Until about two years ago, I just always used a scrap piece of chipboard, that I would replace as soon as it looked too much like a war zone. Other than how bright the almost cyan colored silicon on the mat I bought is, I’ve liked having all the little boxes around the perimeter. A few have magnets, but the main area doesn’t. In the damp of the SF Bay Area, static is just not something I think much about anymore.
I’m really surprised that some mats are more staticky than others though—does anyone know if this is due to the chemical components in the silicon used, or?? And silicon is a good insulator, how does that work?