With cheap cutting mats a common sight on Amazon, you’d be justified in wondering why someone would pay a premium for a high-end mat like the Dahle Vantage Self-Healing Cutting Mat. However, having used the largest version extensively over the past few days, I am pretty thoroughly won over.
With a self-healing surface constructed from 5-ply PVC, the Dahle Vantage mat provides both solid stability as a work surface, and impressive resilience against cuts. I’ve not yet managed to damage it!
It’s available in a selection of sizes – I went for the 18 x 24” version. There are also a number of color options, including standard green, black and blue, as well as an interesting and unique translucent variant, which could be useful for templating. This version is more expensive however, with the largest coming at an RRP of $48.99 (£35) compared to $39.99 (£25) for the standard colors.
For this test, I went with black – so let’s see how it performs.
Specifications
Sizes available |
9 x 12” (23 x 31cm), 12 x 18” (31 x 46cm), 18 x 24” (46 x 61cm), 36" x 48" (91 x 122cm) |
Color options |
Black, Green, Blue, Translucent |
Angle lines |
45°, 60° |
Material |
5-layer PVC |
In use
The Dahle Vantage Self-Healing Cutting Mat performs in exemplary fashion. I used it to cut several pieces of card with an X-Acto knife, and to trim the edges from one of my photos that had been printed incorrectly (we'll never know who was responsible), to see if I could rescue it from the scrapheap.
The five-layer PVC surface held up flawlessly – even after my many cack-handed knifings, when I look at the mat now, it looks as fresh as it did when I removed the plastic. Naturally if you cut on it for long enough, wear and tear will start to show, but we’re likely talking years of sustained use before we get to that stage.
The surface has a clever grid system that manages to balance both inches and centimetres, making both measurements easy to use – handy if you’re following patterns or templates from different sources. There are also angle lines for both 45° and 60° if you want to make diagonal cuts, though there isn’t one for 30° too like some mats have.
This isn’t a mat that rolls or folds away for transport purposes – it is a stiff, rigid surface, so storage is something worth thinking about when selecting your size. It doesn’t have any rotating functionality like the Olfa Rotating Cutting Mat, so you’ll likely need to keep moving around your project to get the best cutting angle. I appreciated the size of the 18 x 24” version, which gave me plenty of elbow room to work.
Verdict
Ideal for crafts, photo framing, photo cropping and more, the Dahle Vantage Self-Healing Cutting Mat is an exemplary premium mat that feels practically indestructible in use. Depending on which size you get, you might need to figure out a storage solution, but I was really impressed with both its durability and its stability. While there are cheaper options, I also think it’s quite reasonably priced for something that’s going to last you so long – and I can recommend it without hesitation.
See our guide to the best cutting mats, and also look at our rundowns of the best mat cutters for mounting and framing your photos
