Sled Tracks Surface

Friction matters greatly when it comes to a sleds track surface. Too little friction and the sled will move too easily. Too much friction and it won’t move at all (or at least not without superhuman effort).

Abrasion resistance also matters greatly because the sled will run along the surface - if the surface isn’t durable enough it will wear quickly. Cheap surfaces are a false economy for this reason and should be avoided.

Sled track surfaces are usually no longer than 10m and are made from needle-punched polypropylene. The polypropylene surface appears to be a fibre or pile on inspection. This fine texture is what gives the surface its perfect friction coefficient for sled work – one that enables a sled to glide, while still being grippy.

Sled lanes should be wide and long enough for someone to push the sled up to 8m without fear of straying off track when they put their head down.

The surface needs to be extremely resistant to wear, waterproof, non-slip, and grippy. These requirements make needle-punched propylene the most obvious choice. It offers good grip underfoot and doesn’t show damage. Best of all, it’s available in a wide range of different colours to suit your brand requirements.

Don’t be tempted to use sprint tracks for sled work because the surface isn’t designed to cope with the abrasion caused by a sled. Sled track is sold in premade widths, commonly 2m. The lengths range from 10m to 15m or more. The thickness is usually around 8mm.

Sled track can be laid directly onto a concrete surface, or if it will be used in combination with plates, a shock absorbing underlay. We recommend an underlay if the sled track will be close to a free weight area to prevent accidental damage to the substrate.

Make sure you source your sled tracks surface from a reputable company like us. We can recommend the right products, just get in touch.