What can I say? Most chair mats are plastic and as such off-gas and become brittle and crack over time. I do not expect this mat to be any different. When it is new it provides a good surface for a wheeled office chair over a carpeted surface. After some time it becomes more brittle and starts to crack. Then there is little choice but to replace the chair mat. This mat does not appear to be any different.
This chair mat is a definite step up from the one that I purchased 3 years ago. The mat gets heavy use in our home office and the last one cracked a broke after a few years. This one appears to be both more flexible and thicker than the previous one. I like this one already...check back with me in 3-4 years.
We purchased this mat for our office which had a 1 inch thick rug in it. Before we could not move the chair with someone sitting in it but now it moves perfect.