The Material Story

Silicone leather. The material behind every mat.

Every Studio Huske mat starts with a material most people have never heard of. This page explains what silicone leather is, what we tried before we found it, and why it turned out to be the only material that could do the job we needed.

No shortcuts. No marketing spin. Just what the material is, what we tried first, and why this one stuck.

What silicone leather actually is

Silicone leather is a non-toxic textile made from two layers of food-grade silicone bonded to a woven mesh fabric core. The silicone provides the surface. The mesh does the structural work underneath.

When most people hear “silicone,” they picture a baking mat — floppy, rubbery, with no real body to it. Silicone leather is different because of what sits inside it. The mesh core gives the material its weight and structure. Without it, silicone alone would flop and buckle. With it, the mat has a weighted, fabric-like drape — more like a piece of heavy canvas than a rubber sheet. We have mats from 2021 that still look new.

On the surface, the silicone is the same grade used in infant pacifiers. Completely inert. It does not react with anything it touches. Studio Huske mats are certified OEKO-TEX Class 1 — the highest category, reserved for textiles intended for direct contact with baby skin and mouth.

What silicone leather actually does

Silicone leather has five properties that make it well-suited to life with small children. Each one does something a foam or PU mat cannot.

• 01

  Repel.

  Silicone leather repels spills. Liquids bead off the surface — nothing absorbs, nothing stains. Blueberry, tomato, sunscreen, poster paint. It’s wipe-clean in seconds, or walk away and deal with it later.

• 02

  Hold.

  Silicone leather doesn’t peel. PU leather — the material most play mats are made from — typically shows signs of wear within the first couple of years: peeling at the seams, cracking at the edges. Silicone leather doesn’t have that problem because the silicone is bonded directly to the fabric, not layered over it. There’s nothing to separate.

• 03

  Settle.

  Lay it down and it settles flat. No pins, no weights, no leaving it under a pile of books overnight. Silicone leather drapes like fabric — fold it, and it opens out flat when you put it back down. Packaging creases release naturally with normal everyday use.

• 04

  Ground.

  The edges stay down. The mesh core gives the mat enough weight and body that the corners sit flat without anything holding them down. No curling, no trip hazard, no wrestling it flat with furniture.

• 05

  Temper.

  You can put a hot baking tray on it. Use it as an ironing surface if you want to. Silicone is inherently heat-resistant — the same material used in infant pacifiers. No chemical treatment. No coating to burn through.

Apple leather, mushroom leather, and the alternatives we tested

We did not start with silicone leather. Before choosing it, we spent months researching alternatives that seemed, on paper, like better options for a children's play mat. We looked at organic cotton canvas, AppleSkin from Frumat in Italy, Pinatex from pineapple leaf fibre, Mylo and Reishi mycelium leather, Desserto cactus leather, and Vegea grape leather. Each one taught us something. None of them worked.

Organic cotton canvas with beeswax coating

The sustainability credentials were strong. A natural fibre, coated with a natural wax. We liked it.

The problem was the coating. Beeswax degrades with use, the same way a waxed Barbour jacket gradually loses its water resistance. Within months, the surface stops repelling liquid. A mat that needs to survive daily food spills, paint, and outdoor use cannot rely on a coating that wears away. We also found the canvas too stiff and rough for direct baby skin contact during tummy time or nappy-free play.

Once you cannot wipe it clean, what is it for?

Apple leather (AppleSkin, from Bolzano, Italy)

We found this material through Frumat, a manufacturer in South Tyrol, and it was genuinely attractive. Apple leather has a beautiful hand feel, a clean look, and a compelling origin story: industrial apple waste from juice production, turned into a textile.

The limitation was what it is actually made of. Apple leather is typically 30-50% polyurethane by weight, depending on the formulation. The water resistance comes from the plastic component, not the apple waste. Without that PU layer, it cannot handle daily contact with food, craft supplies, and mud. For a mat that needs to survive curry, finger paint, and juice spills every day, that is disqualifying.

We also know from watching PU leather products over the years that PU eventually peels and cracks. The delamination is inherent to the material, not a defect. Adding a fruit-based layer underneath does not change that trajectory.

We liked everything about it except the part that mattered most.

Mushroom-based vegan leather (mycelium)

This was the most exciting option. Mycelium leather is made from mushroom root networks. A genuinely novel material with real innovation behind it. The two leading producers, Bolt Threads (Mylo) and MycoWorks (Reishi), had partnerships with Stella McCartney, Hermes, and Adidas. We wanted to try it.

Access was closed. Both companies were working exclusively with large fashion houses through closed consortiums. Even a sample was out of reach for a small, independent brand.

As it turned out, the material also proved commercially unviable. Bolt Threads paused Mylo production in mid-2023. MycoWorks closed its factory in October 2025 and entered insolvency. The promise was real. The commercial viability was not.

Pineapple leather (Pinatex)

Made from pineapple leaf fibre, Pinatex was another material we researched personally. The concept is appealing: agricultural waste turned into a textile. But the robustness was not there. Like apple leather, the water and stain resistance depends on a polyurethane coating. Without it, the material cannot handle daily food contact. With it, you are back to PU leather with a different origin story.

The pattern we kept finding

Each alternative failed on a practical criterion: durability, robustness, or access. Not on principle. We would have been glad to use any of them if they had worked.

We also evaluated cactus leather (Desserto), grape leather (Vegea), and cork-based composites. The pattern was the same across all of them. Every plant-based leather on the market today is a composite, typically 30-65% polyurethane by weight. The plant content is what goes on the label. The plastic is what actually makes it work. None carry food-safety certification. None are rated for baby skin contact.

Of all the play mat materials we evaluated, silicone leather was the one that actually solved the problem: a surface robust enough for curry and finger paint, waterproof without a coating that degrades, soft enough for baby skin, and available to a one-person business in Switzerland. Not the most romantic material story. But it solved the problem, and after two years of looking, that mattered more.

Why silicone leather works for play mats

Each alternative fell short on at least one of three requirements: lasting waterproofing, stain resistance without a secondary coating, and availability. Silicone leather meets all three, and adds properties we had not expected.

Not sure which size? Take the quiz.

The material also enabled a design decision that turned out to be our strongest differentiator: simplicity. Because silicone leather solves waterproofing, stain resistance, and durability at the material level, we did not need to add straps, pockets, zips, patterns to hide stains, or machine-washable components. No stitching means no seams that trap food. No attachments means it looks at home on a living room floor, not just in a garden.

A surface that works indoors and outdoors without looking like it belongs in only one of those places. That continuity is the thing nobody else does. Kitchen table in March, beach in July, living room in September. The same mat, at home in all of them.

Kitchen table in March. Swiss lake in July. The same mat.

Silicone is not a perfect material. It is not biodegradable, and its production has a higher carbon footprint per kilogram than common plastics. The case for it is not environmental purity. The argument is simpler than that: a surface you use for five years and never need to replace produces less total waste than three cheaper alternatives that peel, stain, and get thrown away. We have written more about the environmental trade-offs on our blog. And when a mat has done its job in your family, it still has life left. I share pre-loved listings through the newsletter.

Designed in Switzerland. Made in Korea.

Our mats are manufactured in South Korea by a facility that specialises in silicone-based textiles as alternatives to PVC and synthetic leather. They hold environmental certification and use a solvent-free production process. All raw materials, including the polyester fabric, silicone, and silicone pigments, are sourced within Korea. We have worked with this facility for several years.

We chose Korea deliberately. The depth of silicone textile expertise, environmental standards, and manufacturing precision we needed are not available at lower cost without losing something that matters.

Every mat is designed in Zurich and made under conditions we can stand behind.

OEKO-TEX Class 1: tested, not just claimed

Many baby products say "non-toxic" on the label. Few can show you the paperwork.

Our mats carry OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class 1 certification. This is the most stringent level, tested specifically for products that touch baby skin and that babies put in their mouths. It screens for over 100 harmful substances including formaldehyde, heavy metals, pesticides, and phthalates.

They are also certified VOC-free (no chemical smell in your home) and verified by the Korean Eco-Label programme. This is what makes a non-toxic play mat genuinely non-toxic. The difference between printing "non-toxic" on a box and actually testing for it.

These are independently verified certifications, not self-declared claims.

Why quality play mats cost less over time

The upfront price reflects what goes into the material: food-grade silicone costs significantly more than PVC or EVA as a raw material. OEKO-TEX Class 1 certification requires annual retesting. Manufacturing in a facility with certified environmental standards costs more than the alternative. These are costs that cheaper mats avoid by using different materials.

Think about what a mat actually does in your week. Tummy time before breakfast. Banana smeared across it at noon. Watercolours after the nap. Rolled up and taken to the park. Wiped down and back on the living room floor for dinner. More than one use per day. A surface that works all day, every day, and needs to handle all of it without showing wear.

Cost per purchase is not the same as cost per use.

A CHF 65 vinyl mat used daily for 18 months before curling and staining take over: 12 Rappen per use.

A CHF 100 PU leather mat used daily for three years before peeling starts: 9 Rappen per use.

A Studio Huske Roam Round at CHF 123, used daily for five years: 7 Rappen per use.

Count the multiple uses per day and the number drops further.

Pay more once, pay less per day. That is how the maths works out.

The honest version

If you need a mat to catch food under the high chair for a year, a vinyl mat will do the job. No judgement. Sensible choice for that specific need.

But if you want a surface that moves through your home and your family's life, from tummy time to craft projects to picnics to homework, and still looks like something you chose rather than something you settled for, that is what these mats are built to do.

Sixty days to try it. Two-year guarantee on manufacturing defects. And if it does not work for your family, return it in saleable condition. We would rather you made the right choice than a pressured one.

Find your mat

Silicone leather vs EVA foam: what the difference means in practice

EVA foam is the material in most interlocking play tiles and padded floor mats. It is soft underfoot and widely available. It is also worth understanding before you buy, because the differences between foam and silicone leather affect how the mat behaves in daily family life.

Independent safety testing across Europe has identified formamide in EVA foam products. Formamide is a substance used in the manufacturing process that can migrate from the surface. Regulatory responses vary by country. Silicone leather does not use formamide at any stage of production.

The one genuine advantage of foam is cushioning. If you need a padded floor for a baby who falls often, foam tiles provide impact absorption that silicone leather does not. Both materials can have a place in a family home. The question is which trade-offs matter more to you. If certified material safety and a surface that stays clean are the priority, silicone leather is the cleaner choice. The full material comparison is in our blog.

Common questions

How does silicone leather compare to foam play mats?

The honest answer: silicone leather and foam are different products for different priorities. Foam cushions. Silicone doesn’t. If your baby needs padding on a hard floor, a foam mat does that better.

Where foam tends to fall apart over time: EVA tiles absorb liquid at the seams and develop grime in the joints that’s hard to fully clean. Interlocking mats delaminate. PU “vegan leather” (Gathre and similar) peels and cracks within 18 months, and berry stains are permanent. Some older EVA formulations were also flagged in EU testing for formamide — not universal, but worth knowing before you buy.

The Huske mats from 2021 still look new. Nothing has absorbed, nothing has peeled, no mould. They’re not padded — that’s a genuine trade-off. But the hygiene side of it has held up.

Can I use these mats outdoors?

Yes, and it’s one of the places silicone leather genuinely holds up. Fully waterproof, wipes clean of mud, grass, paint, food. No drying time. UV-stable in normal outdoor conditions.

The Explore (135 cm round) and Gallivant (135 × 180 cm) were sized for outdoor use — picnics, gardens, trips away. They come back inside and live on the kitchen table without looking like outdoor gear. One surface, indoors and out.

One thing: don’t leave any mat in direct sun for long stretches. That goes for most surfaces, not just silicone.

How do I clean a silicone leather play mat?

Most of the time, a damp cloth is all you need. Nothing absorbs into the surface, so paint, food, and mud wipe off without scrubbing.

For a proper clean: rinse under a tap with a bit of soap. That handles almost everything.

For stubborn pigmented stains — blackcurrant, pomegranate, red wine — direct sunlight does the job. Same way the sun fades laundry. Leave the mat outside for a few hours and the marks usually lift.

One thing to avoid: the dishwasher. Food residue plus high heat creates a thin film on the silicone. If it happens by accident, submerge the mat in hot water with washing-up liquid for 30 minutes and the film comes off. But hand washing is simpler and better for the mat.