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During the 3 years that I’ve been a mom I’ve learned a lot about baby and kid products. You would think that anything that’s made for babies or kids would not contain any questionable chemicals like phthalates or lead but the sad reality is that some do. I’ve become pretty passionate about finding the perfect non-toxic play mat. The play mats in our home are used daily and way beyond the baby years so it’s important for me to have something that will hold up well and that won’t leach chemicals into my kids.
I’m always on the hunt for new non-toxic play mats and a few months ago I was able to review a Corkitmat by Pillobebe. After publishing that post I had several parents ask me about their other play mat, the Organic Cotton Play Mat by Pillobebe. I spoke to Lauren, the creator behind these non-toxic mats and she was kind enough to send me this mat so I could test it out and share my opinion with you. I got the one with the natural cotton/bamboo padding.
The mat shipped pretty fast and we were very excited to receive it. My toddler was so excited when she saw the mat that she even did a happy dance on it. It was the cutest thing! My first impression of the mat was love. I prefer it over the Corkimat because of it’s size and because it’s one piece and easy to move around. Also, as soon as I put it in the ground I noticed it doesn’t slide, which I think is awesome because I have a kid that runs a lot and I could see many accidents happening if this mat where to slide all over our wooden floors.
Our other play mats are parked in my daughter’s bedroom but the Organic Cotton Play Mat is moved daily around our house. I put the mat close to wherever I am and have the baby play on it. The toddler always tags along so they’re both on this mat a lot. The fact that I can move it around so easily has become my favorite feature.
I’m going to tell you a little more about this mat and then tell why the pros and cons to this mat.
From the manufacturer:
Premium Handmade Baby/Kids Play Mat. Made with soft natural 100% Certified Organic Cotton fabric for your sensitive little one!
Made with natural cotton fabric with full padding so it protects baby from hard surfaces. Easy to fold and you can use for picnic mat, play day, grandma’s house, travels, nappy, etc. The uses of this mat is endless while your baby is growing up.
- Measurement: Appx. 55″ X 55″Eco-friendly Non-toxic materials, No flame retardant chemicals.
- Free of Formamide, Fire-retardants, PVC, BPA, PBS, Formaldehyde, Phthalates, Lead, and harmful VOCs.
- Facing: 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Designer print
- Backing: Anti-slip silicon dotted cotton
- Removable cover for easy washing
- Water-resistant cover on padding
- Anti-slip feature
- Invisible zipper at the bottom (Hidden closure system)
- Batting: Appx. 1″ thick – Natural Bamboo/Cotton or appx. 1/2″ thick – Hypoallergenic Polyester
- Handmade in USA
What I think about the Organic Cotton Play Mat?
Thickness: This mat is similar to a comforter in thickness, probably a little bit thicker but the filling feels different. In a comforter I feel that it’s easy for the padding to move around but in this mat it doesn’t. Plus it feel thick enough to cushion falls. From all the cotton play mats I’ve seen this is the thickest one.
Anti-slip feature: I never even thought about how useful this feature would be but now it’s one of my favorites. We have hardwood floors in our living room and I have used other mats there but they slide around a lot, especially when my older kiddo runs and jumps on it. However I don’t have this problem with this mat, it almost sticks to the floor so to move it around you have to pick it up. Because of this feature, this mat is permanently on our living/dining room area. I move it around to have my kids close to me but I don’t have to worry anymore about my kids falling because the mat moves out of place.
Size: I have 4 mats in my home right now. Compared to this one is smaller, one is bigger and one is slightly bigger but in a rectangular shape. I have the biggest mat in my daughter’s bedroom and I never move it. I like how that one covers a lot of her bedroom floor but it’s too big to move around. When it comes to this mat I love the size because it makes it portable and so easy to move. I almost brought it with me to my Costa Rica vacation because it would easily fit in a suitcase with room to spare.
The mat is big enough that my baby can move around on it and play without getting on the floor but small enough that I can carry it with one hand to any part of the house. If you want a mat you can bring to grandma’s house or move around all over your house then this is the one for you.
Pricing: I think it’s priced accordingly to what you get. This is an organic play mat so when you take that into consideration it has a good price. This mat comes with 2 different paddings: hypoallergenic polyester and natural bamboo/cotton. The one with polyester padding is cheaper but I personally prefer the other padding because I think bamboo and cotton is of a superior quality.
Patterns: I love the patterns on this mat. Pillobebe changes its pattern throughout the year so you’re bound to find something you love (see all current available patterns here). I have to admit I had a hard time picking out which pattern I wanted. I really liked them all!
Removable cover: This mat comes with a removable cover that you can put in the washer and an insert that can be hand washed. According to the manufacturer this is how you have to clean it:
Wash and Care:
Cover – Machine wash, Line/hang/Flat dry only, Do not tumble-dry, No bleach, Iron if needed.
Insert: Hand wash only, Flat dry only, Natural Bamboo/Cotton may be bunched up after washing.
Easiness to clean: For me this is on the only con of the mat. This mat is made out of fabric, which means you have to wash it if it gets dirty. You can spot clean it if it’s something small but let’s say your kid spills a drink, you’ll have to wash it. The plus is that you can throw the cover in the washer but I would prefer something I could just wipe clean. That being said, this is not a deal breaker for me, 3 of our mats have to be washed and only one can be wiped down. This is the only reason this mat is not 100% perfect for me.
In conclusion…
For me this is the ideal mat. I love it so much it’s the one we keep in our living room. It’s non-toxic, organic, it’s big enough for a baby to move around but not too big so it doesn’t take up my entire living room, it’s the only mat I’ve come across that has an anti-slip feature which I absolutely love, it’s portable, it’s lightweight, it has the right amount of cushion (thickness) and comes in pretty patterns. If I could wipe this mat clean, instead of having to remove a cover to wash it, then it would be absolutely perfect.
From all the mats I’ve seen I think this one is worth it, it’s definitively in my top!
Have you tried this mat? What did you think of it?
You can buy this mat here or on Amazon.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for the company mentioned in this post. I did request a sample of this product but what’s written here is 100% my personal opinion.
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