Product Review Series: Tuffo Picnic Blanket

This is the fourth post in our Product Review Series which will run every Saturday until July 7th. As a reminder: the products in this series were purchased by us for our use and no compensation was received from the companies who make them. I'm just a mom sharing objective and unbiased reviews on some fabulous products for babies that I think everyone should know about!

The product up for review today is:

Tuffo Water-Resistant Picnic Blanket

If you are like me and enjoy being outdoors, this is something you should go and buy immediately! This blanket is not just for people with kids...even if you don't have kids, you can use it. 

My best friend gave me a gift card with a catalogue before Lily was born at my baby shower. I chose this particular blanket not really knowing anything about it, but I thought the colors were pretty. I'm a sucker for teal/turquoise...what can I say? You can purchase it on Amazon for around $30-35 depending on the color/pattern you choose. 

I knew I wanted a blanket since we sit on the ground a lot at parks, etc. What I didn't know was just how awesome this blanket was going to be! The backing of the blanket is a water-resistant material (not waterproof), and we laid it down on grass that had been watered that morning by sprinklers. None of the water made it past the backing. When we picked up the blanket, it did have some mud streaks on it, but no worries...it's machine washable (and dryable)! 

The blanket is a generous size: 54 X 84 inches. I'll put it this way.... The Minnies and their charges were able to sit on the blanket along with Lily and I. Three adults and three babies....and we could have put another adult and child on it too with room to spare.

Clockwise from top right: Napping at the park, Playing with mommy, Hanging out at swim practice

I take our Tuffo blanket with us everywhere. It's even flying to Ohio with us for our trip to Lakeside and will be going to the beach with us in a few weeks too. It lives in my car, and when we need it, I just grab it and lay it on the ground along with some toys for her to play with. Lily likes to be able to move around these days without being constrained in the stroller or my arms. With the blanket, I don't have to worry about her getting muddy or bitten by insects crawling in the grass. Plus, it's comfortable for me as well! When she is older we will use this blanket for picnics at our local playgrounds and parks, or for outdoor reading time.

DRAWBACKS:

• The top material is polyester so it's a little bit scratchy, so people with really sensitive skin might not like it. I don't know if it will soften up with repeated washing since I've only had to wash it once. 

• The carrying case it comes in is pretty much worthless and a pain in the butt. If you look at it above, the "case" is brown with black straps. I chose this photo since you can see it clearly due to the light pattern. It's not as compact as it could be. I'm actually on the lookout for a small zippered bag I can put it in. Tuffo would be the perfect blanket if the carrying case wasn't so awkward with the weird open ends with s trap to hold them in and a velcro closure at the top.
• It advertises that there's a pocket for storage (in the picture it's in the center of the case).... I would never store anything in it because it would definitely fall out. It would be a much better blanket if it were done "sleeping bag style" with a drawstring pouch bag that had a carrying handle. That's about the only design improvement I would recommend. 

Is it worth the money?

For me, yes....I don't have an old thick flannel blanket laying around that I can use. Plus, I wouldn't want to have to wash it constantly. Obviously, you can't use regular blankets on ground that is damp since water will just soak right through it. Since we spend so much time outdoors, this is a perfect solution for us. I've also bought this for several people as a baby gift, and all have loved it!