbrellas that is no problem as that’s what it is designed for; to remove the dirt and debris to stop it from tracing through your home.

Coloured Coir Coir Matting

Our Coloured Coir is also PVC backed meaning it is recommended for mat well use.

This matting is for indoor use only, if coloured coconut matting gets wet the colour will run.

Our coloured coir mailing comes in 17mm, however, for the popular colours like Black and Grey, these also come in 23mm thickness. For deeper mat wells, simply place a piece of plywood in the appropriate thickness underneath. Ensuring the top of the bristles lay flush with the floor to minimize the trip hazard.

Hand Stitched Made to Measure Coir Matting

Our Bespoke Hand Made Coir mats have a woven backing which makes them perfect for both mat wells and free standing. These mats are lovingly handcrafted in our workshop with the best quality natural coconut fibres. They are made in 4 different thicknesses, to suit any area or mat well.

Standard Size Coir Matting

We have a large range of standard doormats in a variety of different dimensions. Starting at the smallest at 60cm x 40cm and going all the way up to patio doormat size coir matting at 180cm x 45cm.

We have two types of standard mat finishes, you can choose from our Latex Edge, for are more modern look. Our Braided Edge for the more traditional look. These mats start at 20mm thick and go up to 40mm thick

Our final standard-size coir Matting is our Extra Thick Luxury Coir Mat this is our thickest standard-size entrance matting at 50mm thick. It is also our most dense and uniform coir mat.

These mats are suitable for free-standing only as the dimensions can differ by 1-2cm, they are recommended for indoor and outdoor sheltered use due to their woven backing.  

Braided Standard Coir Mats come in a range of sizes and thicknesses. They are still 100% Eco Friendly

Personalised Printed Coir Matting

Our Printed Coir Matting come in a range of text styles and motif designs. To suit any style or area. #

These can be done on our Standard Mat range which is perfect for use free standing. Alternatively, you can also choose the Premium PVC Backed option which is ideal for mat well use and recommended for indoor use only. The personalized element is a perfect choice to add that finishing touch to your home. It is available in thicknesses from 14mm up to 30mm.

What is an alternative to coir matting?

The best alternative to coir matting is our Synthetic Coir Matting range, our most popular product is the Soft Man Made Coir Matting. This is a cut to size product that is 10mm thick.

It is a little softer underfoot than natural coir matting as it has more of a looped plie, than the bristle plie of natural coir matting.

It comes in a range of colours to help match to any decors. The best attribute of synthetic coir matting is the ability to withstand a heavier amount of moisture, along with harder cleaning. Unlike natural coir mats that cannot be saturated synthetic fibres do not take on water and will dry out much quicker.

If you need any help choosing the best coir mat

We understand there is a lot of information when it comes to choosing the best entrance matting and coir mat for your home.

We would be more than happy to help and advise. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm just call 020 8305 5357, or alternatively, you can email us on help@coirmats.co.uk.