What are the benefits of padded 5mm turf?

Published Sept 5, 2022

If you are in the market for artificial turf for an indoor facility, you have likely discovered that there are many types of turf available.  The types and options can be overwhelming and this article is intended to help you narrow the options down so you can confidently buy the turf appropriate for your needs. 

While artificial turf can make your facility visually stand out, the purpose of turf is to provide some level of impact attenuation, or cushion, in your sports facility to provide a comfortable training environment, where your athletes can play or train with confidence without fear of injury from the playing surface.

There are 2 kinds of artificial turf that provide impact attenuation. “Padded Turf” and “Infill Turf”.

“Padded Turf” is manufactured with a “rubber” pad adhered to the backing of the turf fibers.   Most commonly, you will see 5mm padded turf, which is roughly half an inch thick.  Some manufacturers will add an additional layer of felt, usually gray in color, to the backing as well, while other manufacturers will leave the rubber exposed.  Less commonly, you may find 3mm padded turf or even a 1 inch thick pad, often seen on golf tee mats or older football fields.

“Infill Turf” provides impact attenuation by filling the fibers with rubber pellets, known as “infill”, or “crumb rubber infill.”   Commonly seen in High School, College and Pro football fields, 2 inch or 2.5 inch fibers are filled roughly ⅔ the way up, with these rubber pellets and often mixed with sand.   While this method meets the required impact attenuation GMAX test scores for high school and pro athletes, it’s often overkill for indoor training and baseball facilities.   While it does a better job of emulating real grass, the material is heavy.  After the rubber and sand is installed, these systems often weigh 5 to 10 lbs per square foot, use more materials, take more installation time and cause major headaches and expenses if and when it needs to be removed.  Many indoor facilities are in short term leases in warehouses and the removal cost often underestimated when the tenant chooses, or is forced, to vacate the property.

If you are opening a full-contact, football training facility with a longer lease or really want to emulate grass for an indoor soccer field, “Infill Turf” is likely worth the time and investment.   

If you are opening a batting cage facility, or small indoor training facility with a short term lease,  5mm Padded Turf may be your best bet.   It’s cleaner, as crumb rubber is not required to achieve the impact attenuation or “cushion” for your athletes.  5mm padded turf is easier to install, significantly easier to remove, store and relocate if you need to, and the resale value tends to be higher in the event you ever need to liquidate.  While the material price per square foot may be higher than an infill turf system, it may be less expensive in the long run, due to the removal and replacement costs of infill turf.

Contact a Rep at ATXTurf today to discuss whether a 5mm padded turf is right for your application.  866-428-2809