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9 best baby play mats and gyms 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.
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Mamas & Papas Playmat & Gym - Welcome to the World Duckling
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Totter + Tumble Scout and Wanderer Standard Reversible Playmat
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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 a real focus. Enter: the best baby play mats and gyms.
A baby play mat is typically a foam or padded cloth floor covering and they come in many shapes, sizes and designs. Larger play mats, if you have the space for one, give your child room to crawl and cruise – and when they inevitably take a tumble, they're somewhat protected. But even a small play mat can create a safe spot for your baby to be stimulated.
Lay them down with a few toys and let them have their fun!
Read on for our best buys of 2026.
The Lovevery team are experts at making age and stage appropriate toys that challenge little ones just the right amount as they grow.
This impressive play mat is designed with newborns through to toddlers in mind, with an impressive five activity zones and detachable toys such as teethers, batting rings and squishy sound squares. There's also three sets of cards, including a mirror for self-discovery, and a play guide for parents to ensure their babes get the most out of it.
The mat itself is double-sided, with a high-contrast side for younger babies, which transforms into a cosy play fort for toddlers.
Mamas & Papas Playmat & Gym - Welcome to the World Duckling
There's lots to love about this aesthetically pleasing option from the experts at Mamas & Papas. Not only will it look good in the corner of your living room, but it's also brimming with features to support early development. Think hanging toys (including a musical one with a soothing lullaby), crinkle textures, chimes and squeakers, along with a sweet duckling toy featuring a built-in teether and mirror to encourage sensory play.
The quilted, padded base is soft and comfy, making it ideal for tummy time, and it's suitable from birth. Overall, a practical yet stylish option.
Avery Row’s pretty activity mat will provide little ones with hours of fun. Plus, it's so stylish, you'll be happy to have it on display at home — a win-win!
Presented in a drawstring bag, it's perfect for gifting or ideal for travelling. It features velvet bunnies, a squeaky flower with crinkly petals, a sunny surprise mirror, carrot rattle and more. The interactive elements are wonderful at encouraging little ones to crawl; strengthening leg, arm and neck muscles as they play.
Totter + Tumble Scout and Wanderer Standard Reversible Playmat
Totter + Tumble Scout and Wanderer Standard Reversible Playmat
Granted, it's one of the pricier mats out there. However, everyone who has a Totter + Tumble play mat, raves about it. Parents appreciate that it offers cushioning but in designs that easily blend with your existing home furnishings.
We like this monochrome pattern, but there are lots to choose from, as well as several shapes. The mat provides great traction for barefoot babes and the rugs don't slide on the floor.
This option from popular baby brand Momcozy sits at the more affordable end of the spectrum, but it's still brimming with impressive features. The padded mat feels soft and cushioned for tummy time and rolling, while its non-slip backing helps keep it steady on hard floors. It folds away with an attached strap for easy storage or taking on the go and it's machine washable for fuss-free cleaning. It also comes in a range of cheerful prints to suit all styles and spaces.
Note, the mat is best suited to younger babies as the surface may feel a little limited once they're crawling or toddling.
Another play mat you can roll up and take anywhere, this offering from Tiny Mat 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 the grandparents house. When you fold it, there's a carry handle and it's machine-washable too.
Toys include a baby-safe mirror, shiny ribbons and peek-a-boo game, and the black and white characters with big eyes, encourage newborn vision and develop emotional intelligence. It's a great price too.
Etta Loves Animal Print Playmat
Etta Loves Animal Print Playmat
All Etta Loves products are designed with babies' vision in mind. The clever choice of colours and scale of patterns all help to support their visual and cognitive development.
This comfy, padded, organic cotton play mat provides the perfect stimulation for tummy time and playtime. The Dalmatian pattern is intended for newborns up to around four months, and when they hit the five month mark, flip it over so they can graduate to the more challenging leopard print side.
The Little Green Sheep Baby Playmat Linen
The Little Green Sheep Baby Playmat Linen
Made from super soft, 100% cotton, with a non-slip backing to ensure it stays in place, this simple mat is perfect for playtime. It comes in a travel bag, for when you're on the move, and slips into the brand's teepee to create a safe play haven as they get older.
You can ditch your living room rug and use this large, waterproof (and therefore baby proof!) floor mat instead, which is especially good for crawlers and early walkers.
What's great is that the mat has a reversible design so one side is kid-friendly, the other more grown-up. Pictured is one with roads on one side and a grey and white design on the other.
It's easy to wipe clean, durable, super-padded, and it rolls up for convenient storage.
What to look for when shopping for the best baby play mat or baby gym
Here are the top things to consider when you shop.
✔️ Versatility: Play mats can be expensive, but some can be used in your home for years. A reversible design helps to keep things fresh — flip it over from the kid-friendly 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. Many also come with built-in toys.
✔️ 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 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.
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.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Priyankaa is our sleep and wellness expert, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges. She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more. Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
