Custom Play Mat Review: SoftTiles

For the first 6 months of Baby K’s life, he wasn’t that mobile. We found it to be the cutest thing ever to watch him lie on his back smiling and waving his little arms and legs but not going anywhere. And it was fun watching him do tummy time, while entertaining him as he stayed pretty much in the same spot.

But one day that all changed.

Baby K learned how to master rolling from back to tummy first, which is the opposite of most babies, and then he picked up the tummy to back roll. We were letting him roll around on our mattress, but he quickly ran out of space, and we knew we needed a play mat.

I wanted a really sturdy and thick play mat so Baby K would have a soft and safe surface to play, learn to crawl, and roll around. Having something with enough cushion was important for when he falls. I searched on Amazon, but all I found were cheap thin mats or ones with bright colors that didn’t match anything in our apartment.

I came across SoftTiles on Instagram when another mom posted about a custom mat she got for her baby. I took a look at their website and browsed some of the cool inspiration designs that they created for other kids and events. I decided this is what I really wanted for Baby K.

Some of the things that make these mats better than others on the market are:

• SoftTiles mats can be completely customized! The colors, shapes, and letters can all be designed by you!

• SoftTiles are made from a non-toxic EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam. The mats do not contain plasticizers like BPA or phthalates, and have been tested to be formamide free. I did some research and formamide is a chemical that has potential health risks and should be especially avoided by children.

• SoftTiles 2x2 Foam Mats are 5/8" thick – thicker than most other mats, and because Baby K has fallen and cried after bumping his head before on a thinner mat, the extra cushion makes a difference

SoftTiles are thicker than most other play mats.

I used their website mat builder to design the mat, and it took me about 20 minutes (super easy)! I decided on grey and white with Baby K’s initials. And I’ve always been a huge fan of animals, so I picked some fun animals that looked cute.

The design process using the Mat Builder tool on the SoftTiles website

It took about a week to get the custom mat made and delivered, and we couldn’t be happier with it. It is nice and think, and Baby K rolled over hard and bumped his head a few times, but didn’t cry or fuss at all because the mat cushioned him. And also because he finally has a firm surface (no more rolling around the bed anymore) to play on, he has started scooting around just this week, and sitting up better and better on his own! I wish we had this mat sooner so he would have had this surface to practice on, but I think he’ll start getting more and more mobile in the coming weeks!

The finished mat is beautiful!

To summarize, I would highly recommend this mat for the quality, aesthetic, and durability. This mat will last us a very long time and I wish we had it sooner! Baby K loves it too!

Baby K loves this mat with his initials!

Check out their website here: https://softtiles.com/ and start creating!

FTC disclaimer: I loved these mats and reached out to SoftTiles for a collaboration. This product was gifted. All opinions and experiences in this review are my own.