I haven't had a playmat for my two so far, but am curious what other people will say. We've had fine luck with a soft blanket and a few little toys. I think as long as the baby has somewhere soft and something to look at, you're set.

We have the tiny love brand play mat. I like that it has toys hanging down to play with. I could do without the lights and sounds but they are not too bad. It's bright but not too over-the-top. I think it's good to have because my son is learning to reach out and grab, shake, etc. the toys. He really likes it. If you don't want something that has toys that hang down, then a soft blanket and some toys nearby will do. http://www.target.com/Tiny-Love-Gymini-Super-Deluxe/dp/B000067K0L/sr=1-1/qid=1261163402/ref=sr_1_1/179-7475791-4155338?ie=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Atiny%20love&page=1

Here are a couple that are not quite as brightly colored: http://www.shopbabybliss.com/product.php?id=559

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/farm-play-gym/?pkey=bbaby-toys

We used the Haba Dream Meadow and Seesaw with our daughter and were very happy with it. Although I don't know if it's essential, since we have wood floors we appreciated the extra cushioning it provided as she was learning to sit up.

Look on Etsy for some. I found some great floor quilts on there with different textures and even places to attach toys. So much better looking and hand made!

Here is one I found.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32511987&ref=sr_gallery_11&&ga_search_query=activity quilt&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

We got a lot of use (in the first few months) out of the kind of playmat with toys hanging down from above - this keeps them really entertained before they learn to roll over. If you decide to buy one of the mass-produced kind, do yourself a favor and look at yard sales. I've seen MANY brand-new $80 playmats for under $20.

i think this is cute from ikea- http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70108177

you could always use it with a nice soft blanket and change the toys as needed.

i'm in love with this one, but haven't found it for sale in the US:
http://www.mamasandpapas.com/product-made-with-love-luxury-playmat-gym/759302000/type-i/

Like several previous commenters, we made good use of the play-frame kind of thing that had stuff hanging down from it. We didn't bother with a mat, just had the baby on a blanket or the carpet or whatever.

My little guy loves his mat. We have one with farm animals from Skip Hop. The same company makes mats with other themes and none of them are plasticy. $60 and well worth it when he'll happily bat at the toys for 20 minutes at a time!

Love this one from pottery barn kids: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/farm-play-gym/?pkey=bbaby-toys

We had this Kaloo wooden activity arch with plush toys:

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/wooden-activity-arch-from-kaloo

It was great because we could hang all kinds of different toys on it. We didn't use a mat, just a quilt.

I like SkipHop playmats... very colorful and modern!

We got this one by Infantino: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3594395
I love that the patchwork fabrics have a vintage feel to them. And we got the "Boy" version even though we're having a girl because the colors are so much prettier and less in-your-face.

this one

http://www.giggle.com/p/26052/c/557/cl/677/Jungle-Play-Mat-Organic-Cotton.aspx#imgBVReviews

or this one

http://www.oompa.com/baby-toys/category.cgi?item=CA8415

I had them for my two kids, but I do not think they are essential at all. I totally understand your concern with the appearance as some of them are hideous. For our second child, we received the Ikea one as a gift. It's actually pretty cute, and my older daughter liked hanging out on it with the baby. I would say if you find one you think is cute, great, but you will totally manage without it. Lord knows you will end up with enough baby equipment no matter what.

Essential no! We had one for one of our babies and our older toddler adored it!!! None of our other kids had them... I have always just left some goodies where they play hanging above them over the arm of the couch and a few softies on a blanket... really they are not essential - most people in the world would probably have never see one!!!

We had the Skip Hop "outer space" play mat and it's pretty cute. The colors aren't too brash at all, either, and that was an important purchasing factor for me. However, my son showed zero interest in it after about four months. He didn't really want to be on his back OR his belly as soon as he had minimal head control... he wanted to be up on our laps, looking around. So I'd say a play mat might be good for a baby who enjoys spending a lot of time laying down, but probably less useful for an early developer. I don't think it's essential at all and definitely something to buy *used* or to make yourself. They're way too over priced for what they are.

This isn't an essential item. Our son much preferred his bouncy chair to the floor mat. But we did have one, and it helped him get some tummy time in the few months before he was rolling/crawling (he liked the mirror). Ours was an ugly infantino jungle one, but the toys were great and he played with them after we stopped using the mat.

I saw this one at Target.com, and it's a bit better-looking.

We have a black/red/white version from Tiny Love. Easier for the baby to focus on, a minimum of battery-driven stimulation, and easier on our eyes. They don't make it anymore.

If I were to do it again, I'd buy the Ikea version and hang better toys. Most play mat toys are lame. If it were a registry item, I'd get one from Haba or Selecta.

I am having the same dilemma. We want to cut back on the amount of plastic, while we still can! I have decided on a lovely lambskin rug and a play gym. Now finding an affordable play gym is very difficult, try this super lovely post... and make one! http://www.seedpodbooksandart.com/blog/2009/05/09/tutorial-make-a-simple-baby-gym-part-i/

I, too, used the Haba Dream Meadow for both of my kids. Its more than just a playmat-while my kids were still small enough, they slept in it at grandma's. Very handy.

My twins had the ikea playmat with the hoops on the top and used to hit and chew all the things we suspended from the hoops. Both my twins disliked tummy time and I do wish I had gotten them a mat with baby attracting shapes on. We got one later second hand at a market and it was very successful.

i guess if you CAN spend $60+ on a playmat go for it! we got the infantino playmat that was mentioned above and she didn't like it as much as the one we got from a relative FOR FREE. i think it's a baby einstein playmat. there weren't toys on it but we added some of her favorites and she loves it. we ended up taking back the $40 infantino one and using the store credit for the REAL essentials.