As a hockey player, you’re faced with the eternal struggle of figuring out how to get the best possible practice at home. There are a lot of options for you to turn to, but one of the best options for you is hockey flooring.
This type of flooring has a lot of names, you may have also referred to it as hockey tiles. It’s been around for a while at this point and because of this, you have a whole lot of options available to you sold by a whole lot of different companies.
That being said, not all options are created equal. Some hockey tiles are fantastic for everyone while others are just ok and might break down within a few years. When you’re shopping around for these, it’s good to be sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
But how exactly does one make sure that they’re getting a high-quality product during this process? Of course, every company is going to claim that their product is the best, but how can you find out which companies are actually a cut above the rest?
That’s exactly why we’re here today. Consider this article to be your crash course buyer’s guide for hockey tiles. We’re going to be looking at what you should look for in a product before you move forward with your purchase so you can save yourself a bit of time and, hopefully, some money in the long run as well.
A Brief Explanation of Hockey Tiles
Before we get too deep into this article we just wanted to make sure we explained what we were talking about so you could be sure that you’re in the right place. A lot of people use the terms “hockey tiles” and “synthetic ice” interchangeably so there can be some confusion.
Hockey tiles are tiles made up of a plastic substance that can be used for hockey training. You cannot use your ice skates on it unless you want to completely destroy it in a matter of minutes. The tiles are designed to provide the same kind of glide for the puck, not for the people using it.
In the place of ice skates, people should use their socks or shoes on hockey tiles. It provides a similar kind of glide as a freshly waxed floor, so you won’t feel like you’re on the ice but you’ll be able to slide around a bit and get realistic feedback from the puck.
Synthetic ice is similar in three ways:
- Both synthetic ice and hockey tiles are made up of a plastic substance.
- Both synthetic ice and hockey tiles are made up of a series of tiles.
- Both synthetic ice and hockey tiles are great for hitting pucks around.
That is where the similarities end. Synthetic ice is designed to be used with actual ice skates. The surface of synthetic ice is a lot closer to true ice than the surface of synthetic ice is. This might not seem like a huge difference but it is.
Really, at the end of the day, if you need on the ice practice, you need synthetic ice. If you need training for everything but skating, hockey tiles would work better for you. In this article, we will specifically be talking about hockey tiles so if you need information about synthetic ice you’ll have to go elsewhere.
Durability Saves Money Over Times
One of the first things that you’ll want to look for in your hockey tiles is durability. At the end of the day, durable hockey tiles are going to end up saving you money over time in comparison to more cheaply made tiles.
If you want to make sure that you’re getting high-quality tiles, you’re going to want to look and make sure that the tiles you’re looking at are:
- Weather-proof
- Able to withstand a lot of weight
- Easy to clean
- Scratch-resistant
- Fire resistant
Before we move on, it is important to note that we said fire-resistant and not fireproof. There is a big difference between the two. Fire-resistant means that if you accidentally knock a lit grill onto it you won’t have a risk of it catching on fire once you get the coals off.
Fireproof means that it can withstand a flame being in direct contact with the surface for up to 15 minutes. You might be able to get hockey tiles that are fireproof but if we’re looking at good enough it won’t be necessary. After all, if something is on fire on your hockey flooring for 15 minutes uninterrupted you probably have bigger things to worry about.
In any case, those are the minimum for getting the best kind of hockey tiles. All of those protections will allow you to put the tiles up anywhere you like and allow you to move them at a moment’s notice without having to put too much thought into it.
There are a lot of places where you can set up your hockey tiles all over the house so it’s important to know that you can move them somewhere else if they end up being in the way. That might not seem like it’s important upfront but it can become very important later on.
Is the Price Right?
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, you don’t always have to break the bank in order to get high-quality hockey tiles. Of course, you may have to spend a fair amount of money to get something that is good but you don’t have to go for the most expensive product.
There are a lot of reasons why the more expensive option might not be the best. For example:
- Sometimes prices are inflated because of the name of the brand and for no other reason.
- Some companies add little bells and whistles that are nice but not needed.
- It’s not uncommon for hockey tiles to be made from more expensive materials than you need for home practice.
- Some companies just jack up the price so they can inflate their profit margins.
- Flashy tiles can be more expensive but lower quality just because they look nice.
That being said, you can spend a lot of money on more expensive tiles if your budget allows you to do that and that’s what you want to do, just make sure that you’re doing your research before you actually go through with the purchase.
Throughout our extensive studies, we’ve found that you can typically get the best hockey tiles at the middle of the road pricing. The more expensive tiles often have things that you don’t need and the cheaper tiles are usually of worse quality.
We’ll say it here more clearly than we did before, cheap, low-quality tiles will end up costing you more in the long run. If you get the cheap tiles you could expect them to last a year tops before you have to replace them.
When you get something that’s able to stand up to anything you could throw at it, it might cost more upfront but because the tiles will last a decade rather than a year you end up spending less in the long run, and that’s a great way to save money.
How to Make Sure You’re Getting the Best Deal on the Best Tiles
You may be thinking to yourself, “now I know what to look for in hockey tiles, but what do I do with this information?” There’s really one surefire way to make sure that you get good tiles at a price that works with your budget.
That is to shop around and do your research. Buying hockey tiles doesn’t have to be as much of a process as buying a car or house, but it is something that you could potentially have to throw hundreds or even thousands of dollars at.
There are a lot of companies to choose from so make sure to take your time. You might find the best option first, but you also might find the best option a week or so in. It’s worth taking the time to really look deep into what’s going on with any product before you buy it.
You can also find reviews for the product both on the company’s website and off. This will allow you to be sure that you’re getting the most unbiased opinions while you continue your search for the best possible hockey tiles for your home.
Getting the Most for Your Money
It can be hard to really feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, but it can be worth it to do your research to give yourself the best chance possible. If you’re reading this article that means that you’re on the right path to making sure that you select the best tiles for you.
Whether you’re a weekend warrior, buying this for a child, or a professional hockey player, finding the right hockey tiles can make a world of difference in your at-home practice sessions, allowing you to be more of a threat both on and off the rink.
