The Best Eco Yoga Mats
Want to get started with some yoga? First things first, you need a mat.
You could use a towel or the carpet, but that can be frustrating when you don't have a good grip. A good yoga mat gives you cushioning, a godsend for knees.
Why not go green? As well as helping save the Planet, when you unroll your new mat, there are no PVC smells. PVC mats are not recyclable. Taking takes hundreds of years to break down, and toxic dioxin gets released when they are incinerated.
What is an eco-friendly yoga mat?
Renewable materials -materials like cork or rubber. Rubber has to be ethically sourced. Ekotoex brand does use some PVC but uses no toxic chemicals.
Recycled materials,
Ethical sourcing.
Dyes should be non-toxic.
Packaging is minimal and renewable or recycled. You don’t want your new eco yoga mat wrapped in plastic.
Matters to consider (teehee, sorry couldn’t resist)
Weight; travel varieties are lighter and great to tote to class
Thickness; if you have a problem with knees or wrists, you might find the travel mats at around 2mm too thin. Regular thickness is 4-5mm.
Length; If you are tall, make sure the mat is long enough, not all mats are the same length.
Markings for alignment which can be useful for alignment.
Recycle your old mat
Donate it to charity, and someone else gets a mat for cheap.
Cut it up and use it for gardening kneeling pads.
Again cut it up and use it as a seat pad as you sup your take-out latte on a park bench this lockdown.
The best eco-friendly yoga mats
Manduka
Material rubber
Eco Made from biodegradable, non-Amazon harvested, natural tree rubber with non-toxic foaming agents and non-AZO dyes
Style not recommended for hot yoga
Price $45- $129
Manduka is “the mat” for yoga teachers. Its a statement mat. No toxic chemicals have gone into the manufacturing process to soften the rubber for the eko range. Manduka eko has grip technology, and nice thickness at 5mm. Also longer sizes are available.
2. Cork space
Material cork & rubber
Eco sustainable material, 10 trees planted per mat, recycled packaging
Style great for hot yoga
Price £49-£85
Cork space is a UK company, they make a pro and travel mat. Made out of sustainable cork and natural rubber. They have partnered with the Eden project. Cork is grippy when wet and has anti-microbial properties. Love it or return within 90 days.
3. Liforme
Material eco foam & rubber
Eco sustainable material no plastic packaging, list how much donate to environmental conservation, social justice and animal welfare
Style good for those who are all about grip and like alignment markers
Price $140-$220 Can shop in £ or $.
PVC-free and biodegradable and oh so pretty. Super pricey but maybe a great gift for that special someone. The Liforme Rainbow Hope Mat is printed with non-toxic and eco-friendly ink.
4. Complete Unity Yoga
Material jute & rubber
Eco sustainable & biodegradable material,
Style great for travel at 1.2kg. Those who prefer cushy 4mm also available
Price £39
A more reasonable costing mat but just as eco friendly. Good grip and double sided. Complete unity yoga donate 5% of Net Profit to Helping Hands for India
5. Ecotex Yoga
Material PVC, 50% of which is recycled.
Eco made fairly in Europe. oeko-tex II certified (no nasty chemicals or toxins used in the manufacture of this mat).
Style 4.2mm, good grip
Price £20- £65
Natural material mats are costly to manufacture. The price is prohibitive to many. Ekotex aims to make mats affordable. They use zero plastic-packaging on their yoga mats, bricks and blocks. Ships to the US.