Non-slip tiles for bathrooms

With tiles being a great choice for adding practical style to your bathroom, it’s important to ensure that any floor tiles you use are non-slip, to prevent mishaps when getting in and out of the bath or shower. This is particularly important, of course, for floor tiles in the bathroom and for wet room areas but is also useful to consider in kitchens.

If you’re looking for some non-slip tile inspiration for your home, then read to the end of the blog to discover our top recommendations for tiles large and small.

Non-slip tiles are best for high-humidity interiors like bathrooms.

Slip-resistance ratings for tiles

If a tile is deemed ‘non-slip’ then it will come with an official slip resistance rating, or ‘R rating,’ which essentially rates the anti-slip properties of the tile using a scale from R9 to R13. The ‘R’ stands for ‘Ramp’ as the anti-slip features of the tiles are tested by someone who is attached to a harness and then walks barefoot (or in ordinary shoes) over a soapy ramp raised at varying angles.

R9 tiles are at the lower end of this rating scale, so are best suited to rooms where the tiles won’t get very wet or have the potential for causing falls. For bathrooms where water spillages and humidity are more likely, however, an R rating of 11-13 is much better and recommended for safety.

Key benefits of anti-slip tiling:

• Safer: They help prevent slips and falls in humid interiors like bathrooms.
• More accessible: They improve conditions generally for people with limited mobility and for older people. They’re also better for children.
• Easy to clean: Non-slip tiles are very easy to maintain and just need a simple wipe to clean.
• Versatile: Whie anti-slip tiling is ideal for bathrooms and wet room areas, as well as around pools and in other humid spaces, they can be used anywhere in your home.

Best anti-slip tile material

When you’re choosing tiles for your home, those with anti-slip properties will differ from regular tiles, as they have that specific finish to improve their grip. While ordinary floor tiles will become slippery when wet, non-slip tiles have a special coating to help prevent this. They’re also usually made from materials such as porcelain and ceramic, which have properties that support the same.

The Bellevue Grey Matt Porcelain Tile has a modern matt finish and textured surface for better grip.

Porcelain in particular is ideal for using in high humidity interiors like bathrooms – and in kitchens – as they’re more non-porous than other materials, so have low water absorption and a better grip. Highly durable, porcelain is also great for use in busy areas, while it’s resistant to water, scratches and stains, with an easy-to-clean surface, so offers an all-round reliable performance – with a wide range of designs and colours available.

The Bellevue Grey Matt Porcelain Tile has a matt, textured surface which makes it ideal for use both indoors and outdoors, with a natural concrete-effect design. Made in Spain, this rectified tile has more precise edges for a seamless look when laid and has unrefined speckles and veining detail which gives it that textured aesthetic.

Ceramic is another good choice for anti-slip tiling, as it too is a material which offers enhanced grip. While it doesn’t have the same non-porous properties as porcelain, ceramic is nevertheless a good choice when it comes to choosing non-slip tiles.

Slip-resistant properties of large vs small tiles

The size of your tiles is another factor to consider when looking at non-slip tiling for bathrooms. For example, smaller tiles like mosaics, have more grout lines than larger designs, resulting in a more textured floor which then gives better grip. This means that even gloss mosaic tiles will provide grip, simply by having that increased amount of grout lines.

With an R rating of R11, the Hex Frisia Silver Non-slip Mosaic Sheet is ideal for bathrooms and wet room areas, as it falls within the upper range in terms of anti-slip properties. The small hexagonal shape and matt finish of the tiles means there are also more grout lines, which further enhances the grip if used for flooring, while the colour palette mixes silver, navy and turquoise to create an attractive pattern.

The Hex Frisia Silver Non-slip Mosaic Sheet has a high R rating so is ideal for bathrooms.

Another stylish hexagonal mosaic tile is the eye-catching Penny Natureglass Turquoise Matte Non-slip Mosaic Sheet, which has a vibrant blue tone and also comes with an R11 rating. Made from strong glass, this is a robust tile which is another great choice for wet rooms and bathrooms and will also add instant visual interest and contemporary appeal to your interior.

The Penny Natureglass Turquoise Matte Non-slip Mosaic Sheet has a high anti-slip rating and an eye-catching aesthetic which will enhance any bathroom.

If you prefer circular tiles over hexagonal, however, then the Penny Fosco Matte Non-slip Mosaic Sheet in White is another great option and features a classic colour palette, with light grey tones mixed in with the white. These round or penny-shaped mosaic tiles are water-resistant and, again, have an R11 rating, so are ideal for bathrooms and wet rooms, with added texture coming from the mosaic style and matt finish.

If you prefer larger tiles, however, then the Caracalla Beige Porcelain Tile is a large-format tile with a matt finish which is suitable for bathroom flooring and will offer a better grip thanks to the combination of porcelain material and matt finish. The natural colour palette of the tile also means it will work well alongside a range of décor while the rectified edges give it that seamless look when laid.

The Caracalla Beige Porcelain Tile has a large-format size and matt finish which, together with the procelain material, provides better grip.

Shop non-slip tiling at Tileshack

If you’re looking for high-quality tiles for your bathroom or elsewhere then we have a variety of designs available at Tileshack for great-value prices. From mosaic sheets to larger tiles, you can choose from a range of different styles and colours, while our expert team is always on-hand – both in-person and online – to assist with any queries you might have.

Better all-round for safety and accessibility, non-slip tiling is a no-brainer when it comes to kitting out your wet room or bathroom and, hopefully, we’ve given you some inspiration for your next project …

Visit tileshack.com to browse our full range of tiles and if you have any queries, just email us at info@bathshack.com, call (028) 9077 0188 or use our online chat.