I replaced a very sturdy and thick mat that I had for a long time which held up well. I know from experience that the cheap thin mats are junk and crack quickly. After much research I selected this one which is about as thick as you get without breaking the bank. It was shipped in a big box somewhat rolled up. For my needs it looks to be the right mat time will tell if it holds up over the long term. No smell and it unrolled flat without too much effort. For the price you should be happy with this one it is a little larger than the other to make sure it fits you can't trim this easily.
Where this mat helped my chair glide easier over my carpeting indentations from the office chair wheels occurred within 2 days of receiving. This was very disappointing. I am now rotating the mat to help even out these dips.
I bought this mat to use in front of a home computer on what is apparently a low pile carpet instead of a flat pile carpet which I would call a no pile carpet. It will work for us because we won't be rolling around as in an office; but it is not stiff enough to keep us from denting in the mat with the chair's wheels but still protects the carpet.
This is a good fairly priced chair mat for a person who will not be subjecting it to day in and day out heavy duty use. This particular mat will work best on a low pile carpet. For light occasional duty in a home office it will do the job and preserve the carpeting. I am satisfied with it but having used these protective mats in offices I recommend that if you need a mat that will really stand up to office heavy duty wear and tear and abuse for five days a week go with the thicker more expensive mats.