Skip Hop Play Spot

I purchased this mat because it claims to be safe for children of all ages, unlike other mats. After two months, I removed it and put an old mat back in our playroom. If you don't mind your two year old using a piece of flooring as a teething object, it's an ideal addition to the playroom. I'm amazed that the manufacturer can claim that these small connectors are safe for small children. None of the comparable mats on the market come with pieces this small, yet the recommended age for most mats is three and up. This mat is far more dangerous than any of the other mats I've used. In addition, the gaps between the squares are so large that any spill creates a huge mess. Rather than just wiping the top surface, because of the gaps, you have to remove several squares to clean the mess underneath. I have toddlers and they love to remove the connectors and take them out of the playroom. To say that this purchase is a disappointment would be a huge understatement. If the manufacturer was giving these mats away, I wouldn't recommend them.

I agree with all of the negative reviews. They come apart very easily and my kids spend most of their time pulling them apart. I spend most of my day putting the pieces back together or trying to find the little parts that supposedly lock them together. I can't see how they claim that these are for babies. Some of the pieces are very small and my 11 month old loves to stick them in her mouth. I don't think we have one piece that doesn't have a set of teeth marks permanently embedded in them. For those who enjoy the aesthetic appearance of the design, I suppose this mat could be acceptable if you plan to assemble it and then never walk on it. Definitely not worth the cost.

We bought the skip hop playspot even after reading all the lukewarm/negative reviews because of the pretty color. My daughter started using it at 5 months old when she was just starting to sit up by herself. It was fine then because she wasn't really moving all that much and still hadn't learned to start picking up and grabbing everything in sight. It's now 3 months later and she's beginning to crawl, that's when I noticed that the mat separates very easily, gets easily scratched up, and has many pieces (especially all the little connector pieces) which she grabs and eats. I think the mat's days are numbered and we'll have to go buy a mat that doesn't have all the little pieces and sturdier connections that she won't be able to take apart as easily. Too bad other mat makers don't seem to be catching on to the color feature.

I bought this product despite all the bad reviews and love it. It is easy to assemble and stays put together nicely, plus it's modern and the colors are great so I can keep it set up unlike other tackier play mat options. I have not had a problem with it getting dirty/dusty or it attracting dog hair. It's also one of the only ones I found that is rated for babies so no need to worry about small parts/choking hazards.

Generally, this product serves its purpose. We have hardwood floors, so it's nice to have. But there are too many pieces to put together. I wish the circles didn't come out. My son likes to pull them out and teeth on them; also on the connectors. A one-piece playmat would be preferable to me, or at least solid squares. Also, if you have cats like I do, they'll love to shred it, so I have to put it together and take it apart every day.