Most homes need two mats and buy one. The monsoon exposes the difference immediately.

Coir

Natural fibre with a stiff bristle — excellent at scraping dry mud off shoes, and the friendliest option under a covered entrance. It holds water, so a coir mat in the rain stays damp and eventually rots at the backing.

Rubber and PVC

Waterproof, quick to rinse, and unbothered by standing water. Less effective at scraping fine dust, which is why a rubber mat outside and a fabric mat inside works better than either alone.

Placement

• Outside the door — rubber or PVC-backed coir under a covered landing.
• Inside the door — a low-profile fabric mat that catches what the first mat missed.

Cleaning

Shake and brush coir; never machine-wash it. Rinse rubber mats with a hose and dry both sides before laying them back, or the floor underneath stains.

Thickness at the door

Measure the gap under your door before buying. A mat thicker than the gap jams the door — the ultra-thin listings on this site exist for exactly that reason.