Article no 203.823.24
The robust and lightweight MAMMUT series withstands the elements of weather and wild imaginative play. Perfect for the outdoors and easy to clean when it’s time to move indoors.
Story
The children's furniture we constantly want to improve
The colourful MAMMUT stools, chairs and tables have been around since the early 2000s. Through the years, we’ve improved the products by reducing the material used and by making them always stay ahead of the world strictest safety demands. When we realized that many children like to take the furniture outdoors, it was time for yet another improvement – to reinforce the plastic with UV protection.
Sarah Pattison is an engineer at Children's IKEA who has worked with improving the MAMMUT series. For example, today the tables contain less plastic than when they were introduced. "Thanks to new technology, we could scale away some plastic inside the table top without compromising on its stability. This change hasn’t affected its look, but it means we use less material."
High demands on safe plastic
All MAMMUT parts are made of polypropylene, a plastic particularly suitable for children’s products. "When children play, their skin often comes in contact with things and that’s why the plastic we use always meets the world's highest set chemical requirements by a good margin,” says Sarah. But plastic is slowly broken down by the sun's UV rays, which can affect both colour and quality when using the furniture outdoors. "When we understood that children like to carry the furniture outdoors, we reinforced the plastic with UV protection, which of course also complies with our chemical requirements."
Safety tests every year
The furniture also goes through annual safety tests. New knowledge about materials and safety constantly surfaces and needs to be adapted to. So why has MAMMUT survived for so long? "I think it's the cheerful colours and the appeal of shapes that feel like they came out of a comic book", says Sarah. "My daughters have used them for countless teatimes and building play forts over the years."
Goes well with
Ideas and inspiration
Colorful oasis in the city: makeover of Māra Upmane-Holšteine terrace
Having a nicely set up terrace is an opportunity to have a small vacation moment every day, says musician and mom Māra Upmane-Holšteine. IKEA designer Rita Rimke helped her with designing the terrace of her new home – turning it from an empty corner with contrasting orange columns into a colorful and vivid place for relaxing.
Your own world of magic
Children’s room is for children. It is a safe haven, where magic and high dreams are born. Although, parents take the role of safety consultants, they should give their kids a chance to speak out and toss around ideas of their perfect room. A larger room for one can be divided into designated functional zones – a proper area for each activity, and, preferably, a separate lighting. In case of a shared room, increase a chance of peace in this room by making an personal area for each of the children.
One solution has to fit all: a makeover in a crisis centre
The last episode of the season is special in more than one way. Not only is it linked to IKEA social responsibility project "Notice violence", it also presents a huge challenge for the IKEA interior designer Elīna. Her task is to freshen up a kitchen of a crisis centre and this means that the interior has to fit the many temporary inhabitants that come and go here. At the same time, it does not do to make it purely utilitarian, it has to feel like home. Elīna will show all her skill to make this happen.
Blended: a combined household with space for a big family
They met, they fell in love and after some time, they decided to blend their lives, their families and their home. Together with their four children and much-loved hound, they’ve created a place that is distinctly their own, where there is much exploring to be done, inside and outdoors – together and alone.
Sanctuaries to recharge yourself across the home
We’re social creatures, but just as important as time with others, is time alone. Of course, this looks different for each person, so this family of six have created a home where everyone can enjoy time by themselves to relax and recharge in their singular way.
Fun to explore and easy to store play for kids
Whether you live with children, or have kids that come over to play, it’s important to have easily accessible solutions that encourage creativity and make them feel comfortable around the home. And if these solutions are easy to store away when the fun is done, all the better!
