Super Absorbent Bath Mat – Rubber Backed, 40x60 to 60x90 cm

Three sizes, stepping up from 40 x 60 cm to 50 x 80 cm and 60 x 90 cm. The smallest sits in front of a basin, the middle one beside a shower, and the largest runs most of the length of a standard tub. All three have a rubber backing underneath.

A bath mat has one hard requirement no other mat in a house shares: it has to stay put on a wet, smooth floor while someone steps onto it off balance. Rubber does that better than a woven backing, because it grips by friction against tile rather than relying on the weight of the mat. Above the backing, the mat's job is absorption, taking water off feet fast enough that it is not carried out across the rest of the room.

Bathrooms first, but also a laundry room in front of a washer, or a kitchen at the sink. Wash it and dry it through: a mat left damp underneath is where a bathroom floor starts to develop problems.

• Backing: Rubber, non-slip
• Sizes: 40 x 60 cm, 50 x 80 cm, 60 x 90 cm
• Placement: Bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens
• Care: Machine or hand wash