"The 'In' Mat"
Some babies hate tummy-time, some babies love it. The baby I received falls squarely in the “hate it” category, which is probably why she will never, ever, in a million years, crawl. Luckily, she learned to sit-up early, otherwise Mama would never have her hands free. Unfortunately for me, when we are out of the house there is very rarely a spot I deem clean enough for my baby to sit on, roll over to, face plant on, or to my dismay, eat off of. Which is why I was thrilled to review the new InMat from GoBaby.
No, this isn’t your average plasticy tummy-time mat you will see in large chain stores, which are usually of poor quality and come in the standard “this is for a kid” primary color scheme. Not a gaudy character or pastel princess in sight on the GoBaby website. Instead, the InMat has 4 food inspired designs that are adorable and anything but babyish. It took me 10 minutes and a quick consult with hubby to pick one, and that was only with 4 designs. Imagine what kind of productivity I would have lost if they had 10 or 12 designs and then be grateful you only have 4 to choose from.
The good sized InMat (23”x 34”) is made from gorgeously supple suede that is topped with a super soft designer fleece and then trimmed with even more suede. I know that sounds like a horrible combination, but it is surprisingly complimentary and deceivingly practical. The suede bottom lays flat and keeps the mat from slipping as baby wiggles, squirms, and rolls. And then the fleece top gives extra padding and softness to the mat which everyone will be grateful for when baby does the inevitable face plant.
When I think of suede, the Mitch Hedberg comedy routine “This shirt is dry clean only. Which means it’s dirty” comes to mind. Imagine my elation to find that the InMat is fully machine washable. Fully machine washable means you can unroll the InMat and use it with reckless abandon, unafraid of what lies beneath. When you are ready to transport the InMat, the whole thing can be folded and then rolled so that the top fleece never has to touch the areas that come in contact with the ground – which has been my one real gripe about other playmats and exercise rolls. Once rolled, it can be secured with the attached suede strap and beautiful magnetic closure and is the perfect size for keeping in the trunk or tote for whatever your day brings. Really, the whole design is perfect.
In fact, I love the InMat so much I wish I had one in my size. There was a brief moment I considered getting two and sewing them together to make a Mama sized mat, but then I found out that GoBaby already makes a larger size – aptly called an OutMat – and my semi-retired sewing machine was in the clear.
Random Rave: The InMat is not just a mat – it is flexible and soft enough to be used as a blanket and the fact that the mat can be folded so that the top and bottom don’t co-mingle means that it can even be used as a changing mat in a bind.
25% off code: MOMDEALS
Check out http://www.gobaby.com/fitness.htm for Mama-and-me exercise suggestions and instructions.
Price: $30
Looks: Delightful and delectable
Overall: The InMat is an ultra-soft go-anywhere play mat that goes from exercise class to play dates at the Little Gym to stroller blanket and more.
Thank you to GoBaby for introducing us to the InMat!
