The mat that came with mine is very good. At a quilt show long ago one of the men in the Martell booth told me Alto used their brand of mats. It is held on with double sided tape. Easy to replace with any mat that is 18" by 24" It's a big board and very heavy so it's best to have a dedicated spot. It will cut strips, squares, and diamonds, shapes the Stripology or Shape Pro rulers do now.