Bueniebabe

I bought a gingher a year a go on Amazon at Christmas, markings on both sides and is thicker. Wish I had bought 2. Friskars bought them out and theirs is thinner.

RedGarnet222

I have had both and I like the self-healing olfa mat the best. Just be sure you don't allow the sun to reach it. I ruined one like that. A very costly mistake!

QuiltnNan

i have 3 sizes of the olfa self-healing... wouldn't have any other

JuneBillie

Thanks everyone. Right now I have a self healing, and then one that was my mothers that is not, but wanted more input so when I get another one. I never find a good way to clean my self healing, otherwise I like it.

Auntie V

I prefer self-healing also. FYI... I clean mine with a couple drops of dish soap and a finger nail brush. Then Rinse it in the shower with the hand hold spray thing. Then I let it dry on the kitchen counter with a towel under it. I do not scrub hard. Just work up a little foam with a little water in a spray bottle or dip the brush in a bowl of water from time to time. Baby Shampoo works great too.

ManiacQuilter2

I prefer the Omnigrid mats. They are a little thicker than others, they are self healing mats and you can also use the back when the front is worn. They last me a long time. I wait until JAF has them on sale at 50% off online.

Sewnoma

I prefer self-healing mats; mine is an Alvin brand mat I bought from Amazon and I LOVE it. It's a large mat so it's too big for me to soak it in a sink to rehydrate it, so periodically I mist it thoroughly with water and gently scrub at any lines with a green scrub pad and let it sit there damp for awhile. I cut batting on it and that tends to leave little tufts of batting in the cuts that prevents it from healing; this "spa" treatment removes those little tufts and helps keep it all nice and healed up.

I don't use the lines on the mat to cut with most of the time, so I try to make sure I'm moving my cut lines around on the mat and not always using the same spot. I think that helps them "live" longer too.

Snooze2978

Had the regular cutting mat for years and by this time it had quite a few cuts into it from using the same area all the time. Used my revolving cutting mat when squaring up blocks and realized it was a self-healing mat and I really liked it. Seemed I could trim better with it too. So I went searching for a self-healing mat in a larger size to fit my table. Couldn't find one to fit so made a new table to fit the mat.........4' x 8'. Wanted the mat to completely cover the table. Its also reversible so if I do ever damage this side I can always turn it over. One side is the green and the other side is black. Both have the markings on them. Its an Alvin (I think that's the brand name). Smelled terribly when I first got it but now no smell. It also cleaned up easily too as I use Elmer's Glue at times and get a bit messy.

Dolphyngyrl

I have used these forever as well

citruscountyquilter

Self healing Olfa. I've had good luck with them. I had a Fiskar self healing mat and it warped even though I kept it out of the sun and kept it flat so I wouldn't buy another of that brand. My Olfa ones are both 10-12 years old and still going strong.