I have tried several different brands of mats then saw an ad for an Alvin cutting and drawing mat. It is thicker than the others, self healing and great for cutting. I could not believe the difference in how much better my rotary cutter works. Haven't changed a blade in over 6 months.
Look up Alvin mats on the net. I got mine at Hancocks on sale and would not trade it for all the others. Of course there's different sizes and mine is clear. Check different sites, several I looked at were very expensive but I believe mine was twenty four dollars for a 24" by 36"
Doris1334