Winter is here in Australia! As a family of four, we've found ourselves spending more time indoors to escape the chill in the air, as well as the dreaded cold and flu season.
Since writing this blog post, I can say that we definitely did NOT escape this year, we've had a common cold and RSV and it was worse than Covid-19 for us!
Our youngest son Parker is nine months old. He is trying his hardest to crawl, but he's not quite there yet. Not for lack of trying, we place him down in our main living area with toys galore, tempting him to crawl! Parker seems to prefer walking, we think he will be one of those babies who skips crawling altogether.
We have wooden floorboards throughout our house, and I try to avoid shaggy rugs as I'm allergy prone, plus I find them difficult to keep clean and fluffy-looking as they were when new.
Which is why we were so happy to hear from Australian company Muscle Mat, who kindly asked us to review one of their Relax Mats.
Muscle Mat is an Australian company based in Brisbane (our home town), with their warehouse based in Sydney.
Established in 2019, they claim to have helped thousands of Aussies feel pain relief and relaxation in a natural way through their products.
They sell a broad range of the following products to help make our lives happier and comfier:
- Relax Mats (what we're reviewing in this post)
Let us explain! We've had the pleasure of using our new Relax Mat in the colour Charcoal Grey, size 1.5m x 2.0m this month.
It's a 30mm thick memory foam mat, and its high foam density makes it have a slow rebound! This means, when you lie on it, you are supported in a seriously comfortable way.
Samuel, who is hard to impress, said this Relax Mat feels like he's walking on baby ducks after a hard day at work!
Our wooden floorboards are uncomfortable to lie on when we're playing down on the ground with our children, but this Relax Mat has changed this.
The Relax Mat is also known as a soft-touch Tatami Mat, which is a traditional mat used as flooring in Japanese-style rooms. Once considered a luxury item only few could afford, they really are special and plush.
It's big! Our Relax Mat is sized at 1.5m x 2.0m, which fits nicely in our living room. If that doesn't suit your space, that's ok! They have a few different sizes to suit everyone.
It's thick and plush. It's not like a normal, standard rug whatsoever. It's very soft and comfy on your lower back. It's a dream for kids and adults alike! Think gymnastics floor-level thick.
It's edged on all four sides, which I think will help keep it in top shape as two crazy boys play on it for the years to come. This is a handy feature to avoid the rug fraying after heavy use. The mat itself feels good quality, the padding looks even and the colour is deep.
The mat material is very short, not shaggy, so it's easy to keep clean. I use a standup vacuum cleaner on it every few days or so, and it comes up looking brand new. Be sure to vacuum in lines so you get that neat, brushed look on the mat! To get it looking and smelling great, sprinkle bicarb soda on the mat before vacuuming.
Speaking of keeping the mat clean, one great feature includes its spill and stain resistant nature. What a great feature this is when you're a parent! Our two boys spill their snacks and drink cups basically every mealtime, but its nothing a quick sponge up with wet wipes can't fix. When a product is easy to clean, we consider it to be a parenting win.
The Relax Mat is foldable and lightweight, so it's easy to move around the house where it's needed. It also has a grippy, non-slip base so you can host an impromptu gymnastics tournament with your kids, and the mat will stay in place!
It's affordable! The Relax Mat in size 1.5m x 2.0m is $199.00 AUD, and that includes free Australian shipping. If you sign up to Muscle Mat's mailing list through their website, they provide you with a 10% discount code! This brings the total price down to $179.10 AUD.
Muscle Mat provide a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. They're so confident you will love the Relax Mat, but if you don't, send it back and they will issue a store credit. I doubt many customers take them up on this offer, because the Relax Mat is amazingly comfortable.
Colours include: Dove Grey, Berry Blue, Sky Blue, Buttermilk Beige and Charcoal Grey (what we have).
Sizes include: 1m x 1.5m, 1.5m x 2m (what we have), 2m x 3m and 2m x 4m.
The Relax Mat is 30mm thick.
The Relax Mat is made of high density memory foam.
The Relax Mat arrives in a cardboard box from Sydney, but the mat itself is wrapped in airtight plastic.
You need to open and release the mat before use, as its a bit crinkly from the journey. You can iron it on a low setting (don't use the water setting). The mat settles and 'puffs' out after approximately 5-7 days or so.
There are many places online and in store to purchase a new mat for a living space. Shaggy rugs, kids print mats, chic expensive rugs.
But since reviewing this Relax Mat by Muscle Mat, as a parent, I can honestly say it wins, hands down.
We've owned several kids-print mats from other retailers, and believe us when we say they cost a small fortune! Of course, these mats have stains that cannot be removed thanks to Brooks leaving his red and blue sticky lizard toys on them. I've tried everything to remove them, to no avail.
I'm so happy my family tried the Relax Mat. It's nice looking, it's good quality and most importantly, it's really comfortable! My nine month old baby can accidentally fall backwards on to his back and head, and he is cushioned by the Relax Mat. The first time he did this on the rug, I leaped in his direction to try and soften his fall, but luckily he was on the Relax Mat, and he simply smiled, and sat back up. No tears!
In a nutshell, if you need a new mat for your kids, buy the Relax Mat. It's Australian and it's great.
Disclosure: We were on the hunt for a new, comfortable and stylish mat for our children, which is why we’ve partnered with Muscle Mat on this sponsored post reviewing their Relax Mat. The Johannessen Family was gifted the Relax Mat in the colour Charcoal Grey to conduct a fair and impartial review. All opinions are 100% our own and reflect our honest experiences with the product. We only share what we believe you’ll find helpful as parents. Thank you to Muscle Mat for this collaboration opportunity.
We hope you enjoyed our blog post review on the Relax Mat by Muscle Mat! ♡ Any questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Tag us at @thejohannessenfamily or contact us!