12 of the best baby play mats, baby gyms and activity mats

Our list includes traditional activity mats which have arches or bars with toys attached overhead, plus some options for larger, super-comfortable flat floor play mats that work well as a base where your baby can lie down with additional toys and can potentially be used for toddlerhood and beyond.

Best baby activity mats at a glance:

Activity mats:

• Best multi-functional baby activity mat: VTech 7-in-1 Grow with Baby Sensory Gym, £79.99 £62.99 at Amazon (Save £17 or 21%)
• Best baby activity mat for masses of stimulation: Kinderkraft 4SMART Contrasting Sensory Mat, £54.90 £44.30 at Amazon (Save £10.60 or 19%)
• Best baby activity mat for the sensory blanket extra: Taf Toys Savannah 360 Activity Gym, £64.99 at Amazon
• Best baby activity mat for style: Tiny Love Boho Chic Luxe Development Gymini, £99.99 at Boots
• Best portable baby activity mat: Taf Toys Urban Garden Foldable Gym, £64.99 £47.99 at Amazon (Save £17 or 26%)
• Best baby activity mat for longevity: Lovevery Play Gym, £140 at Amazon
• Best baby activity mat for monochrome stimulation: Tiny Love Black & White Gymini, £59.99 £49 at Amazon (Save £10.99 or 18%)
• Best budget baby activity mat: Lamaze Freddie the Firefly Gym, £39.99 at Amazon

Flat floor play mats:

• Best baby play mat for a luxurious feel: Tutti Bambini Luxury Padded XL Playmat, £159 £119 at Kiddies Kingdom (Save £40 or 25%)
• Best baby play mat for folding and easy transport : Taf Toys Savannah Super-Size Foam Playmat, £57.99
• Best high quality baby play mat: Totter and Tumble The Friend Playmat, from £80 at Totter and Tumble
• Best baby play mat for a soft touch feel: Mellow Mat Soft Touch Tatami Rug, from £109 at The Mellow Mat

Here's our pick of the best baby activity mats, as tested by babies and rated by their parents...

Activity mats:

1. VTech 7-in-1 Grow with Baby Sensory Gym, £79.99

— Best multi-functional baby activity mat

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: Included

Pros:

• Lots of activities and accessories included
• Transforms into an enclosed play space
• Washable
• Detachable toys

Cons:

• Quite pricey
• May not be suitable for older babies

VTech are known for making toys that babies love and that help support their development, and this safari-themed activity gym mat is no exception. The play mat features detachable arches, 4 developmental play zones and lots of accessories such as a detachable xylophone, tummy time pillow and hanging accessories; plus 8 sing-along songs and 10 melodies. There is also a guide that explains how best to use each zone and accessory to support your baby's growth.

You can also fold up the sides of the mat to create a soft, enclosed play space. Plus, you can then add the 20 included balls to create a playful ball pit!

Isadora loved the bright colours, animal pictures, textures and crinkly parts to touch and the xylophone was a huge hit. There are lots of hanging elements to grab at. She loves the fact it’s bigger than a normal baby gym as it has meant that she has perfected swivelling 360 degrees to be able to see every part! She’s also enjoyed rolling over from front to back for the first time, helped by reaching for the bright hanging animals.

Available at: Amazon, Argos and Currys

2. Kinderkraft 4SMART Contrasting Sensory Mat, £69

– Best activity mat for masses of stimulation

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Lots of sensory stimulation
• Washable
• Detachable toys
• Additional cognitive cards

Cons:

• Quite pricey

This 126cm x 112 cm machine-washable activity mat, predominantly in red, white and black, has an adjustable, fabric-covered arch and 4 different 'sensory zones' around the central mat that can be raised up for tummy-time play. Each are designed to stimulate sight, hearing, touch or concentration. It comes with detachable toys including a mirror, a ball with a rattle, a plush donut and a rustling toy, as well as a sensory ball, and 12 'cognitive' cards that can be slotted into a clear pocket on the side of the mat or attached to a ring and clipped to a pushchair.

This activity mat is absolutely brimming with features to keep your baby busy – and to keep them interested and stimulated as they get older and more curious.

We also really like that you clip the detachable toys at any height along the arch, so a smaller baby or a baby on their tummy can reach them – as Simone, mum of our baby tester, Lily, 4 months found out: "Lily uses both her legs/feet and arms to reach for the toys which she's never done on other playmats as the toys have been too high." The sensory zones are nicely thought out and we particularly like the range of textures in the 'touch' zone.

Lani spends ages looking at everything. She especially enjoys the rustling, rattling, squeaky features in the 'hearing' sensory zone.

Available at: Kiddies Kingdom and Amazon

3. Taf Toys Savannah 360 Activity Gym, £69.99

– Best activity mat for an extra sensory blanket

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: 2 x AAA (not included)

Pros:

• Calming colours
• Detachable toys
• Additional picture cards
• Sensory blanket

Cons:

• Quite pricey

A 100cm x 80cm playmat with a fabric-covered arch and accessories including plastic pockets to put double-side felt picture cards in and 7 multi-sensory detachable hanging toys. There's plenty for babies to play with, including a rattling teether, a double-sided turtle with a baby-safe mirror, a bee ring rattle and a music and light toy that plays 3 melodies. Comes with a double-sided crinkle blankie that can be attached in different places.

This is a very sweet, fun, colourful, comfy mat and the hanging toys are well-chosen and nicely designed. "There is a great variety of sensory toys and activities," said Abigail, mum of our baby tester Poppy, 4 months (pictured above). "Every base is pretty much covered for baby development! Poppy let out shrieks of enjoyment playing on this mat. She had lots of fun using her feet to kick the crinkle blanket and when she rolled over onto her tummy she was bobbing her head around so much trying to look at everything. It all really caught her attention."

Every base is pretty much covered for baby development! Poppy let out shrieks of enjoyment playing on this mat. She had lots of fun using her feet to kick the crinkle blanket and when she rolled over onto her tummy she was bobbing her head around so much trying to look at everything. It all really caught her attention.

Available from: Amazon and Kiddies Kingdom

4. Tiny Love Boho Chic Luxe Developmental Gymini, £99.99

– Best stylish baby activity mat

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: 3 x LR44 (included)

Pros:

• Stylish
• Additional toys
• Washable
• Nature sounds
• Milestone cards

Cons:

• Pricey
• Wooden arch makes it difficult to fold

This ‎74cm x 59cm double-padded, machine-washable play mat has a standalone wooden arch with hanging toys including a baby-activated musical sloth that plays nature sounds and melodies, a eucalyptus mobile, and a set of 3 gripping rings with dangling ribbons. It also comes with a koala doll with rattle, a crinkly plant toy, a mirror, a giant leaf kicker, a transparent bead ball and 12 milestone cards.

We like the stylish, modern colours are restful and modern, the comfiness of the mat and the moveable wooden arch – and our baby testers really liked the sloth's little song. Andrea, mum of our child tester Finn, 6 months, said: "It's a gorgeous-looking gym. Finn was very excited when he heard the musical sloth, and the eucalyptus mobile got him kicking his little legs." Her only concern with the wooden arch was that it makes it not so easy as other mats to fold away for travel or storage.

The mat is super-soft and cushioned, too. He spent ages on his tummy staring at himself in the mirror.

Available at: Amazon, Maxi-Cosi and Boots

5. Taf Toys Urban Garden Foldable Gym, £64.99

– Best portable activity mat

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: ‎None

Pros:

• Great baby activity mat for transport
• Nice accessories included
• Soft and padded mat

Cons:

• Can be tricky to fold
• Quite pricey

Another entry from Taf Toys, this activity mat is a really great option for baby entertainment on-the-go thanks to its easy, compact fold and carry handle. Hayley, mum to child tester Maia, 15 weeks, really rated this feature: "it's easy to fold down and can be popped into the car or even the bottom of the pram. I know if I visit a friend or family I have somewhere to pop Maia down knowing that it will be a safe, familiar and engaging place for her to be whilst I enjoy a hot cup of tea!"

Alongside its portability, this activity gym has a host of other features too, including double-sided fabric panels to cater to different developmental stages, four hanging toys and a baby-safe mirror. The stylish pastel and earthy colours are a welcome design feature too.

Isobel really engaged with the toys. She really liked the dangly toys as they were at the right height for her and she was a big fan of grabbing and pulling them. She was happy with both sides of the fabric panels and found them engaging but not able to be pulled off (which is ideal!).

Available at: Amazon, Very and Kiddies Kingdom

6. Lovevery Play Gym, £140

– Best baby activity mat for longevity

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Neutral yet colourful
• Washable
• Additional picture cards
• Frame cover to transform gym into den promotes longevity

Cons:

• Pricey
• Mat tends to catch dust

A 96cm x 109cm machine-washable polyester playmat with a wooden arch and 5 flaps that each open out to display a 'sensory zone', each featuring different colours, shapes, fabrics and textures. From the arch you can dangle a high-contrast cotton ball, batting ring and a cotton teether. Comes with 3 sets of picture cards (black-and-white, faces, objects), a set of mirror cards, a play guide and a fabric frame cover to turn the gym into a little den.

It's pricey but, with its den option, it's designed to last well into toddlerhood and it has an astonishing variety of features hiding behind those flaps. We love its generous size and tip-filled play guide. The mat itself is comfy enough, though some of our testers commented that the polyester-mix material attracted the dust.

I love that the main colour of the mat is neutral and then the flaps open to show splashes of bright colours. Nakai loves the bell and she also likes lying and looking at the black and white cards above her.

Available at: Amazon and Lovevery

7. Tiny Love Black & White Gymini, £59.99

– Best baby activity mat for monochrome stimulation

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Additional toys included
• Black and white colours great for sensory play
• Comfortable
• Adjustable arch

Cons:

• Quite pricey

This 45cm x 78cm black-and-white mat has adjustable fabric-covered arch and comes with interactive toys such as a musical hedgehog, a hanging mobile, a mirror and a baby book for tummy-time play.

The toys that come with this mat are a good size and can be positioned in a variety of places on the arch and the black-and-white theme is both stylish and great for baby stimulation. We particularly like the little book – which can be opened right out or even detached for pushchair/car seat distraction.

My daughter seemed very comfortable on this mat. It's a good size, with plenty of toys to keep her occupied. She has had so much fun. She loves the dangling toys and her favourite is the mirror, she speaks to herself and gives herself kisses.

Available at: Very, Amazon and Boots

8. Lamaze Freddie the Firefly Gym, £39.99

– Best budget activity mat

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Good value
• Includes padded cushion
• Colourful
• Detachable toys

Cons:

• Needs extra cushioning under the mat

A 46cm x 78cm machine-washable mat with 3 large dangling toys (including a version of Lamaze's bestselling Freddie the Firefly, natch), and a padded, curved cushion for tummy-time-play support.

This is a great-value mat in properly eye-catching colours that comes with really well-sized removable toys. Our baby judges especially like the large mirror, Freddie's crinkly wings, and the tactile ridges on the apple and pear teether. You'd probably need to place this mat on a carpet (it's not very thickly padded).

Available at: Amazon, OnBuy and Very

Flat floor play mats

9. Tutti Bambini XL Padded Playmat, £159

– Best playmat for a luxurious feel

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Modern style
• Reversible
• Luxury feel
• Toxic-free materials
• Very durable

Cons:

• Pricey

A luxurious playmat that has a modern reversible design feature, it has non-slip surface and is made with toxic-free materials.

These gorgeous playmats are stylish, safe and convenient. The simplistic, modern designs mean they can inconspicuously fit into most living room or nursery interiors and is padded well for a soft luxurious feel.

The feel is so luxurious! My son Isaac has just turned 4 months old, he's enjoyed having a clear surface to lie on, with the freedom to sit unaided without worrying about falling and hurting himself. He loves looking at the blue side and is mesmerised by the contrasting colours.

Available at: Amazon, Boots, Kiddies Kingdom, Very

10. Taf Toys Savannah Super-Size Foam Playmat, £62.99

– Best baby play mat for folding and easy transport

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• Foldable
• Reversible
• Large size
• Includes milestone cards

Cons:

• Might be too large for small spaces

A padded playmat that's foldable and has 2 designs in one – one side has a fun illustration pattern geared towards kids and the other side is a neutral design fit for any room.

The Taf Toys playmat is perfect for smaller living spaces as it can be folded and moved and only used when necessary. It's cushioned well and suited for lots of tummy time plus, the mat comes with a pack of milestone cards too to document your child's development memories.

It's a good extra large size. The quality of the product is excellent too, it is lightweight, foldable and durable and also comes with a carry bag. Ada was very engaged with the colourful animal pictures on the mat and actually had tummy time for the longest time while using the mat.

Available at: Kiddies Kingdom and Argos

11. Totter and Tumble Morris & Co. Playmat, from £80

– Best high quality playmat

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

Pros:

• High-quality materials
• Reversible
• Suitable from birth
• Very durable

Cons:

• Pricey

This 1.3cm thick mat comes in a range of patterns and colours. It is reversible and features 2 designs per mat. Suitable for newborns upwards and is made with high-quality recyclable materials.

Parent tester Karen says, "They’re more of a matte feel – spongy but not fabric but in my view that’s so much more practical for cleaning etc! They do dampen noise but I’m afraid they don’t magic away the stomping!"

This luxurious playmat is spongy and thick enough to take on baby footsteps as well as pilates exercise. Featuring 2 modern design patterns on either side to suit most living spaces. The mat is durable and made to last so will last a long time.

When I first unrolled this mat Carlo was completely mesmerised. He sat staring at the design for a good 20 minutes before he decided to move at all! When pulling himself to standing, Carlo lost his balance and fell onto his mat. He never got upset but carried on smiling away happily.

Available at: Totter and Tumble

12. Mellow Mat Soft Touch Tatami Rug, from £109

– Best playmat for a soft touch feel

Pros:

• Soft touch feel
• Easy to clean
• Lasts long
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Pricey

Super-comfy, this soft, lightweight playmat is made from slow-rebound memory foam. It's stain resistant and easy to clean, plus it has a non-slip bottom for extra safety.

The Mellow Mat comes in a range of colours so you can find something to suit your playroom or nursery. It's light enough to carry and move from room to room if necessary which can be a useful perk as other similar playmats tend to be heavy to carry. The rug absorbs sound and provides a soft cushioned landing for any rolly pollys or tumbles from your little one. Simply vacuum or wipe off any crumbs or stains to keep it clean.

It’s so soft and comfy. Great for rolling around and jumping on. I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor playing with my little one and it’s so much better than the carpet. We’ve had it 6 months and it’s not lost it’s shape/bounce so far, would definitely recommend.

Available at: Mellow Mat

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