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Looking for a safe, long-lasting, and colorful surfacing solution? Our bulk rubber mulch super sacks from Playsafer provide premium protection and vibrant appeal for playgrounds, parks, and landscaping projects. Made from 100% recycled rubber tires and treated with non-toxic, fade-resistant paint, this mulch offers superior safety and minimal maintenance all year round.
From safety to long-term savings, recycled rubber mulch consistently outperforms engineered wood fiber. The comparison table below breaks down the key differences side by side.
| Feature | Rubber Mulch | Wood Mulch |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | Lasts for years | Decomposes over time |
| Maintenance | Minimal upkeep | Frequent replacement |
| Safety | Meets CPSC & ASTM standards | Less consistent cushioning |
| Insects | Insect-resistant | Can attract pests |
| Seasonal Use | Won’t freeze or compact | Can harden in cold months |
Rubber mulch stays resilient through all seasons, resists compaction, and delivers excellent shock absorption. Our wholesale rubber mulch meets rigorous ASTM and CPSC safety standards, ensuring your outdoor areas are both fun and safe for kids and adults of all ages.
Choose the perfect color to match your playground designs:
Want a custom look? You can mix multiple colors for a vibrant, personalized playground.
We offer flexible options to fit your project size:
Both options are available for direct purchase or bulk order.
Use our rubber mulch calculator above to estimate based on square footage and depth.
No need for annual replacement — rubber mulch holds its shape and color for years.
Our rubber mulch meets top safety standards needed for your playgrounds, including:
Every batch is wire-free, non-toxic, and engineered for fall protection, ensuring peace of mind for parents and administrators.
Our rubber mulch prices are $315 for a 2,000-pound bag, shown here, or $6 per 24-pound bag. Note that 2,000 pounds of long-lasting, durable rubber mulch for playground purposes will cover around 15 square yards at a 6-inch depth, for a cost per square yard of a little more than $20.
Yes! Durable recycled rubber mulch for playgrounds maintains its look for years, so you don't have to buy new mulch annually. It also doesn't absorb water and is eco-friendly, since the mulch is repurposed rubber material. You can even use any excess rubber mulch for landscaping.
Yes! You can buy rubber mulch in bulk 2,000-pound sacks or in bags of 24 pounds each.
There's not much difference between nugget and shredded rubber playground mulch, so in the end, which kind you buy will come down to personal preference.
Playground mulch can be made of either rubber or wood chips. Other options are made from waste tire chunks or ground-up nuggets of synthetic rubber.
If you're comparing rubber mulch vs. wood mulch, you should know that rubber bark mulch provides better impact absorption. Six inches of rubber mulch for playground use can cushion falls of up to 12 feet. It's also more durable than wood mulch, making it a better long-term investment.
For residential playgrounds, rubber wood chips are required to be at least 4 inches deep to provide adequate cushioning. For commercial playgrounds, which usually have larger play equipment, rubber mulch should be 6 inches deep.
The best way to calculate how much shredded rubber mulch you need is to break your project up into rectangles and then calculate the square footage by multiplying the length by the width. Once you've determined your square footage for each rectangle, add these figures together to get your total square footage. Then, multiply this figure by 14 to get a rough idea of how many pounds of rubber mulch you need. You can also use our calculator above.
When you're preparing a playground for rubber mulch in bulk to arrive, you should install a commercial-grade geotextile landscape fabric to prevent dirt and other materials from mixing with the rubber mulch and to encourage water to drain away when it rains.
First, level the area to get as smooth of a surface as possible, free of any rocks, sticks, or weeds. Once the space is flat, lay landscaping fabric flat against the ground. You may want to add playground edging to enclose the area, which will help to contain the mulch. Then, you can spread the rubber chips on the playground, using a tape measure to ensure an adequate depth.
Rubber mulch is a great choice for playground surfacing because it's environmentally friendly, it doesn't attract insects, it discourages weed and fungal growth, it's a low-maintenance surfacing option that lasts forever, and you don't need as much rubber mulch to provide adequate cushioning compared to wood mulch. However, it's also true that playground rubber mulch may not look or feel as organic as wood, and it requires a higher initial investment. Consider the pros and cons of rubber mulch for playgrounds before ordering your safety surfacing.
Yes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has stated that rubber mulch is nontoxic and safe for use around children and pets, making it a great surfacing option for public playgrounds.
One of the benefits of rubber bark is that it can discourage some types of bugs; unlike some wood mulches, it doesn't feed pests such as termites or carpenter ants.
Certified rubber mulch for playground use is a ground cover material that has met specific requirements set by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Certification is performed by the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), which oversees third-party testing to ensure that the material meets or exceeds ASTM standards.
Rubber playground mulch can hold its color for up to ten years, so you won't have to worry about it losing its vibrancy any time in the near future.
Recycled rubber mulch will last for at least ten years and often lasts even longer than that. Thanks to its durability, you won't need rubber mulch bulk orders year after year. This makes deciding to buy rubber mulch vs. wood mulch an easier choice.
Like most materials, rubber mulch for playgrounds is flammable. The chunks of synthetic mulch used as outdoor flooring will not ignite as easily as wood mulch does, but it is possible.
