NordicDrop Double-Sided Faux Leather Placemats

Two colors on one mat is genuinely useful rather than a gimmick. One side handles everyday meals and the other the table you set when people come round, and flipping them takes a second compared with buying, storing and swapping two separate sets.

Faux leather does the practical work. Nothing soaks in, so a spilled glass is a wipe rather than a wash, and the surface takes the heat of a serving dish without transferring the white marks that ruin a wooden or lacquered table.

The material has enough weight to lie flat rather than curling at the corners, which is where thinner mats fail after a few months, and the backing grips so plates do not travel when someone cuts into something. Wipe with a damp cloth and dry immediately rather than soaking. Use a trivet for cookware above the manufacturer's stated temperature limit.

• A different color on each side, everyday and formal
• Nothing soaks in: spills wipe away in seconds
• Heat resistant, protecting wood and lacquered surfaces
• Enough weight to lie flat without curling
• Wipe and dry rather than soaking; use a trivet above the stated limit