I have a blue mat that I picked up to take to classes and on vacation, I think it's Dritz brand. It's not quite as thick and soft as the large Alvin mat I have on my cutting table but it works just fine. I haven't had any skipping problems with it. I probably would rather have another Alvin mat but I didn't think about the class I signed up for and realized I needed a smaller mat when it was too late to wait for one to be shipped.
I use standard Olfa blades in my cutters.