6 Best Dance Mats for Learning, Fun, and Exercise

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Last updatedLast updated: October 01, 2023
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Kids are naturally hyperactive. Understandably, they’ve got too much pent-up energy that they desperately want to blow off, and as a parent, you must create a controlled way for your little ones to let that happen. In that case, it makes sense to consider buying them the best dance mat available on the market.

However, while the increased popularity of dance mats is generally a good thing, the bad side to it is that buying the ideal model has become difficult, as the market has become saturated. As a first-time buyer, we don’t want you to encounter any difficulty, so we’ve created this all-inclusive guide. Apart from a list of the top six dance mats, we’ve also reviewed each of them in details. While each model can hold its own, the Kidzlane Jumbo Floor Piano Mat comes out on top, thanks to a couple of its unique features we’ll talk about later.

As for our selections, they were based on some important factors, as you might have expected. Some of those important include the functionality of each model, the recommended age, and the dimension. Acting on our mission to always help our readers make an informed choice, we’ve broken this article into different segments, which include a comparison table, a review section, a buying guide, and a FAQs section.

Top 6 Dance Mats Review 2023

1.

Kidzlane Jumbo Floor Piano MatEditor’s Choice

Features
  • Functionality: 24 keys; 10 classic songs; 8 musical instruments
  • Recommended age: 3+
  • Dimensions: 72 x 28 inches

More features: includes 10 song cards; 90-day warranty

It’s your responsibility as a parent to find an innovative and exciting way for your kid to express his or her creativity via active, fun play. That’s why you need a dance mat like the Kidzlane Jumbo Floor Piano Mat. This product is an instrument that promises to keep your children on their feet while also making sure they have a blast. It’s been engineered to allow kids to hop, dance, and jump from colorful keys to musical notes, as it’s an extremely touch-sensitive play piano. Apart from being fun, it encourages physical activities as well.

In no time, this product will help your kids develop their confidence and have fun with siblings, friends, and even you, their parent. Of course, it comes with built-in songs that comprise of cheerful melodies such as Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, and Itsy-Bitsy Spider. With the music playing cards featuring number and color pattern for every song, children can learn how to play them independently. Since each of the keys are numbered, it’ll also help your little tykes to start learning by numbers early. It also makes sense that the surface of the unit is easy to wipe as it’s stain-resistant. Perfect for typically messy kids.

In terms of the construction, it’s durable. Despite being built for kids of three years and above, the unit can support adult weight as well. The interior is well-padded, so it can easily endure dancing and jumps. It’s also good news that it rolls up for easy storage, making things easier. However, most parents believe that while this dance mat is incredibly functional, it’s still somewhat overpriced.

Why did it make our list?

  • Durable, high-quality construction
  • Easy storage
  • Numbered piano keys
  • Extremely touch-sensitive
  • Easy to play
  • Supports adult weight

What is not ideal about it?

  • A bit overpriced
2.

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical MatMost Versatile

Features
  • Functionality: numbers, musical instruments sounds; 50+ songs and phrases
  • Recommended age: 2+
  • Dimensions: 52 x 17.8 inches

More features: 2 kids can play at a time

Ideally, a good dance mat shouldn’t only entertain and provide fun – it should also help kids improve important skills such as gross motor skills, counting, and rhythm. Then, that explains why the LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Mat is one of the most popular dance mats on the market. It’s effortlessly capable of stimulating your children both physically and mentally. Outfitted with a speaker, the mat allows you to play more than 50 songs and phrases. However, the only downside to this dance mat is that the volume on it is dismally low.

Furthermore, the product allows users to play three various kinds of games, with each of the games involving pattern or numbers identification, form, or shape. On top of that, the unit can also be switched to a mode that allows users to create their own music, which is nothing short of fascinating. To put it simply, this mat offers an endless range of possibilities for creative children. To maximize the fun and explore the possibilities even further, the mat also allows two kids to play together at the same time, which is something not allowed by most models out there.

For its construction, the manufacturers used sturdy vinyl material, which is durable enough to help it last numerous years of constant usage. In general, this dance mat is all shades of amazing, packing all the necessary features to help your creative child shine bright.

What stands out?

  • Offers a range of creative possibilities
  • Durable vinyl construction
  • Over 50 songs
  • Allows two users at a time
  • Three different games
  • Improves counting skill

What cons did we manage to find?

  • The volume is low
Features
  • Functionality: 24 keys; 4 modes; 8 musical instruments
  • Recommended age: 3+
  • Dimensions: 70 x 29 inches

More features: adjustable volume; heavy-duty vinyl

Playing music is supposed to be seamless and fun, especially for kids, and the Click N’ Play Gigantic Keyboard Play Mat ensures that. Thanks to this durable dance mat, your little tykes can happily explore their talent, creating tunes by marching on loads of keys. Amazingly, this product isn’t only a regular piano, but a unit that allows your kid to browse eight different built-in instruments. From there, only the sky can limit your talented kid. Its highlights allow kids to create tunes or just directly extemporize music on the spot.

This incredible product offers four unique play modes – demo, play, playback, and record, allowing your youngster to manufacture music according to their creative energy and taste. When used appropriately, these models can take your kid’s musical abilities to the next level.  Like we mentioned subtly in the beginning, this musical device also comes with eight different musical instruments, ranging from piano, saxophone, clarinet, banjo, violin, guitar, xylophone, and trumpet. Meanwhile, if you’re worried that buying this for your kid may spell some future disturbance issues, you’d be glad to know it comes with a volume control.

Another important feature is the automatic power-off function, which powers the device on when idle for a long time. To be honest, this dance mat provides an incredible amount of value for money, despite coming at an affordable price. While the fact that it doesn’t come with the required batteries may put some buyers off, we still think its value for money. However, this thing is huge and not foldable, so you may need to think about storage.

Why are we impressed?

  • Eight built-in instruments
  • Volume control
  • Great value for money
  • Automatic power off
  • Four unique play modes
  • Durable construction

What negatives must you be aware of?

  • Not foldable for storage
  • Doesn’t come with batteries
4.

Kidzlane Light Up Dance MatPremium Pick

Features
  • Functionality: 4 interactive games; internal or external tracks via AUX or Bluetooth
  • Recommended age: 2+
  • Dimensions: 34 x 33 inches

More features: requires 4 AA batteries; 90-day warranty

Undoubtedly, jumping and running are two important things that children must always engage in, especially after a long day at school. This is because physical exercises such as these help kids to release stress, develop muscle tone, and also set the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle. Certainly, the Kidzlane Light Up Dance Mat will help reduce your kids’ obsession with TV and computer screens and provide an exercise that’s fun from start to finish. Since the dance mat comes with three dissimilar arcade-style games, your little ones will be kept on their toes for a long time.

To that effect, this product allows you to either connect your device and play your kids’ favorite tracks via Bluetooth or AUX or allow them to dance along to inbuilt music tracks. The three games included are extremely interactive, which each one having up to five difficulty levels. Your kids are certain to have the time of their lives playing with this incredible piece of innovation. Another feature on this unit that you will appreciate, especially as a parent, is the adjustable volume dial. With this, you can easily turn the music up to a blast or turn it down to a whisper, depending on the atmosphere.

In terms of ease of use, you will hardly find any device that’s easier to control than this unit. It features brightly colored buttons and simple selection design, making a breeze to use, especially for young children. The unit is also produced using high-quality materials, so you can rest assured that it will last through numerous exciting dance tournaments. Its thoughtful design also means it’s easy to store. However, it’s powered by four AA batteries, which are not included.

What stands out?

  • Three different arcade-style games
  • Durable construction
  • Easy storage
  • Built-in music tracks
  • Adjustable volume dial
  • Brightly colored buttons

What cons did we manage to find?

  • Batteries aren’t included
5.

B. Toys Floor Piano MatBest for Toddlers

Features
  • Functionality: 4 musical modes; 10 classic songs
  • Recommended age: 3+
  • Dimensions: 26 x 54.6 inches

More features: adjustable volume and tempo

For parents who are in search of a rather simply dance mat for their toddlers, the B. Toys Floor Piano Mat would make an excellent choice. Despite coming at a mid-range price, this incredible musical mat allows your toddlers to dance and create music without compromising one for the other. The first great thing about it is its large size, providing a large dancing surface for your tykes to perform dances of all kinds. Then, its high-quality construction is another special part to talk about, made of durable metal and plastic. Needless to say, it can surely take a beating without even showing it.

As we stated earlier, the product can produce musical notes. It’s equipped with a musical memory function, allowing your kids to replicate noises they just heard. This feature doesn’t only make the mat physically stimulating, but mentally stimulating as well. For parents worried that their kids may never allow them to sleep peacefully again with this mat, you’d be glad to know that it comes with a volume control, so you can just set it at the volume you are comfortable with. Besides that, you can also control the tempo of the songs.

It’s also nice knowing that the dance mat comes with four unique modes – memory music, super dance, wacky sounds, and melody mix. Apart from that, the mat comes with ten nursery songs, any of which you can complete by following the patterns of the light as they play. You will have to figure out how to use the mat on your own though, as the instructions included aren’t clear enough.

Why is it special?

  • Produces ten different instrument sounds
  • Four unique modes
  • A large dancing area
  • High-quality construction
  • Affordable price

What are the flaws?

  • Not suitable for older children
  • Instructions aren’t clear
6.

Diyeeni Dance Pad MatSafest Model for Kids

Features
  • Functionality: multiple modes and games (CD included)
  • Recommended age: 6+
  • Dimensions: 36.6 x 32.7 inches

More features: compatible with Windows 98/ 2000/ XP/ 7 OS

While Diyeeni as a brand isn’t as reputable as the other brands that made this list, we assure you that it takes nothing away from the brilliance of this company. For instance, their Diyeeni Dance Pad Mat is a great product that indicates that we should expect a lot more from the company in the nearest future. The mat uses a highly sensitive chip, which guarantees a great and comfortable dancing experience for your little ones. Apparently, a lot of thought went into the design of this product, which explains why it’s been designed to be non-slip.

This way, it’s user-friendly and safe, allowing you to completely devote your full attention to the game without you needing to worry about slipping. Apart from being non-slip and wear-resistant, the dance mat is also very durable, thanks to the high-quality PVC material with which it was made. The material isn’t only durable, but eco-friendly as well. As if that isn’t enough, the product also supports USB connection, so you can hook it up with your PC. By connecting it to your PC, you can achieve an arcade feeling right in the comfort of your home.

Of course, like the best dance mats, this one also comes with multiple modes and games, making it a versatile model. However, it’s not suitable for kids younger than six, so it would be a mistake to buy this for a toddler. Also, it’s not as feature-packed as the other models on this list, even though it’s costlier than some of them. So, we are afraid it might have been slightly overpriced.

Why are we impressed?

  • User-friendly and safe
  • Non-slip and wear-resistant design
  • Durable construction
  • Multiple modes and games
  • Supports USB connection

What negatives must you be aware of?

  • A bit overpriced
  • Not suitable for toddlers

Things to Consider

We’ve provided a lot of information in terms of reviews, but we always like to be as thorough as possible. In that case, we don’t believe the reviews are enough to reach a well-informed decision, so we’ve included this all-inclusive buying guide.

Why your kid needs a dance mat

6 Best Dance Mats for Learning, Fun, and Exercise

In recent years, technology has become more influential than ever, and that means it has impacted every part of our lives, in both positive and negative ways. Of course, most of the effects of technology have been positive, but it prevents little kids from engaging in enough physical activities, and that can be detrimental to their development. That’s where a dance mat comes into the picture.

Apart from providing different ways for your kids to get entertained, a dance mat also helps improve their gross motor skills and some other physical attributes. Not only that, but it also helps to boost their mental strength, allowing their brains to process things faster. Thus, a dance mat entertains your kids and improves their physical and mental wellbeing. Considering all of these benefits, it’s safe to say every new-generation kid deserves a dance mat.

Features to consider when choosing a dance mat

All dance mats are engineered to do the same thing, but each of them operates a bit differently. If you want to choose the best dance mat for your child, then you need to consider some important factors, some of which will be talked about below:

Functionality

The first thing you must ensure is the functionality of the dance mat. How well does it work? Does it offer the important electronic features? While some models like the Kidzlane Light Up Dance Mat are capable of lighting up and telling you where to put your feet, others can produce sounds depending on where you put your feet. Some can even do both, so ensure you read the fine print and know exactly what you’re getting in return for your money.

Recommended age

Since every dance mat is designed for different age ranges, another important thing you have to check is the recommended age. You don’t want to buy a mat designed for toddler for your seven-year old kid and vice-versa, so you have to be careful here.

6 Best Dance Mats for Learning, Fun, and Exercise

Dimensions

Dance mats are usually made in different sizes, which range from two feet long to ten feet long. Thus, size you will choose must depend on your child’s size and the amount of room you have available in your home. If you’re looking for a large dance mat, the Click N’ Play Gigantic Keyboard Play Mat might be the perfect option.

Materials used

Because different dance mats are produced using different materials, each one has different level of durability. While some dance mats are produced using sturdy polyester, some are made of flimsy plastic. Fabrics are likely to last longer than plastics in most cases, so we advise that you choose a fabric dance mat so far you can afford it.

If the batteries are included

This is another consideration you have to make, especially if you don’t want to be spending more money after your initial purchase. For instance, models like the Kidzlane Light Up Dance Mat and the Click N’ Play Gigantic Keyboard Play Mat do not come with batteries, which means buyers will have to shell some more money on batteries post-purchase.

Warranty

The importance of a warranty can never be overemphasized, especially when buying an electronic device such as a dance mat. Of course, different companies offer different warranty durations and terms. Again, we urge you to read the fine prints and know if your product is backed by any warranty and be familiar with the terms of the warranty.

FAQ

Like we mentioned earlier, different dance mats are designed for different ages, which subsequently means they have different weight capacities. Check the model you’re buying to see if it can take the weight of your child.

Manufacturers are aware of the characteristics of kids, so most of them have made their products to be stain-resistant. Put simply, most dance mats are easy to clean and don’t require special tools for cleaning. Just wipe them with a damp cloth and they should be shining as new.

Yes, dance mats are usually designed to be very soft, so there shouldn’t be any problem putting them on your carpet for more comfort. Of course, this may vary from models to models, so we advise that you check with the manufacturer of your mat.

Wrapping It Up

Kidzlane is one of the most terrific brands in the manufacturing of dance mats, which is why it comes as no surprise that their Kidzlane Jumbo Floor Piano Mat is our number one pick. What doesn’t this mat have? We don’t know. Durably built, touch-sensitive, large dancing area, and incredibly functional, you cannot find a better model. It’s the best dance mat on the market, but it’s not without close rivals.

One of its close rivals – the LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Mat – takes our second spot, for valid reasons. Like our editor’s pick, this one also has a large dancing area, where your child can fully explore his innate creativity. Our third pick – the Click N’ Play Gigantic Keyboard Play Mat – is another large model, but this one comes at a more affordable price, while offering great features like eight instrumentals, four unique modes, and 24 touch-sensitive keys.

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