What Is A Hook And Loop Fastener?

If you’re shopping for gym mats or cheerleading mats, you may notice that some products mention a hook-and-loop fastener option. Common with products crafted from carpet material, this type of attachment strap is a versatile and appealing choice. So what is a hook and loop fastener, exactly, and why is it a desirable feature in gym mats?

What Is a Hook and Loop Fastener?

A hook and loop fastener is a type of reusable fastening system that holds two sections of flooring or two mats together. These strips work in place of adhesive tape, and they’re used to connect and cover a seam.

Hook and loop fasteners feature a strip of nylon fabric with lots of tiny hooks. The opposite strip of fabric features soft loops. When the two pieces of fabric are pressed together, the hooks grip the loops, keeping the fastener from separating.

When used with flooring, one strip of the fastener is sewn onto the edges of the mats you need to connect. Hook and loop fasteners can form strong bonds that keep flooring from pulling apart during use, but when you’re done using the flooring, you can separate the two strips by firmly pulling on them. You can then roll up the loose piece of fastener and store it away until you need to attach the mats again.

What Are the Benefits of Hook and Loop Fasteners?

There are many benefits to using hook and loop fasteners. These systems stick together easily and quickly, and they form strong bonds. But while the fasteners are strong enough to hold mats together during use, they’re also easy to separate with deliberate pressure.


Hook and loop fasteners make flooring more versatile. When used with cheerleading mats, they allow you to attach multiple mats in different orientations, creating a floor of the specific size and shape that you need at the time. When you’re done, you can easily remove the hook and loop tape, rolling up the mats for storage.

This fastening system is very easy to work with. It requires almost no learning curve and, since it’s reusable, can save you money compared to the cost of using traditional adhesive tapes. Hook and loop tape also leaves behind no sticky residue.

Examples of Hook and Loop Fasteners

At Greatmats, we carry several hook and loop fasteners, so you can choose the option that’s best for your flooring and your intended use.

Flexi-Roll Cheer Gymnastic Carpet Hook Fastener

The Flexi-Roll Cheer Gymnastic Carpet Hook Fastener is designed to connect Flexi-Roll Cheer Stunt Mats. This reusable fastener is four inches wide, so it creates a secure connection between multiple mats while covering the seams. It’s ideal for use with your home cheer mats, allowing you to easily set up and then remove the mats after practice.

This fastener measures 10 feet long, so you can use it to connect the long sides of cheer mats. Since it’s available in seven color options, you can choose a color that matches your mats or have fun with contrasting colors.

G-Floor Cheer Mat Hook Tape

The G-Floor Cheer Mat Hook Tape is a longer roll of hook and loop tape, measuring 43.5 feet long. Thanks to this roll’s length, you can use it to connect many mats. This tape is four inches wide to create a secure connection, plus it stays in place and helps to prevent shifting while the mats are in use.

Easy to install, the tape is ideal for gymnastics and cheerleading mats. It’s designed with athletes’ safety in mind and is available in four colors.

GymPro TopHook Seam Tape

The GymPro TopHook Seam Tape is a durable, heavy-duty tape that’s made in the USA. This tape can be reused up to 50 times, so it’s ideal for situations where you’re frequently installing and uninstalling cheerleading mats. The tape measures 75 feet long, allowing you to connect multiple mats using a single strip. Made in the USA, this tape is available in black, so it will look great with just about any kind of mat.

Choose Greatmats for Hook and Loop Fasteners

At Greatmats, we’re proud to stock not only hook and loop fasteners but also an extensive selection of cheerleading and tumbling mats with carpeted tops. You can use the hook and loop fastener to connect those mats. While a hook and loop fastener is durable and reusable, eventually its hold may start to weaken, so we offer large rolls of replacement hook and loop tape that you can purchase to refresh your mats.


Contact our customer service team today with any questions. We’re happy to provide product samples and shipping quotes, and our flooring experts can help you decide which products are best for your program. Whether you’re running a professional gymnastics or cheerleading program or need a flooring product for practice at home, we have many options for you to choose from.