I'm a school-based occupational therapist and already own two TED KANGAROO sensory products that get a lot of use in my OT room: the ExtraPlush Foam Sensory Chair, affectionately known as "the boat," and the Sensory Soft Squeeze Seat, which we simply call "the squeeze chair." I love both of them, so when this new sensory corner became available, I was excited to try it and immediately had plans for where I wanted to use it.

Unfortunately, this one was MUCH bigger than I anticipated.

This was a new product when I ordered it and the dimensions weren't available yet. Once it arrived and I set it up, I quickly realized there was no way I could dedicate that much floor space to it in my relatively small OT room. At 47'' x 47'', the footprint is enormous. It ultimately came home with me and now lives in my kids' cozy corner, where I have considerably more room for it.

From an OT perspective, there is a lot I like about the design. The cover is wonderfully soft, but the material also feels thick and durable enough to stand up to frequent kid use. The foam is substantial and comfortable, and the padded floor and tall sides create a clearly defined space where a child can sit, lie down, read, play quietly, or just have some space away from a busy environment.

I especially like the tall walls from a sensory standpoint. Positioned in a corner, they help block some of the surrounding visual input and create a darker, quieter-feeling space without completely enclosing the child. For a kid who is looking for a break from a bright, busy environment or simply prefers a cozy space with decreased sensory input, I can see this being really useful. It makes a very inviting retreat.

Setup was a bit of a pain. The three large foam sections are connected to one another, which makes getting everything positioned correctly somewhat awkward. The walls also don't stay reliably upright on their own. It comes with Velcro to attach them to the wall, but I really don't want a large strip of Velcro stuck to my wall, so I haven't installed it yet. Unfortunately, I think I'm ultimately going to need to for this to function as intended.

My other hesitation is the price. I've been very impressed with the quality and value of my other TED KANGAROO products, and this one has that same substantial, well-made feel.

Overall, I really like this sensory corner and wish I could have made it work in my OT room. The materials are excellent, the sensory-friendly design is thoughtful, and I expect it to hold up well to kid use. I just wish it had a somewhat smaller footprint and a way to keep the walls upright without attaching anything to the wall.

It's a fantastic cozy corner, as long as you're prepared to give it an actual corner. And most of the surrounding zip code.

Pros: This is my second TED KANGAROO item and we have been really happy with the brand overall. We already had the TED KANGAROO beanbag calming chair, and this sensory mat calming corner actually matches it, which is a nice touch since we keep both pieces in our living room. My son is on the spectrum and tends to seek out deep pressure, especially pressing his forehead into something when he is feeling overstimulated, so having a dedicated soft surface for that has been helpful. The mat itself came vacuum sealed and opens up to a generous size once unpacked. It is quite heavy, which actually works in its favor since it stays put once positioned, and the Velcro backing is strong and sturdy enough to keep everything secured in place. The cushioning is genuinely soft and comfortable, and I like the overall concept of having a designated calming space built from quality materials.

Cons: The main challenge with this TED KANGAROO mat has been finding the right spot for it. It needs a fairly wide footprint, especially for the base piece, and we originally planned to tuck it behind our couch into an awkward triangular space that ended up not fitting at all, so we had to rework the layout entirely. Because of how bulky it is, the placement we settled on is not the most attractive corner of the room, so we have had to get creative with covering that up. The bigger issue for us has been more about association than the product itself. My son already connects being sent to a corner with timeout, so introducing this calming corner took some extra effort, including adding stuffed animals and other inviting touches so it would not feel like punishment. In practice, it has felt more like a restriction to him than a place he chooses to go for comfort, so establishing it as a positive habit has been slow going. For our household it has ended up functioning more like a soft reading nook than a true self regulation space, though I could see this working really well in a classroom, daycare, or preschool setting where kids are already used to transitioning between different designated areas.