Quite a few of my readers commented on the recent post about Toxic Foam Mats that were contaminated with formamide.
In the meantime, I have contacted the following manufacturers & companies: Edushape, One Step Ahead, Skip Hop, Toys ‘R Us about Imaginarium foam puzzle, and Mothercare about Early Learning Centre ABC foam puzzle, and I requested that they provide me with their test results proving that their mats are safe and contain no toxic carcinogens. The only company that sent me their lab results was Edushape. I have yet to receive those results from others.
Please share here if you have any other feedback regarding the topic. I appreciate it.
If you haven’t read my previous post about the ban of all foam puzzles, let me repeat that due to high amounts of Formamide Belgian government has requested that ALL foam mats be removed from sale. Formamide is a known toxic carcinogen that affects reproductive health, and is not to be found in any children’s products.
Here’s my email correspondence with the above mentioned manufacturers/companies:
Edutiles Mats from Edushape
BebePure: Do your foam play mats contain formamide? Could it be possible to see your test results?
Edutiles: Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding our Edu Tile floor mats, our mats do not contain carcinogens, including Formamide, Acetaphenone, 2 Phenyl 2 Propanol. At Edushape, we pay a close attention to quality and frequently test our products to make sure they meet or exceed ASTM guidelines. Please see enclosed ASTM as well as fumigation test reports that have been conduct overseas. The on-going recall for foam mats in Europe is not related to our products. Rest assure that our foam tiles are safe, soft and durable.
According to tests done last year, there was no Formamide detected in our foam tiles.
One Step Ahead Regarding Formamide
BebePure: Do your foam play mats contain formamide? Could it be possible to see your test results?
One Step Ahead: December 17, 2010 Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your interest in One Step Ahead. I am the Quality Control Manager at One Step Ahead. It has been brought to my attention that you have concerns about the safety of our Puzzle Mat Collection.
Let me begin by assuring you that all One Step Ahead products are rigorously tested, and meet or exceed all United States safety requirements. Because of the concerns regarding the use of EVA foam in children’s products, we had our mats tested for the chemicals that are under investigation in Europe. The testing results are as follows: Formamide—not detected; Acetophenone—not detected; 2-Phenyl 2-propanol—not detected.
I sincerely hope this information will put your concerns to rest, and we look forward to serving you in the future.
Skip Hop Correspondence
BebePure: Do your foam play mats contain formamide? Could it be possible to see your test results?
Skip Hop: Dear customer, All Skip Hop products, including the Playspot, meet or exceed regulatory safety standards in the USA and Europe, without exception. We do not add Formamide to Playspot, although it can be a byproduct of the EVA foam manufacturing process (which includes such items as flip flops and many bath toys). That said, due to these concerns, we have tested Playspot using ISO 16000 methods.
We are pleased that our Playspots received the lowest possible score,<2ug/m3 (less than 2 millionths of a gram per cubic meter) for Formamide emissions, the lowest measurable result with this testing method. These tests show that – within the limits of the test – its presence is essentially not detectable. Therefore, the Playspot is a safe EVA floor mat option for children and you should feel confident that we have specifically tested for this issue.
Feel free to contact us with further questions. Best, Skip Hop Team
Early Learning Centre ABC puzzles from Mothercare
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your recent email.
I can inform you that we are aware of the recent decision taken by the Belgian and French authorities to prohibit the sale of EVA Foam Play Mat products.
All of the products that Mothercare / ELC sells meet the strict established Toy and Baby care regulations including chemical restrictions. Working with a controlled supply base, we have no reason to believe the reported dangerous substances are found in the products we sell and are not withdrawing these products from sale.
We are monitoring the situation and will update where appropriate.
However at this moment in time we are absolutely confident that we can rest your mind at ease, and guarantee that there are no issues with our products.
UPDATE: Lately, I have been asked numerous times to recommend a foam mat. I apologize to all my readers but I do not feel comfortable, at this point, recommending anything made out of EVA foam. I will however tell you which brands I have in my house, and you can make your own decision based on what I have shared with you. I own two different mats, one from Oshi Mat (a small but functional non-toxic mat) designed for infants, and the Panda Mat, much larger baby play mat for infants and toddlers. Both mats are safe and contain no formamide, and you can read more about the products if you follow the links above. Just to make it clear, I was not compensated in any way by the manufacturers mentioned above to write this post. The opinions expressed are my own.Thank you all for reading, and come back again.
Related posts:
This is really a matter of worry that toxic chemical in the baby foam. I think people should be more conscious about the matter.
“Foam puzzle mats shall conform with the new Belgian rules before being placed on the market. This includes not only demonstrating the absence of formamide, but acetophenone and 2-phenyl-2-propanol as well.”
The lab test result showed 2-phenyl-2-propanol compliance only. What about the other 2. I would suggest they send you the whole test report as this one is not showing formamide and acetophenone.
Thank you for pointing that out. I didn’t upload it properly – there should be one more page. Sorry, my mistake.
I’ve added the second page. Sorry about this confusion, and RB, thank you for pointing this out!
I just wrote to this company today: http://www.andrewjamesworldwide.com/Category.asp?Category=Mat%201 … we bought their mats in 2009.
Thank you Genevieve for sharing. Please let me know when (if) you hear back from them. Thanks!
They wrote me with the following, “I will request these from our factory for you, please be advised that this may take a few weeks, however I will forward to you as soon as I receive”
We’ll see if I hear from them again…
Thank you for letting me know Genevieve! Hope they come back to you with something… Please keep me posted! Thank you!
SoftTiles Foam Mats are also formamide free. We have had our products tested this January and the test results show that our interlocking foam mats are formamide free. http://www.softtiles.com.
Thank you Morris for letting me know.
If any of you other readers are in Europe, the Belgian government (who started the recall) is keeping track of the models that they are themselves testing. I wrote about it on my blog as well: http://bit.ly/ejXNex
Great to see that you’re following up with all these retailers and manufacturers!
Thank you so much for contributing to this topic. Please keep us posted!
Cheers!
Hello, we have also heard a lot of concerns over this issue and had select products tested in the past however our company, http://www.foamtiles.com recently completed a wide array of tests from two certified independent labs to further guarantee the safety of all of our products. What many companies are not telling you is that they use multiple manufacturers to fill out their product line just like we do. Due to that fact, we decided to test products from each manufacturer rather than just using one test and extrapolating the results to say all of our manufacturer’s products are now formamide free. That’s just something I would look out for.
This is concerning. We have a korean playmat by parklon. http://www.parklon.co.kr/html_eng/playmat.php
The company claims to conform to the highest safety standards. By any chance, do you know anything about the safety of these mats?
I;m sorry Judy. I have no knowledge of this particular brand. I’ll look into this though. THanks!
I’ve sent them an email… not sure what to think. They have surely made their website look all catchy and “green” yet they sell PVC mats… hm, looks like a lot of “greenwashing” to me. But I am waiting to hear what they have to say, and will let you know if I hear back from them. Thanks!
You should really check out http://www.oshimat.com they have baby mats that are 100% PVC and Latex FREE! They are biodegradable and non toxic! We have one and LOVE it!
Hi Amy and thanks for your contribution to the topic.
. Thanks!
I also have a mat from Oshi Mat and I agree with you, it’s fabulous! Some time ago I ran an interview with Janette the founder of Oshi Mat and she has generously offered one mat to a Bebe Pure reader. I ran a contest at the time which is unfortunately closed now, but I’d love to do one again.
Once again, thank you for contributing to the topic. Comments like yours make my work on this blog worthwhile
Tamara
http://www.oshimat.com!
Any update on Imaginarium play foam mats??? I feel like we have been waiting for a while now for an update from the company?
Thank you Maria for writing. I’ve never heard back from ToysR’Us regarding their Imaginarium foam play mats. As I have stated before, as a parent, at this point I do not feel comfortable recommending anything made of Eva foam. Even when a manufacturer claims to conform to current safety standards regarding formamide, I would be concerned. This claim doesn’t mean anything, as there are no formal government standards in the United States regarding formamide. Also, when a company says that their tests show no formamide, it is unclear whether that means no formamide detected in the material or no formamide emissions found. Some websites suggest to wait for the fumes to dissipate, but I would be worried as kids chew on everything, and would not feel comfortable having my kids chew on toxic play mats. The use of carcinogenic substances in toys will be prohibited in all countries of the European Union as of July 2013.
I have a Verdes foam mat that is the alphabet and animal puzzle. Do you know anything about that one?
Hi Stacy and thank you for your inquiry. I have emailed the manufacturer and will post my correspondence as soon as I hear back from them.
I read elsewhere that they do not contain the toxic chemical, but I would like to see a copy of that test. Please keep us posted if you hear anything as well.
Take care!
Tamara
Hi! I just found out to be cautious of the mats and chemicals. Right now, I have the Verdes ones. Did you hear back from them? Thanks!
Hi, nothing from them. Sorry.
Anything on the Verdes tests yet?
Still waitin’…:-)
I bought my six month old son the Bruin 18 piece numbers foam play mat from Toys R’ Us since at the time I thought it would be good to have extra padding especially with him learning to sit up. I have since read different reports of the toxins that can be found in foam play mats. I am really concerned since I cannot find any specific information on the mat I purchased. Would you be able to provide me with any information on this product? Thank you.
Hi Katie:
… sorry… Please let me know if you hear from TRU.
I’m afraid I don’t have any information on foam play mats sold at Toys R’ Us as my attempt to get some answers from them was futile…
What about getting a tumbling mat for a baby to play on? Something like this…http://www.amazon.com/TUMBLING-MADE-PHTHALATE-MEETS-CPSIA/dp/B005NHJSEO/ref=pd_sbs_sg_5
These look cute.
Do you know whether the Bebe playmat is safe? http://www.bubs.com.au/_products/Toys+++Playtime/Playmats/OUR+SECRET+GARDEN+BEBE+MAT+BABY+PLAYMAT+NUMBERED+ROAD+MAP-191-69099-.aspx
I bought this last week and am now worried about using it. It says it’s Eco friendly but not sure whether this also means toxin free.
Thanks!
Hi May and welcome to Bebe Pure.
Unfortunately, I don’t know whether this particular brand is safe or not.
To my knowledge, however, there is a new environmental certification called UL 172. North America’s first and only third-party “sustainable” toy standard, UL 172, was recently established and it requires testing and verification of toys for measurable carcinogens, certain neurotoxins, antimicrobial agents, heavy metals, and added fragrances. Its criteria meet or exceed U.S. and EU requirements for toy toxicity.
The standard also limits emissions of volatile organic compounds, thought to be a key contributor to childhood asthma, and helps minimize pollution generated by the production, use, and disposal of toys and their packaging.
UL 172 applies to toys made from wood, plastic, rubber, textiles, metal, and bio-based materials — from balls and action figures to costume clothing and jewelry.
I would suggest you contacted the manufacturer and ask them to provide you with the proof that substantiate their ecologically friendly claims or ask them whether they’re UL 172 certified (which I doubt).
Also, claiming that something is eco-friendly doesn’t imply that the product is toxin free. Often companies make “self-declared environmental claims” to attract consumers, but basically what they do is simply mislead. Here’s a link where you can read more about eco certifications – http://www.bio-vert.com/en/certifications.php
Good luck and please let me know if you hear back from the manufacturer of the mat you purchased.
Thanks!
Tamara
Hi- What are your thoughts on Soft Tiles? They make no mention of PVC on their
site. I just sent them an email asking them but wanted to see what you thought/knew as well.
Regarding the Oshi Mat. What makes it safe? I have one too but I am so unsure who to trust now. :-/
Thanks!
Hi, just recently while looking for foam mats for my 6month old i’ve come across this issue. Before purchasing any products i wanted to know if there has been any updates on the safety of EVA foam playmats?
Or how highly you would recommend the SoftTiles?
Hi there and thank you for contacting Bebe Pure. Sorry about the late response.
, I would go with a mat from SoftTiles as their tests indicate very low levels of formamide and let it air for about two weeks and then put it into your baby’s room. Or you could always invest in a substitute product, depending on your needs, such as the Panda mat, or Oshi mat which are a bit different, but, again depending on your needs, may serve the purpose.
As far as the safety of EVA foam playmats goes, I haven’t heard or read anything new about this issue.
So far, SoftTiles seem to be the only foam playmat brand that has a very low level of formamide. As safbaby.com indicates “the concentration of all substances in the air did decrease dramatically over a period of 14 days.”, however, it is unclear as to how much of formamide still lingers on in the air after the period of two weeks.
I am very sorry that I cannot help you much here… but, if you really, really need a mat
Good luck with your search and let us know what you decide to do!
Cheers!
My son has a playmat for his little girl. They have had it for about 1 year. They now have a new baby. Can you email me the latest report on the safety of these mats so I can forward it to them. Thanks
Thank you Gloria for contacting me. Congratulations on the new baby!
Unfortunately, I don’t have those reports anymore… However, you can refer your family to visit this blog http://www.safbaby.com/the-latest-on-eva-foam-puzzle-mats-and-why-theyre-still-not-safe-for-your-baby… as they have also covered this story.
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you.
All the best!
BP