Even if you have a no-shoe policy in your house, there will be times when you need to dash inside with your shoes on for one last thing, or times when a handyman or repair person needs to wear work boots indoors. For these situations — and for shoe-on houses — doormats are essential. “With a good brush and stomp, doormats can prevent debris, wet snow and dripping rainwater from entering your home,” says Lindsey Handel, a buyer for the garden and home store Terrain in Pennsylvania.
Doormats may help with a comprehensive allergy-fighting plan, too, says Stephen Kimura, a board-certified allergist in Pensacola, Fla. “If you’re going to wear your shoes in the house, at least wiping them is going to help some. We’ve got pollen season now year-round, so these measures are important.” Kimura’s family doesn’t wear shoes indoors, but they do have inexpensive washable cotton mats with rubber backings at each door to catch crud and set shoes on.
The right doormat for your house depends on whether it will be completely exposed or under a covered porch. For exposure, Handel recommends coir; for covered exposure, she says you can go for a less-durable jute-and-coir mix. The best thickness depends on whether the mat is inside or outside.
“It’s nice to have a softer and thinner rug inside and a more bristly, durable one outside,” says Joy Cho, of California design studio Oh Joy. We dug up more dirt on doormats to deliver you a few options chosen by experts.
