Hangzhou Shengtai of mainland China offers this beach mat made of polyester. Price is $2.92.

Suppliers of beach mats in Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong will continue to step up R&D this year. At most companies, efforts are focused on improving the overall look and performance of models.

As a result of these endeavors, the latest releases are in attractive designs made of safe and reliable materials. The trend is particularly evident in Taiwan, where most suppliers are gifts and premiums specialists that produce novelty beach mats for promotional use.

Product development efforts on the island are focused on colorful and stylish models. Designs are usually made of nylon or woven PE.

Sunny Fiber Industrial Co. Ltd and Full Delta Enterprise Co. Ltd are among the suppliers offering beach mats in woven PE.

Good Yex Enterprise Co. Ltd produces nylon models, the designs and colors of which may be customized for orders of at least 3,000 pieces.

In the mainland, raw material options include straw, PE and PP. These typically have floral and animal prints, which are popular in the low-end and midrange segments.

Textilene, which improves water resistance and overall durability, is also adopted. The use of the material is limited to high-end designs, however, since it costs 20 to 40 percent more than straw and PP.

At Hangzhou Shengtai Tourist Goods Co. Ltd, beach mats are manufactured in PVC and acrylic fabric. Prices range between $2 and $3.50, depending on the size and design elements.

Models from Wenzhou YaGang Paper & Plastic Mfg Co. Ltd are made of woven PP. The pieces have a layer of OPP coating.

Shanghai Visun International Trade Co. Ltd offers natural straw mats in various themes and colors. Meanwhile, at Wenzhou Rungo Packing Industry Co. Ltd, PP models with aluminum coating are the best-sellers. Prices of these designs start at $0.60. Quotes are expected to increase in coming months due to rising material costs.

In Hong Kong, the emphasis is on natural, environmentfriendly materials. The latest beach mats come in seagrass, cornhusk, raffia and wheat straw, which are treated with water-resistant finishes. The models are much lighter than fabric and plastic counterparts.

Designs in water-repellent PP tubing, and polyester and nylon fabric are also popular. These are often constructed with aluminum film on one side for heat insulation, or removable terry cloth for comfort and absorption.

To increase visual appeal, the materials employed often feature multicolor stripes or other geometric patterns. Printed paisley, floral or abstract motifs are also common.

Abasto Industrial Co. Ltd offers pop-up beach mats in 190t polyester or 600d nylon. These come in single- and double-layer versions, with the latter having a removable and washable terry lining.

The mats can be printed with logos. Prices range from $2 to $4.50.

Cliff & Lau Co. Ltd offers models in 70d nylon with aluminum lining to dissipate heat. Priced between $1.50 and $2, these are offered with patterns achieved through silk-screening, heat-transfer and other printing processes.

Wing Hing Straw & Wicker Products Fty's designs come in PP tubing and seagrass. The latest models feature colorful striped and checkered patterns.
Add-ons increase

To boost the value of their products, suppliers are incorporating features that increase user comfort and carrying convenience. These add-ons include inflatable tote bags, pillows, shoulder rests, pockets, pop-up domes and cup holders.

At Abasto, most beach mats have inflatable pillows and are stored in totes. Some designs include pockets and popup domes. Wing Hing's latest models come with floral-themed carry bags in PVC and mesh, while models from Shanghai Visun are sold with mesh bags.

Full Delta, meanwhile, offers beach mats in kits that include slippers, and mesh and cosmetic bags. Inflatable pillows are offered as options in some models. Beach mat constructions are also becoming more innovative as suppliers increase the versatility of their models. Many companies are releasing bag versions with straps, carriers and handles in high-density fabric or PVC.

Among the mainland suppliers interviewed for this report, Dongyang Modern Plastic Co. Ltd and Richall International Industrial Co. Ltd offer beach mats that double as cooler or tote bags. Products from these ISOcertified companies are exported mainly to the North America and the EU.

The latest designs from Sunny can also be used as bags, and are available in various sizes.

Cliff & Lau offers foldable versions with carry handles and straps. Among these is model CLB-012, which has silver thermal lining.

Beach mats from Wing Hing come with colored or transparent PVC handles. Model SM-008, for example, features the former, while SM-010 has the latter.