If you read my post on the 8 Pros and Cons of Kitchen Cabinet Shelf Liners and How to Choose the Best Liners, then you know that ultimately I purchased two waterproof under sink liners. And today I’m happy to share my Drymate versus Gorilla Grip Under Sink Mat review.
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Backstory
In my debate in lining my kitchen cabinet shelves, I decided that there were only 2 shelves that I wanted to line immediately – 1. under the sink and 2. pots and pans. (I’ll line the other shelves eventually, but not today….)
For under the sink, I wanted a waterproof mat due to a handful of small leaks that occurred under the sink.
For the pots and pans, I wanted a mat with some cushion. This poor shelf takes the brunt of pots and pans being thrown in and shoved around. I’m not the gentlest person in the kitchen, and this shelf is starting to show some wear and tear.
Luckily, I found 2 mats that served both purposes – waterproof AND cushioned! Drymate Under Sink Mat and Gorilla Grip Under Sink Mat
These two under sink liners hit all the checkboxes on what I wanted:
- Absorbent fabric and waterproofing backing that contains leaks and messes
- Non-adhesive with a slip-resistant backing
- Trimmable
- Easy to clean (machine washable)
Plus they both had great reviews on Amazon AND came in pretty blue colors that compliment my kitchen.
It’s like Christmas came early, right? ?
Here’s a bit more about these under sink mats and the companies that makes them….
OH – and I was NOT compensated by either of these companies for this review. (I’m nowhere near important enough ?).
Drymate Under Sink Mat
Drymate is a family-owned company based in Minnesota that “creates surface protection products for home, garden, autos, RVs, schools and the outdoors”. Their core community mission to “help keep the homeless warm with our blanket donations, help animals by donating pet mats, and using recycled fibers in our products”.
Drymate’s Under The Sink Mat is made in the USA and available on Amazon:
- Comes in 2 sizes: 24” x 29” and 24” x 59”, and in 5 different colors/ patterns
- Amazon reviews were 4.5 out of 5 stars based on over 7,000 review (July 2021)
Gorilla Grip Under Sink Mat
Gorilla Grip is a household name. Based in (I believe) Connecticut Gorilla Grip sells “high-quality products that will make your everyday life easier”. They offer an array of products for kitchen, bath, office, home (rug pads, furniture covers, etc..) and even pets.
- On Amazon it comes in 6 different dimensions (I bought the 24” by 30”) and in 21 different colors/ patterns.
- Amazon reviews were 4.5 out of 5 stars based on over 4,000 ratings. (July 2021)
Drymate Versus Gorilla Grip Under Sink Mat Review
I evaluated these two under sink mats using the following criteria I determined through reading the reviews on Amazon. Call me the amateur Consumer Reports ?
- Creases/ Folds
- Price
- Thickness
- Cutting Ease
- Slip-Resistant
- Waterproof
- Washing Care
1. Creases/ Folds
One of the most common complaints on Amazon was the creases in these under sink mat liners wouldn’t disappear after being unfolded. (I agree with the commenters that rolling versus folding these products would easily fix this.)
When I removed these mats from their packaging, sure there were folds. But they weren’t as severe as I expected.
Drymate suggests that their mats lie out for a few days before installation to release the wrinkles. I was OK with that. I mean, in all honestly, I wasn’t in a huge rush to sit on my kitchen floor and install these…
(FYI if you are in a rush, you can lightly iron them.)
After a few days the creases on the Drymate mat were almost completely gone. The Gorilla Grip liner’s creases had flattened, but not as much as Drymate.
Honestly, for the price, I don’t think the creases are a big deal. The creases will probably flatten even more once they are in the cabinets have and items on top weighting them down.
2. Price
Both of these were similar in price when I bought them, and for I think an extremely reasonable price. See the end of the post for the latest pricing on Amazon.
3. Thickness
As you can see from under sink mats in their packaging, the Drymate is slightly thicker. I decided to put this one under the pots and pans since it appeared to have the most cushion.
4. Cutting
Both mats can be trimmed. I had no problem cutting either with a regular pair of scissors. However, I thought the Gorilla Grip mat a little easier to work with.
I haven’t seen any frayed or split edges yet (but I’ll keep you posted as these under sink mats age….).
5. Slip-resistant
Both under sink mats advertise to have a no-slip backing that keeps the mat securely in place and prevents it from sliding around.
Gorilla Grip’s backing (black in photo) feels a bit smoother than Drymate’s textured backing. That would lead me to believe that Drymate’s backing is more slip resistant BUT I shouldn’t assume.
After installing the mats and putting them to use for a few weeks, neither mat moved or shifted even with me pulling items in and out of the cabinets.
6. Waterproof
It’s important that under sink mats should be waterproof since a small leak can keep going for quite some time before it’s noticed. And by that point, the cabinet could be damaged…
I decided to test out and compare how these mats did with spills. Like I mentioned, I’m no Consumer Reports, so admittedly it’s not a very scientific review. But here we go. I poured the same amount of water (about 1/3 cup) on both mats, waited about 2 minutes to absorb, and then checked under the mats.
Admittedly 1/3 cup is a lot of liquid, but I figured, Go Big or Go Home!
What did I find? I found that both were wet underneath BUT my white tablecloth underneath was not wet. The water stayed within the mats. Pretty impressive, eh?
I let the mats air dry outside in the sun and checked on them the next day. The Gorilla Grip took a little while longer to fully dry than Drymate, but both dried up nicely.
(As an aside, if you are worried about large leaks, you might want to consider a more expensive, but more effective rubber liner or leak detector)
7. Care
Both are machine washable or hand wash. Drymate indicates gentle cycle. Neither can go into the dryer. They must air dry.
Parting Thoughts
Here’s the shelf liners installed. I think they look quite snazzy! And I can rest better knowing that if there is a leak under my sink, my cabinets are protected. And that my pots and pans will be cushioned from scratching or denting my cabinets.
Bottom line – you can’t go wrong with either under sink mat (in my humble opinion). But there are a few pros of each to consider….
Pros of Drymate Under Sink Mat
- Looks and feels like a thicker, higher quality product
- Manufactured in the USA
Pros of Gorilla Grip Under Sink Mat
- More sizes and designs available
- Slightly easier to cut
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