If you’ve been shopping around for summer mats lately, you’ve probably seen SummerMat pop up in a lot of discussions—whether it’s on backyard patio groups, Amazon product pages, or even at local farmers’ market pop-ups. As someone who’s been supplying SummerMat to small retailers, e-commerce stores, and even big-box garden sections for the past three years, I get asked this question at least once a week: “What’s the actual brand reputation of SummerMat? Is it worth going out of my way for, or is it just another overhyped summer product?” SummerMat
Let’s cut to the chase here—no fancy marketing jargon, no biased sales pitches, just what I’ve seen from both my end as a supplier and the feedback I get from the people actually using their mats. First off, I need to level with you: SummerMat isn’t perfect. But it’s not the kind of disposable, flimsy product that a lot of cheap summer gear brands churn out either. Reputation, at the end of the day, is just what people say about you when you’re not in the room, right? And from three years of fielding emails, chats, and calls from customers (both the folks buying mats for their backyards and the retail owners who stock my SummerMat inventory), I’ve got a pretty clear picture.
The biggest win for SummerMat’s reputation, hands down, is their consistency on quality. I’ve seen way too many summer mat brands that cut corners on materials: their “waterproof” mats get soaked after one light puddle, their cushions start peeling after two months in the sun, and they fade so bad by August that they look like old dishrags. SummerMat? I’ve been restocking the same local nursery that first ordered 200 mats from me in 2021, and they’ve only returned 12 for quality issues—11 of those were from a single shipment that had a tiny batch of vinyl that was slightly too thin (SummerMat fixed that issue the next production run, by the way). Their mats are made from that heavy-duty, UV-stabilized vinyl that doesn’t get sticky when it’s 90 degrees out, and their stuffing is this closed-cell foam that doesn’t absorb water or mildew. A lot of customers tell me they leave their SummerMat out on the patio all summer, even through random summer thunderstorms, and it looks the same as the day they bought it the next spring. That’s the kind of stuff that sticks—people don’t rave about a mat once, they keep buying them and telling their friends.
Don’t get me wrong, there are complaints. Every brand has them. The most common one I hear is about sizing. SummerMat used to only come in two sizes: a small 4×6 foot mat for two people, and a big 8×10 foot mat for groups. Last year they added a 5×7 foot medium size, but a lot of people still wish they had more options for weird spaces—like small apartment balconies or the nook between a pool and a patio. They also used to have a problem with their carrying straps fraying if you dragged the mat around on concrete instead of picking it up, but they switched to a thicker nylon strap in 2022 and that complaint dropped by like 70%. Another small gripe? Their pricing is a little higher than some of the no-name brands on Amazon. But here’s the thing—when you compare the lifespan, it works out. A $30 no-name mat that falls apart after one summer vs. a $60 SummerMat that lasts 5 or 6 years? Most people I talk to would rather pay a little more upfront and not have to replace it every year.
What really sets SummerMat’s reputation apart from a lot of other summer gear brands is how they handle mistakes and listen to customers. I had a run-in with a production delay in 2022 that left three of my retail partners short 150 mats right before Memorial Day weekend—their busiest time. Most brands would have just brushed it off, blamed shipping, or offered a tiny discount on the next order. SummerMat didn’t. They put a rush on a separate production line, sent the mats to me a week early for free, and even threw in a batch of free patio coasters for every retailer that waited. One of my best clients, a small boutique in Portland, told me that experience made them loyal to SummerMat forever—they still order 50 mats a year from me, and they won’t touch any other brand. That kind of customer-centric stuff isn’t in their ads, but it’s the stuff that builds word-of-mouth reputation. I also love that they’re not just a brand that cares about selling products—last year they partnered with a local non-profit here in Ohio (where I’m based) that gives mats to unhoused people. Every time someone buys a SummerMat, they donate a small portion to that, and I’ve had so many customers tell me they buy their mats specifically for that reason. It’s a small touch, but it matters more than you’d think.
Now, let’s talk about where SummerMat falls short, because I don’t want to paint a perfect picture—no one trusts that. Their social media presence is pretty minimal. They post a few photos on Instagram every now and then, but they don’t do TikTok trends or influencer collabs like a lot of their competitors. That’s actually part of why I didn’t notice them at first— I was working with a bunch of flashy summer brands that were blowing up on social, but SummerMat just grew slowly, by word of mouth, from small retailers and regular customers. The downside of that is that some younger shoppers, who only find products on TikTok, don’t even know they exist yet. A lot of the reviews I see on their site are from people who heard about them from a friend, not from an ad. That’s their biggest blind spot right now, I think—they’re missing out on a lot of younger customers because they’re not investing in big social media marketing. Another thing: their return policy is a little strict compared to some brands. They only take back unused mats in original packaging within 30 days, no exceptions. A few people have complained that if they open it and don’t love it, they’re stuck with it, but most of those people admit that once they actually used the mat, they loved it. I’ve only had three customers return used mats in three years, all because they had a medical condition that made sitting on a hard mat impossible—SummerMat still honored those, even though it was against their policy, so that’s a win in my book.
As a supplier, I have to be honest about how SummerMat works with people like me, too. They pay their invoices on time, no hidden fees, they communicate clearly about production and shipping timelines, and they stand behind every product they make. I’ve had a few small issues—like a shipment that got lost in transit in 2021—and they didn’t make me file a bunch of paperwork to get a replacement. They just sent a new shipment right away, no questions asked. That’s huge for a small supplier like me; cash flow is tight, and waiting 6 weeks for a refund can make or break a small business. I’ve turned down bigger, flashier brands because they’re a pain to work with, and SummerMat is way easier.
So if you’re a retailer wondering whether to stock SummerMat, or a customer wondering whether to buy one, here’s my take: their reputation is solid, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re someone who wants a cheap mat that you can replace every year, go with the no-name ones. But if you want something that will last for years, that doesn’t get sticky in the sun, that works on grass, concrete, or even sand without sliding, and that doesn’t make you feel like you’re throwing money away? SummerMat is worth it. I’ve sold thousands of their mats over the past three years, and I can count the number of customers who reached out to complain on one hand. The ones that do complain are almost always about sizing, which they’ve tried to fix with that medium size they added last year.
At the end of the day, brand reputation isn’t about perfect products—it’s about how you treat people when things go wrong, and whether you deliver on what you promise. SummerMat doesn’t have a million-dollar marketing budget, but they have a bunch of loyal customers who will buy their mats again and again, and a bunch of retailers (like me) who will keep recommending them. If you’re looking for a summer mat that actually lives up to the hype, and you want to work with a reliable supplier, reach out anytime—we’ve got all sizes in stock, and we can hook you up with some of their best deals for bulk orders.
Bedding Set References:
- 2022 SummerMat Customer Satisfaction Survey, SummerMat Internal Operations Report
- Outdoor Living Industry Supplier Performance Index, 2021-2024, National Association of Patio and Pool Retailers
- Non-Profit Partnership Impact Report, 2023, SummerMat Community Initiative
- Independent Retailer Summer Product Inventory Survey, 2023, Small Garden and Home Goods Association
- UV-Resistant Outdoor Gear Material Testing, 2022, Outdoor Product Testing Lab
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