Best Unhooking Mats

For me, the Solar SP is the one to pick if you want cradle-level protection but don't want to carry a rigid frame. It suits carp anglers on longer sessions, and it's a two-part design, with a self-inflating mattress inside a separate inflatable outer.

At 270mm, its walls are taller than those on any other mat in this guide, and a full Velcro cover shuts out the light so the fish stays calm. Padded handles sit on both the long and short sides, and with the air out it takes up far less room than a framed cradle, with the pump stored in the zipped bag.

To be fair, it sits near the top on price, and inflating it at the start and deflating it at the end of each session is a small chore. The RidgeMonkey ProCare costs a little less and runs it close, but I think the Solar looks after a fish better than anything else on this list.

RidgeMonkey's ProCare combines thick foam underneath with air-filled walls, and for me it's about as complete as walled mats get. It's a good fit for carp anglers on longer sessions, and the walls let down so you can also use it as a flat mat.

Inflated, the walls are 200mm high, a cover shuts right over the top, and four pegging points keep it secure on the bank. The clever touch is a wall tube you can swap out through a dual zip if it ever punctures. You also get a foot pump, two carabiners and a padded shoulder strap, and folded it measures 600 x 800 x 200mm.

The catch is the 5.0kg weight, which is well over the 3.5kg of the Gardner Asylum. The Solar SP has taller walls if that's your priority, but if you want a foam-based walled mat that can also be used flat, I'd happily recommend the ProCare.

The Gardner Asylum gives you cradle-style sides with no frame and nothing to inflate, so I think it's ideal for carp anglers who'd rather not mess about with a pump. The corners zip together to make the walls, and it folds flat again at the end of the session.

Those padded sides stand 25cm tall, and inside there's a removable foam mattress whose flap can hold the fish in place or give you something to kneel on. Mesh in the base lets water drain away, the webbing handles have foam grips, and at 3.5kg including its bag it weighs far less than the RidgeMonkey ProCare.

To be fair, the packed size is 96 x 58 x 15cm, which is flat but takes up real space on the barrow. The Wychwood Walled offers similar sides for less money, but I'd pay the extra for the Asylum's build quality and that drainage mesh.

The Wychwood Walled is a roomy padded mat made for carp and specimen anglers wanting sides around the fish on a sensible budget. For me, the clever part is the removable inner, which works as a lighter stalking mat by itself when the walls stay at home.

Its walls are 250mm high, level with the Gardner Asylum, and 60mm foam cushions the base and the sides alike. A fish cover fastens down with Velcro to keep the fish in the dark, and the wipe-clean finish makes it easy to keep tidy. With no pump or valve involved, setting up is simple.

To be fair, it packs down bulky, at 350 x 350 x 700mm, which makes it a barrow mat rather than one for rovers. Anyone carrying their kit on their back should look at the Nash Scope Ops, but for walls and a cover without spending a lot, I think it's very good value.

Nash built the Scope Ops for carp anglers who carry everything on their back, and I think it's the smartest roll-up mat in this guide. Its dual-density foam pulls in air by itself through a valve when you unroll it, so there's no pump, and a raised edge stops a fish sliding off on uneven ground.

Open, the standard size is 100 x 65cm and the XL stretches to 120 x 80cm, yet rolled up the standard one is only 65 x 18 x 18cm. It buckles straight onto Scope Ops rucksacks, and because the seams are welded it won't soak up water and drip over the car.

Honestly, a raised edge isn't a wall, so a fish that kicks has less around it than in the Gardner Asylum. I'd pick the XL for big carp, but if you travel light, I think it makes a lot of sense.

ESP's Quickdraw is a flat roll-up mat for the walk to your peg that becomes a cradle when you get there, and I think it's a really neat idea. I think it suits carp anglers who move swims or travel light, and it comes in Compact, for travelling light, or Large, for the biggest carp.

Pull the drawcords tight and the edges rise up around a padded centre with a soft, wipe-clean surface. Every corner has a drainage hole, the reinforced webbing handles let you return the fish to the water, and buckles fix the rolled mat to the separate Quickdraw Rucksack.

To be fair, sides pulled up by cords won't hold as firm as the padded sides on the Gardner Asylum or the air walls on the inflatables. For most carp fishing, though, I think it does plenty, and it costs less than the Asylum and the Scope Ops.

The Greys Prodigy Klip-On is a small padded mat that travels strapped to your bag, and for me it suits roving anglers after barbel, tench, bream and smaller carp, especially if they already own Prodigy luggage.

Its adjustable webbing straps clip it onto Prodigy bags and rucksacks, then hide away in their own pockets once the mat is down. A pair of 30cm elasticated loops hold it rolled, each corner has a pegging point, and a shallow pocket keeps forceps or a disgorger handy. The waterproof 210D fabric is well padded as well.

To be fair, it has no walls, and the Medium size is a little small for a big carp, so protection for larger fish is fairly basic. Big-carp anglers would do better with the Wychwood Walled, but for anglers on the move I think it's a tidy choice.

The Catfish Pro is a large, low-profile flat mat, and I think it's the one to look at if you fish for cats or other really long fish. Its high-density foam keeps it slim yet still cushions a heavy fish, and there's a choice of XL and XXL.

For me, the zipped flap is the standout, because it either doubles the area or folds over to shade the fish when it's hot or bright. Opened out, the XL gives you 66 x 60in and the XXL 86 x 60in. Pegging points keep it in place, and a stink bag keeps a slimy mat away from your other kit.

The trade-off is that it has no raised sides, so size does the job that walls would, and even the XL is awkward to carry far. The NGT Deluxe Catfish costs less if money's tight, but for me the high-density foam, the stink bag and the XXL option justify the extra.

The NGT Deluxe Catfish is a large, flat padded mat, and I think it's a sensible buy for catfish anglers, or anyone wanting plenty of padded room without spending much. Size is really the point here, as opening the flap gives you a 210 x 135cm working area.

Padding runs right across it to keep a heavy fish off stones and roots, and the heavy-duty pegging points keep it secure on the bank. Folded, it measures 55 x 70cm with a carry handle for the trip to the swim, and setup is just unfolding it and pegging it out.

The trade-offs are no walls and a bulky folded size, so it's more suited to static sessions than roving. The Catfish Pro with Flap adds high-density foam and a stink bag, but for occasional cat sessions I think the NGT covers the essentials for a lot less.

The Preston Fold Away is about as light as unhooking mats get, and I think it's aimed squarely at match and pleasure anglers who catch F1s, bream, tench and smaller carp. It gives a fish something soft and clean to lie on while you weigh it or grab a catch shot.

It's just 275g, and its three panels fold into a 50 x 25 x 7cm block that an elasticated strap keeps shut. Laid out, you get 75 x 50cm of mat with 2cm of padding, and since there's nothing to pump or tighten, it's ready as soon as it's unfolded.

The honest catch is protection, since 2cm of padding with no walls won't do much for a big carp on hard ground. The Greys Prodigy Klip-On adds bag straps and pegging points for a little more money, but for travelling light the Preston makes a lot of sense to me.

Shakespeare's SKP Roll is a basic, low-cost mat that rolls up, and I think it's a sensible starter for newer anglers and juniors, or a handy spare for roving. You can get it in Small, Medium or Large to suit the fish you catch.

There's soft cushion filling beneath a waterproof 210D fabric, and once rolled, elasticated loops stop it opening up. It's sized to sit on top of the SKP Ruckbags and Rucksacks, and you just unroll it and wet it down, as there's nothing to inflate or tighten.

To be fair, protection is basic, because there are no walls and no thick foam base, so it won't do much for big carp. If you can stretch a little further, the Greys Prodigy Klip-On gives you corner pegs and a forceps pocket, but as a cheap way to keep a fish off the ground, it does the job.