Grounding Mats: Which Side Is Up?
It’s essential you are using your grounding mat correctly to experience the full grounding benefits the mat has to offer. Knowing which side of the grounding mat to use is critical. This is because both sides of the mat are not the same unless you are using a double-sided grounding mat in which both sides are conductive.
Understanding which side up your grounding mat should be will ensure your body is directly touching the conductive side of the mat, not the wrong, non-conductive side! Conductivity is essential to be able to successfully transfer energy from the grounding mat to your body.
Without the conductivity element, the grounding mat would just be any ordinary mat. That’s why in this article, you’ll learn which side of the grounding mat to use to receive optimal grounding benefits to live a more balanced, healthy lifestyle.
Conductive Side of the Mat Should Face Upwards
The top conductive layer of a grounding mat is made of PU (polyurethane) leather. Leather is a great conductor which explains why the leather side of the mat should be facing upwards.
This is to ensure your body has direct contact with a conductive material that can effectively transfer the electrons from the mat into your body. In other words, if the conductive leather surface was facing the ground on the bottom then the electrons would simply be directed toward the floor.
A good way to tell if the mat is right-sight up is the cord where you connect the mat to a nearby grounding port should be facing upwards, not underneath the mat touching the floor.
Non-Slip Bottom Helps Mat Stay in Place
The bottom layer of the grounding mat that touches the floor is a non-slip, non-conductive material often made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) closed-cell foam. The no-skid design ensures people don’t easily slip and fall when using the grounding mat.
Another way to ensure you have the right, non-conductive side of the mat on the bottom is the bottom of the mat should not have the cord attachment feature. Again, this will be found on the top, conductive side of the mat.
What are Double – Sided Grounding Mats
While most grounding mats today have a conductive top side and then a non-conductive bottom side, some of the latest grounding mats today have a double-sided design in which both sides of the mat are conductive. This enables the individual to successfully ground outdoors, without a cord, thanks to both sides of the double-side mat being conductive.
Therefore, if you are considering purchasing a grounding mat, carefully consider if you want a single-sided or double-sided grounding mat. If you think you may want to use your mat both indoors and outdoors, consider a double-sided grounding mat so you can ground wherever, whenever.
