Slipmats roundup
Slipmats: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Not all felt mats are equal. Here's how to choose the right ones for your turntable setup and what separates quality from cheap.
Buying slipmats seems like it should be simple — and in some ways it is — but the difference between cheap felt and quality felt is noticeable in real use, and knowing what to look for avoids a purchase that wears out after a few months or gives inconsistent slip performance from the start.
Start With the Purpose
Not all DJs use them in the same way. A DJ who mainly mixes club tracks with digital audio needs mats that give consistent slip for manual tempo adjustments. A turntablist or scratch DJ needs mats engineered for precise, repeatable movement and minimal friction. A vinyl collector who occasionally DJs may prioritise record protection over performance. These different uses can point toward different products.
Material Quality: What to Look For
Standard mats are made from wool or polyester felt. Look for:
- Consistent surface texture: The felt should be uniform across the disc. Uneven texture creates inconsistent slip characteristics.
- Clean edge cutting: Ragged or frayed edges shed fibres and suggest poor quality control in the manufacturing process.
- Reasonable weight: Very thin, light slipmats can work but tend to be less consistent over time. Standard weight is around 100–150g per mat.
- Stable shape: Some cheap mats curl or distort with heat or humidity, which causes the record to tilt on the platter.
Brands Worth Knowing
A few manufacturers have established reliable reputations in the DJ and vinyl community:
- Technics: The original OEM mats that shipped with SL-1200 series turntables. Widely referenced as a standard. The modern reissues are available and perform well.
- Rane/Serato: Heavy felt slipmats with a polymer backing layer. Very popular in scratch and competition DJing for their consistent feel and durability.
- Butter Rug: Particularly low-friction mats favoured by many scratch DJs. The specific surface texture reduces drag considerably more than standard felt.
- Vestax: Competition-grade mats, often used in DJ battle setups.
Beyond these, generic slipmats from reputable DJ gear suppliers (Ortofon, Pioneer DJ accessories lines, etc.) are fine for mixing use, though less consistently reliable than the specialist options above for technical scratch work.
Custom vs Standard
Custom printed slipmats are widely available from online print services at reasonable prices. These are worth buying for the aesthetics — there's no functional reason to use a plain mat over a custom one provided the print quality doesn't affect the surface. Check whether the printing is on the underside of the mat (no performance impact) or the top surface (can occasionally affect feel depending on the ink type).
What to Avoid
Very cheap slipmats — the kind bundled with entry-level belt-drive turntables — tend to have thin, inconsistent felt that piles and sheds. They're usually serviceable for casual use but don't provide the consistent performance that direct-drive turntable use demands. If you've bought a quality turntable, replace any included mats with proper ones.
Price and Value
Good slipmats are not expensive. Expect to pay between £10–£25 per pair for quality felt mats from a reputable brand. Specialist scratch-focused mats (Butter Rug, competition-grade products) sit at the higher end. Any more than that and you're paying for branding or custom design, not performance.
The Verdict
Buy from a brand with an established DJ community reputation. Prioritise material quality over design. For mixing, standard quality slipmats from any reputable supplier are fine. For scratch, look at specialist low-friction products specifically designed for that purpose.
For a full explanation of how they work and what to look for in your setup, see our slipmats overview guide. New to vinyl DJing? The beginner's guide covers the basics step by step.
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