What a joy to have fresh Cricut mats. I used another brand which were stronger and tore my paper. The Cricut green mats were a little strong at first. They have calmed down and work great with my 65# cardstock.
You can always use mats, and I like to have several new ones to use with that special project. So, I look for good brands--Cricut, or some other brands that I've used successfully--and store them for future use. Sometimes I just get tired of rehabing my mats, and just use a new one. Of course Cricut is the brand of the best.