Non-toxic play mats for babies

ger_mum · Post by **ger_mum** » Mon, 14 Feb 2011 4:07 pm

Does anyone know where to buy a non-toxic play mat for babies and toddlers?

I'm not referring to the square foam mats which have received bad press lately and found to contain toxic materials. i think it was reported in the papers recently that these square foam mats are banned in France and Belgium.

I'm looking for a safe mat, hopefully with proof of certification that's it's safe for infants.

meiy · Post by **meiy** » Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:00 am

Hi Ger_mum
I'm not sure if I'll be of help with this post but I received a gift of a korean play mat from LG just last weekend and it came with a warranty serial number in the user guide with photos of a certificate from a test lab stating that the mat has no trace of toxic substance. The mat is big and very attractive and is now on my living room, it seems to be serving us well, provides a soft cushion to my baby's floor for him to crawl and learn to walk. It's not made of cloth but PVC though, I didn't detect any toxic smell coming from it, well the user guide says it's been tested safe for babies to use by European toy safety standards.

The packaging says it's the Dwinguler brand, sounds like a funny name and has a website on it www.dwinguler.com which I went into, it was in Korean! but there was an english translation. I asked my friend who gave it to me where I could buy another one and she mentioned this store which you can check out www.terrifictikes.com carrying this mat, I'm not sure if it'll suit your needs.

Let me know what you think

mumfromOz · Post by **mumfromOz** » Sat, 05 Mar 2011 9:29 pm

Thanks for the info mei, picked up one for my best friends baby. Really nice material.

durain · Post by **durain** » Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:05 am

i got some play mat from ikea. i am sure they are legit and no dodgy stuff.

ev-disinfection · Post by **ev-disinfection** » Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:15 pm

meiy wrote:Hi Ger_mum
I'm not sure if I'll be of help with this post but I received a gift of a korean play mat from LG just last weekend and it came with a warranty serial number in the user guide with photos of a certificate from a test lab stating that the mat has no trace of toxic substance. The mat is big and very attractive and is now on my living room, it seems to be serving us well, provides a soft cushion to my baby's floor for him to crawl and learn to walk. It's not made of cloth but PVC though, I didn't detect any toxic smell coming from it, well the user guide says it's been tested safe for babies to use by European toy safety standards.

The packaging says it's the Dwinguler brand, sounds like a funny name and has a website on it www.dwinguler.com which I went into, it was in Korean! but there was an english translation. I asked my friend who gave it to me where I could buy another one and she mentioned this store which you can check out www.terrifictikes.com carrying this mat, I'm not sure if it'll suit your needs.

Let me know what you think

Looks good but the things to look out for are:
01, smooth surface- so not to trap dust.
02, it may be non toxic by itself, but is the PVC safe when you use your cleaning chemicals on it? (chemical reaction) (use a very mild detergent, to wipe)
03, Keep away from the sun, it could melt or heat the pvc mat (note also that toxic smell can be odour less)

Be safe

tequi · Post by **tequi** » Thu, 30 Jun 2011 1:34 pm

Hi guys,
That Korean company has a branch in singapore (international plaza) and they also have a website: dwinguler dot com dot sg
I'll be going to have a look at their mats. They look good on the website.

natalyakir · Post by **natalyakir** » Tue, 12 Jul 2011 8:52 pm

Just go to First Few Years shop in Paragon, 5th floor. They have several disigns from these cool LG mats. I have one of them and recommend them to everyone to buy for their babies and kids. My baby played on this floor mat, fell asleep sometimes while playing and I left her sleep on it as it is soft.

tequi · Post by **tequi** » Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:24 am

Hello ladies,
I just found a baby play mat made by LUCKY BABY that is, according to the packaging, non-toxic and odorless. It has a big picture of a baby on the package so I'm assuming that it really is safe for babies. It's a set of 10 32x32cm interlocking soft foam tiles. I just ordered it online from BabyTown: http://www.babytown.com.sg/lucky-baby-n ... -1292.html. It's only $8!! Can't wait for it to be delivered!

Post by **x9200** » Sun, 31 Jul 2011 9:58 am

tequi wrote:Hello ladies,
I just found a baby play mat made by LUCKY BABY that is, according to the packaging, non-toxic and odorless. It has a big picture of a baby on the package so I'm assuming that it really is safe for babies.

tequi · Post by **tequi** » Sun, 31 Jul 2011 1:33 pm

Lol

I realize how strange that sounded. But the product doesn't specifically say that it's safe for babies. So what I went by is the producer ("Lucky Baby"), baby-oriented packaging, baby-oriented shop selling it, and the packaging stating that it's "odorless, non-toxic".

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sun, 31 Jul 2011 2:21 pm

So where is this product manufactured? China? If so, I wouldn't care WHAT is written on the package, I'd not trust MY baby on it. Nowhere can I find where the product is actually manufactured. Maybe you can see on the actual package and let us know......

Post by **x9200** » Sun, 31 Jul 2011 8:10 pm

This what I had also some problems with but I managed to find that this is a brand name owned by Taime (www.taime.com.sg). They seem well established.
http://www.taime.com/taime/index.php?ac ... uctId=1280

On the other hand S$8 for 10 mats is cheap so I am skeptical if this is manufactured locally but who knows, maybe it is safe as they claim.

tequi, this mat is for children, so what do you expect to see on the package, a picture of a sofa?.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sun, 31 Jul 2011 8:21 pm

Yeah, I found that site rather easily. But I just couldn't get any deeper, and at only 7.90 online, I'm very suspect. If made in China, I wouldn't trust anything.

They are probably contract manufactured in china for the local company.

tequi · Post by **tequi** » Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:19 pm

x9200: The reason I mentioned the picture on the package is because the text on the package doesn't mention at all that the mat is intended for use by babies or children. Which is what made me hesitant in the first place, but decided to order and see. The package claims: "suitable for households and offices".

Yes, I too am skeptical, but for only $8 decided to order it and see. It seems a little too good to be true, so it probably is. They're delivering it tomorrow so I'll 'inspect' it and let you ladies know.

Post by **x9200** » Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:42 pm

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to inspect it. I am in the business related to both, such materials (among some other: polymers) and the inspection to some extend. My advice:
- stick to well established international companies - they have much more to lose to risk a use of some dodgy materials or obsolete technologies.
- do not panic and get over-suspicious - most of the threats are incident based and vastly exaggerated.
- as long as the place is well ventilated the risk, even in case of some potentially toxic material migrating from the foam, is at best minimal

PS. Me and not only me not ladies

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