Best Playground Surfaces: Rubber Vs. Natural

Buying or moving in to a house? Moving with small children is a huge task.

If your home already has playground equipment, or a good space that can be transformed in to a playground area, you’re a head of the game.

Playground Safety

Before adding any one kind of playground surfacing to your landscaping, first do a thorough inspection of your new or used equipment to be sure it’s safe for play using the National Program for Playground Safety’s “SAFE” methodology. Next, consider the type of material beneath your playground set.

Kids climb, and kids fall. This requires a soft surface to cushion their landing. Several tried and true options for your backyard playground include both man-made and natural options:

• Rubber Playground Surfaces

  • Rubber Playground Mats

  • Rubber Playground Tiles

  • Playground Rubber Mulch

• Playground Wood Chips

• Sand

• Pea Gravel

Naturally occurring products are great! But loose fill materials like wood chips, pea gravel and sand will slowly erode over time. Maintaining the proper depth on playgrounds is crucial to the safety of your space since thicker, loose-fill surface depths cushion inevitable falls and help to prevent injuries.

Be sure to check your playground equipment instructions for the recommended depth of renewable/loose-fill playground surfacing. This will vary since the surface material and fall height of the equipment will vary for everyone.

Like most landscaping product naturally occurring, loose-fill surfaces will require annual maintenance for the best performance. Natural products degrade over time due to usage, age, erosion, and simple overall weathering. Without vigilant maintenance you might be looking at unintended injuries, as kids are bound to fall.

Rubber Playground Surfaces

Rubber Surface Mats: Poured In Place

Cost: Poured In Place $9-$15 per square foot

Minimum Area: Around 1000 square feet

Unlike all of the other options we’ll discuss below, poured in place playground rubber surfaces can be highly customized for each playground area, adding depth in areas that might require additional cushion due to equipment height. But, know that this option is by far the most expensive.

Let a knowledgable contractor with experience developing playground surfaces create an estimate for your playground based on the area, depth and amount of surface material required for the project. Color, the condition of the existing surface, location, labor and a few other factors play in to the overall cost.

Tip: Assume that a 1000 square foot playground space is the minimum area required to make it worth the cost of investment.

Rubber Playground Tiles

Cost: $6 - $10 per square foot

Approximate Size: 2.5" Thickness / Dimension 24" x 24" but varies by brand

Additional: Block connectors to keep mats in place - 8” X 8” but varies by brand

Rubber playground tiles are a great option for your playground surface. They’re easy to install and can provide significant protection from falls. Many brands even utilize some or all recycled product in their final design. The tiles are usually developed with a grip on the backing to prevent movement once the tiles are installed.

Be sure that the tiles you choose have been certified by the ASTM for falls. Most provide cushion for a six foot fall.

Playground mat tiles come with traction pins on the bottom which give the matting additional traction and adhesion. Most tiles are connect by inserting the traction pins into connector blocks. These connector blocks are shaped like waffles, allowing the pins from the tiles to be inserted in to the holes in the connector blocks.

Tip: Leveling a play area prior to any installation is key to the safety and longevity of the playground surface. Installing tiles directly over dirt is not recommended due to potential drainage issues. It’s best to install tiles over hard surfaces like concrete, asphalt or even pea gravel. Although most tile makers claim that installation is “easy,” it’s best that you speak with an install pro to be sure that your playground surface is safe and properly installed.

Rubber Playground Mulch

Cost: $3 - $5

Approximate Size: .8 cu feet

Bulk: Can be ordered by the cubic yard from local landscaping store or Costco

Rubber mulch doesn’t attract animals and typically remains cool to the touch even after long hors of sun exposure. Unlike sand or wood mulch, rubber mulch can also be kept clean without worry of erosion.

As compared to pea gravel or sand, rubber mulch provides a more cushioned surface in the event of a fall on a playground when compared to pea gravel. Rubber mulch provides significantly more shock absorbance.

Erosion and decomposition is not nearly as prevalent as it is with more natural materials. So if you prefer a more natural option, rubber mulch might not be your jam. There has also been some discussion regarding the safety of playground mulch.

Naturally Occurring Playground Surfaces

Playground Wood Mulch

Cost: $3-$6 per bag

Approximate Size: 2 cubic feet

Bulk: Can be ordered by the cubic yard from local landscaping store

Wood mulch is the most commonly used backyard playground surface material since it is great at protecting against fall injuries at most heights. When comparing naturally occurring surface product, wood mulch is the least effected by weather and erosion; compared to sand and pea gravel.

Unlike sand and pea gravel, playground mulch requires less surface depth to cushion falls, and is less likely to erode yielding an inconsistent depth. Due to weathering and erosion, wood mulch surface depth must be monitored and adjusted on a regular basis.

Although playground mulch is the go-to for playground surfaces, keep in mind that it can cause splinters, attract bug and rodents, and will quickly erode - typically requiring a new layer each year.

Sand

Cost: $4-$7 per bag

Approximate Size: 50 pound bag / 1/2 cubic foot

Bulk: Can be ordered by the cubic yard from local landscaping stores

Although sand can double as both a play sandbox and a playground surface, sand provides the least amount of fall protection, typically from 5 feet or less. Since sand is naturally occurring there’s no worry about leaching. However, sand is messy, hot during the summer, and often gets tracked in to the house.

Unlike playground mulch, sand has less cushion offering less comfort in the event of a fall. Sand can also collect bacteria from bugs, rodents and other animals that use the surface as a home.

Pea Gravel

Cost: $4-$8 per bag

Approximate Size: .5 cubic feet

Bulk: Although this is sold in local home improvement stores, specially cultivated pea gravel may be better purchased from a landscape specialty store

Pea gravel is a great option as a playground surface. It has visual appeal, and can provide substantial fall protection for up to 7 feet. Pea gravel is also a more sanitary providing a cleaner, less porous surface as compared to wood mulch and sand.

Pea gravel will also slowly compress or erode in to the dirt surface below, which will eventually cause unsafe fall conditions. In order to avoid this, it’s important to layer additional pea gravel on your play surface regularly as needed.

Much like playground mulch and sand, pea gravel must be maintained for safety and visual appeal.