A large majority of the population will have an expert opinion on this, as as far as I’m aware, almost everyone takes a bath or shower daily.

I’ve had lots and lots of bath mats in my home, and some of them have done their job…. when they are new, and for about a few weeks after. Some either don’t work at all, or fail after a few weeks previously mentioned.

Anti-slip bath mats, for me, are a tried and tested means of applying an anti-slip surface to your bath, or shower, in some cases. When my nephew was born, we even had one that would indicate if the water was too hot.

While them being a tried and tested means is true, they do have many pitfalls which have made me decide to never use them again. One, cleaning them, is a pain, and unless you are vigilant in the process of making sure it is clean, you will have a mat covered with, for want of a better description, bath scum, which after a while, will not come off. This results in the suction cups not working, meaning you have to remove the mat, clean it, and re-apply, sometimes needing you to step on it to get the cups to work properly, with sometimes almost disastrous results. Not only is a mat not a suitable surfboard, but a bath is also not big enough to surf in, and I’ve had many a fright in my life stepping on to one only for it to attempt to take my legs from under me.

The hygiene of the things is a major pain, as they build up dirt so fast, and while I assume someone has created a mat that eradicates this, the price of it is no doubt ridiculous.

So although my opinion on mats, is jaded, they have, for the most part, served the purpose they were created for. But these negative factors have made me decide that I will never purchase a bath mat for my home again.

It is here that we move on to the veteran bath mats opponent, the anti-slip bath sticker. Having used them for the past year or so, I am pretty sure that if I just told you to throw out your mat away and apply these to your bath or shower floor now, these words alone should be enough to convince you to give them a try. However, to make this a more interesting ( hmm.. ) and informative read, their factors must be mentioned, so here we go.

Anti-slip bath stickers have been the most efficient anti-slip surface I have applied to a shower or bath, there are some I applied, in about 5 minutes I may add, about a year ago in a shower, which was a death trap, and they are still there, still stuck fast, still clean, and still keeping people sure footed while they wash.

Out of the whole roll ( consists of 72 discs, or 30 strips if you prefer those ), I used about 20-25 discs which covered the surface enough to not leave any completely open spaces on the surface that a foot would not be on a disc. The cost of a roll is very low, and compared to a bath mat, is ridiculously cheap, considering how many baths and showers you could apply them to, or potentially, one roll could last you for many, many years.

So far, I have never had any I have applied fail, though there have been mentions of them failing (I must hasten to add that this has been due to residue on the surface they have been applied to, please see the anti slip bath stickers application video for correct application )

Keeping them clean is easy too, partly down to the material and construction of the stickers, no bacteria can harbor on them, though I would like someone, and I myself may attempt to get them dirty, and see how easy they are to clean compared to a mat, but using common sense and logic, I don’t see myself trying to wipe or even scrub a limp mat any easier than cleaning stickers.

Anti-Slip Stickers vs Bath Mat - Pros & Cons

Cleaning

• Non-slip bathroom stickers are easy to wipe down, unlike bathmats which require a lot of effort to clean effectively.

Product Lifetime

• Bath stickers last for years. Therefore, they have a longer product lifetime than that of a bath mat, which needs frequently replacing as the non-slip properties decline.

Cost

• The initial cost of both is low, but the product lifetime of the bath stickers is greater, so, they do not need replacing as often as a bath mat, meaning long term savings.

Coverage

• With bath stickers, you can spread them across the target area and therefore, you are not limited compared to the predetermined size of a bath mat. Alternatively, if you are trying to cover a shower base, it isn't easy to find a bath mat to cover the entire area.

Environmental Factor

• As a bath mat needs replacing frequently, more bath mats need to be produced, and as a result, more are sent to landfills compared to bath stickers. There is also more material used to create a bath mat each time than there is to manufacture non-slip bath stickers.

Fitting/Upkeep

• The initial set up for the bathroom stickers takes a slightly longer amount of time than the bathmat. However, due to the nature of a bath mat, the overall upkeep is more extensive than its counterpart. Each time a bath mat needs cleaning, it has to be removed and re-applied to the surface.

Mould Resistance

• The material that makes up the Tenura anti slip bath stickers is by design, not susceptible to mould growth. However, that cannot be said for bathmats, as not all are anti-fungal.

Removal

• Bathroom stickers are difficult to remove from a surface, which is also the selling point. On the other hand, bath mats are easy to remove.

Non-Slip Properties

• Both have non-slip properties; however, the decline is quicker for bath mats than bath stickers.

Aesthetics

• Bath stickers are discrete. Tenura bath stickers are available in a transparent version as well as white. Bathmats have holes that collect dirt and mildew, becoming decrepit in both looks and colour.

Who's the winner, Anti Slip Bath Mats or Bath Stickers?

My mind was already made up on the victor of this small contest, making my opinions, somewhat biased, but just.

Of course, for me, the winner is the anti-slip bath stickers, but if you read this, hopefully, that is pretty clear anyway.

Tenura Aqua Safe Anti Slip Bath and Shower Stickers