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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Does anyone use and LIKE kindermats?
TaylorTots 05:57 PM 03-09-2014
Just curious, I was going to place an order for cots on DSS but saw my Walmart has kindermats on sale for $9 (1") or $14 (2").

I like cots, but they are a pain to store for me. Anybody like using kindermats?
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EntropyControlSpecialist 06:00 PM 03-09-2014
I know you did not ask but I love my cots. Kids are elevated and they are strdy. Can't even tell they have been used daily for 2 years.
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TwinKristi 06:03 PM 03-09-2014
I like them! I had custom made fleece covers so that they're not sleeping directly on the mats, all the sheets had bad reviews about being scratchy and thin. I have 1" ones and found them on clearance for like $2.74 and wish I would have bought them all! Now I can't find them locally and it's irritating me to pay so much more than I did! I'm hoping I can wait until Fall and find them at Target again.
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missy 06:28 PM 03-09-2014
Would you mind posting the link to the Walmart kindermats? I tried searching them on their site but didn't find any that cheap. Thanks!!
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TaylorTots 07:12 PM 03-09-2014
Online they weren't that cheap, my local Walmart has them on sale/clearance and has a HUGE end cap full of 1" and 2" ones.

These are the $14 ones at my Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Heavy-Duty...8-x-2/33455509

I don't see the 1" ones online, but they are marked to $9 each here.... they are clearance-ing out a ton of back to school supplies in my store.



I love cots too - and I have thought about a 4pk from Discount School Supply as they are like $85 shipped after coupon code through eBates but they are quite a task in my daycare setup storage wise...



I like the idea of a fleece cover, I can easily sew some for them. Is it a thicker fleece or thinner? Do they get super sweaty on the fleece? I was thinking some kind of jersey knit sewn into pillow cases for them. I am putting them on plush carpet, so the 1" might work. Spending $36+tax is really appealing
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itlw8 07:34 PM 03-09-2014
some times it is wise to pay for quality as it will save you money in the long run. They are not designed to last more than one school year. So if you get 2 years out of one you are lucky.

But my cots are over 25 years old and still in great shape.
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missy 08:16 PM 03-09-2014
Originally Posted by TaylorTots:
Online they weren't that cheap, my local Walmart has them on sale/clearance and has a HUGE end cap full of 1" and 2" ones.

These are the $14 ones at my Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Heavy-Duty...8-x-2/33455509

I don't see the 1" ones online, but they are marked to $9 each here.... they are clearance-ing out a ton of back to school supplies in my store.



I love cots too - and I have thought about a 4pk from Discount School Supply as they are like $85 shipped after coupon code through eBates but they are quite a task in my daycare setup storage wise..

I like the idea of a fleece cover, I can easily sew some for them. Is it a thicker fleece or thinner? Do they get super sweaty on the fleece? I was thinking some kind of jersey knit sewn into pillow cases for them. I am putting them on plush carpet, so the 1" might work. Spending $36+tax is really appealing
Thanks. I never saw cots or mats at a Walmart before but then again I probably never thought to check the actual store.
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TwinKristi 09:04 PM 03-09-2014
Originally Posted by TaylorTots:

I like the idea of a fleece cover, I can easily sew some for them. Is it a thicker fleece or thinner? Do they get super sweaty on the fleece? I was thinking some kind of jersey knit sewn into pillow cases for them. I am putting them on plush carpet, so the 1" might work. Spending $36+tax is really appealing
They're a thicker fleece cover and I haven't noticed them being sweaty on them. It's really soft and cozy, like sleeping on pajamas! LOL They seem super easy to see if you have a machine and can sew. It's like a big pillow case! Such cute fabrics out there too!! We have blue and purple owl prints.
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jenn 06:17 AM 03-10-2014
I use the 2 inch mats and I'm happy with them.

I bought 6 of them in 2007. I recently had to get rid of one, as the plastic was beginning to crack around the seams. Other than that, I've had no problems with them.

I love that they are easy to sanitize and are easy to fold and store.

I do recommend using a pillowcase type cover as the bottom sheet that they lay on. Otherwise, their bottom blanket ends up sliding around and they end up laying on the plastic.
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TaylorTots 06:30 AM 03-10-2014
Found this as a cover tutorial - should be super easy and I love the matching pillow cases!

http://www.newgreenmama.com/2011/08/...-tutorial.html
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KSDC 08:37 AM 03-10-2014
I use them. I bought them 8 years ago. There has been a little cracking on the seams this past year - that I fixed with packing tape!

I got a bunch of body-pillow pillow cases for them. The fit perfectly. Add a pillow and comfy blankey and my kids all sleep very well.

After nap time, each set (mat, blanket, pillow) goes into it's own plastic storage bin. (The ones thar are designed for under the bed storage.)
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Cradle2crayons 08:50 AM 03-10-2014
Originally Posted by TwinKristi:
I like them! I had custom made fleece covers so that they're not sleeping directly on the mats, all the sheets had bad reviews about being scratchy and thin. I have 1" ones and found them on clearance for like $2.74 and wish I would have bought them all! Now I can't find them locally and it's irritating me to pay so much more than I did! I'm hoping I can wait until Fall and find them at Target again.
Same here except mine are the two inch. I made custom fleece covers here too. So easy!!!
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Crazy8 08:53 AM 03-10-2014
I love the ones I got from my CCR&R agency years ago. They are solid blue, 2" thick and fold into 4's, had them about 10 years before they started cracking at the seams. But then I got these red on one side/blue on the other ones that fold into 3's and they didn't last long at all, were cracking and falling apart after a year or two. They don't have a label to know the brand but I've seen some online that are kindermats that look the same.

Last year I tried to buy the ones in Toys R Us at back to school time and omg, they were horrible!!! They were tiny and thin (knew they were only 1" but still, so skimpy).

I love the idea of cots but storage is an issue for me, the mats fold up and fit perfectly on the shelves of the changing table. I'd have no where to store cots.
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butterfly 09:31 AM 03-10-2014
I started out using them and used them for several years. I switched to cots in the last year or two when my mats begin to tear. I prefer the cots over kindermats.

The kids seem to lay stiller on the cots. Their space is more defined. On the mats, the kids would always be sliding around and sliding their mats into other children...

I like that the cots can stack WITH their sheet, blanket, and pillow still on their cot. It's easy to unstack and they are ready to go.
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Bookworm 02:05 PM 03-10-2014
We use them in my center and I hate them. Even though each mat has a cover, the ends tend to tear easily. The children are not rough with them at all it's just that over time the plastic splits so the foam rubber shows. Our state regs require that we replace them as soon as there's the smallest amount of damage so we usually replace about 2-3 a month. Yes they are easy to clean but for a center cots are better.
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