How thick should playground safety mats and playground safety tiles be?

The required thickness depends on the free fall height of the playground equipment. The greater the possible fall height, the thicker the tile needs to be. However, the critical fall height cannot be determined from the thickness alone, as the construction, density and elasticity of the tile also affect impact attenuation.

As a general guide:

up to 100 cm free fall height: 3 cm

up to 150 cm free fall height: 5 cm

up to 200 cm free fall height: 8 cm

up to 300 cm free fall height: 10 cm

The decisive value is always the critical fall height stated in the test report for the specific product in accordance with BS EN 1177, not the thickness alone.