The advantages of a splat mat

November 21, 2023  |  Photo: Vanessa Loring

If your baby is starting solids or about to, you might be thinking "is there something I can get to help with the clean up?". This is where splat mats, sometimes known as splash mats, come in. Maybe you've heard of splat mats but don't know what they can do for you. Or maybe you're wondering if a splat mat is really worth it for baby led weaning. Let's get into it.

A splat mat is a spill resistant mat that keeps the area around your babies high chair clean during meal times, and it can be used when you need to travel as well. It catches any food or liquids that would otherwise end up stuck between your floor boards, tiles, or even in your carpet or rug fibers, making it a perfect accessory for highchair usage. 

A splat mat encourages mealtimes to be less rigid and more natural. Whether you choose to do baby-led or spoon fed weaning, your child will end up with food everywhere. Even if the food ends up all over the floor, you can pick it up quickly and clean easily using a splat mat. 

All you have to do is place the mat beneath the high chair, so when food comes down unexpectedly it will land on the mat instead of on the floor. Thus, it also helps you prevent stains on your floor surfaces. 

Another benefit of a splat mat is that it's light and portable so you can carry it from place to place with ease. They also fold up neatly to store away while not in use, especially useful for those with limited space.

Splat mats are a very useful baby product, and not just for their intended use of helping with messy food consumption. 

They provide an easy way to keep your countertops clean while doing craft projects, as a drop cloth for toddler haircuts or potty training, ground cover in the yard or at the park, or simply having a clean surface for your baby or toddler while traveling. You can even use them to protect your furniture from pet hair, or other pet uses for that matter.

If buying one just for baby-led weaning helps us get our money's worth, and it's useful well beyond that parenting phase, what's not to love about that?

A good quality splat mat should be made of safe, lab-tested materials that will hold up over time. Normally, they will be made primarily of polyester. They should be spill repellent for an easy wipe clean, and machine washable too. 

A premium splat mat will include silicone grip traction on the backside to help keep the mat in place. They come in round and square shapes, and while both work, the area covered should be at least 48"x48" (4 feet). 

And of course, an aesthetically pleasing mat will add personality to any baby or home decor, so choose what's right for you.

Splat mats offer a variety of useful benefits and are a product every new parent could use, especially as a high chair mat to simplify cleaning. They're incredibly versatile, and offer many different solutions to the everyday messes that parents encounter. Without question they are among the best kept secrets of toddler life. It's a simple idea that works wonders. You will save yourself time and effort with the big messes that your precious little one creates, especially when using a splat mat beneath their highchair.