Safety surfacing for playgrounds made of rubber is the ideal surfacing option many choose when searching for the perfect playground matting for their young ones to play safely on due to its ability to provide shock absorption, traction and cushioning. Playground matting offers physical properties that allows it to provide shock absorption, traction and comfort for anyone playing or walking on its surface. The qualities that naturally come with rubber provide excellent anti-slip qualities to help minimize chances of slip and fall accidents when children are playing on rubber playground mats while providing a safe and comfortable surface to fall on.

1. Playground Safety

Safety is the main and most important reason for installing rubber playground mats, because children may fall on hard surfaces, which may increase the chance of serious injury. According to the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, “The surfacing under and around playground equipment is one of the most important factors in reducing the likelihood of life-threatening head injuries”. Therefore, it is important to install safety surfacing for playgrounds that provide a soft landing surface to avoid such injuries. As mentioned above, rubber is the best material for playground matting due to its soft and supple nature. Rubber is able to provide this protection because it is a natural elastomer with a low compression set meaning, it is softer and able to return back to its original shape after being under pressure or heavy weights. This gives rubber playground surfaces the buoyancy it needs to offer a cushioned surface to avoid serious injury in children.

2. Shock Absorption

A fall onto rubber’s shock absorbent surface is less likely to cause serious injury than a fall onto a hard surface and, because children are likely to take a tumble at some point while playing, it is important that shock absorption is a primary feature of playground surfaces. Rubber’s natural low compression set gives rubber a “bounce” which provides a cushioned landing surface. Play floor tiles can have a thicker gauge to help aid in shock absorption. Additionally, some rubber playground mats also have special waffle patterns on their underside to help boost their ability to flex under pressure. Certain safety surfacing for playgrounds have also been tested for their impact attenuation, a measure of a playground surface’s shock absorbing properties, and will offer approved shock absorbing characteristics.

3. Traction

Rubber naturally processes a high coefficient of friction which allows it to retain its traction abilities even when moisture is present. Safety surfacing for playgrounds made of rubber will provide excellent traction even when moisture is present creating a non-slip surface for children to run safely on. These qualities are extremely important for playground surfaces because they are usually located outdoors where precipitation can cause the ground to become slippery. In addition, these playground rubber floors can provide rough surface textures to enhance the rubber's natural grip.

4. Cushioning

Rubber playground surfaces are far superior to hard surface alternatives not only due to their safety qualities, but also due to the enhanced cushioning provided by its natural elasticity. Children may be full of energy but even they can feel fatigued which is why rubber playground surfaces are designed to be comfortable for ankles, leg joints and lower back region. Some play floor tiles are thick and soft enough to provide a degree of bounce reducing the likelihood of pressure affecting the feet while standing on these elastic surfaces. Though kids are generally limber and full of energy, they can still suffer from pains in the course of clambering over and playing on uncomfortable materials or structures. This is why providing the most comfortable playground matting material is critical to us which, in turn, makes the anti-fatigue capabilities of our rubber playground mats hard to beat.