Grass mats and artificial grass are two of the most popular products in the playground safety marketplace. But what is the difference between grass mats and artificial grass? We thought of five key areas where these two products are very similar, yet slightly different. Read on to find out more…
1. Natural look
EcoSmart grass mats create a completely natural play area. Due to the honeycomb structure of our grass matting, 10 – 60 days after installation, the grass will have grown back through the mat. This will create a play area that looks completely natural, as though there isn’t any safety surfacing underneath even though there is.
Our Green Frog Artificial Grass has been designed to look like real grass. The combination of three different greens and both short curly yarn and long straight yarn, gives the grass its visually pleasing, ‘must be real grass’ look.
2. Maintenance
Our EcoSmart grass mats are very low maintenance. Once installed, they do not need to be lifted, moved, or cleaned if they are installed alongside SmartPlay shockpad. The only thing you’ll need to do is mow the grass! If one or more of the mats are damaged or vandalised, it is easy for us to come and replace it, without having to do any major works.
Artificial grass has a whole host of benefits, however the main reason people choose it is because it looks perfect all year round, with absolutely no maintenance! No more mowing, no dry brown patches in the summer and no muddy mess in the winter, the best of both worlds.
3. Critical Fall Height
If you’ve got Critical Fall Height concerns, EcoSmart grass mats are an ideal choice. They are certified for fall heights up to 2.25m, however when installed alongside our shock pad in our SmartPlay System, the Fall Height coverage is increased to 3m on a good grass base. It is possible to install shock pad directly on top of existing ground.
It is possible to install shock pad below artificial grass. Our 24mm grass is certified for a range of Critical Fall Heights from 1.3m up to 3m. To install shock pad under artificial grass, there will likely need to be groundworks undertaken, as the shock pad will need to sit below ground level if there is no way to recess it.
4. Material
A key difference between grass mats and artificial grass is the material they are made from. Many grass mats, such as EcoSmart, are made out of rubber. Our grass mats are special though, as they are made from recycled rubber from items such as old car tyres!
Artificial grass is usually made out of plastic, and Green Frog Artificial Grass is no different. Our Artificial Grass is made out of Polyethylene and Polypropylene for the yarn, and Double Polypropylene and SBR Latex for the backing.
5. Price
The P word. Everyone’s least favourite word. And our final key difference between grass mats and artificial grass. So how much does grass matting cost? How much does artificial grass cost? Well, that all depends on a few key things; area size, location, and whether you want Supply Only or Supply & Installation. Our business runs on a quoting process, where we’ll ask you a few questions then provide you with a price within 2 working days.
We hope this article helped highlight to you the difference between grass mats and artificial grass and why you might choose one over the other. If this article has helped you, maybe it will help someone you know! Feel free to share it 🙂
One thought on “Grass mats vs artificial grass”
Really informative read Jasmine! Both, grass mats and artificial grass offer great advantages over natural grass. They do not require lots of water to maintain. Plus, they are highly durable.