Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This item was EXACTLY as described. My friend had one of these all purpose blankets. When I saw hers, I had to know where she had gotten hers. Every time the family and I went on an outing, I always wished I had brought something to sit on and not just a traditional blanket, but something sturdier and waterproof. This is it!!! I have to write, I was a little nervous after having read some of the reviews. I think that the J.J. Cole company really cares about their product and their consumers because all of the issues that had people had written about were none issues. This product did not smell like a petroleum product at all. I have one of the most sensitive noses around. I can't handle the smell of perfumes or non-natural based cleaning products. I'm telling you not a problem. I stuck my nose all over this product! Lol. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I couldn't smell anything. I also have a seven month old baby, so I was concerned about him crawling on something that could be toxic. Again, non-issue. Didn't have to wash it or air it out. The strap. Sewn on well. Hasn't broken yet. We shall see how that pans out. Also, there is an outer pocket. Would be nice if it had a flap on it to keep things from, potentially, falling out. This hasn't happened to me, but I could see if you were swinging it around where small things could fall out. It is a rather deep pocket that would fit several diapers and a small travel case of wipes without a problem. Of course, once you got to where you were going you would need to take items out to flatten the blanket out anyway. The pocket is strictly to hold a few things until you get where you are going. Velcro closure, yes, stuff could get stuck in it if you weren't careful about unfolding. There is a way that the Velcro folds up against the material so that debris, leaves, etc., doesn't get all stuck. Also, do be careful, if you are wearing something delicate like silk, the Velcro could stick and snag delicate clothing. I had on a casual silk sweater and when I was trying to fold it up, I had to be very careful not to snag it, but it could snag up a swimsuit when trying to fold it up. This DID NOT occur when I was sitting on it, as the Velcro is underneath the mat. Color of mat, mine was called grey and red. This is referring to the color of the trim and the exterior material, not the interior pattern. So, if you order gray/green, it means the exterior is gray and the trim is green. I was a bit surprised that other reviewers hadn't figured that out. Size is roomy. Five foot by five foot. Perfect to sit on or eat a picnic on. Yes, if you are trying to seat a small village you will need two or more. I actually have a small village, myself, hubby, and four kids, and we were fine. I kept reading how people think it's too small, not to be rude, but I think they might just have more girth than others. It's plenty roomy for trimmer people. I wasn't sure how else to word that in a politically correct fashion. Please don't shoot the messenger. Overall, love my product!!! Was exactly what I had been looking for.