Well I got a nice surprise yesterday - I had asked my friend to pick up another full side horse mat for me so I could make it into a long rectangle for my ironing board - she went to pick it up at the shop and it was half the price of the one we got about 6 months ago....$20 vs $40! My lucky day!
I recognize it might not feel quite as dense as the much more expensive gray felted ones, but it's good enough for me. It does make a difference in how things press. Very worthwhile investment on my part...