Mom Invented Table Toppers.. Now in 20 count!
Written: May 15 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: disposable, protects child from germy surface, colorful/fun
Cons: need tape on 4 sides, should be available at more food courts, etc
The Bottom Line: A MUST HAVE if you eat on the go with your kids!
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| marytara's Full Review: Neat Solutions Table Toppers - Sanitary Disposable... |
Just recently I reviewed Table Toppers from Neat Solutions available in the 8 count package. A frustration that I shared in the review was the need to be available in larger quantities. Shortly after that review I was contacted by Neat Solutions who alerted me to the availability of a 20 count package. On a recent trip to Toys 'R Us I struck gold, aka Table Toppers -20 ct package. I could not be happier!
I encourage all parents or caretakers who eat "on-the-go" with young children to familiarize yourself with Table Toppers. Let's face it, you cannot trust the eating surfaces in public places as being clean.
As an adult, you would not eat your lunch or dinner off of the bare table - so why expect your child to do the same?
Likewise, the rags that are used to clean off tables are absolutely filthy. There is nothing clean about a rag that is used to wipe down table after table. In fact, the thought of it turns my stomach.
As a parent, I was concerned any time that I was out at restaurants, fast food places, and food courts that my son was going to pick up something pretty germy. With a toddler, using a paper placemat or a paper napkin just didn't cut it (they ended up getting tossed on the floor).
Using Table Toppers gives me a peace of mind now when we are in these types of eating environments. Wiping a place-setting down with a baby wipe simply isn't enough. I could go through a package of wipes before feeling like the surface was clean enough to eat from, and then still not be sure. If you have never seen a Table Topper they are plastic placemats designed to provide a sanitary eating environment for children. It is no wonder they are a Mom-Invented product.
Table Toppers are equipped with an adhesive backing (on the top and bottom side of the mat) so that they stick to the table and can't be removed easily. My only wish would be for the adhesive to go around on all four sides. My toddler son has learned how to remove or pull up the Table Topper by sticking his fingers under it on the non-taped sides. We can avoid this by applying the placemat very tightly and stretched out so that any gap is eliminated. This usually does the trick most of the time, but pulling it off is still a possibility for an active and smart child. This is still worlds better than a paper mat that flies away with little or no effort. And even better, when you are done with eating just pull it up and toss it away. They make for very easy clean-up!
We've purchased Table Toppers in both the 8 count and 20 count packages and in a variety of patterns. Some of the patterns available are Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Zoo & Farm. Each package comes with 2 different designs for the pattern that are bright, colorful, and educational. Our favorite of course being the Sesame Street ones, but Blues Clues is now running a close second. It really doesn't matter what the design is as long as it does the job - but the design has helped entertain my son a few times in restaurants when our order was delayed so it being a friendly and familiar character is a bonus.
Table Toppers are packaged in a Resealable plastic bag (like ziplock) as they are intended to just be tossed in the diaper bag, car, purse and be ready for any time you need one. The 20 count package is of course more cost efficient and convenient if you use them frequently as I do. However, it is slightly heavier and bulkier to take along. You may consider, as I have, to put a few in a smaller ziplock bag in your diaper bag and leave the larger stash of them at home.
This is good too because I don't like to have a lot of them on hand. That might seem funny but let me explain. You see, I'm a nice person. So nine out of ten times that someone (usually another mother) asks me about "that neat placemat" I am using, I have the tendency to tell them about the product and let them try one. At around 8 dollars for a package of 20 Table Toppers it can get a bit pricey to keep giving them away! Apparently I'm not alone in this situation because the manufacturer, Neat Solutions, even has a form you can make a few copies of that gives information about the product that you can print from their website to give to people when they inquire about the product. If a company places an order off of your "leave-behind" paper you can qualify for some free gifts.
Many Uses for Table Toppers
As my son has gotten a little older I've found that these are good for more than just eating! At a recent playgroup event I used a Table Topper to protect a table surface during a messy craft project. So in addition to protecting your child from picking up germs from dirty table surfaces they are great at protecting your table from messy stains, glue, paint, crayons, too. Just pulling up the placemat and tossing it away made clean-up a cinch. I'll use them again for this purpose in a heartbeat.
Overall
I cannot praise this product enough. Being available in a 20 count package was smart. A 20 count package will probably last you around a month or so, maybe more. This will depend on if you get suckered into giving them away or not. If they were available in larger quantities and more cost savings, of course I would be thrilled. My ultimate wish would be for this product to be provided in mall food courts, fast food eateries and more. In the meantime I'll just keep a few extra on hand at all times in my diaper bag for when we're out and about!
Table Toppers have become a Diaper Bag Essential in our household. Should they become one in yours?
Additional info
***A Mom-Invented Product****
http://www.tabletopper.com
http://www.neatsolutions.com/
Other excellent products from Neat Solutions
Floor Toppers
Potty Toppers
Table Toppers (8 count)
Recommended:
Yes
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marytara
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