Non-toxic play mat - Why test to international standards?
When we first started Freddy & Co we researched the safety standards for play mats in Australia to ensure our products were of the highest quality and we could truly say they were a non-toxic play mat. We were shocked to find out no safety standards exist in Australia for foam play mats.
We investigated different foam options and decided on Polyurethane (PU) foam despite other types claiming to be safe. There were two main reasons for this decision. Freddy & Co play mats are tested to the much more stringent European EN71 and USA (CPSIA) standards. Our PU play mats have been found to be free from traces of formamide, phthalates, heavy metals and BPA. These results confirmed that Freddy & Co had a non-toxic play mat. Our mats were also tested to assess the strength of the material. Our play mats are designed to withstand the play of babies and toddlers without breaking apart. Other cheaper foam jigsaw mats on the market are widely reported to break. However, we do recommend pets and sharp objects be kept off mats as they may cause damage.
Why there are no standards for play mats in Australia...
In 2011 the ACCC released an article stating that “a child would need to mouth a mat for 20 minutes, or ingest, at least 4.17 square metres of typical foam play mat every day over their entire life to approach a level of exposure to formamide which might raise health concerns”.
Your baby needs a safe place as it learns to push up, roll, sit, crawl and walk and the soft, cushioned design of our Freddy & Co non-toxic play mat creates the perfect place for your precious little one to explore the world.
Our non-toxic Australian Alphabet play mat