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Best Placemat Sets

Updated September 2021
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
U'Artlines Crossweave Woven Vinyl Placemat Set
U'Artlines
Crossweave Woven Vinyl Placemat Set
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Bottom Line

These placemats score top marks for their versatile combination of style and functionality that works for just about any occasion.

Pros

We love how the attractive and elegant design is easy to dress up or down, depending on your needs. Tightly woven vinyl is durable and does a good job of protecting surfaces from scratches, rings, and heat. Reversible pattern. Easy to clean. Available in a variety of colors and patterns.

Cons

Not completely spill-proof.

Best Bang for the Buck
ARTAND Heat Resistant PVC Placemat Set
ARTAND
Heat Resistant PVC Placemat Set
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Bottom Line

In terms of versatility and durability, these unobtrusive placemats offer the best value for money.

Pros

Woven vinyl lends a rich fabric appearance in an easy to clean package. Understated pattern blends well with any decor. Holds up well to heavy use and cleaning. Excellent levels of heat resistance. Doesn’t easily slip.

Cons

Only comes with four per set.

PAUWER Woven Vinyl Placemat Set
PAUWER
Woven Vinyl Placemat Set
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Bottom Line

A great everyday option. Choose these if your dining room table needs a touch of subtle color.

Pros

Cross woven vinyl looks like fabric, but is much easier to maintain. Offers decent heat resistance for warm plates and cups. Comes in a range of attractive colors and patterns.

Cons

Some feel they're too slippery.

Benson Mills Blossom Pressed Vinyl Placemat Set
Benson Mills
Blossom Pressed Vinyl Placemat Set
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Bottom Line

If you need of a standout option for a special occasion or just want something a little different, these unique placemats are a great choice.

Pros

Round metallic design adds a touch of class and elegance to any table. Delicate appearance is coupled with durable functionality. Versatile, attractive, and reasonably priced. Easy to clean.

Cons

Open weave won't offer protection from spills.

Merca Explorer Educational Kids' Placemat Set
Merca
Explorer Educational Kids' Placemat Set
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Bottom Line

These kid-proof placemats are perfect for parents looking to sneak in a little education along with the veggies.

Pros

Set of four placemats includes educational prints of the body, solar system, world, and USA. Specially designed by teachers to help kids learn the basics in a fun manner. Durable and spill-proof. Stands out for its non-slip backing that won't slide around the table.

Cons

Understandably, the print on the world map is a little small.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Buying guide for best placemat sets

Keeping your dining table in good condition is difficult when you’re regularly placing messy plates of food, wet glasses, and sharp cutlery on it. But with placemats, you’re able to protect your table and add a decorative touch to your dining room at the same time. Buying a placemat set usually offers a better value than purchasing piecemeal, and makes it easy to coordinate your place settings.

As you likely know, a placemat is a small table covering that you place beneath your plate, glass, and silverware. They help protect your table from scratches, watermarks, stains, and heat damage, but also add a decorative touch, because they’re available in a wide array of colors and patterns. A placement set contains multiple placemats, so you can set one out at every seat of your table.

Because there are so many placement set options to choose from, it’s important to know exactly what to look for. That means deciding how many placemats you need, what material you prefer, what size you want, and what other features will make make a placemat set the best fit for your dining table.

Our handy shopping guide can help you make sense of all your placemat set options so you can find the perfect set for your home. We’ve also included several specific product suggestions to take all the hassle out of shopping.

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Using different shaped plates and placemats can create an interesting contrast for your table settings. For example, set a round plate on a square placemat or a square plate on a round placemat.

Key considerations

Number of placemats

Placemat sets all contain at least two placemats, but some offer as many 12. When you’re buying a placemat set, it helps to consider how you plan to use them. If you’re purchasing a set for everyday use, you only need one placemat for every member of your household.

However, if you plan to use your placemat set for more formal occasions, such as dinner parties and holiday dinners, you’ll likely need more. A set with 12 placemats may be sufficient for most special events, but if you have a particularly large extended family that you regularly host for sit-down dinners, you may need to purchase multiple sets to have a placemat for every guest.

Material

Placemat sets are available in a variety of fabrics and materials. The material that you choose not only dictates the placemat’s appearance but also how well it’s able to protect your table.

  • Plastic or vinyl placemat sets are ideal for casual everyday use. They’re the easiest to clean because you can just wipe them with a damp rag. That makes them an especially convenient option if you have children who tend to make a mess when they eat.

  • Cotton and linen placemat sets can work for both casual and formal dining depending on their look. They’re usually machine-washable and are particularly effective for absorbing moisture from plates and glasses to prevent water damage to your table.

  • Nylon, polyester, rayon, and other synthetic placemat sets can also be suitable for both casual and formal occasions.. Like cotton placemat sets, they’re machine-washable, and most can be dried in a dryer. They’re not quite as effective at absorbing moisture as cotton placemats, though.

  • Lace or silk placemat sets are typically meant for formal dining occasions. They’re usually more decorative than functional and must be washed by hand to avoid damage to the fabric.

  • Bamboo and wood placemat sets usually have a more casual, rustic appearance, so they work best for everyday use. They can usually be washed by hand with water and mild dish soap, though it’s important to air dry them thoroughly to prevent mildew and other water damage.

Shape and size

While the shape of the placemats in the set you choose is mainly a decorative concern, their size is usually a more functional issue because you want to be sure that you can fit your dinner plates and any other items you want on the surface of the mats.

  • Rectangular placemat sets are usually the most common option and are typically 12 by 18 inches or 14 by 20 inches in size.

  • Square placemat sets are usually 13 by 13 inches in size.

  • Round placemat sets typically have a 15 inch diameter.

  • Oval placemat sets are typically 13 by 19 inches in size.

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Did you know?
Many manufacturers sell table runners, napkins, and other linens that match their placemat sets for a fully coordinated look.
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Features

Color

Placemat sets are available in a wide range of colors, so you can easily find an option that coordinates with your dining room or kitchen decor. Placements are actually a simple and cost-effective way to add a pop of color to your decorating scheme, so you may want to choose a bold, bright color for your set, such as red, yellow, orange, cobalt, emerald, or purple. However, if you want a set of placemats that work even if you change up the room’s decor, you may prefer a set in a neutral shade like black, tan, gray, or beige.

You can also find placemat sets that feature patterns in multiple colors. Striped, polka dotted, floral, plaid, or checkered patterns are just some of the options you can find. Some placemat sets even feature artwork or themes, such as a replica of a famous painting or a map of the United States.

Reversible mats

For added versatility, some placement sets are reversible. For example, they may feature a solid color on one side and a bold pattern on the other. That allows you to easily change up the look of your table depending on the occasion, season, or surrounding decor.

Ease of cleaning

Placemats are going to get dirty, particularly if you have kids. That’s why it’s important to choose a set that’s easy to clean. Vinyl and plastic options are usually the easiest to keep clean because they don’t absorb liquid and aren’t as likely to stain as other materials. You can usually wipe them clean with a wet cloth.

If you opt for fabric placemats, choose a machine-washable set to make clean up as easy as possible.

Placemat set prices

Placemat sets vary in price based on how many placemats they contain, what material they’re made of and how large they are. Most four-piece placemat sets range anywhere from $8 to $186.

The most affordable placemat sets are typically made of plastic, vinyl, or synthetic materials. Plastic and vinyl placemat sets usually cost between $8 and $40, while synthetic placemat sets typically range from $10 to $45. Mid-range placemat sets are usually made of cotton, linen, or cotton blend materials and typically cost between $14 and $100. At the expensive end, placemat sets are typically made of lace, silk, leather, or other luxury materials. They usually range from $20 to $186.

Tips

  • Placemats should be washed after every use. That’s why it’s a good idea to purchase vinyl or plastic placemats for everyday, so you can easily wipe them down to clean them.

  • When choosing the color or pattern for your placemat set, consider the design of your tablecloth. The placemats should complement the table cloth, so avoid options that will clash with it.

  • When you’re using placemats for a formal occasion such as a dinner party or holiday dinner, make sure that there are least four inches between the edges of the placemats to provide sufficient elbow room for your guests.

  • While placemats are intended to be set under dinnerware to protect your table, you can use them in other ways around the house. Place one under a vase of flowers on your coffee table to protect it from moisture damage, or use a particularly decorative set of placemats to highlight items in your china or curio cabinet. Lace and silk placemats are particularly good for accent purposes.

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Holiday placemat sets with seasonally appropriate designs are available, such as red and green options for Christmas.

FAQ

Q. How many placemat sets do I need?

A. For everyday use, it’s good to have at least two sets for your entire household, particularly if they’re made of fabric and need to be machine washed. That means you’ll always have a set ready when you’re sitting down to a meal. If you opt for vinyl or plastic mats, though, one set is usually enough.

You may want more than one option when it comes to formal placemat sets as well. That would allow you to have different color and pattern options depending on the season, such as a wine color for fall and winter or sage green for the spring and summer.

Q. How do I make sure my placemats don’t slide around on the table?

A. Placemat sets that are made of heavier materials usually stay in place well. Heavyweight cotton, linen, and canvas usually don’t slide around too much. However, if you opt for a lightweight material or a placemat set made of vinyl or plastic, choose placemats that have a rubberized backing that can help keep them in place on slick table surfaces.

Q. Can I iron a placemat set if they’re wrinkled?

A. Sometimes, when fabric placemats come out of the dryer or are finished air drying, they can be wrinkled or creased. Many placemat sets can be ironed at low heat to remove any wrinkles from them. However, it’s important to take the fabric into consideration, and check the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure your placemats can handle an iron.

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