The Best Baby Play Mats for Babies and Toddlers
Lay one of these on the floor to give your child a clean, comfy spot for tummy time, crawling and playtime.
Tested by Lexie SachsExecutive Director, Strategy & Operations
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You never think about your floors as much as you do the day your baby starts trying to crawl. Then, the need for a clean, soft spot as they move from tummy time to sitting up becomes real. A baby play mat is typically a foam or padded cloth floor covering and they come in many sizes. Larger play mats, if you have the space for one, give your child room to crawl and cruise and when they take a tumble, they're somewhat protected. But even a small play mat can create a spot for your baby to drool on (sorry, babies are kind of yucky that way!) and the mat will be easy to clean. Lay your baby down with a few great infant toys and let them have their fun!
Staffers from both the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles Lab and the Parenting and Toys Lab reviewed baby play mats of all kinds to offer the best recommendations for every stage. Mats got weeks or even years of testing in consumer testers' homes as well as to ensure they stood up to real-world use over time.
For awhile, anyway, you can ditch your living room rug and use this large, waterproof (and therefore babyproof!) floor mat, which is one of the most popular styles on the market and especially great for crawlers and early walkers.
What's great is that the mat has a reversible design so one side is kiddie, the other is grown-up, such as woodland creatures on one side and a blue pattern on the reverse. Pictured is one with roads on one side and a gray and white design on the other. It only comes in one size, which is roughly the size of a queen bed.
We found this easy to wipe clean and it rolls up for convenient storage. Two of our experts have each used this mat for years and find it durable and versatile from babyhood into childhood. "It is super-padded so I feel ok when my son leaps off his bed onto it," one said. "After more than four years of play it still looks decent from far away, though our cats' nails have created some nicks."
Dimensions: 6.9' x 4.6' x 0.5" | Age grading: birth+
If you're looking to spend under $100 on a play mat, this affordable foam-tile option is just a fraction of the cost and still covers a 36-square-foot area. Unlike the one-piece mats, this one can be made smaller if you only put together some of the tiles. It comes in this alphabet and number layout or in several other colorways and designs.
This type of mat can be engaging for kids who are learning their numbers and ABCs and it can be played with like a giant puzzle. (The letters and numbers in the middle of the tiles pop out!) As your child grows, they may be able to pull the tiles apart, but that can also be part of the fun. It comes with 36 middle pieces and 24 border pieces.
Dimensions: 6' x 6' x 0.4" | Age grading: birth+
With the 40 thick foam triangles and 32 edge pieces that come in this kit, you can create all kinds of patterns such as stripes, chevrons or diamonds. Skip Hop offers up visual suggestions you can follow. Because this is made using foam tiles, you can customize its look, plus you can use more or fewer pieces to adjust the size to your space.
We found it easy to snap the pieces together and the foam feels especially squishy, yet the end result has a grown-up aesthetic that you won't mind in your living space. The Playspot also comes in gray and white, or in shades of blue. Skip Hop is a trusted brand and the maker of one of our favorite baby jumpers. Skip Hop marks this for ages 10 months and up.
Dimensions: 5.8' x 4.6' x 0.4" | Age grading: 10 months+
Tiny Love Meadow Days Super Play Mat
For a play mat you can roll up and take anywhere, this fabric option feels more like a fluffy padded blanket. It's got built-in toys and is big enough for two babies yet folds down small enough to take to a relative's home. When you fold it, there's a carry handle. It's machine-washable but be sure to follow the care instructions.
Toys include a baby-safe mirror, a carrot-shaped teether, a crinkly fox tail, and a ring lets you attach one of your baby's favorite infant toys. The only thing to note with this play mat is that your toddler will likely grow out of it since the brand markets it for birth to first birthday.
Dimensions: 4.9' x 3.25' x 0.79" | Age grading: birth to 12 months
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Though it's the priciest, this impressive mat earned our Parenting Award two years in a row, consistently wowing the testers who have tried it. Parents like that this offers cushion but in high-end designs that easily blend with home decor. Choose from dozens of colors and patterns, including botanicals and batik prints.
There are also several shapes including round (pictured), 6' x 4' rectangle for the same price and a larger 6.9' x 4.5' rectangle that costs a bit more. There's even a runner if that suits your space. The parents we surveyed attest that these provide great traction for barefoot babes and the rugs themselves don't slide on the floor.
Dimensions: 4.5' round | Age grading: birth+
Mom-founded and designed, Ruggish makes mats that are similar in size and look to our best overall pick, and like that one, theirs are reversible. However the kid side always features the signature Ruggish road design, and then the flip side comes in different grown-up shades and patterns.
Durable memory foam makes this one especially great for crawlers and our testers have found that Ruggish mats last year over year. The play mat is easy to wipe clean. If, as your child grows, they demand more roadway for their toy cars, we also love the brand's play tape suitable for ages 3 and up.
Dimensions: 4.8' x 7' x 0.5" | Age grading: birth+
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Most foam play mats need to be rolled up like a massive yoga mat or taken apart as tiles if you need to put them away, but this one is designed with creases so you can fold it for easier storage. It's not as thick or rugged as some of the other play mats in this guide — it does not hold up over years — but its cost is significantly lower than many others.
Like other play mats, it's reversible with an alphabet and critters on one side, and a gray and white chevron design on the other. Regalo touts it for indoor or outdoor use since it can be wiped clean.
Dimensions: 5.9' x 6.4' x 0.5" | Age grading: birth+
How we choose the best baby play mats
In the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles Lab, our fiber scientists regularly test mats of all kinds including yoga mats and exercise mats. We also evaluate a wide range of baby gear, like crib mattresses and sheets. Experts also review products in our Parenting and Toys Lab including baby play spots such as bouncer seats and playards.
To evaluate baby play mats, we worked across Labs, reviewing the materials and specifications before sending them out to parent testers. Families fill out surveys with both numbers-based data and qualitative data so they can give us a full picture of their experience with a play mat.
When narrowing down our picks, we considered aspects like cushioning, size, portability, design, price and versatility. We gave special consideration to play mats that have been on the market — and in tester homes — for years, and which have held up.
What to look for when shopping for the best baby play mat
Here are the top things to consider when you shop:
✔️ Versatility: Play mats can get expensive, but some can be used in your home for years. A reversible design helps keep things fresh — flip it over from the kid side to the grown-up side when company comes. One that rolls up makes for easy storage, while one that is made of foam tiles can be arranged in different sizes and patterns.
✔️ Comfort: Most play mats are made of foam for good cushioning so a baby can practice tummy time, learn to crawl or try taking some steps. Some play mats are thicker than others. The fabric mat will be good for rolling around on, but won't be grippy for crawling or walking.
✔️ Design: If you're looking for something for a playroom or nursery, many mats are decorated with the alphabet, animals or various scenes that create a fun learning environment. On the other hand, if you want your baby to be able to join you in the living room, you can look for a design that better matches your home decor.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
In the past two years alone, the Good Housekeeping Institute has tested more than 30,000 products in its Labs and with consumers. Scientists, engineers and journalists work out of the New York City headquarters, but test products with families nationwide. We recommend everything from the best slow cookers to the best family cars.
Lexie Sachs is the executive director of Strategy and Operations, and oversees testing on a wide range of parenting products. A mom to two kids, Sachs has personally tried out several of the featured play mats in her own home and has coordinated at-home evaluations of play mats with dozens of consumer testers.
This article was updated by Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn, a former senior editor of Parents magazine and mom of two.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a lead reviewer of products in the bedding, travel, lifestyle, home furnishings and apparel spaces. She has over 15 years of experience in the consumer products industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Lexie serves as an expert source both within Good Housekeeping and other media outlets, regularly appearing on national broadcast TV segments. Prior to joining GH in 2013, Lexie worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.
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