Happy Baby Play:Top 4 Best Baby Play Mats to Buy in 2022 for Better Baby Development
Kelly Brook, Contributor
Updated: Mar 8th, 2022
Play is a critical part of a child’s development. Through play, children are able to develop their minds, bodies, and their emotional reaction to things. There’s no better alternative for playtime, especially for babies.
But what if you need to do something? What if important tasks need to be done and you have no one to give your baby to? How are they going to have meaningful playtime? Enter the baby mat.
Through the years, baby mats have evolved from simple fabric, to interactive mats complete with toys, music, and colors. If you’re here because you’re looking for the best play mats for babies, you’ve come to the right place. In this review, we are featuring 4 of the best baby mats to buy in 2022.
How We Decided
When it comes to playmats, extensive doesn’t always mean better. This is the reason why finding the best baby mats in the market can be a bit complicated. Our team is composed of parents — so we understand the struggle deeply. To help fellow parents like us, we asked the help of pediatricians, and development specialists for their recommendations for the best baby mats.
Through our interviews, we’ve developed a criteria on how to choose the best baby mats.
Spacious and Comfortable
As your baby grows, he will be needing more space. The best baby mats are those that are large enough to cater to your baby’s growing need for space and movement.
Offer Attention-Grabbing Items, But Not too Much
A great mat comes with toys and items that can entertain your child for a long time. However, only choose products fitted to your baby’s needs. Too much toys and fanfare can also have disadvantages.
Kid-friendly and No Choking Hazard
Since you will be leaving your child on the mat while you do other tasks, safety is top priority. Choose a mat that does not come with choking hazards so you can have peace of mind while you work.
Out of all the baby mats we’ve reviewed, here are the top 4 products that stood out.
Is your child fascinated with life under the sea? Are you looking for a play mat that can stimulate all your baby’s senses? Our top pick is Oceanix.
We love how this play mat simply caters to all senses – colors for your baby’s vision, sounds for your baby’s hearing, plush toys for interaction, and lights for their imagination.
The mat is inspired by Disney’s Finding Nemo. A big bonus if your child loves the movie and the character.
The toys are detachable from the baby play gym – you can easily bring them on-the-go if you want to keep your baby entertained while you’re outdoors.
This baby play mat also comes with 5 plush toys including rattles!
Safety is a priority for this play mat. It comes with a pillow for your baby’s head, a breathable material to keep baby comfortable, and a soft board to prevent baby from rolling away from the mat.
The Oceanix is a great sanity saver for parents. If you want to take a break for yourself, but you still want to keep your baby entertained, Oceanix can cover for you.
Recommended Features
- Our #1 Popular Choice
- With characters inspired by the disney film finding nemo
- Best high-quality mat that your little ones will surely love
- Has soft and smooth textures safe for your babies
- Also comes with illuminated magical lights from the stingray canopy
- Detach the hanging toys and play them with your kid
- Listen to 20+ minutes of ocean-themed melodies
- Exclusive 50% Off Deal
Editor's Pick
Balls! Baby’s love balls. Parents love playing catch and find with babies. If you’re a mom or a dad who’s already so exhausted with catching up on the play that your baby likes, it’s time for reinforcement. The SeaBed can cover you – even for just a while.
We love how the SeaBed is made even for toddlers – a stage when playtime is full on! The SeaBed is designed like a mini ring where infants and toddlers can play around safely. The SeaBed comes with safety mesh walls to prevent your child from falling or rolling over.
The best thing about SeaBed? Balls! Coming in with different colors, the SeaBed’s balls can make your child feel like they are inside an actual playpen. They can throw, hold, and juggle balls to develop their hand-eye coordination and their fine motor skills.
We also love the toys dangling on the SeaBed playmat. Kids can reach, grasp, and fiddle with four marine-themed plushies hanging on the mat.
This mat is made with 100% child-friendly materials so you won’t have to worry about your child getting uncomfortable. The mat is also multipurpose – it can be made as a stroller cover, or a mat for the ground when you’re outdoors.
If you’re looking for an affordable, fun, and multipurpose play mat, the SeaBed will be one of your best choices.
Key Features
- Made with the thought to keep babies comfortable and safe at all times
- Made of cotton material, soft, breathable, it will not hurt the baby's skin, created 100% safe for your baby
- Arches with four playful hanging toys can attract the baby's attention and health development
- Ideal for game mat, crawling blanket, stroller blanket, covers in an air-conditioned room, multifunctional usage
- Added storage in the turtle's head provides much convenience in taking care of your space
At first glance, you can describe this baby play mat as “cute.” However, the more you look at it, the more you’ll realize how big this mat is for a baby’s development. If you’re looking for affordable baby play mats, our top recommendation is HeartRug.
HeartRug’s tagline goes like this: “We’re the mat that grows with your kids.” This mat can last up to 6 months – and can even be passed on to your next baby. It accommodates your baby’s growth and need for movement!
This mat comes with baby-friendly designs that will immediately catch your baby’s eyes. This play rug for babies comes with a mini, detachable piano to help your baby bond with the music.
The mat’s piano coupled with 5 exciting toys can help develop your child’s fine motor skills, self-awareness, hearing, sight, and sensory. If you’re not a fan of screen time, but you really need to attend to an important task, the HeartRug can be your temporary babysitter.
Key Features
- Your ultimate toy in helping improve your baby's fine motor skills
- Equipped with a piano keyboard with lovely sounds, bright lights, and music that stimulates the senses, hearing, and sight
- Comes with four different modes of play: lay and play, tummy time, sit and play, and kick and play
- Perfectly designed for your kid's ages 0-6 months
- Encourage your child’s learning and growth
- With multi-play positions, attachable toys, and ten different melodies that will enhance your child’s cognitive development through play
Are you done with boring play mats for babies? Are you looking for playmats that actually stimulate your child to learn? Our favorite in the interactive mat department is the Cutiemat.
The CutieMat delivers three purposes – your baby’s resting area, their baby gym, and their very own music spot.
This adorable and cute play mat is made with kid-safe, environment-friendly materials so you won’t have to worry that this mat will make your kid feel uncomfortable.
The mat comes with 5 cute hanging toys that your baby can fiddle and interact with. This package also includes a safe hanging mirror that will teach your kids all about reflections.
We love the detachable piano attached to this play mat. It bursts out a lot of beautiful tunes that will keep your baby entertained while you do other tasks.
Cleaning and storing is not a problem with the CutieMat. Its lightweight, breezy material makes those tasks easy to do.
If you want to educate your child about colors, shapes, music, and how to use their body parts well, this play mat is for you.
Key Features
- Suitable for ages 0-18 months
- Its bubble pillar and toys are detachable and you can use the mat as a mat for strollers or any kind of surface
- Its piano keys have different music and colorful lights that stimulate your child's senses
- Its cartoon pattern and toys promote cognitive development
- Comes with a multifunctional piano that can be switched t various modes, melodies, notes, and sound effects
- Made of premium materials, this mat is durable and soft for a comfortable touch, allowing your baby to play freely on it
- Comes with 5 hanging toys, including 4 adorable animals and a mirror
Parents need all the help they can when raising curious and active little ones. A play mat can be a child’s best place for fun, interactive learning. If you don’t want your kids to get engrossed on screentime, get them one of these amazing play mats!
