Rubber mulch is quite beneficial for landscaping. There are various types of rubber mulch, and choosing the best rubber mulch is vital.
When planning to install rubber mulch, consider its suitability. Is it the ideal choice for your landscape, and does it have a look you want for your yard? Additionally, is the mulch going to withstand the weather elements you experience in the four seasons of the year.
The best rubber mulch enhances the aesthetic look of your landscape. Additionally, it forms an insulating cover protecting your soil and plant roots. Also, it allows nutrients and water to permeate easily and prevent the growth of weeds.
This article offers an in-depth review of the 8 best rubber mulches available in the market.
8 Best Rubber Mulch For Landscaping
Playsafer Rubber Mulch Nuggets
Old recycled tires stripped off metals make Playsafer rubber mulch nuggets. Therefore, the mulch is eco-friendly and metal-free.
The nuggets come in various sizes and colors with a color guarantee of 12 years from the manufacturer. They’re packed in portable 40 pounds bags, making the mulch easy to spread.
Playsafer rubber mulch provides a thick, soft protective layer that is safe and clean. It offers unmatched shocked absorbency, which lessens the incidences of injuries significantly. Moreover, it’s IPEMA (International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association) certified.
Playsafer mulch doesn’t decompose or compress and hence requires minimal maintenance. Therefore, it’s durable and long-lasting, making it a cost-effective option.
Additionally, Playsafer nuggets dry off quickly after rainfalls and don’t freeze during winter. Hence, it prevents the growth of fungi and moss. Consequently, it keeps your children safe while playing in the playground. Also, it helps to keep your garden ready whenever your kids want to play.
Correctly installed Playsafer nuggets are among the best and safest surfaces available for various applications. The rubber mulch meets the standards set by IPEMA, CPSC, ADA, and ASTM. These applications range from playgrounds to obstacle course impact and rock wall surfaces.
Pros
- Easy to spread
- Environmental-friendly
- Requires minimal maintenance
- The nuggets come in various sizes and colors
- The mulch dries fast and doesn’t freeze in cold weather
- Its color is long-lasting
- Meets the standards of ADA, CPSC, ASTM, and IPEMA
Cons
- It has a rubbery odor when initially installed
- The initial cost is a bit expensive
Verdict
As the name indicates, Playsafer rubber mulch is the best and safest surface material available for playgrounds. We recommend Playsafe as the best playground rubber mulch after all kids’ welfare is at stake.
Zyppio Black Rubber Mulch
Zyppio black rubber is roll-out mulch that is multi-purpose for your landscape. You can use it for the playground, serve as a garden filler, or flower beds. Old shredded recycled vehicle tires make Zyppio mulch, which makes it eco-friendly.
The mulch roll lets water and air pass more effectively, ensuring your plants get the best support. Additionally, this roll is scatter proof, solid, and offers your plants support all through the year.
Moreover, it has a stylish natural look making it a great add-on to your landscape outlook.
Zyppio rubber mulch rolls measure 120 by 4.5 inches each. Thus, you can cut and customize the mulch to fit any shape of your landscape. However, several customers have complained that the mulch is hard to trim.
Each roll comes with 15 heavy-duty plastic ground anchors, which help to secure the mulch in place. Therefore, these anchors prevent the rubber mulch from shifting, rolling up, or shifting during intense weather and strong winds.
Pros
- All-purpose
- It comes with 15 heavy-duty plastic ground anchors
- Temperature and weather resistant
- Provides improved water permeability and aeration
- Customizable lawn protection
Cons
- Hard to trim
Verdict
Zyppio rubber mulch is multi-purpose and stylish. It helps to improve your plant’s growth and protect them through all seasons in a year. Also, it’ll add a sophisticated touch to your landscape.
NuPlay Rubber Mulch Nugget
NuPlay rubber mulch nugget is made from old used tires and is 99.9% metal-free which has been tested and certified by ASTM F3012. The mulch is splinter-free.
The colors of these nuggets have a warranty that they retain their original color for 12 years without fading. They come in 5 beautiful colors that bring a modern yet natural look to your landscape.
Additionally, the mulch doesn’t compress or lose its original form. Therefore, you don’t need to replace the nuggets with new ones every year.
Moreover, the nuggets are heavy, and weather elements such as strong winds and rain can’t displace them. Rubber mulch also is invulnerable to both heat and cold.
NuPlay rubber nuggets are non-toxic, and hence they’re safe for animals, pets, and kids. Also, rubber nuggets inhibit slime and fungus growth.
Additionally, the nuggets don’t attract rodents, insects, and animals. Besides, they inhibit weed growth.
Each bag of NuPlay mulch is 1.5 cubic feet of nuggets, and it weighs approximately 40 pounds. Install this mulch at a depth of 2-3 inches for landscaping.
Pros
- Color lasting warranty
- ASTM F3012 tested
- 99.9% wire-free
- Toxic-free
Cons
- Costly
Verdict
Most customers recommend NuPlay mulch nugget as the most excellent rubber mulch for landscapes. It’s worth its cost.
Plow and Hearth 51522 Permanent Mulch Pathway
Permanent mulch pathway is made from recycled, shredded old tires by one of the best rubber mulch manufacturers, Plow and Hearth. The old tires are shredded and designed into lightweight mulch rolls for flower beds, veggie gardens, trees and shrubs, and garden paths.
It’s easy to install Permanent mulch, and you can do it yourself. You roll out the mulch and cut it to fit around shaped beds, narrow pathways, and growing trees.
Additionally, it’s scatter-proof. The mulch won’t get displaced during the blowing of leaves in the fall, and your pets won’t kick it up and always look tidy.
It’s a natural-looking mulch that blocks weeds’ growth but allows water, nutrients, and air to pass through easily and get into the soil.
Permanent mulch blends attractively with your yard, giving it a manicured appearance. It incorporates a natural wooden mulch look, improving the aesthetic look of your park or garden.
Additionally, as its name suggests, Permanent mulch is long-lasting, and hence there’s no need to replenish mulch yearly. Besides, it’s durable, doesn’t fade, and withstand harsh weather elements.
What’s more? There’s minimal maintenance.
Pros
- Simple and easy to install
- Doesn’t fade
- It lasts for long with minimal maintenance
- Helps to deter weeds
- It looks great
Cons
- A bit pricey
Verdict
If you want an easy-to-use mulch that is also good looking for your landscape, Permanent mulch is your perfect choice.
BlondWood GroundSmart Cedar Red Rubber Mulch
Do you want a vibrant, colorful playground surface cover? BlondWood is your best option. It has a beautiful red cedar wood color improving your playground with an attractive aesthetic outlook.
This ideal mulch meets the guidelines set by IPEMA and American with Disabilities accessibility standards. Thus, you can use BlondWood mulch to cover your playground to prevent injuries if a kid falls. It’s suitable for rope courses, combat training drills, or elevated activities.
Additionally, this rubber mulch is ideal for mulching your flower beds. It deters weeds and helps retain soil moisture. Therefore, it lessens your work as you needn’t spend time weeding.
Moreover, GroundSmart mulch is safe for pets and plants and is entirely steel-free. Its nugget shape ensures that it cannot be blown away by strong winds.
Pros
- Certified by IPEMA
- Stays put
- 12-year color warranty
- Beautiful color
Cons
- Quite pricey
Verdict
BlondWood GroundSmart Cedar Red mulch is an all-purpose mulch that is ideal for both your garden and your playground. Interestingly, its beautiful natural-looking red cedar improves the appearance of your yard.
Yardwise Landscape Rubber Mulch
Yardwise Landscape rubber mulch is suitable for landscaping, just as its name suggests. It not only kills weeds but also improves the appearance of your yard.
The color quality of this mulch is exceptional and doesn’t fade away. It’s attractive, durable, and of excellent quality – garden owners and gardeners love this mulch.
Moreover, Yardwise Landscape rubber mulch is safe for your plants and doesn’t attract insects.
Additionally, Yardwise mulch is almost 100% steel-free. And, yet, it’s pretty heavy. Therefore, even the strongest winds can’t blow it away. With only 2000 pounds of rubber pellets, you can make a single mat covering 450 square feet.
Pros
- Inhibits weed growth
- Low-maintenance mulch
- It doesn’t attract weeds
- Doesn’t fade
Cons
- Initial unpleasant smell
Verdict
If your main reason for buying mulch is landscaping, Yardwise Landscape rubber mulch is your best choice.
From improving your yard’s aesthetic look to killing weeds, it’s a must-have for yard owners who want to preserve their landscape’s beauty.
Rubberific Brown Rubber Mulch
Rubberific brown mulch is a high-quality product from International Mulch — one of the best mulch providers in the industry. Finely shredded old tires make this mulch, which provides a light, soft surface cover for your garden and flower beds.
What’s more? It’s safe, easy to maintain, and durable.
Rubberific brown rubber doesn’t retain water but helps preserve the soil moisture content. Additionally, it prevents fungi and bacteria from growing. You can, therefore, use it in your gardening tasks.
Thankfully, despite this mulch being weed repellant, it doesn’t harm your plants. Therefore, it’s a great addition to any garden that requires protection from weeds.
It doesn’t fade, compress, lose color, or rot even after prolonged exposure to harsh weather elements. Also, it comes with a 12-year color guarantee and maintains a vibrant look for a long time.
However, cleaning Rubberific rubber mulch is messy. Due to its lightweight and thinness, it can be easily blown away or washed away by water.
Nonetheless, Rubberific mulch is non-toxic and is certified by IPEMA (International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association).
Pros
- Lightweight, fine and soft
- 12- year color guarantee
- It’s non-toxic
- Eco-friendly
- Safe for use in playgrounds and gardens
- Prevents fungal and bacterial growth
Cons
- Fine pieces are easily displaced
Verdict
Rubberific brown rubber mulch is ideal for flower beds due to its lightweight and softness. Also, the various colors that don’t fade keep your flower beds looking vibrant all year round.
Rubberific Shredded Black Rubber Mulch
Recycled rubber makes rubberific black mulch whose shredded texture resembles natural wood mulch. It doesn’t compress, rot, fade, or lose its original black beauty even after years of exposure to harsh weather.
Rubberific rubber mulch conserves soil moisture and inhibits weeds’ growth, therefore keeping your plants healthy.
This rubber mulch doesn’t attract carpenter ants, damaging insects, or termites. Thus, protecting your landscape and keeping it healthy. It comes in a 0.8 cubic feet bag, covering 4.8 square feet if applied at a depth of 2 inches and 9.6 square feet at a 1-inch depth.
The rubber mulch is heavy, and thus strong winds or water don’t displace it easily. As a result, it requires minimal maintenance, and you don’t need to rake it back regularly.
Rubberific rubber mulch is long-lasting and durable. Additionally, its black color has a 12-year guarantee eliminating the need to replace the mulch yearly.
Moreover, rubberific shredded rubber mulch is non-toxic and safe to use on the playground as certified by IPEMA.
Pros
- Conserves ground moisture
- Prevents weed growth
- 12- year color guarantee
- Doesn’t fade
- Non-toxic
- IPEMA certified
Cons
- Slightly costly
Verdict
Suppose you want a beautiful black long-lasting mulch that gives you the feeling of natural wood mulch; go for this mulch. You can use it either on your garden or landscape as it’s all-purpose and suitable for either.
Mulch Buyers’ Guide
To finally settle for the best product to meet your needs, there’s more to consider. Apart from the primary factors such as price and quality, there are other aspects to consider when buying rubber mulch.
Below are factors that determine which rubber mulch you’ll buy:
- The Usage Purposes
Most importantly, you need to consider which area to use the rubber mulch. Also, the purpose you’re going to use the mulch for.
Rubber mulch mats come in square pieces. These are best suited for smaller areas, whereas rubber rolls are ideal for covering larger spaces.
You place rubber mulch around shrubs and trees, flower beds, and as a protective cover on your playground. Ensure you cut the mulch material and shape it according to your landscape.
Ensure the mulch you get is right for whatever purpose you intend it for. If unsure which rubber mulch to go for, pick an all-purpose one and work from there.
- The Mulch Material
There are various mulch materials available for landscaping. However, rubber mulch is the most ideal. Rubber mulch is easy to use and install, and anyone can do it.
Additionally, it requires little maintenance and can last long without special care. Its design is for rough use, and hence it’s pretty durable.
What’s more, it’s soft and cushiony and helps protect kids from falls. Therefore, it’s perfect for playground surfacing.
The rubber mulch’s water-retentive and weed-control capabilities make them perfect for gardening purposes.
The buying cost of rubber mulch is high compared to other materials. Nonetheless, considering how long it lasts and the little maintenance it requires, consider it an investment and buy the best material.
- Safety Factors
Whether you’re buying the mulch for your garden or playground, user safety is a top factor to consider. So, before purchasing any rubber mulch, ensure it’s non-toxic and therefore can’t harm you, kids, or pets. Also, keep in mind mulch containing toxic chemicals may damage the flora in your garden.
To ensure that you’re not inviting a fire hazard to your property and the lives in it, go for fire-resistant mulch.
- The Amount of Steel
Recycled tires usually make rubber mulch, and hence they’re eco-friendly. However, if the tires were steel-rimmed, the end product could contain steel wire fragments, leading to severe accidents and injuries.
That’s why it’s best to buy rubber mulch made by registered and certified manufacturers. The producers ensure they strip the recycled rubber completely off the steel, making it 99.9% steel-free. This way, you provide the safety of all who handle and use the mulch.
- Mulch Maintenance
Another consideration to factor in is mulch maintenance when buying mulch. Rubber mulch is durable and needs little to no care. Nonetheless, this only applies to high-quality rubber mulch materials. So, purchase rubber mulch that has been tested and certified.
Finally, good rubber mulch is heatproof, dust resistant, and weatherproof. So, look for all these qualities before going in for the purchase.
Wrapping Up
The best rubber mulch for landscaping acts as a soil insulation cover that allows nutrients and water to pass through easily while inhibiting weeds’ growth. It’s an innovative way to beautify your yard, flowerbeds, or shrubs instead of applying regular mulch.
There are several types of rubber mulch to choose from in the market. However, choosing the correct rubber mulch for your landscape is vital.
Above is a list of the best rubber mulch available in the market. Go through the list and make a proper decision according to the needs you want to meet.
