As any parent knows, one of the first things you do when you find out you’re expecting is prepare to babyproof the house. Be that gates on the stairs, or mats on the floor, every surface needs to be soft and safe for your little one.
Years ago that might have meant garish and mismatched products, that didn’t necessarily match up with the decor of your house. But now we’re seeing a wave of far cooler baby brands come on the market that are as practical and safe as they are pleasing to the eye.
We’ve become particularly intrigued by the range of play mats that are now on offer. Some are designed purely with newborns in mind, ideally to keep them safe before they start exploring too much. But others are made to last – ideal for parents with both babies and toddlers.
How we tested
From the mats we tested, all had devilish good looks and we think you’d be proud to show them off. We also wanted them to be comfortable underfoot, of a good size and ideally with the option to add on to as our baby grows and begins to explore. Bonus points were given to mats that were purse-friendly, could be easily wiped clean and could cover wooden and tiled floors as quickly as it could carpets.
Totter & Tumble the captain playmat
Arriving much like a rug or a roll of carpet, we were excited to unroll our play mat from Totter & Tumble. With the help of our four-year old-tester, we unravelled it and her first instinct was to lie down on it… a sure sign of how inviting it is. Soon enough we joined her, equally relishing in the comfort of this play mat. Made from 1.3cm thick memory foam, little ones are well cushioned and it gently moulds to you, which makes it great for yoga or exercise too.
But beyond practicality, we were swooning over the attractiveness of this one. We reviewed the captain play mat, which features diamond-like patterns on a soft, terracotta earthy background, which has been inspired by traditional North African kilim rugs and we love the softened rounded corners. Flip it over and there’s a trendy leopard print on a storm grey background – both effortlessly stylish, we still can’t decide which pattern we prefer.
The play mat feels incredibly tactile, making a soft, stylish space for babies, children and adults. The “compact” version will cover 185cm x 125cm or upgrade to the “standard” which is a whopping 210cm x 140cm. Of course, unlike the tile options, this isn’t portable, but trust us, it looks so good you won’t want to hide it away.
Gus & Beau triangle playmat set, grey
Of all the tile style play mats we tested Gus & Beau’s was the thickest, meaning it felt like a dream underfoot. The EVA foam tiles are 1.4cm thick, and they feel durable enough for typical toddler induced wear and tear but also soft enough for all-day play. Easy to attach, you’ll also get edge pieces to finish the look, and we were impressed with how seamless these were – you’d think it’s just one piece.
There are seven patterns to choose from, we opted for the triangle play mat set in grey, but each one presents clean lines and minimalist colours which are the perfect fit for modern homes.
For £70 you’ll get six tiles (and edge pieces) which covers 120cm x 180cm, and while we’re sure you won’t want to put these away you do also get a handy storage bag for travel. You can also purchase single or packs of additional tiles at a later date if you need a larger mat. We found six tiles the perfect size for a baby but you may want to upsize for bigger kids.
Munchkin & Bear large speckled play mat
Once you get your feet on the 1.5cm thick foam core padding of this play mat, you won’t want to take them off. Arriving packed up like a carpet, we unrolled to find a super stylish play mat boasting warm, earthy caramel shades that will make the perfect addition to your home, whichever room it ends up in. Covering 200cm x 140cm, this mat means business, and is ready for some serious playing (or relaxing, enjoying tummy time, or making a fabulous background for that lovely baby milestone pic).
Out of all the play mats we tested, we found this the comfiest underfoot thanks to its plush padding, and our four-year-old tester even commented on how “squishy” it felt. The speckled design continues on the reverse too, with a soft sandy cream finish – although we love the desert sand shade too much to flip it.
Toddlekind prettier playmat, standard
There’s a playmat to suit every home with Toddlekind’s large range; first choose your series “Earth”, “Nordic” or “Persian” all offering a different pattern, then opt for your colour choice. We were impressed with this expansive selection meaning you can really find something to suit your home.
We decided to test out an “Earth” playmat in “Dove” (there are punchier colours available). The stylish stone-like effect looks great against wooden floor, but you can also create different shapes by rotating the clever spotted design. A standard size covers 120cm x 180cm using six square tiles and edge pieces to complete the look, but the options are endless as you can easily scale up your playmat with large, extra large and playroom sizes available.
Skip Hop playspots foam floor tiles, 20 pack
We enrolled our four-year-old tester to help with the construction of the floor tiles, and there are certainly more pieces than she can count. There’s a whopping 40 triangles and 32 edge pieces packed away in the handy storage bag, and once laid out it covers 178cm x 142cm which makes an extra large playing space.
Easy to connect, this took the longest of all the products to put together because the pieces are in triangles rather than squares; having said that the triangle design really opens up the options in terms of patterns, as there are six different ways to lay these out. You can’t go wrong with the combination of grey and white triangles but we have to say our favourite pattern is the zig-zag. Once you’ve decided on your pattern place the edge pieces around the sides to give a polished look.
Well-cushioned, the playspot does exactly what it says on the tin – well, bag – a safe place for babies to lounge, chill and play but is also large enough for older children to benefit from too.
The Singing Ant spring green midi playmat
The Singing Ant’s artisan-inspired playmats are sure to bring spring delight into your homes. We tested the spring green and the pattern is so pretty, confirmed by our four-year-old helper who said “it’s beautiful!”
We opted for the “midi” size which consists of four corner tiles and two edge tiles, which covers 170cm x 114cm of floor space. We love the stylish rounded corners, which eliminates the need for additional fiddly edge pieces which are placed around the sides. It feels nicely padded underfoot, ready to face bumps and falls, but equally makes a great garden for our tester’s doll’s house.
This collection feels like it’s been designed with adult homes in mind, resembling a stylish rug you would purchase before children were in the mix. There are four Scandi-inspired unisex colour options, all with delicate floral illustrations which look so lovely on a wooden floor.
