Best Non-Toxic Play Mat – Cremehaus Folding Play Mat Review

Best Non-Toxic Play Mat – Cremehaus Play Mat

I purchased Cremehaus folding play mat on my own and was not sponsored by Cremehaus to write this review. This review is my honest experience and opinion. This review contains affiliated links. That means I will get a commission if you click the link and buy the item (but at no extra cost to you). Your support helps my work in bringing you useful information about baby products. If you are interested in buying this mat, my readers get 10% off with coupon code GONEWMOMMY10 on their website. Thank you!

Before my baby started roll over, I played with my baby on the bed a lot.  I could sit on the bed and interact with my baby more comfortably than other places in the house. However, when she started rolling over,  there was a chance that she could fall from the bed. Therefore, I had to get a play mat so baby can roll over, sit up, crawl and later walk on it. In the beginning, I was looking at Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam play mat. Most of the play mats in the market were made of EVA foam. However, I found out that Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam mats for babies and children are very toxic. What? How can they make the play mat that can be toxic to babies and children?  Many daycare, gym or schools have Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam mats and babies and children are exposed to toxic chemicals? I was very shocked and started to research further.

What is Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) Foam?  Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is a soft, durable polymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. It’s a plastic that’s like rubber. EVA foam is made by adding formamide to EVA as the plasticizer to give more flexibility and durability. Formamide is an industrial chemical carcinogen and is classed as a reprotoxic substance. It can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its fumes but also through the skin and by ingestion.  Europe has banned using formamide in toys. 

Some manufacturers say their EVA foam mat is non-toxic and some even say their EVA foam mat doesn’t contain formamide. However, currently, there is no formamide-free EVA foam available in US. (Read more) In addition, unlike Europe, US doesn’t have strict regulations for formamide level contained in the product. As long as the product contains lower level of formamide than level stated in the regulations, manufacturers can say their mat is formamide free or non-toxic since their mats with formamide pass the test. (Read more) EVA foam is sometimes considered to be a safe alternative to another known toxic material, PVC, however, EVA foam is just as toxic.

PVC(polyvinyl chloride or vinyl)  is the most toxic plastic (#3 plastic). Phthalates are plasticizers and are added to PVC to make it more flexible. Phthalates are a human carcinogen and they get released into the air or leached into food or drinks from the product. In the rodent studies by EPA, phthalates caused rats  liver cancer and damaged kidneys, reproductive mutation, lower sperm counts, infertility, reduced testosterone, and testicular cancer. (Read more) Researchers also concluded that  phthalates causes asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues. (Read more)  PVC also contains other harmful chemicals such as vinyl chloride, heavy metals, dioxins, etc, which are human carcinogen. Therefore, PVC shouldn’t be used as a baby’s play mat material.

So no EVA foam or PVC material for my baby’s play mat! When I was shopping at Amazon, I was surprised to see so many EVA foam play mats. They looked very nice and were very affordable. Many puzzle mats were made of EVA foam. I searched for play mat that was made with non-toxic materials. While researching for non-toxic play mats, I came across CremeHaus play mat and really liked it. Cremehaus play mat was the only play mat that was made with 100% non-toxic materials, at the same time, was thick enough for protection and was wipeable to clean. I also really liked 100% organic cotton Corki mat from Pillobebe.  However, although Pillobebe Corki mat was also 100% non-toxic and great, I didn’t want to clean the mat by washing the cotton cover. I wanted a mat that I could wipe to clean. Wiping was more convenient for me than washing the mat in the machine.

Cremehaus has several styles of mats available but I particularly liked the folding play mat. After researching the mat further, I purchased not just one but two. The folding play mat comes in 2 sizes: 51 x 79 and 51 x 102 inches.  I wanted my baby to roll over and crawl as far as possible on the mat so I got 2 of 51 x 79 inch play mat.  I feel one is not big enough but two of them are perfect size for baby to cruise around. (if you want your baby to cruise around on the mat by crawling or walking and want to give her the space) There are 6 different colors to choose from. I chose white and pink color. I like that this folding mat doesn’t have cartoon characters you usually see in play mats.  The simple colors of mat  goes well with my furniture at home. The mat is also reversible so I can use the bottom of the mat as the top. Bottom color is solid cream color.

This folding mat also folds really easy for storage or for setting it aside when you are not using it. One of the things I love about this mat is its thickness. I wanted play mat to be thick because it will protect my daughter’s head against hardwood floor if she falls. During the time she went through milestones of sitting up, pulling herself up to stand, standing and walking, she fell numerous times on her head. She was fine every time. Thanks to the 1.6 inch (4cm) thick play mat!  The surface is also waterproof so when my baby spilled water, there was no problem. Cleaning the mat is also easy, I  just wipe the surface with baby wipes or neutral cleaning solution.

CremeHaus Folding Non-Toxic Play Mat

One of the reason I chose this mat was also because this mat was made of non-toxic materials.  I didn’t want to worry about my baby inhaling, touching or ingesting formamide and other harmful chemicals while playing on the mat.  I knew my baby and I would be spending big chunks of the day on the mat so I had to make sure the material used is non-toxic. The  Cremehaus play mat is made of food-grade polyethylne (PE). This is a non-toxic material that is widely used in the food packaging industry.  This folding mat uses a chemical-free adhesive method and it can be recycled after use.

The mat’s cover is  made of Polyurethane (PU) leather. Polyurethane (PU) leather cover is made from caster oil based polyols. It  is certified by USDA as a bio-based products. Bio-based products are derived from renewable materials such as plants, trees or animals and they are great alternative to petroleum-derived products. This mat is also hypoallergenic and is free of PVC, EVA, TPA, BPA, Lead, Phthalates, Fire Retardants, Formamide, Formaldehyde and other VOC’s.  You can see CremeHaus’ ASTM and CE full safety standard test report here. (ASTM(American Standards) / CE(European Standards) The mat has certifications from ASTM (American Standards) & CE (European Standards) and also from ROHS, CPSIA & USDA (certified bio-based product).

However, the mat is a little bit pricey.  One of 51 x 79 inch mat is $239.99. Although it was pricey, I purchased two because I felt one mat was too small for my baby to crawl and move around. Price for 2 was $479.98.  EVA foam mats are usually $15-100 so when you compare Cremehaus folding play mat to them, the price of this folding mat is  a lot higher. However, this folding mat isn’t toxic like EVA foam mats. It is also extra thick for shock absorbency and does a great job of protecting my daughter when she falls. This is the thickest mat I have found among what I have researched. For me, it is definitely worth the money.  I am glad I have purchased these mats for my baby. ​I have spent large amount of time on the mat with my baby everyday.  She has gone through many milestones on this mat and will be going through many more.

If you are interested in buying this mat, my readers get 10% off with coupon code GONEWMOMMY10 on their website.