I never thought I'd be impressed with a bath mat, but I honestly expect to keep these through 20-30 years of HEAVY use. We've been trampling over these with muddy boots--our red clay that stains EVERYTHING, even porcelain--for nearly a year and these things look practically brand new. (There has been some slight discoloration but I got near-white mats and our "soil" is basically finely-powdered rust.)After a year of abuse, they're still thick, incredibly absorbent, fluff up again every wash, and barely seem to produce lint at all. The edges are the same thick pebbled texture folded over and firmly stitched which gives a nice somewhat-rigid edge. Helps them hold that "brand new" shape and slip around a lot less than any other all-fabric bathmat I've used.But the best part is that they seem to dry more quickly and harbor less bacteria than any others I've ever owned. I get eczema all from damp towels, no matter the material, and my allergies are severe enough that just walking around barefoot, on laminate, 2-3 days after I've steam-cleaned will make my feet swell up and itch. These bath mats are the only ones I've ever used that make the soles of my feet feel CLEAN; I can feel the inflammation going down as I step out of the shower. It's unreal. I never realized how much I itched until it stopped with these.I take, without exaggeration, 5-8 showers per day just to breathe normally and avoid being covered in rash, my husband has to take half as many for my sake, so these only get to dry out overnight in our house. All that and the humidity of the US deep south and it STILL takes them several days to get truly damp. I would guess a normal household which lets them dry will be able to use these for weeks without washing, in terms of how they seem to inhibit bacteria.I've honestly tried it all. Fluffy microfiber chenille (dust magnet), memory foam (plastics break down in wash + dry), diatomaceous earth (great for about a month)... everything. Nothing else compares if you're a person with sensitive skin, have a bathroom with poor air flow, etc.The funny thing is the more these have proven indestructible, the more careful I want to be just so that I can keep them for a long time. Just a bath mat, but well worth the price tag--one of those rare purchases where paying more up front means you'll never need to buy it again. I only wish I could afford to replace all my towels as well!