I bought two of these mats along with a cloth diaper stash during Lil Helper’s advertised Black Friday sale, which was substantial at the time. I was confused, because I didn’t see a code on their site, and one wasn’t applied at checkout, so I thought the sale was only applicable to their sale section. Therefore I, disappointed, picked my items from the sale section and then paid full price for the other items I figured I would need. I discovered, a few minutes later, that the discount code was on the home page. I immediately emailed them, hoping they would honour their sale code, which would have saved me $50. Instead, they offered me 25% off my next purchase, which I wasn’t planning on making, since I had already ordered a full diaper and insert stash. I would have had to spend another $400+ to save what I had lost on my mistake. It was never going to happen. Yes, it was my mistake, but why be sneaky about the sale? Any business that doesn’t automatically add the discount code to the cart is already starting low in my books.
Cost: $90
My cost: $65 + tax (it was 2023!)
Date Ordered: November 18, 2023
Date Shipped: November 20, 2023
Date Received: Don’t remember
Highlights:
- Canadian Company
- Some cute designs
Manufactured in: China
Company Base: Toronto, Ontario
Established in: 2011
These were advertised to me as good for “making babies” and “having babies”. I purchased the stellar and earth rose patterns for giving birth. It’s a good thing I didn’t end up using them for the birth because they would have been completely useless. It turns out they’re just expensive and not really good for anything. They’re too small, slippery, and not as absorbent as I thought. I used them for a bit postpartum and haven’t touched them since.
Overall Impression
These mats were an absolute waste of money. The impression that the company gives is that they are innovative, ethical, and caring, and I found the opposite to be the case. I tried using these mats for some of the suggested activities, but they are so slippery that they don’t stay in place and are too small to be effective. Their website says this:
“With soft absorbent layers and a waterproof backing, it works as a menstrual bed pad, potty training mat, waterproof blanket, or washable mattress protector.“
28″ x 40″ is just not big enough for anything. And at $90 a pop it’s ridiculously expensive for something made in China. You can get a larger peapod mat for cheaper if you still want to support Canadian, and at least that will stay put. This company is all marketing. I used these mats post-partum and I had to readjust them every time I moved, all night long, often still getting blood all over the sheets. A folded towel did just as well. These were an absolute waste of money, and I do not recommend. They say they’re easy to clean, but here are the care instructions:
“Before washing, make sure any solid matter is removed from your product. For items with heavy soiling that may stain or develop odors, rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear before storing for wash day.
For a deep clean, start with a pre-wash on a short cycle using warm water (up to 140°F / 60°C) and the recommended amount of detergent, such as Tide Original to Line 1. Follow with a heavy-duty, longest-cycle wash in warm or cold water, again using the appropriate detergent amount. To ensure proper agitation, add other items to create a full load.
For everyday or lighter messes or items already pre-rinsed, a regular cycle in cold or warm water (up to 140°F / 60°C) with the normal amount of detergent is sufficient.
Whenever possible, hang to dry. If you’re in a rush, you can tumble dry on low.“
Maybe I’m just lazy, but in my opinion, anything that requires extra thought put into washing is not easy to clean.
The Goods:
- Canadian company
The Not-So-Goods:
- Misleading advertisements
- Made in China
- Expensive
Good for People Who:
Like these designs and don’t want something better. I know there are a lot of people out there that really like this company, but I am not one of them. I do not recommend these lifesaver mats. My life has not been at all improved, never mind saved, by them.
wanderingfawn 
Leave a comment