Melee Mats - Tabletop Gaming Grid Mat Review: It's a very nice and affordable mat. So first, the mat itself - it's a bit different than other maps I have had. The expensive maps tend to be more like a neoprene with a top layer of plastic and cheaper ones are like laminated cardstock. This mat does a great job of splitting the difference. The thickness is a bit like plastic folder material but it is smoother. The top is very much like laminate. It also rolls up very smoothly and the grid print is very nice, clear and all around just what we wanted. It DOES have a tendency to keep the roll on the ends when you lay it out, so if possible, lay it out plat for an hour or so before play. (weight the corners if possible - we use little bags of dice) All around, the mat is exactly what I expected from the description. It wiped clean easily using water and the eraser or a soft cloth. No problems. (We didn't actually test the red, which is notorious for being annoying on dry erase though). Now for the best part of the mat: We had an issue with ours and the customer service was excellent! I bought this mat for my son for his birthday and I purchased it fairly early. With everything that was happening in summer 2020, he didn't really get to use the mat as quickly as possible, so it was several months AFTER my purchase that he laid the map out flat for a couple of weeks (on our gaming table between sessions), when we came back the top layer had wrinkled in several places. It didn't really make the mat entirely unusable, but it would have been annoying to clean, etc. I contacted the company (there is an info sticker on the back of the mat) and they immediately sent a replacement mat and followed up to make sure I received it. The new mat hasn't had the same issue so far and seems fine, but I will update it that changes. Review: So I already reviewed the "dungeon" colored mat, but since I also got this one, I figured I'd add a similar review here. This mat is awesome. The color is light enough that you can use just about any color dry-erase or wet-erase markers, and they're easily visible. The dungeon mat was a bit too dark for the blue marker, but this one is excellently colored. I DM for a large group (8 people) and at a bigger table not everyone can always reach their minis, so being able to use the compass rose to call out directions is super helpful for moving PCs around. The mat rolls up really nicely, and when it unrolls it doesn't crease or warp. It can curl at the edges a little but that's easily solved with a couple small weights. I've actually used the spray bottle included to weigh down a corner and it works great. The spray bottle works great, and so do the markers. The only thing I don't love about the package is the eraser included, I'd recommend using a rag of some sort instead. But really, you're paying for the mat and the eraser's a bonus, I'm not exactly biasing the review because the eraser was bad. You do certainly need the spray bottle or another source of water to remove marker from the mat, but that's not a disappointment at all, in fact it's a point in favor. I can roll up the mat without erasing, pack it up, and unfurl it again the next week with only minor touch-ups. I really really recommend this mat. It's honestly so nice.
| ASIN | B01MQHECUR |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Batteries Included | No |
| Batteries Required | No |
| Best Sellers Rank | #123,334 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #4,953 in Board Games |
| Colour | Multicolor |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (3,985) |
| Date First Available | 20 January 2017 |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 91.4 x 61 x 0.1 Centimeters |
| Item Weight | 290 g |
| Item model number | 4347129388 |
| Manufacturer | Evolve Skins |
| Model Number | 4347129388 |
| Net Quantity | 1.0 Count |
| Number of Puzzle Pieces | 1 |
| Product Dimensions | 91.44 x 60.96 x 0.1 cm; 290.3 g |
R**R
It's a very nice and affordable mat. So first, the mat itself - it's a bit different than other maps I have had. The expensive maps tend to be more like a neoprene with a top layer of plastic and cheaper ones are like laminated cardstock. This mat does a great job of splitting the difference. The thickness is a bit like plastic folder material but it is smoother. The top is very much like laminate. It also rolls up very smoothly and the grid print is very nice, clear and all around just what we wanted. It DOES have a tendency to keep the roll on the ends when you lay it out, so if possible, lay it out plat for an hour or so before play. (weight the corners if possible - we use little bags of dice) All around, the mat is exactly what I expected from the description. It wiped clean easily using water and the eraser or a soft cloth. No problems. (We didn't actually test the red, which is notorious for being annoying on dry erase though). Now for the best part of the mat: We had an issue with ours and the customer service was excellent! I bought this mat for my son for his birthday and I purchased it fairly early. With everything that was happening in summer 2020, he didn't really get to use the mat as quickly as possible, so it was several months AFTER my purchase that he laid the map out flat for a couple of weeks (on our gaming table between sessions), when we came back the top layer had wrinkled in several places. It didn't really make the mat entirely unusable, but it would have been annoying to clean, etc. I contacted the company (there is an info sticker on the back of the mat) and they immediately sent a replacement mat and followed up to make sure I received it. The new mat hasn't had the same issue so far and seems fine, but I will update it that changes.
J**.
So I already reviewed the "dungeon" colored mat, but since I also got this one, I figured I'd add a similar review here. This mat is awesome. The color is light enough that you can use just about any color dry-erase or wet-erase markers, and they're easily visible. The dungeon mat was a bit too dark for the blue marker, but this one is excellently colored. I DM for a large group (8 people) and at a bigger table not everyone can always reach their minis, so being able to use the compass rose to call out directions is super helpful for moving PCs around. The mat rolls up really nicely, and when it unrolls it doesn't crease or warp. It can curl at the edges a little but that's easily solved with a couple small weights. I've actually used the spray bottle included to weigh down a corner and it works great. The spray bottle works great, and so do the markers. The only thing I don't love about the package is the eraser included, I'd recommend using a rag of some sort instead. But really, you're paying for the mat and the eraser's a bonus, I'm not exactly biasing the review because the eraser was bad. You do certainly need the spray bottle or another source of water to remove marker from the mat, but that's not a disappointment at all, in fact it's a point in favor. I can roll up the mat without erasing, pack it up, and unfurl it again the next week with only minor touch-ups. I really really recommend this mat. It's honestly so nice.
"**"
Works exactly as described, no issues with the construction etc. The only problem I encountered is that unrolling the pad crinkles the plastic coating of the pad permanently. I store it flat to keep from exacerbating this, but the surface isn't flat even after rolling it with a J roller. This isn't a problem for drawing and the plastic is easily cleanable. The problem is a smaller figure can be hard to stand up on it. I have many old lead/tin and pewter metal figures that will take damage if they tumble much and they aren't as stable as they should be. The smallest ones cannot be made to stand without adding a good size base.
B**T
This was a great addition to our weekly game for about 6 months. At that point it started forming delamination lines across the whole map. UPDATE 7.6.21 Just today, as I was about to throw it away, I noticed an instruction on the back of the map, "roll gaming mat with grid facing out for proper storage." I'd been rolling it grid facing in, likely contributing to, or causing the problem. Had to update this review to be fair to the company. If you buy one, make sure you store yours correctly! UPDATE 7.7.21 After realizing I may have contributed to the damage this mat sustained, I reached out to Melee Mats to let them know I was updating my review to be fair. Their customer service really stepped up. I explained the problem I was having, acknowledged that the damage may have been at least partially my own fault, and they're still sending me a replacement. Take care of the product and give the manufacturer a chance if you've got trouble. Looking forward to many more sessions with this mat!
M**D
Great map, came with a tube that helps to not get damaged while traveling. Deploys as quickly as it puts away. The markers erase completely with water. Holds up well.
Trustpilot
4 days ago
5 days ago
