Are you planning a home bouldering wall or a children\u2019s climbing corner? Climbing is great for developing motor skills, strength and agility. But falls are an inseparable part of climbing on artificial walls, so safety must always come first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The basis of injury prevention is a correctly selected landing area. There must never be a bare hard floor, tiles or parquet directly under a climbing wall. In this article, we will therefore look at what the official standards say about landing areas, what mat dimensions you need, what materials they should be made of and where you can get them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are two basic terms you may come across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dimensions and thickness of the mat depend on the height of the wall and on how demanding the climbing profile is. When a child falls, the forces acting on the climbing wall and landing area are many times greater than the child\u2019s static body weight. Never underestimate the safety zone in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we wrote above, the standards do not impose requirements for home use. If you boulder yourself, you probably already have a suitable crash pad<\/a> that provides reliable impact protection. For example, the largest crash pad from the Czech company Oc\u00fan covers more than 2 m\u00b2 when unfolded, yet it can still be folded easily and carried to an outdoor climbing wall thanks to its padded shoulder straps. At home, however, it may slightly disrupt the carefully styled look of the children\u2019s room. \ud83d\ude09 Our mats are made from reconstituted polyurethane foam, so they absorb impacts very effectively even at a depth of just 7 cm. This slim dimension also means you can slide them behind a wardrobe or into another narrow storage space. Another advantage is easy maintenance \u2013 the cover can be wiped clean, removed and washed in a washing machine at 30 \u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here things are more demanding. You need to make sure that the mats extend beyond the dimensions of the wall by at least 1.5 m on all sides<\/strong>. The materials used must comply with the relevant standards<\/strong> in every case. Not all mats are the same. Ordinary foam from an old sofa or a thin camping mat will not protect your children in a fall. A high-quality climbing landing surface consists of several layers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look at our certified BLOCKids impact mats<\/a>, which meet all these requirements. We designed them for safe indoor bouldering for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For outdoor climbing walls in public spaces, we recommend ordering the climbing wall installation together with certified outdoor safety surfacing<\/a>. It is a mandatory part of every publicly accessible wall \u2013 for example in schoolyards, playgrounds or parks. Our safety surfaces meet the relevant safety standards, absorb impacts, withstand weather conditions and have a long service life even with frequent use. We offer them in different sizes and colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can find more practical tips about climbing on artificial walls in our guide Indoor or Outdoor: How to Choose the Right One<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Is a normal gym mat or camping mat enough under a home climbing wall?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A standard camping mat or a typical thin school gym mat is unfortunately not enough. Climbing impact mats combine several layers of materials with different densities to prevent a child from \u201cbottoming out\u201d onto the hard floor during a fall. Foam from a bed will not reliably absorb a fall from height either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Do I have to keep the impact mat under the wall all the time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not at all. One of the main advantages of BLOCKids mats is how easy they are to store<\/strong> \u2013 thanks to their 7 cm thickness, you can simply slide them behind a wardrobe or under a bed after climbing. You only need to lay the mat out while the children are climbing. Just make sure you never forget it when the wall is in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. How do I connect several mats so that no dangerous gap forms between them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When creating a landing area from several sections, it is essential that the mats cannot slide apart during a fall. BLOCKids mats therefore have strong hook-and-loop fasteners along the sides, allowing you to connect them easily into one continuous, stable surface without dangerous gaps. 4. How do landing-area requirements differ at home and in a kindergarten or school?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For home use, the standards do not impose legal requirements and the choice is up to the parents. In public spaces (schools, kindergartens and leisure centres), however, compliance with EN 1176 and EN 1177 is mandatory. Here, landing surfaces must meet certified impact-attenuation parameters (critical fall height \/ HIC) and extend at least 1.5 metres beyond the wall on all sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. How should I care for and clean a climbing mat?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maintenance is very simple. Wipe ordinary dirt and climbing-shoe dust off with a damp cloth. If the mat becomes more heavily soiled, the cover can be removed using the sewn-in zipper and washed in a washing machine at 30 \u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An attractive wall design and colourful climbing holds are a great motivation for children, but a high-quality impact mat is what gives them the freedom to fall safely and try new moves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you want to be sure that your home bouldering wall or children\u2019s playground is 100% safe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want everything to match, choose a mat designed specifically for a BLOCKids wall. We supply it in two sizes: 78\u00d778 cm<\/a> and 78\u00d7100 cm<\/a>. You have probably noticed that one dimension is the same on both. This allows you to combine the two types. The individual mats connect with hook-and-loop fasteners, have a non-slip finish and can be used for much more than climbing. Children love building little houses from them, or you can even use them as a \u201cbed\u201d for a friend staying overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn public spaces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you buy the wall from us, you do not need to worry about any of this. We can supply and install it together with the impact mats. Then all you need to do is call the children over and enjoy their excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMaterials and construction of an impact mat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Landing areas for outdoor use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you use conventional bouldering crash pads, this can be more difficult \u2013 look for models that offer a 1+1 connection system<\/a> for joining several pads. For even better protection, we recommend adding a larger, thinner mat over the connection so that a hand or foot cannot fall into the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSummary: Safe Landings Without Compromise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n