If you’re tempted to use a rental portable dance floor, understand there are significant advantages to using a floor that you buy. Not only is the price over the long run better, but you’ll always have access to the exact size and style of flooring materials that you want.

And because the options for flooring designs are so versatile, you can be certain to find just the right choice for your needs. Here is some key information, breaking down the choices available.

Carpet safe tile. If you’re placing a tile over the top of carpet, you need a product that will not slide as people are dancing on it. A raised plastic base with a vinyl surface top layer is a smart choice for this use case.

Always try to use a large overall coverage area for the portable dance floor over the top of carpet. Bigger floors and coverage areas will yield better results than small floors, as the larger floor will stay in place better without sliding.

For a temporary dance floor, you need a product that will not damage the carpet. It should be free of sharp edges or sharp parts on the lower edge of the tile.

The most durable and well-constructed portable dance floor on the market, the MaxTile Portable dance flooring system is manufactured by Greatmats in the USA. Interlocking, 1x1 foot tiles require no adhesive or sub-floor prep to install. Simply lock these tiles together with our convenient hook and loop design. These tiles are built for repeated installations and will not get loose or break with repeated uses.

These portable dance floor tiles are beautiful. A rugged vinyl surface is inlaid in a rugged plastic base. This keeps the surface of your floor up from the ground which provides excellent drainage and airflow. This is great for temporary outdoor applications.

Available in a variety of beautiful wood-grain or stone looks, these tiles will transform your Community Center, Church, or Banquet Hall into a gorgeous recreational area. These tiles are simple to put together and take apart. They can be left in squares of nine tiles to make installation even faster the next time. Impervious to water and extremely scratch-resistant, they are an excellent tile for a variety of applications including weddings and dances.

Tile kits. When you just need a small coverage area in the portable dance floor, the smartest choice is a kit. The kit will have all of the parts you need to assemble a floor with a specific coverage size, which is appropriate for use at home.

A common kit size is 3x3 feet, which you’ll assemble with tiles using interlocking edges. The kit often will have border pieces as well, providing the perfect finished look, as well as creating a ramped edge to limit the chances of tripping.

Some kits have a beautiful faux wood finish, which is nice for a variety of use cases. And a kit typically will have a cheap price versus trying to create a larger floor from various pieces, giving you a good value when you only need a limited size for tap or ballet practice at home.

Sprung floor. When you need a higher quality of portable dance floor, it’s tough to make a better choice than sprung flooring.

A sprung floor uses foam pads built into the interior of the flooring, which gives dancers some cushioning. As they perform leaps or other dance moves, landings will be easier on their joints with the give found in this design of floor.

Additionally, the quality of this floor is extremely high. The individual tiles fit together perfectly, sliding into one another, so they will remain connected, even when placed under stress.

The build quality eliminates the chances of finding dead spots on the floor. A dancer who unexpectedly hits a dead spot could stumble or trip, resulting in a potential injury. The mix of a stable wood top with cushioning built in the interior gives you peace of mind for keeping dancers healthy and safe.

Most of these systems are designed for installation under a marley floor.

Outdoor flooring. When you want a portable dance floor that will work for outdoor use, look for tiles that provide a raised plastic base. This allows air to flow underneath the flooring, preventing the grass from being crushed. You just have to remember to disassemble the tiles after using them, or the grass will not survive.

Look for a relatively flat area to put together a dance floor outdoors for an anniversary, wedding, or other type of celebration. The area should be dry, so the flooring pieces don’t sink into the ground.

In many cases, it's wise to include a layer of plywood under an outdoor dance flooring system to both increase the ease of installation and keep your portable dance floor as flat as possible for safety.

Rolls of flooring. When you need to cover a large area quickly with a portable dance floor, a roll of vinyl flooring is the best choice. You’ll reduce the number of seams in the floor by using large sections, which creates a beautiful look while also reducing any tripping hazard.

Rolls of vinyl work nicely for any type of dance practice, including tap, modern, and ballet. The vinyl is thin, but some are still is able to stand up to multiple types of dance shoes people will be wearing. You just need a firm surface under the roll to ensure stability for the dancers.

Although a full roll can be heavy, sometimes requiring special equipment to move it, it’s the most cost efficient method of creating a dance floor quickly in any area. Custom cut and pre-sized lengths marley vinyl rolls are also available.

Portable dance floor guide. If you’d like more information, click the links in our guide. We have put together several ideas, testimonials, and videos to help you make the best decision for your dancers’ needs.