The best slipmat depends on your needs—felt slipmats reduce static and allow for easy record cueing, making them ideal for DJs, while rubber or cork slipmats provide better dampening and grip for audiophiles seeking improved sound quality. Acrylic mats offer a neutral sound and can replace a turntable platter altogether for a sleek look.
Vinyl record slipmats come in many different forms, and they are targeted to suit different people’s needs.
The main purpose of using a slipmat is to improve the sound quality and reduce the static on your vinyl records. For this, there are four main choices, each having their own strengths.
Slipmats also improve a turntable’s grip on a vinyl record, making it stable and less likely to slip.
So, in no particular order...
Top Slipmat Choices:
1. Cork Slipmats
Cork is an excellent material for reducing the static nature of a record. Because of this, cork is a fantastic option for improving the sound quality of your vinyl records, and reducing unwanted resonance. Cork slipmats contribute to a cleaner, more detailed, and immersive sound.
Cork slipmats can improve sound quality by reducing static and dampening vibrations, but they have some downsides. They may not grip records as well as rubber, which can be an issue for DJs, and some cheaper cork mats can be prone to warping or shedding small particles over time. Also, while they reduce resonance, they might not provide as much isolation as thicker rubber or acrylic alternatives.
2. Rubber Slipmats
As a record is played, it naturally accumulates wear. By using a rubber slipmat, this wear and tear is often reduced. When using a rubber slipmat, record vibration is also significantly reduced. Rubber slipmats are often favoured by DJs as they are often designed with a slick surface, perfect for mixing and smooth scratching. They are also very low maintenance and long lasting, as it is resistant to environmental factors such as humidity, meaning it will not degrade like some others might.
Rubber slipmats provide excellent grip and vibration dampening, but they have some drawbacks. They can generate static, which may attract dust to your records, and their strong grip makes back-cueing or DJ-style manipulation difficult. Additionally, some rubber mats can alter the tonal balance by overly dampening high frequencies, which might not suit all listeners.
3. Acrylic Slipmats
These are becoming an increasingly popular choice, due to their longevity, as they don’t degrade like cork and felt slipmats do. Acrylic slipmats give an enhanced sound quality, and allow for better resonance control, giving a clearer record audio.
They naturally reduce static buildup, which can reduce the static sound quality a record often generates. They also give an added stability, which reduces the slipping of a vinyl record whilst it is being played. Acrylic comes in many different colours so these slipmats have a wide range of customisability, so they appeal to those wanting a more colourful addition to their turntable.
For some uses (eg for DJs) acrylic slipmats can be too smooth, causing records to slip during playback, especially on turntables with lightweight platters. Unlike cork or rubber, they don’t provide much vibration dampening, which may lead to unwanted resonance on metal platters. Additionally, if they are thicker it can alter the record’s height, potentially requiring tonearm adjustments for proper tracking.
4. Felt Slipmats
These are designed to reduce static, giving the record an enhanced sound quality. Felt slipmats are designed to reduce the friction between a record and the turntable, due to their softer surface, meaning they offer a more protective surface for your records. Felt slipmats are often favoured for aesthetic purposes because they are often printed with designs on them, allowing for personalisation of a turntable setup.
Felt slipmats have some drawbacks. They generate static, which can attract dust and cause records to cling to the mat when lifted. They also offer little to no vibration dampening, and because they’re lightweight, they can sometimes shift or bunch up during playback, especially on high-torque turntables. They also wear over time, particularly if playing lots of 7" singles which will cause wear around the outline of the record.
So, Which Material Is Actually The Best?
Regardless of which type of slipmat has the best qualities, each should improve your listening experience, so it is advisable to ensure you have a decent quality one, regardless of the material.
The "best" slipmat material depends on your specific needs:
- Felt is ideal for general use, offering smooth playback and preventing slippage, but it can generate static and attract dust.
- Rubber provides excellent grip and dampens vibrations, making it great for audiophiles seeking better sound isolation but may lack static control.
- Cork offers natural vibration damping and reduces static, making it a good choice for those looking for a more natural sound with less resonance, but it may not grip as well as rubber.
- Acrylic works well for audiophiles who want a neutral sound and minimal resonance, but it lacks vibration damping and can cause issues with tonearm height adjustments.
Ultimately, it’s about balancing static reduction, grip, vibration damping, and sound preferences—there isn’t a one-size-fits-all.
At Atlas Records, we currently use an acrylic slipmat. Because we play-test hundreds of records a day, we need something that is very hardwearing. We found that felt slipmats wore down too easily, particularly when testing 7" singles. This caused the risk of lint coming away from it and sticking to records or affecting playback.
Most slipmats are compatible with most turntables, but we would recommend double-checking the size of the slipmat you are buying with the size of your turntable.
