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This post was last edited/updated in March 2021.

Your choice of needle felting mat or base is entirely dependent on what you like to use, as well as the type of needle felting you like to do. The primary purpose of the base/mat is to both protect your worksurface (including your lap, if you like needle felting on your lap) from being stabbed or scratched by the needle, as well as to protect the needle from being dulled and broken as a result of impacting the surface. You can still accidentally break your needle - that depends on how hard you stab while you work, whether you’re using proper form, and most importantly, the quality of your needle. These days, the options available continue to grow from that of which was available even 5 years ago as needle felters discover new surfaces upon which they enjoy working.

Depending on how hard you are on your felting base, you might end up going through it so quickly that spending $7 and up on something that you just need to support your work can become a bit pricey. Or maybe having just something under your work is all you need, and you couldn't care less as long as your project doesn't get stuck to it. When it comes to felting bases, you can find them not only in different sizes, but also different shapes - so depending on what you need, you might keep several options at home (I have at least three of these that I use on a regular basis). A little disclaimer: these are my personal opinions on these felting bases, and does not mean that any one is any better or worse than the other - this article's purpose is to first and foremost inform felters all the various options available to them.

#1, most common: high-density charcoal foam

I have found very little consistency on what is considered charcoal foam. Different suppliers each carry their own chosen type, and even the color can differ. One of the foam blocks I have is a really dark charcoal, almost black, and feels a bit harder than another charcoal foam I have, which is also a lighter shade. If you think about it, there are a number of foam manufacturers out there, and needle felting is a new thing. Really new. There aren't any manufacturers who specifically make needle felting foam, so suppliers test out various manufacturers, find which one they like the best, and that's the one that ends up in the shop. Either way, it is more than likely a polyethylene foam, which is a petroleum based product. It's also a closed-cell foam, which is what gives foam its density. It has stood the test of time, being one of the most popular felting bases in the needle felting community and more-than-likely the only base most suppliers sell. I have seen the charcoal foam come in shapes other than your standard rectangle, including a hat form. Note: as your foam wears down, you might find little bits of foam getting attached to your work. This is more likely to happen if you are heavy handed and forget to move your work around frequently. Just pull them off, maybe flip to the other side or move to another part of the foam.

Pros: tried and tested, easily sourced from felting supply shops, comes in a variety of sizes

Cons: it will wear down over time or with heavy use and need to be replaced, as with any foam-type product, not eco-friendly

#2, the newcomer: soy foam

Soy based foam is a newcomer in the felting world, and a great answer to the question regarding the availability of eco-friendly foams. Unlike the polyethylene foams, soy foam is plant-based as opposed to a petroleum-based product. It is also far more affordable than the other eco-friendly natural latex foam (and likely why you won't find latex foam used as a needle felting supply item). I’m not including a photo because the ones I’m seeing these days are virtually indistinguishable from the popular high-density charcoal foam at first glance, but there is a slight difference to the feel of it.

My opinion: This is my current favorite felting base (at the initial time of posting), the reason being that my projects don't stick to it nearly as much as with the charcoal foams. Felting a flat 2D object from roving/batting is really quick work, especially using a double-pointed needle, the needles seem to bounce off rather than pierce the foam. Durability-wise, it does start to soften a little under heavy needling. I did a bit of a light pierce test - wanting to see how a brand new soy compared to a brand new charcoal. The soy presses down before the needle goes in, whereas with the standard high-density foams the needle pierced the surface with very minimal pressure. Almost as if the soy one had a skin, though not visible (as if painted on). I think it's one step up from the "traditional" charcoal blocks. Update 2021: I have switched over to primarily using my 100% wool pad, which I’ll mention next. These are definitely still a great option!

EDIT: Not ALL soy foam is created equal. For example, soy memory foam mattresses are only about 10% plant-based matter, and the rest is petroleum in addition to other chemicals used to create the foam. The latter is something I expected, as you need binding agents in addition to other chemicals to make foam. I DID confirm with the company from which I purchased my white soy foam (a small American-based business) that the foam I’d been using does NOT contain any petroleum. It is not 100% soy, due to the other chemicals necessary to turn soy into a solid, spongy substance. I also did confirm that it does not contain any fire retardants. Please read my note at the bottom of the post regarding fire retardants in foam. Update 2021: They still sell soy foam but I don’t see the one I bought from them. I don’t know if the charcoal is simply a dye added to the original product. It’s definitely worth testing out, especially at their price point. I’m not an affiliate of theirs.

Pros: eco-friendly, slightly more durable than charcoal, has a bit of a skin allowing the needle to bounce off when using a light hand, comes in a variety of sizes, less “crunchy”

Cons: it will wear down over time or with heavy use and need to be replaced, as with any foam-type product

bonus newcomer: 100% wool pads

My concern at first was if my wool/project would get stuck to this - you know, since they're wool. They are so dense, you won’t get your needle in. Not too dense that you would break your needle, unless you’re heavy-handed. So, there is a little bit of an adjustment with working with these. Some people, especially beginners, tend to start out stabbing really hard - putting all their energy into it. I totally get it - you likely have years of tension built up that you just need to take out on this thing you’re stabbing into existence, but it’s absolutely not necessary to stab so hard. This can train you to take a lighter approach. I’ve used it for both 2D and 3D, including taking a piece of fluff and just poking and flipping until I made a really nice, flat piece of felt. This has since become my desk pad of choice in general - I feel comfortable putting my arms out on it in front of my keyboard (it’s a deep desk). I use it to stab my sewing needles into while I’m hand stitching. I have even used it as a mousepad… and as a trivet while eating in front of my desk, or for my coffee. It also makes for a nice backdrop in my Instagram photos. Actually, I’ve pretty much used this for just about every purpose other than its original intention (which is ironing). I have an ironing board, and my iron can’t plug in anywhere near my desk, so the opportunity hasn’t presented itself? Definitely a personal favorite these days, and I want to buy a larger one for my desk after trying out the smaller one.

Pros: Incredibly versatile! Totally eco friendly, because there are no petroleum products (it’s wool… it’s supposed to be 100% wool, as far as I’m aware there should be nothing else in here, though I admittedly haven’t attempted setting mine on fire). You can get them in a wide variety of sizes including too-big-to-fit-on-a-desk size. Lightweight and portable. Thin profile. Looks contemporary when left on a surface. Will not wear down the way foam does. No risk of foam pieces getting stuck to your project, or your project getting stuck to foam.

Cons: I think these might be better suited to someone who is an experienced needle felter, or if a beginner is starting out on it, they’re going to have to learn self-control with their stabbing movements. Someone who likes to stab aggressively would probably get really frustrated with this pad. You will not get a satisfying crunch when stabbing into this as with foam, so I wouldn’t even try. You need to be more light-handed when stabbing (less stabby-stabby, more gentle zoned-out pokepokepoking) because you can risk breaking a needle - they’re really dense. If you go long periods of time without felting and plan to store this on a shelf, there is some risk of it getting eaten by wool moths. That being said, unless you clean any felting pad thoroughly and store it away on some shelf, you’ll likely find larvae on those as well. So… not really all that different from other pads?

#3, most affordable: household sponge

Pros: as easy to find as cleaning supplies, can be cheap if you shop at a dollar store, small size makes it great for a travel kit

Cons: smallish size can be a disadvantage, will wear down with time as with any foam base

#4, borrowed from home improvement: project board

Pros: crunchy, can be found in home-improvement stores, fun colors, cheap, can be cut down to size

Cons: loudly crunchy

#5, most durable: the brush (supposedly)

The brush is likely one of the most durable of all felting surfaces (supposedly), and here's why. The reason why foam goes soft and tears off little pieces with heavy use is because foam is essentially a material made up of millions of bubbles stuck together. In fact the difference between a closed-cell foam and open-cell is that the open-cell already has a good bit of the bubbles popped, making it soft and airy, and a closed-cell foam (what we use as a felting base) the bubbles are not popped, making the foam dense. It might depend on which brand you get - I know Clover has made some that are rated well, but other brands on Amazon, not so much. So you can imagine that repeated needling is making your previously closed-cell foam into an open one, and along with that, you're ripping it up a bit with the needle. So pieces of the foam eventually start to come off when you pull up your project. With the brush, there are no bubbles. You're relying on stiff bristles, with the weight of the project being evenly distributed along the surface, to hold your project up off of the solid base, and your needle doesn't destroy anything in the process. It pokes into thin air. This also means no little bits of foam stuck to your project. Unfortunately, the largest brush I've found is the size of a large index card, so you are definitely limited by the size of it.

All that being said, horse brushes (the kind you use to brush horses) are larger, are similarly priced to the plastic ones, look much nicer, and are biodegradable (being made from boar bristles). So if you’re willing to take a chance on this, it may be a viable alternative. You’ll just want to take some pliers to pull the strap off.

Pros: durable, portable, probably a good option for a travel kit

Cons: the price, the really tiny size

#6, actually this is the cheapest: packing material

Save your packing foam, or take a walk on the wild side and go dumpster diving (practice safe dumpster diving, mind the laws)! Or, you know, you could ask a store clerk - I’d suggest either an appliance or electronics store for the good foam - because they just throw this stuff out anyway (it’s how I get cardboard for storing bolts from Joann’s - just ask, they hand them to you). Because yes, this polystyrene stuff will work in a pinch. And some of the foam you get with your items will actually be polyethylene - the same exact stuff as the high density charcoal mentioned in #1. That's all it is. High-density packing foam. The only problem I have with this white stuff over the charcoal stuff is it breaks down rather quickly. It's the same think you'll find in big-box-store kits and most of the kits ordered from amazon or ebay. Keep this in mind as you're doing your holiday shopping - instead of cursing the horrible waste with all the excess packing material, why not recycle it and give it a second life as the felting base for your next project? After all, I'm sure you're putting all sorts of needle felting goodies on your wish list, right?

Pros: you get it free when you buy something completely different, or if you're the dumpster-diving sort

Cons: some, like polystyrene, is the least durable for felting, so you'll go through it faster

#7, diy it (or not): rice-filled sack

Pros: easy to DIY, durable, mendable if there are any tears, eco-friendly, can be manipulated to some extent if you want to stabilize a round object

Cons: not great for 2D, too malleable for some individuals, really heavy so I wouldn’t transport this

WORD OF CAUTION: DO NOT use upholstery foam impregnated with fire-retardants. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and lower IQ in children. As you stab the foam with your needle, you are releasing these chemicals into the air, into your lungs, onto your project, etc. If you're not sure, play it safe and pick something else.

Quick (bonus) tip!! To help prolong the life of your foam and for easier clean-up, you can cover your foam with a cheap sheet of eco-felt, stabbing it in a bit to keep it from shifting. This is great for 3D felting, however with 2D felting, make sure you lift and move your project around on the surface to keep it from felting into the eco-felt. It will not protect your foam from excessive stabbing in one spot. (Thank you, Stacy of Stacy's Woolies, for sharing that tip!)

If you believe I've left anything out, feel free to share in the comments below, and I'll edit the post to add it in!