Eco friendly yoga mats are truly good yoga mat and many of us like to practice on it. These green mat standard ones are far better than those stinky, toxic, PVC-laden mats and strongly recommended by many pros.
Always keep four different categories in mind, when going for an ecologically friendly yoga mats : performance, sturdiness, cost, and smell.
Performance: Eco mats should not be soft or hard, greasy or sticky, coarse or smooth, but with medium thickness, medium toughness, and a touch sticky and barely rough. These qualities are great for practices like vinyasa flow and ashtanga.
Sturdiness: They are not as durable as the standard ones because they are made of natural materials. Typical mats are made from business strength plastics, they make them last long. So that’s’s a little bit of a concern.
Price: Eco-friendly mats are way more dear than typical mats. But they’re worth their price, as they’re quite good for the environment and for health too. It’s not a good idea to respire fumes off plastic mats while exercising on a traditional one.
Odor: Eco mats have strong smell from the natural rubber, so robust at times that it might have an affect on your practice.
1. ( Tie for first place ) Manduka’s and Barefoot Yoga Mats: These two are one of the best eco friendly mats. The eKO Mat by Manduka is quite durable and sticky, and firm too. It has all eco-benefits without any signs of smell. This mat incorporates a lifetime guarantee and a certification to back-up their zero-emissions claims.
Whereas, the first Eco Yoga Mat by Barefoot Yoga is made of natural rubber and jute fiber. It has a rough surface, which can be truly good for some people. It does not cause any pain, though. This is also highly sturdy and strong enough for the most active exercises. They are pricey but worth buying. There powerful smell does wear off over a period.
2. Lululemon’s Mystical Yoga Mat: it has got a solid grip, and is quite important, heavy and sturdy. This mat is quite thinner too. It gives off flakes within first couple of months.
3. Jade Yoga’s Harmony Pro Mat: It’s quite sturdy. Only problem being it is an’open-cell’ mat, which makes it a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. Sweat gets soaked up in it quite easily and it’s actually tough to clean it. It stinks too.
4. Lotus Wear Rubber Mat: This is quite a thin mat made from rubber, which is a renewable resource. It is miles better than synthetic substances like TPE ( Thermal Plastic Elastomer ) or plastic. It’s also recyclable and biodegrade over a significant period of time. It’s also more durable than TPE ( Thermal Plastic Elastomer ) and lasts longer.
There’s nothing as relaxing and restorative as practicing yoga in a holistic fashion and using an earth friendly yoga mat, yoga clothes and other supplies that you know won’t be damaging the environment.
Click here for more information on where to find these superlative eco-friendly yoga mats.
Tags: Eco Friendly Yoga Mats, Eco Yoga Mats, Yoga, Yoga Mats