BalanceFrom mats are gymnastics mats that are also the PERFECT BJJ mats for home.

During the pandemic, one of my training partners and I bought a pair of these mats so we could train at his apartment.

When we drilled and rolled on these, it felt like we were training on the mats at our BJJ gym.

In this BalanceFrom Mat review, I’ll share my experience using these mats for home BJJ training — and why I believe they are the best BJJ mats for a home gym.

NOTE: The specific model I’m reviewing in this article is the BalanceFrom All Purpose 4x’10’x2″Mat.

BalanceFrom Mat Review: Quick Links

• BalanceFrom Mat Review Summary
• Who Should Buy BalanceFrom Mats?
• Who Shouldn’t Buy BalanceFrom Mats?
• BalanceFrom Mat Pros
• BalanceFrom Mat Cons
• Price Breakdown
• Sizing & Construction Details
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Takeaway Thoughts & Discussion

BalanceFrom Mat Review Summary

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)

BalanceFrom mats are the best BJJ mats for home. They are comfortable for solo drilling, drilling with training partners, positional sparring, and rolling. They’re easy to store even in my small apartment. They’re sturdy and difficult to tear. They’re versatile: I use them for stretching and yoga. They’re transportable: easy to carry and fit in your car. You can even take them outside for some outdoor BJJ! A pair of BalanceFrom mats are my recommendation for any BJJ hobbyist who’s looking to build a BJJ home gym.

Who Should Buy BalanceFrom Mats?

Thinking about investing in some BJJ mats for home? There are 3 types of BJJ hobbyists and athletes who would benefit the most by picking up BalanceFrom mats.

1. You Want To Build A BJJ Home Gym & Train At Home

If you’re building a BJJ home gym, or you want to train in your apartment, then these mats are ideal. They’re comfortable to train on, easy to move around, and easy to connect to additional mats.

I use these mats in my 500-square-foot apartment. I’ve used them for solo drilling, technique drilling with a partner, and live rolling. They’re excellent for each purpose — and feel just as good as if I were at the gym.

Jiu-jitsu mats are the most important piece of equipment for building a home BJJ gym. So, if that’s your goal, then BalanceFrom mats are a great pickup for you.

2. You’ve Bought Or Are Thinking About Buying A Grappling SMARTY

If you’re interested in buying a Grappling SMARTY (or any other BJJ dummy), then you’ll need some mats to put him on.

I do John Danaher‘s solo drills and practice material from BJJ instructionals using my Grappling SMARTY on my BalanceFrom mats. It’s a great way to get some extra practice on days off of training.

Technically, you could use your SMARTY without mats. However, it would be very uncomfortable and unrealistic. But when you do practice using your SMARTY on these mats, it will feel much more like real training.

3. You Are Interested In Stretching, Mobility, Or Yoga

The BalanceFrom mats are excellent for stretching, yoga, and solo drills.

I bought mine specifically for drilling and rolling, but I ended up using them for much more than that. I use them for my flexibility routine, foam rolling, and I even use my sauna blanket on my mats.

If you do end up picking up these mats, you’ll find more uses for them outside of just BJJ training.

Who Shouldn’t Buy BalanceFrom Mats?

Despite their 5-star rating, there are a few scenarios where it simply doesn’t make sense to invest in BalanceFrom mats.

1. You Don’t Have A Training Partner Or SMARTY

If you don’t have someone to train with, or a BJJ dummy, then investing in these mats is overkill.

If you just want to do solo drills or yoga, you could buy a yoga mat or puzzle mats. They are cheaper than this mat.

But without someone or something to train with, I don’t see the utility in these mats from a BJJ perspective.

2. You Don’t Have The Budget For 2 Mats

If you want to practice live rolling with a partner, 1 BalanceFrom Mat is not enough. You’ll need at least 2 of them for enough space to roll.

So, if you can’t shell out a few hundred for a pair of them, I’d save up until you can. 1 BalanceFrom mat is fine for stretching, yoga, solo drilling, and practicing on your SMARTY, but you can’t do much on 1 mat with a training partner.

BalanceFrom Mat Pros

There are three main areas where BalanceFrom mats excel as the best BJJ mats for home.

1. Comfy To Train & Roll On

The BalanceFrom mats feel great to train BJJ on. I’ve used them for practicing positions and submissions, positional sparring, and live rolling. They are thick enough to absorb the impact of jiu-jitsu. They feel just as good as the mats at my gym.

They also pair perfectly with a BJJ dummy like the Grappling SMARTY. Whenever I’m watching an instructional, I’ll practice the moves on my Grappling SMARTY on a single BalanceFrom mat. It would be uncomfortable to practice on my SMARTY without the mat underneath me.

2. Portability

The portability of these mats is another huge plus. They are easy to fold and store. I typically keep one stored in my closet.  When it is folded up, it doesn’t take up too much space.

They have a nice carrying handle, making them easy to transport. In the summer, my training partners and I will take the mats out to the beach and roll around outside. When they’re folded up, you can fit them inside a regular-sized car with the back seats down.

There also not annoyingly heavy. So, if you ever need to take them somewhere, it will be pretty easy.

3. Versatility

I bought these mats for BJJ, but I ended up using them for many different purposes.

They’re excellent mats for stretching, mobility, and yoga. I use them for my BJJ stretching & flexibility routine. I’ve also done some yoga on them. And I even use it as the base for my MiHigh sauna blanket. All of these indirectly help with my jiu-jitsu training.

BalanceFrom Mat Cons

Honestly, I can’t think of any cons for the BalanceFrom mats. I’ve put them through a lot and they are still in perfect shape. They do wrinkle a bit, but I don’t consider that much of a con. If they do end up ripping or tearing, I will update this post. But these mats are fantastic and highly deserving of a 5/5 rating.

Price Breakdown

For a single BalanceFrom mat, you can expect to pay around $149.99 on their main website. For two mats, you’re looking at around $300.

Click here to check the price on Amazon.

Compared to puzzle mats, these are more expensive. You can get 12 tiles (48 square feet) for a third of the price of the mats. But I’ve tried rolling on puzzle mats, and they aren’t good for BJJ. So although you could technically could use puzzle mats for rolling on, they’re thin, uncomfortable, and come apart due to the friction of BJJ.

Compared to Fuji mats, they’re less expensive. For example, their Fuji Tatami series is $165 for a 6’6″ x 3’3″ 2-inch mat.

Overall, if you’re looking for the best BJJ mats for home that are in the mid-range in terms of price, BalanceFrom mats are a great choice. Skip the puzzle mats. Consider professional BJJ mats if you have a higher budget.

Sizing & Construction Details

Here are the construction details for BalanceFrom mats:

• 10 feet long, 4 feet wide, 2 inches thick
• High-density EPE foam
• Non-toxic, lead-free, & puncture resistant vinyl surface
• Velcro siding to make it easy to hook multiple mats together
• Foldable, 4-panel design with handles for easy transportation

I’ve had my mats for 2 years now, and they still look as good as new. That’s despite my training on them outside, lifting weights on them, and using my sauna blanket on them. They haven’t torn or ripped at all.

They are very easy to fold and store. I usually keep one of my mats out on the floor at all times. That way, I can go and stretch on it whenever I want. My other BalanceFrom mat stays folded up in my closet. I only take it out when I need more space for live rolling.

For cleaning, I spray them with an antibacterial spray or use a disinfectant wipe. It takes about 20-30 seconds to clean them after use.

If you have any additional questions about the BalanceFrom mats sizing or construction, drop a comment below and I’ll answer you there.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How big of a mat do you need for Jiu-Jitsu?

If you want to be able to do positional sparring and live rolling with a training partner, I recommend 2 BalanceFrom mats.

2 mats will give you a total space of 10 feet by 8 feet. That’s plenty of space for you and a single training partner.

What is the best mat thickness for Jiu-Jitsu?

Between 1.25 inches to 2 inches thick is perfect for jiu-jitsu, giving you enough padding so it feels comfortable to roll on.

The BalanceFrom mats are 2 inches, so they are on the thicker side. This gives them a lot of room to absorb falls, forward and back rolls, takedowns, etc. It doesn’t hurt to fall on these mats.

Are puzzle mats good for Jiu-Jitsu?

Before the BalanceFrom Mat, I tried using puzzle mats for BJJ training.

They were too thin, too “grippy”, and came apart often.

I was able to do technique drilling on them, but they had too much friction to roll on.

For these reasons, I wouldn’t recommend using puzzle mats for jiu-jitsu. Although they are cheaper, they are too uncomfortable to roll on.

Takeaway Thoughts & Discussion

If you’re looking to build a home gym — or just do some training in your apartment — you can’t go wrong with a pair of BalanceFrom mats.

They’re comfortable to roll on, easy to clean and put away, super portable, useful for stretching and yoga, and cheaper than most commercial mats.

Throw in a Grappling SMARTY and you’ll be able to get some serious training and improve your game when you’re not in class.

What jiu-jitsu mats do you use for your home gym? Any specific products or brands you recommend?

If you have a question or comment about jiu-jitsu mats for home training, drop a comment in the section below and join the discussion.

Happy rolling. 🤙

---

Tsavo Neal

Tsavo is the founder of BJJ Equipment, an assistant BJJ instructor at InFighting, and a BJJ blue belt. He’s a passionate hobbyist and BJJ gear/equipment aficionado who wanted to share his favorite pickups with other jiujiteiros. He launched BJJ Equipment in 2022 to make it easy for jiu-jitsu practitioners to find the best BJJ gear so they look, feel, and perform at their best on the mats.