Best play surface for concrete patio?

March 18, 2016 2:12 PM

Our large balcony patio is concrete, and I want to put something on it that my babies can crawl on without getting scraped up. I'm looking at outdoor rugs or artificial turf but I'm having a hard time choosing what to get and everything seems to have poor reviews online, and I can't tell how ugly things will be in person.

Ideally, we would be able to cover at least 8x10' with something that would be soft enough to play and crawl on.
We are apartment dwellers so our solution needs to be temporary and non-destructive (can't glue or drill holes).
We plan on being in this place for 3 more summers but not more so cost is a factor. We can roll up the thing and bring it in for winter if we need to, but we don't want to roll it up all the time.

Here are my criteria:
-large coverage area
-stays down (won't blow away or slide or buckle too much and trip the kids)
-soft enough to cushion falls/not cut up knees
-won't melt or offgas awful things in lots of direct sun
-won't disintegrate or break into small pieces the kids will eat
-under $600ish
-not completely hideous
-can leave outside spring-fall

Has anyone found a good solution for a large concrete deck or patio?
Is there a certain brand of artificial turf I should look at that is better than others for putting on concrete?
All of the reviews of turf I see online have very mixed reviews and I don't know what to trust.

Is there another type of thing I should be looking at other than outdoor rugs or fake grass?

I saw this previous question but I don't think foam mats will be good outside for extended periods of time/large areas/wind.

posted by rmless to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

Best answer: Is there another type of thing I should be looking at other than outdoor rugs or fake grass?

Interlocking outdoor play tile

(Not recommending that company/brand, just the concept)
posted by Jahaza at 2:26 PM on March 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

I've admired the Costco indoor/outdoor rugs, but I haven't owned one myself. Some have excellent reviews (and some of the bad reviews just seemed to be "color isn't true online").
posted by instamatic at 2:28 PM on March 18, 2016

I have this RV mat and can confirm it is quite attractive, sturdy, and fairly comfortable. It's not really padded at all, but it's smoother than the extremely rough cement of our patio.

I have owned indoor/outdoor rugs and I think they are probably fine on a balcony (they worked less well on our patio where the sprinklers dampen one side of it three times a week), and softer than the mat I linked. The mat doesn't soak up water and anything that runs underneath evaporates pretty quickly, which can be a real issue with carpet.

You might be best off with exercise mats, in the end.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:33 PM on March 18, 2016

If you're worried about the longetivity/kid safety of foam, I wonder if you could do a hybrid: a thick foam mat as underlayment, stapled to a thin outdoor rug of your choosing for aesthetics and comfort.
posted by contraption at 2:35 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

I get outdoor rugs for camping at costco. They are really big, super easy to roll up (and light), and about 20 bucks. You could get a few and cut them exactly to fit where you want. They last many seasons. They are really light so they hang easy and are simple to rinse down and clean.
posted by ReluctantViking at 2:46 PM on March 18, 2016

This is designed for golf and is only 6 x 10, but I've had mine out on a concrete slab and it's survived 3 Maine winters without a scratch. It quite soft underfoot, and heavy enough that the wind will not move it. On sale for $349 right now.
posted by lobstah at 2:54 PM on March 18, 2016

We used to put out interlocking foam mats on the driveway. Kids loved it.
posted by heathrowga at 4:52 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Is your patio covered? We use a Costco outdoor rug on our covered patio (aka outdoor playroom for our toddler) and it is wonderful. That said, it's only wonderful because it is very rare that it rains hard enough at an angle for the rug to get wet. When it does get soaked it is pretty mildewey and gross until we can put it in the backyard to dry out in the sun.
posted by gatorae at 6:04 PM on March 18, 2016

What about Flor carpet tiles? I believe they have outdoor options and will ship samples for free.
posted by dreamphone at 7:47 PM on March 18, 2016

How about a horse stall mat? We have gotten those at Tractor Supply. It may not be as soft as some of the previous suggestions but it will be a lot more forgiving than concrete, pretty durable, and cheaper than the golf lawn (although I do like the golf lawn idea..).
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:22 PM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

interlocking foam mats come in all colors and patterns, and you can lift them up to clean under. I've found them cheaper at the big box home improvement stores, and if you have an aldi's near you they're selling them right now as well. they wouldn't withstand a huge storm but they're interlocked together and that'd keep it on the ground pretty well, I would think.
posted by lemniskate at 10:16 PM on March 18, 2016

Best answer: I suggest that you not think outside the box on this one-- choose a product that is intended for infants and children, sold by a retailer that tests their products for heavy metals. Children's products are covered by Federal Laws that restrict materials and coatings.

In the past, public interest research groups have charged that artificial grass/turf contains heavy metals such as lead. Felt or foam carpet backings give off vapors that are unhealthy.
posted by ohshenandoah at 4:46 PM on March 19, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks, all. I will probably go with some sort of outdoor play tile, if I can find one that is meant for paved surfaces instead of dirt/sand. The reviews of all the ones I have seen online also say that they come apart and that kids pull them up, so if anyone has specific suggestions of play tiles for concrete that do not come apart easily, I would really appreciate that!!
posted by rmless at 7:10 AM on March 21, 2016