I Tried the Viral Customizable Tile Doormat, and Here's My Honest Opinion

Tested by Brigitt Earley

After building our house and making decision after decision — down to nitty-gritty details like what doorknobs to install — I had reached my limit. Even as an experienced craft stylist and someone who prioritizes aesthetics and finds joy in curating the decor that makes a house a home, I simply didn't have the brain space for small projects like styling my front porch. But it truly pained me to look at that drab area day in and day out, especially since the porch serves as our home's first impression. So when I stumbled upon the customizable Letterfolk Tile Mat, it immediately piqued my interest.

I was drawn to the sleek, minimalist design — the clean lines and bold black and white color palette remind me of a French bistro — as well as the customization options. You can swap the tiles in and out at your leisure to create a fresh, stylish vibe that packs more personality than your average coir doormat.

What Is the Letterfolk Tile Mat?

The Tile Mat — available in a standard rectangle or a half-moon shape — is a customizable doormat that allows you to create personalized messages or designs using interchangeable black and white tiles. (The brand has offered colored tiles in the past, but their website says: "At this time we are focusing on our bestselling black and white tile sets and do not expect other colorways to come back in stock within 2025.")

Users can easily swap out the rubber-like flexible vinyl tiles to create different greetings, messages or designs. It's a fun and creative way to personalize your space and adds a touch of personality to areas like porches, entryways, or even a bathroom or kitchen.

The Tile Mat is not only decorative, but also practical. It's made from a durable, nonslip material that can withstand heavy foot traffic. When used at an entryway, it also helps catch dirt and debris, so you track less of it into your house.

How I Tested the Letterfolk Tile Mat

I chose the rectangular mat in the standard size (18 by 30 inches), which comes with 150 black tiles. The mat is also available in a large size (24 by 36 inches). I also ordered what available colored tile sets the brand had at the time: fog (gray) and desert bloom (orange).

When my mat arrived, I basically tore the box open. I was so excited to get to work customizing a doormat for my long-ignored front porch. I laid the mat down on my living room floor, dumped the tiles out of the mesh storage bag they come in, and began the design process.

Setup: The instructions are simple, but the whole process is straightforward, so it's sufficient. The mat comes fully white, and you simply snap any tiles (either the included black ones or colored sets sold separately) on top of the fixed white ones to create your design.

My main problem during initial setup was choosing and plotting out a design. The instructions have a QR code that you're supposed to get access to an interactive design tool that tells you exactly where to lay each tile, but it simply took me to the Letterfolk homepage. And searches on both their own website and Google came up empty.

Designing: Since I couldn't access the design tool, I turned to Letterfolk's Instagram page and Pinterest for some ideas. Though I found plenty I liked, I quickly realized that some designs were meant for the large mat (24 by 36 inches) and didn't properly fit on the smaller standard size I have. This prompted a couple of redos before I finally nailed it — an endeavor that was relatively frustrating and time-consuming.

Adding Tiles: Once I got the hang of the whole design process and found inspiration that would translate to the standard size, I found it exceptionally easy to add tiles to the mat. You do have to line things up and press a bit firmly, but even my four-year-old could do it without any trouble.

Over the course of three weeks, I tried three different designs: one classic floral and two messages. Because of the design issues, the first one took me about an hour from start to finish. But the subsequent two designs took just 30 minutes each. It's worth noting, though, with proper instructions from something like a design tool, you could likely finish the task in just 10 minutes. The hardest part is counting out the design.

Removing Tiles: I got a lot of practice removing tiles right off the bat, since I had to fiddle with the initial design so much. At first, I found it much harder than adding the tiles. They don't readily come off — I suppose this is so the doormat can withstand heavy foot traffic — and I was worried about breaking a nail.

I asked my kids (four and seven years old) for help, and they also struggled a bit but managed to get their nails under each tile a bit better than I could. I also realized that if you bend the whole mat back, the tiles pop off more easily from the counterpressure. With this method, you can clear the mat in about five minutes.

Performance: After more than three weeks of testing the Letterfolk Tile Mat, I can honestly say that it's held up to both weather and high foot traffic exceptionally well. We've had heavy winds, rain and sunshine, and I don't see any signs of shifting or wear and tear — just a thin layer of dirt on top and some small debris like leaves and little pebbles in the grooves between the tiles.

I will say, though, this doormat is more decorative than it is functional. It doesn't dry shoes the same way a material like coir does, so you can't count on it as a tool to keep your home cleaner, especially in wet weather.

Cleaning: Letterfolk's website suggests cleaning the mat with a little bit of dish soap, water, and a scrub brush or popping off the tiles, placing them in the mesh bag they came in, and tossing the whole thing onto the top rack of the dishwasher.

The latter sounded easier, but didn't yield the best results. The tiles were all a bit wet when they came out of the dishwasher and still had a slight film. In the end, I found it easier to shake out any debris and then use a sponge to clean the mat before rinsing and letting the whole thing dry in the sun.

What I Loved About the Letterfolk Tile Mat

It's fun to create new designs.

Once I figured out the strategy to it, it was fun to create new designs, especially more decorative ones like florals (words are a little trickier to map out). It's a relatively simple and cost-effective way to continually update your decor, whether for the changing season, to celebrate a holiday or birthday, or simply to suit your mood.

It's highly durable and weatherproof.

The rubber-like vinyl material this mat is made from is exceptionally strong. The mat doesn't readily shift underfoot or even in high winds. And, even though it doesn't do a great job of wiping wet shoes, any water slides right off it, and the whole thing dries quickly. I haven't noticed any fading in the few weeks I've had the mat either.

It's easy to clean.

I like that there are multiple ways to clean the Tile Mat, and both are easy. Cleaning the tiles in the dishwasher is a good option if you're swapping out the design, while scrubbing with soap and water is a better option for routine maintenance.

What I Didn't Love About the Letterfolk Tile Mat

It takes practice to plot out new designs.

As a craft stylist, I have tons of design experience, but plotting out new designs is complicated, especially when you're first getting started. Without clear instructions, you need to be sure to pick design inspiration that's for your specific mat size. And if you're making your own design, I recommend counting things out ahead of time, so you don't have to rip it all out and start over if things are misaligned or you run out of room.

The tiles are relatively tough to remove.

Removing the tiles took much more strength and finesse than placing them. You really have to get your nails under them to pop them off, and I was worried I'd break one of my nails. I did, however, discover that bending the mat back helped make it easier to get each tile off.

Bottom Line: Is the Letterfolk Tile Mat Worth Buying?

I love the Letterfolk Tile Mat and would buy it again (it makes a great gift, too!), but I think it's important to note that it isn't the most functional doormat. It doesn't do a great job wiping shoes and, therefore, keeping your home cleaner, but it's really attractive and versatile. It's so much fun to swap on the designs for changing seasons and holidays. And this customization option is much cheaper than buying a new doormat every few months.

Why You Should Trust Our Tester

Brigitt has spent the last 15 years working as a freelance writer, editor and occasional craft stylist. She specializes in women's lifestyle topics, including home goods, cleaning and entertaining. In addition to the Letterfolk Tile Mat, Brigitt has rigorously tested numerous products for HGTV, including carpet cleaners, upright vacuums, artificial Christmas trees, patio umbrellas and more.

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HGTV Shopping Experts believe the best method for testing products is based on how our fans are going to use them in the real world. In each of our Tested and Reviewed stories, products are not tested in sterile laboratory settings that don't mimic real life. Instead, we test products in real homes that reflect our readers' real lives, which can also include pets, kids, partners and more. We follow rigorous testing rubrics designed by our expert editors and take copious notes during the testing process. When choosing our top picks, we evaluate all of our testing data and take into consideration many factors, including ease of use, price, product availability and practicality. Our goal is to choose the best products for our readers.