Yahoo Finance 11 best play mats for babies to enjoy safe and happy tummy time
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.
The best baby play mats for 2022 are:
Best overall – Totter & Tumble the captain playmat: £160, Totterandtumble.co.uk
Best thick play mat – Gus & Beau triangle playmat set: £70, Gusandbeau.com
Best portable option – Munchkin & Bear large speckled play mat: £138, Munchkinandbear.co.uk
Best for customisation – Toddlekind prettier playmat, standard: £194.99, Toddlekind.co.uk
Best large play mat – Skip Hop playspots foam floor tiles, 20 pack: £87, Amazon.co.uk
Best for style – The Singing Ant spring green midi playmat: £87, Thesingingant.com
Best for development – Etta Loves animal print playmat: £75, Ettaloves.com
Best cushioned mat – Stoy mixed solids foam puzzle play mat: £37, Alexandalexa.com
Best puzzle mat – Quut playmat: £47.40, Yesbebe.co.uk
Best activity mat – Tiny Love magical tales super mat: £39.95, Naturalbabyshower.co.uk
Best for newborns – Little Green Sheep baby playmat: £49.95, Thelittlegreensheep.co.uk
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.
Buy now £160.00, Totterandtumble.co.uk
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.
Buy now £70.00, Gusandbeau.com
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.
Buy now £138.00, Munchkinandbear.co.uk
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.
Buy now £194.99, Toddlekind.co.uk
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.
Buy now £87.00, Amazon.co.uk
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.
While the midi size is currently out of stock, the mini, measuring 114cm x 114cm, is still available for purchase (£70, thesingingant.com).
Buy now £87.00, Thesingingant.com
Etta Loves animal print playmat
The soft organic cotton outer, with a comfy polyester padded fill makes this an undeniable cosy spot for baby. But this playmat is actually far more scientific than that, designed alongside a consultant orthoptist it specifically supports babies’ visual and cognitive development throughout their first year.
The Dalmatian pattern encourages babies to use their back, neck and shoulder muscles which is good preparation for the world of rolling and crawling, as they try to make more sense of the print before them. When they’ve reached the grand age of five months young, flip the playmat over to see the funky leopard print when their colour-detecting cells are stronger, but beware your baby might not sit still for long. Not only do the playmats look great in your homes and on the Insta grid, they’re wonderfully padded and can be popped in the washing machine.
Buy now £75.00, Etta Loves
Stoy mixed solids foam puzzle play mat
Connect the nine pastel foam squares to create a delightful play space. The Scandinavian brand Stoy is big on play and by joining these together you have just shy of a metre by metre of coverage. Making a great place for a teddy bears picnic or tummy time, there’s also the option to add further pieces too to cover more space which we’d recommend for bigger kids. At £37 we were impressed by the thickness of the plastic foam tiles, which are soft and do the job for making a safe spot for babies.
Unfortunately, this multicolour pattern is out of stock, but you can still get the puzzle play mats in other colourways.
Buy now £37.00, Alexandalexa.com
Quut playmat
Part playmat, part puzzle but wholly fun, the newly released playmat from Quut certainly got our four-year-old tester’s attention. There are four possible set-ups for the playmat, and two of which can be placed up against the wall making that a soft finish too. Our tester enjoyed placing the shapes together and the result is a very sweet playmat in a lovely cloud shape.
Available in both dusty blue and pearl grey, there are ten pieces in total and the small cloud covers 145cm x 90cm. Made from a soft but durable EVA foam, we turned our cloud into a wonderful reading corner, and it got two thumbs up from our tester.
Buy now £47.40, Yesbébé.co.uk
Tiny Love magical tales super mat
OK parents might not thank us for this one, but babies will. Measuring in at 150 x 100cm, this monochrome style mat offers plenty of space for babies. It’s more than a floor covering too with plenty of extracurricular activities for little ones to engage with, like the built-in, peek-a-boo game, an easy-grip star teether and tummy time mirror.
It’s much like a comfortable duvet, offering plenty of padding and it’s portable too as this foldable playmat is easy to fold and carry, using the incorporated carry handle. Meaning it’s a doddle to put down and remove when baby’s tucked up in bed. More stock is on the way, so pre-order now to receive yours by mid-September.
Buy now £39.95, Naturalbabyshower.co.uk
Little Green Sheep baby playmat
This circular quilted playmat from Little Green Sheep is the perfect baby portioned sized for those early months. Made from super soft 100 per cent cotton, at 120cm diameter it makes a soft surface for babies to chill and kick their legs out. There’s a non-slip backing to ensure it stays put, and you also get a cotton travel bag, which is handy for taking it outside or to the park.
While it will only be used for the first few months when baby is happy lying on her back or during tummy time, it is the perfect size to place in a teepee once the baby days are over. It’s also machine washable for when those inevitable messy baby moments take place!
Buy now £49.95, Littlegreensheep.co.uk
The verdict: Play mats
Needless to say babies and children, and adults alike will fall in love with Totter & Tumble’s the captain playmat , it’s something so stylish that any home would be lucky to have it. If you’d rather a tile option Gus & Beau’s clever triangle playmat set in grey comes highly praised.
We’ve also rounded up the best teethers that provide relief (and fun) for tots
