Corkimat by Pillobebe non-toxic playmat review

{This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll get a commission if you buy a mat without this affecting the price you pay. Thanks for helping me keep this blog up and running.}

A few years ago I was on the hunt for a non-toxic playmat for my daughter because I came to find out that a lot of playmats were made with questionable materials. After some research I found several options and wrote a post about it (which I update every 6 months).  Earlier this year I found Pillobebe, a company created by a mom like me that also worried about what our kids were playing on.  She went on to create a true non-toxic playmat which I was very curious to try so I reached out to her and asked her for a sample. I’ve never requested a product to review before but I felt like I had to because my non-toxic playmats post is so popular and this is one of my top playmat options. I really wanted to share with my readers not only which mats are non-toxic but also the functionally of these mats in a day to day basis.

I was pretty excited when I got the Corkimat original and immediately set it up in our living room.  I have a an almost 3 year old and a 2 month old. My plan was to use this mat with the baby but my toddler has come fond of it and likes to lay on it so right now both of my girls share the mat constantly.

First I want give you a little bit of background on the mat and why it’s one of my top non-toxic options and then I’ll give you my pros and cons.

From the manufacturer:

CorkiMat™ is safe from all harmful chemicals and toxins. Cork and bamboo fibers are naturally Soft, Organic, Eco-friendly, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Anti-fungal and Naturally flame-retardant. Cork barks are harvested by hand over and over again without harming cork trees. Bamboo plants are fast growing so they can be replaced much faster than trees. Another material is cotton and we use GOTS Certified Organic cotton only. CorkiMat™ is FREE of Formamide, Fire-retardants, PVC, BPA, PBS, Formaldehyde, Phthalates, Lead, and harmful VOCs.

• Removable cover: 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton
• Breathable Water-resistant Insert
• Dimensions: Individual tile: appx. 19″W X 19″L X 1″H
• Modules are easily connected by Anti-slip Velcro strips
• Easy to stack, travel and store
• Handmade in USA

Corkimat comes in form of tiles so you can make the mat the size you need/want. These tiles connect together with a velcro attachment so setting up the mat is very easy.  There are 2 version of this mat, original and lite.

When it comes to materials, I prefer the original Corkimat.

Organic Cotton Play Mat – not Corkimat

Pillobebe also offers an Organic Cotton playmat. This mat is one whole piece and is made out of organic cotton/bamboo or hypoallergenic polyester.  It is similar to their Corkimat except that this one is more like comforter and since it’s one piece that you can roll it’s easier to transport. On this post I’ll be writing about the Corkimat original playmat and not the one piece mat I just mentioned.

From all the mats I’ve looked into, this is a truly non-toxic playmat made with natural materials that are also organic – this is a huge plus since most mats aren’t organic and if they are they’re just made of fabric. The materials used on this mat are bamboo, cork and cotton. For this reason this mat is on my top 5 list!

So let’s talk about the mat…

I got 4 tiles of the Corkimat Original. It came in a box the size of each tile, the tiles were stacked up, which is how you would put it if you wanted to store it. I set up the mat in about one minute. You just put a velcro piece on the back of each tile to hold them together. At first I thought the pieces might come off easily since they’re being held by a velcro but it really stays together. I’ve even lifted up the entire mat and the pieces haven’t come apart.

What I love the MOST from the mat is what it’s made of. Right now there isn’t anything like it out there and I love that it uses natural and organic materials. Here is more in depth info on the mat.

It comes in tiles: This is great since you can make it as small or as big as you need to.  The mat can grow with you. Right now I have 4 tiles and this is the perfect size for a baby but once they get older and start moving around I would add more tiles to it. However, I don’t like that in between each tile debris can accumulate if you don’t shake it off/keep it clean.   When it comes to my personal preference I rather have one big mat that’s just one piece because I feel it’s easier to keep clean and move around.

Removable cover: I like that you can easily remove the fabric cover and throw it in the washer. However I like this when I want to do an overall deep cleaning of the mat. I don’t find this so useful on a day to day basis. If my baby spits on the mat, throws up or spills something on it I can’t just wipe it off like cleaning a table surface. If it’s small I could just wipe and air dry but if it’s a big spill I’d have to remove the cover.

Thickness: I love the thickness of the mat I have and I wouldn’t want it to be less thick. If my baby were to fall on this while walking it would definitively help her cushion the fall so that’s a big plus. However this makes the tiles a little heavy so when you put many tiles together (6+ tiles) you might not be able to lift it with one hand. The weight is a con for me because I’d like to have something I can lift with one hand while sweeping or vacuuming with the other. I also think that when you have many tiles it makes too heavy to move around all the time.

Pricing: This mat is a little pricey if you end up getting 9 tiles, which for me is the ideal size. However, when you take into consideration that this a non-toxic playmat then the price is not so bad. I would buy the 9 tile mat and start by putting out 4 tiles and adding more as my baby grows. If you do this it is better to buy the 9 tiles from the beginning since that will be cheaper than adding more tiles later on.

In conclusion…

The biggest con about this mat for me is how easily dirt accumulates between each tile and having to clean it constantly so if I had to chose between all of the Pillobebe’s mats I would get the Organic Cotton playmat instead of this one because it’s one piece, lighter and easier to keep clean (you can read my review on that mat here).

I would give the original Corkimat a 10 on being non-toxic and an 8 on functionality. I would prefer if it was a little lighter and one piece but I love the materials it’s made out of and that it’s organic.

Overall this is a great mat, especially if you live in a small house/apartment or if you’re looking for a mat that can grow with you (add more tiles as your baby gets bigger and more mobile).

You can buy the Corkimat mat here or on Amazon.

Have you tried the mats by Pillobebe? If so, which one and how did you like it?


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.