I Tried a Customizable Letterfolk Tile Mat—And It Totally Spices Up My Entryway
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
This mosaic-style door mat is endlessly customizable, and it adds a much-needed pop of color to any entryway.
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As an apartment dweller, my options are limited when it comes to decorating my entryway. I really just have a door and floor space for a welcome mat to add some personality to my portion of the hallway. In an attempt to find a door mat that matches my home decor aesthetic, I came across the Letterfolk tile mat.
It’s unlike any door mat I’ve ever seen, and the unique customizations instantly caught my eye. Knowing I could design the door mat with my own color scheme, phrases and patterns made me “add to cart” immediately. But how does it hold up to frequent traffic? Here’s my honest Letterfolk tile mat review.
What is a Letterfolk tile mat?
Made of rubber-like flexible vinyl, a Letterfolk tile mat is a customizable welcome mat featuring colorful tiles to create your own entryway designs. A range of tile colors is available to mix and match the designs to your home decor aesthetic, whether you want a fun phrase like, “Let’s party” or prefer a festive, seasonal pattern. The best part? Designing your welcome mat doubles as a fun activity for you and the kiddos.
If you’re in a creative rut—don’t worry. There are dozens of playful designs to browse on Letterfolk’s website and social media pages. Bonus: There’s an interactive design tool to map out your design online.
How We Tested It
Honestly, I was probably a little too excited to design my Letterfolk tile mat once it arrived. There was just something about the “color by number” theme that sounded so satisfying to complete. I went with the standard tile mat in white, complete with the spring green, terracotta red and sunflower tiles. I laid the mat down, dumped the tiles out of their baggies and got to work.
Designing
The hardest part is choosing the design you like best. There are endless fun phrases and cute patterns to try. I browsed Letterfolk’s Instagram page for inspiration and finally settled with a “Hey, you” design. Cute, right?
Truth be told, sticking the colored tiles into the grooves takes some time. They’re quite sturdy, which is good since they won’t come right off when people trample all over them, but you really have to press them into the mat. Still, it’s a fun little activity. Bonus points if you have extra hands to help design.
It took roughly an hour for me to complete my design alone. The pattern came out beautifully, and I was thrilled to show it off in my apartment hallway. I may be biased, but now I have the best-looking door around.
Overall Wear and Tear
My mat is quite well-loved after one month of testing. I was surprised at how dirty it got after one week. To be fair, the apartment next to me had some construction going on, so maybe there was a higher-than-normal number of people walking over the mat.
Still, welcome mats certainly see their fair share of wear and tear. Thankfully, the rubber pieces are still beautifully intact. All it takes is cleaning the tiles and mat once a month to get it looking good as new.
Cleaning
After about a month of frequent traffic, it was time to give the tile mat a refresh. Cleaning the mat is the perfect opportunity to try a new design, after all. The Letterfolk website states the tiles are dishwasher safe.
I carefully removed them from the mat, placed them in one of the mesh baggies they arrived in and threw them in the dishwasher. You can also soak the tiles in a bowl with warm, soapy water, but the dishwasher method sounded easier.
While they were washing, I dabbed a Magic Eraser in warm, soapy water and started scrubbing the white spaces on my mat. Much to my delight, the shoe marks and dirt lifted right off the mat. Success! The tiles, however, still had some debris on them post-dishwasher. I threw them in a bowl with soapy water and wiped the shoe tracks off by hand.
Pro tip: If you have a hose, cleaning the mat is a breeze. Simply spray the mat and tiles and you’re good to go.
Pros
- Fun to design
- Endlessly customizable
- Brightens up any entryway
- Weatherproof
- Easy to clean
- Tiles are dishwasher-safe
- Multiple mat styles, sizes and colors are available
- Tile mat design tool helps bring your inspiration to life
Cons
- Gets dirty quick
- Takes some time to design, but it’s fun
- Tile colors are sold separately
What Other Shoppers Had to Say
Seriously, this tile mat is too fun to pass up. Here’s what other reviewers love about its endless customizations:
“I just got the large tile mat!” writes five-star reviewer, Danielle D. “I love it, and my stepkids think it’s so fun to change the designs and update for each holiday. We’ve done a ‘make lemonade’ and ‘back to school’ designs so far. Can’t wait to see what we come up with next! I will say the Dawn Powerwash cleaner works wonders…better than the dishwasher. But the white marks still show a hint or two of ding. I get it’s a door mat and that’s what it’s for.”
Verified reviewer, Scott L., calls it “The perfect gift,”: “I surprised my wife with a large mat and tile sets as part of her birthday gift. She loved them and went straight to designing.”
Final Verdict
Honestly, I’ve never seen a door mat quite like the Letterfolk tile mat. It reminds me of playing around with mosaic designs as a kid, and I love that it doubles as a puzzle every time a new season or holiday rolls around. Like any door mat, it certainly becomes well-loved over time, but the rubber tiles make it easy to thoroughly clean every. single. part. without it “absorbing” messes like standard door mats.
That’s the thing—this mat is so easy to hose down. I never have to worry about my welcome mat becoming smelly or becoming past its prime. All I need now is to collect all the tile colors for endless customization!
Not big on welcome mats? The Letterfolk tile mat adds a pop of color to the laundry room or bathroom too.
Where to Buy a Letterfolk Tile Mat
Ready to spice up your entryway? Find the tile mat on the Letterfolk website for $75. The colored tiles are sold separately for $12 a pack, so do yourself a favor and tack on the tile set that fits your aesthetic.
The real fun is designing your custom door mat with cute phrases like, “Home sweet home,” “Hello gorgeous” or creating a mosaic design with colorful tiles. Trust me, there won’t be a house on the block with an entryway quite like yours.
Originally Published: May 08, 2023
