Battle Grid Game Mat - 24x36 ULTRA DURABLE POLYMER MATERIAL - Role Playing DnD Map - Reusable Tabletop Square Mats - RPG Dungeons and Dragons Dry Erase Vinyl Tiles - Large Set for Starters and Masters

It's a very nice and affordable mat. So first, the mat itself - it's a bit different than other maps I have had. The expensive maps tend to be more like a neoprene with a top layer of plastic and cheaper ones are like laminated cardstock. This mat does a great job of splitting the difference. The thickness is a bit like plastic folder material but it is smoother. The top is very much like laminate. It also rolls up very smoothly and the grid print is very nice, clear and all around just what we wanted. It DOES have a tendency to keep the roll on the ends when you lay it out, so if possible, lay it out plat for an hour or so before play. (weight the corners if possible - we use little bags of dice) All around, the mat is exactly what I expected from the description. It wiped clean easily using water and the eraser or a soft cloth. No problems. (We didn't actually test the red, which is notorious for being annoying on dry erase though). Now for the best part of the mat: We had an issue with ours and the customer service was excellent! I bought this mat for my son for his birthday and I purchased it fairly early. With everything that was happening in summer 2020, he didn't really get to use the mat as quickly as possible, so it was several months AFTER my purchase that he laid the map out flat for a couple of weeks (on our gaming table between sessions), when we came back the top layer had wrinkled in several places. It didn't really make the mat entirely unusable, but it would have been annoying to clean, etc. I contacted the company (there is an info sticker on the back of the mat) and they immediately sent a replacement mat and followed up to make sure I received it. The new mat hasn't had the same issue so far and seems fine, but I will update it that changes.

So I already reviewed the "dungeon" colored mat, but since I also got this one, I figured I'd add a similar review here. This mat is awesome. The color is light enough that you can use just about any color dry-erase or wet-erase markers, and they're easily visible. The dungeon mat was a bit too dark for the blue marker, but this one is excellently colored. I DM for a large group (8 people) and at a bigger table not everyone can always reach their minis, so being able to use the compass rose to call out directions is super helpful for moving PCs around. The mat rolls up really nicely, and when it unrolls it doesn't crease or warp. It can curl at the edges a little but that's easily solved with a couple small weights. I've actually used the spray bottle included to weigh down a corner and it works great. The spray bottle works great, and so do the markers. The only thing I don't love about the package is the eraser included, I'd recommend using a rag of some sort instead. But really, you're paying for the mat and the eraser's a bonus, I'm not exactly biasing the review because the eraser was bad. You do certainly need the spray bottle or another source of water to remove marker from the mat, but that's not a disappointment at all, in fact it's a point in favor. I can roll up the mat without erasing, pack it up, and unfurl it again the next week with only minor touch-ups. I really really recommend this mat. It's honestly so nice.

Edit: Customer service from Melee Mats is fantastic and after I reached out to them for tips for removing the wrinkles, I was sent a replacement at no cost. It just arrived, so I have not had a chance to use it and verify that it will not develop the same issues, but I wanted to update my review in light of the customer service provided. I will revisit this review in a couple months of play to see if it earns the five stars or if this one wrinkles as well. Original Review: I purchased this mat just before we went into quarantine and the first time I used it, it seemed great. I stored it according to the instructions included, and when I took it out to use it a couple months later, it had developed a couple of wrinkles in the lamination. I was able to smooth them out to just ridges, but when I unrolled it to use at the next game the wrinkles had multiplied. I have used it for less than six games and it now has so many wrinkles that it is hard to erase and barely usable. I would not recommend this product unless you intend to lay it flat once and never move it again. Even then, I cannot vouch for it because I have not been able to test it in that manner.

Works well. I shopped around a lot thinking maybe I should get a gameboard type mat to be more sturdy, but those all had issues breaking or peeling. This mat has worked well and is easy to use and clean. I might get a second one just so I don't have to redraw the map if we hit more than one encounter in a session. I did buy expo dry erase fine point markers. The mat directions instruct using a little water spray to erase to avoid staining. I do that and it doesn't stain. It comes with a little spray bottle you can fill with water. I like that it needs water to erase so what I draw doesn't rub off easily. Erasers are also efficient. If I get another one, I will buy this one again.

Perfect for my sessions! Love that it is waterproof and erasable. Used it for one of my sessions two days after it arrived and my players loved it (didn’t love my artistic abilities) and it was really helpful when navigating a hideout. Definitely recommend it to any DM