Customer Reviews

We Sell Mats 36 Sq Ft Alphabet and Number Floor Mat

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Got these earlier this year. Very happy with them, thought my daughter loves to pull out the letters and chew on them. Now Im realy concered because i just read that foam mats are being banned in Europe due to cancer causing chemicals in the foam.

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Belgium is to ban the sale of all foam puzzle mats for babies and toddlers, citing tests showing they contain a cancer-causing chemical.

Formamides are used to soften the foam in the mats but are corrosive and can be deadly. Toxicologist Alfred Bernard explained:
"They are solvents, residues from the manufacturing process that stay in the product afterwards. They can be absorbed through breathing or through the skin. As a rule, children should not be exposed to these products."

Belgium becomes the first European country to ban the mats and will impose a 20,000 euro fine for anyone found selling them. Jean-Philippe Ducart, a spokesman for a consumer watchdog said:

"They will be illegal in 2011 but in the meantime we ask that they be withdrawn from the market in the interest of public health and the health of children exposed to them."

An EU-wide ban on the mats is expected within the next few years.

In November, the EU prohibited the sale of plastic baby bottles containing Bisphenol A, a compound that tests suggest have adverse health effects on babies.

We have this set up on carpet, so the fact that it's a little thin makes little difference for us. We just didn't want our baby's face in the carpet constantly (I believe there are carcinogens in the stain sealants and we live in an apt. so don't see much point in shampooing or anything). The only thing that's annoying is the letters and numbers pop out of the mat which I don't really like because I know he's going to rip the thing apart as he gets older (he's 9 months now). But, he has taken a couple little tumbles and not cried so the mat combined with the carpet underneath must make a decent amount of padding while providing a stable, firm surface for him to practice being more mobile. All in all it was a good purchase for me but know that it is slightly thing (like it says, 3/8 in thick) and it can be taken apart easily (by you or your baby).

Edit: Now a couple months later we had to take it up. I don't know why, but it attracts ants that we couldn't get rid of. No matter how much vacuuming, wiping down on top and bottom they kept coming back even when we made sure my son didn't have a crumb on him left from lunch. I suspect the problem is the texture. Lots of little grooves for food to get into which makes it really difficult to clean. We'll probably put it back down this winter, but we disassembled it because it was just a harbor for ants and too hard to clean. Upside was we put it in the washing machine successfully.

I have this mat set up in my living room and have two play zone play yards set up around it. My baby is happy in there for hours. He loves pulling the mat apart and even chewing on it. it seems very durable, he is pretty rough on it and it has held up great. It is very colorful and fun and I pull the letters out and tell him what they are. I think this is a wonderful product!

First of all, the shipping was so fast! Have to rave about that. The mat was very easy to put together and is perfect for under her play yard that we got. She's just starting to crawl & pull herself up, and we wanted to cushion the falls that are bound to occur. The only thing I don't like is that the surface is textured. Of course that's probably great for grip, etc, but it won't be too comfy if my baby falls asleep on the mat. She'll wake up with a grid face. It has plenty of cushioning, though, so I think it will be great for padding her falls.

The play mat is great for my 9 mos old twins who are learning to crawl. It's large and soft so when they tumble they don't get hurt. It's better than a carpet as it's easy to clean and not at all rough.

This mat has too many pieces. If you get it for your little one to play on, you'll be forever putting together all the little bits and pieces, which are likely choking hazards anyway. Get a mat that's all one piece.

I was excited by the great reviews and couldn't wait to get the mat for my 11 month old son. The color in the picture is very misleading. The real mat is not bright and vibrant at all. As soon as I peeled the shrink wrap the letter C fell out of the square. I knew the letters were removable but I didn't expect them to be so loose. It didn't cross my mind that returning the mat would be such a hassle. Onto customer service...
We Sell Mats does not have their refund policy listed on Amazon (I should have checked it before purchasing the mat, but I have never had a bad experience buying online thus didn't see the need). I wrote an email and the company took two days to write back. By the time they had sent me an email, I had already called and spoke with an agent. The agent asked if the shrink wrap was open (how would I know that I hate the mat if it was still wrapped?!) and then proceeded to ask if I had placed it on the floor as that would make it used and nonrefundable. I assured the gentleman that I had not and that the letter fell out of the square when I took them out. He took my info and told me that I can send back the mat. I am 100% sure that if I were to send it, they would tell me there was a tiny dust on there and not refund my money. I am keeping the mat and find some random use for it. I am not going to pay shipping to send it back knowing that I "may" get my money back. And while, we are on shipping... $14.99 for the original shipment?! You can find MANY other mats with a smaller shipping fee (and free with Prime). I shouldn't have been fooled by the pretty bright colors and have never ordered this mat. The service is what killed it though...

In December of 2010, foam puzzle mats were banned in both Belgium and France for containing a cancer causing chemical. [...]
In addition to the ban, Belgium is imposing a 20,000 euro fine for anyone found selling them.

The studies found that the chemical in the mats was absorbed through contact and breathing.

This mat could be a nice learning tool. The quality is not as good as it looks in the picture. Also the shipping for this item was abit out of line. We have had this mat for a little over three weeks and it is not standing up to a 8 month baby. I'd think twice before purchasing another.

Great colors, but toddlers pull out the small ovals in the 8, 6, etc. and can chew them up. I've had to throw those inserts out.