Impacts of single droplets on hydrophobic surfaces were investigated using a high speed camera and image analysis. Low viscous aqueous solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were prepared for this investigation. Results revealed that increasing polymer concentration favours splashing and rebound inhibition. In addition, increasing polymer mass fraction leads to a decrease in the maximum extent of spreading and slows down the retraction movement. The effect of droplet inertia was also investigated; higher impact velocity was found to promote both spreading and receding of droplets. However, increasing droplet inertia leads to droplet rebound and disintegration in the case of low polymer mass fraction. Two available models for splashing and rebound prediction were used. Results showed that the existing models, originally based on Newtonian fluid experimental results, are not able to predict droplet behaviour for non-Newtonian PVP solutions. Finally, a regime map based on We and Oh numbers was established; three regions corresponding to deposition, rebound and splashing of droplets were delimited. (C) 2016 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.