*Disclaimer: My family received a complimentary Monkey Mat in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions contained herein are my own and not influenced by the developing company and/or its affiliates in anyway.
After a long week our family decided to get out of the house and enjoy this weekend’s spring-like weather. We found a great mountain lookout and enjoyed a small picnic on our Monkey Mat at the McDowell Visitor & Commerce Center, East of Asheville, North Carolina.
About Monkey Mat:
(the following information was taken from their website)
The Monkey Mat is a clean, portable surface you can take EVERYwhere!
- Ultra compact, lightweight & stylish in attached pouch
- Machine washable
- Water repellant
- Corner weights & loops for grounding
- Tabs for toys/keys
Perfect for: kids, travel, picnics, concerts, sporting events, beach, baby shower gift & more!
Our Monkey Mat Picnic:
The weighted corners made tossing the mat out very easy. Although it was a windy day, we were able to quickly spread the mat before the babies attacked it. Added bonus, the carrying case is attached to the mat so I didn’t need to worry about flying away.
Size matters: I was sad that it wasn’t bigger. It really isn’t big enough for two adults and a child to enjoy a picnic on. I would say, an adult and two small children would fit on it better. While compact travel is amazing, I would rather the mat be larger to accommodate, at least, two adults and two children. I hope they consider adding a larger option for families that need the extra space.
The waterproof material came in handy. We managed to spill a water bottle on it and was able to quickly shake it off and relocate. There wasn’t the slightest sign that water even spilled on it afterwards either! Awesome!
Once we were finished it took me a few attempts to fold the mat back into the travel case. I learned that you can’t cram it back inside, you need to fold it as neatly as possible; not necessarily perfect, but still folded. This wasn’t a bother for me, just a quick note that a few extra seconds are needed to think about packing it back up.
What Did I Really Think?
The material is very light and the colors are vibrant. I couldn’t have been happier with the waterproof material they chose to use. I believe the weighted corners is genius; they really make this mat easy to use.
I like the loop with clasp for when I have a fully packed diaper bag but still want to keep our Monkey Mat handy. I can use the clasping loop to hook the mat to my diaper bag’s straps instead. This too was smart designing.
My only complaint is that the mat isn’t large enough for the majority of my family to enjoy it. I would like to see a larger option added to their line in the future.
Visit Monkey Mat online to learn more.
