When considering buying a tumbler aid for gymnastics practice and workouts, you should ask yourself: What size octagon tumbler do I need? The size of the octagonal mat typically ranges from 20 to 40 inches in width across the end panel, which makes the octagon shape. Younger and smaller students need closer to the 20-inch width, while older and larger students need closer to the 40-inch width.
Having the right size of octagon tumble mat gives your students the best chance of having a successful practice session that’s safe and fun! Use our octagon tumbler size chart to help you decide the proper size to meet the needs of your gymnast and cheer students.
Best Ways to Use Octagon Tumbler Mats
Our octagon tumble mats work nicely for a few different purposes.
Learning Skills
Beginners can gain a feel for the proper technique to use for new skills, such as forward rolls, walkovers, and back handprints. Both gymnasts and cheerleaders can take advantage of the shape of the octagon mat for support while learning to do these movements.
Matching the width of the mat to the height of the student ensures proper body support while learning these skills. The wrong size of mat could cause the student to struggle to learn the skill correctly.
Improving Skills
When your gymnasts or cheerleaders are hoping to improve their skills from beginner to intermediate or from intermediate to advanced, octagon mats provide the body support required. Some more advanced athletes may use the octagon-shaped mat to help with learning skills like cat hands, pirouettes, and free hips.
Other Uses
Dancers who want to learn acrobatic moves as part of a dance routine can use the mats to help them learn the body movements required.
In a sensory room, students can use the mats to learn methods for a greater level of body control. Some students like to roll or stack these mats, which is easier because of the octagonal shape.
These mats are cushioned enough for climbing and free play in a playroom in a daycare or at school.
What Size Octagon Tumbler Do I Need?
Students Up to 35 Inches in Height
When you have really young students in your gym, an octagon mat that measures around 20 inches in width is the best choice. This extra-small size mat would fit students who are 2 feet, 11 inches in height or shorter.
The best mat we offer for this age and height student measures 24 inches in width across the end of the octagonal shape and 15 inches in length across the side panels.
Students 35 to 43 Inches in Height
If you have some beginning students in your gym who are a little older, ranging in size from 2 feet, 11 inches to 3 feet, 7 inches, we’d recommend a small-sized mat that measures around 25 inches in width. Our best octagon mat for this student size measures 28 inches in width across the end panel and 20 inches in length of the side panels.
Students 44 to 53 Inches in Height
If you have students who are 3 feet, 8 inches to 4 feet, and 5 inches in height, we’d recommend our medium mats that measure 30 inches in width across the end panels and 25 inches in length on the side panels.
Students 54 to 63 Inches in Height
For older students who are just starting with tumbling practice and who fit in a range of 4 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, and 3 inches in height, we would recommend a mat around 35 inches in width. We have a large model that’s 36 inches in width across the end panel. It measures 30 inches in length on each of the eight side panels that make up the octagonal shape.
Students 64 Inches in Height or Taller
We also have extra-large mats that fit students who are 5 feet, 4 inches tall and taller. Our tumbling octagon size chart shows that we have two mats for students who fit in this height range.
Both of these mats measure 40 inches across the width of the end panels. We have one mat for older and taller students that measures 35 inches in length on the side panels and another that measures 40 inches on the side panels.Ask Greatmats Customer Service for Help
If you are still wondering what size of octagon tumbler mat you need for equipment at your gym, reach out to Greatmats for help. Our Greatmats customer service team has a tumbling octagon size chart that we use to help our customers determine the proper size to order for tumble practice.
We provide more than a dozen color choices in our tumblers. You can select one color for the length sections of the mat on the side panels and another color on the end sections of the mat, or you can choose the same colors for the entire mat.
We offer small, medium, and large sizes of octagon tumblers for your needs. You can find many other gymnastics mats at Greatmats! We offer incline wedge mats, competition landing mats, and folding gym mats of many sizes. Reach out to us today!
