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Possibly your foray into yoga mats was a flimsy little quantity you snagged for $20. It was throughout your preliminary fling with yoga, earlier than you knew in case you’d proceed with it, and also you wished to reduce your losses in case you give up the follow. You ended up staying with yoga—and together with your decidedly un-eco-friendly yoga mat. Finally, you informed your self, you wished to improve to one thing that higher helps not solely your follow however your planet. Within the meantime, after practising in your preliminary mat for months or years, you discovered that while you rolled up the disappointingly slippery, non-cushy, and chemical-laden merchandise, it began to scatter flecks of froth like a baptism of unsustainability.
Sound acquainted?
Lately, there’s been no scarcity of yoga mats that proclaim to be “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” and loads of different Earth Day-savvy issues. However it isn’t at all times apparent, at a look, which manufacturers not solely take sustainability really severely but additionally ship on the inexact algorithm of traits you search in your mat. So we’ve executed the analysis for you.
The next eco-friendly yoga mats depend on supplies which might be minimally dangerous for you and for the surroundings. Many are additionally manufactured and packaged in sustainable strategies, shipped by way of low-carbon strategies, and play an element in supporting environmentally centered organizations. And sure, additionally they ship on superlative grip, cushioning, stability, portability, or no matter else you admire in a mat, together with (let’s be trustworthy) aesthetics.
Beneath is a breakdown of every model’s ideas and the mat’s efficiency. Though we’re nonetheless on the seek for extra reasonably priced choices, within the meantime, we embody point out of how one can save on the worth of every.
At a Look
All mats on this information have been examined by a number of reviewers. Whenever you purchase via our hyperlinks, we might earn an affiliate fee. This helps our mission to get extra individuals on their mats.
Most Eco-Pleasant Yoga Mats
Sustainable Splurge: Liforme Traditional Yoga Mat
Liforme $119 (usually $140) Amazon $150
Supplies: Pure rubber base + eco-polyurethane floor
Thickness: 4.2mm
Weight: 5 1/2 kilos
Dimensions: 73 x 27 inches
Professionals + Cons
⊕ Biodegradable
⊕ No poisonous something
⊕ Recyclable cardboard packaging
⊗ Smudges and scuffs sorta simply
Rules
An authorized B Corp firm, U.Ok.-based Liforme meets some lofty requirements for environmental in addition to societal accountability. The corporate’s fashionable and iconic mat has a pure rubber base and a specifically engineered eco-polyurethane floor (sure, there’s such a factor as eco-polyurethane). There are not any poisonous glues binding the layers collectively and all inks are non-toxic.
Additionally of observe is the corporate’s bigger dedication to sustainability, which is never talked about given the deal with the trendy and practical mat. However the packaging is all recyclable cardboard, the delivery takes place by sea slightly than air to scale back carbon emissions, and the corporate is a longtime accomplice of environmentally centered non-profits.
Efficiency
This fashionable—and, let’s be trustworthy, aesthetically pretty—mat has been more and more exhibiting up at studios stateside lately. Though the mat’s enchantment is about a lot greater than appears, with it persistently drawing rave on-line opinions for its grip, even within the muggiest and sweatiest of scorching yoga periods. That grip, which was specifically engineered, means there’s no mat wrinkling beneath you as you transition between entrance of the mat and again and you may linger in Down Canines throughout a sweaty scorching yoga class with out concern of fearing you’re on a Slip’ n Slide.
Virtually talking, it’s barely much less thick than many yoga mats on this worth class. Which means barely much less materials (yay eco-consciousness) though it feels barely much less cushioned than some mats (sigh in case you battle with sore knees). After practising on it for months, we perceive why one Redditor commented, “I purchased a LiForme mat a few years in the past after 20 years of practising on no matter $20 mat, and it was an absolute sport changer. No joke, finest $150 I’ve ever spent.”
Finally, the sweat will sorta smudge that pretty aesthetic. It additionally scratches sorta simply, so pet homeowners, beware leaving it unrolled and unattended. Nonetheless, you’ll get years and years out of it—in addition to some enviable appears from others on the studio.
Worth
PSA: All Liforme mats are presently discounted 30 p.c via the top of Earth Month. Buy a second mat and also you’ll snag an additional 15 p.c financial savings.
Read our full review of the Liforme Classic.
Soooo Sustainable: 42 Birds Cork Yoga Mat
Supplies: Pure rubber base + 100-percent recycled pure cork floor
Thickness: 5mm
Weight: Lower than 2 kilos
Dimensions: 72 x 26 inches
Professionals + Cons
⊕ Sustainably sourced
⊕ Ethereally light-weight
⊕ In some way makes cork appear elegant
⊗ Barely slick when not sweaty
Rules
The truth that cork is sustainable, regenerable, and biodegradable is pretty well-known. And there’s no scarcity of cork yoga mat producers on the market. But there’s shocking variability among the many mats they make. Not like firms whose merchandise’ solely presence of cork appears a graphic cork design imprinted on rubber, 42 Birds finds an exemplary stability of light-weight cork with grippy pure rubber.
The corporate packages the mats in eco-friendly recyclable cardboard with a slick label that may be flipped and reused as wrapping paper. Named after the variety of hen species that exist within the cork forests, 42 Birds has lengthy supported environmental options via 1% for the Planet. It is donating one p.c of its 2024 income to the official nonprofit accomplice of the Nationwide Park Service, the National Park Foundation.
Efficiency
If you happen to schlep your mat a number of metropolis blocks or subway strains to class, this uber-lightweight choice is unquestionably what you want. And in case you admire cushiness and grip in a mat, then it’s positively what you need.
The identical mobile construction that makes the mat exceptionally ethereal additionally ends in it being surprisingly supportive. However you’d be flawed to imagine it’s delicate. In reality, we’re mystified as to how one thing so ethereal is also so sturdy and unscathed after all of the standing, transitioning, balancing, sitting, and reclining we introduced it. As one on-line reviewer famous, “To not be dramatic, however that is the yoga mat I’ve been on the lookout for my entire life.”
As with most cork surfaces, it’s grippier when barely moist, so a spritz of water will go a good distance to assist your palms and toes keep put.The cork will tackle grime and smudges, so beware the place you stash it, though the cork itself is antimicrobial so there’s little have to disinfect it. And sure, there’s a easy class to its naked look, even when rolled and tucked within the nook of your house to place your sustainable vibe on show.
The Robin additionally is available in extra-long—at an astonishing 85 inches in size—for $86. Want somewhat extra cushiness? Go for the Imperial Eagle with its thicker rubber base for $88.
Worth
Purchases of greater than $100 are presently discounted with code SAVE20.
Brilliantly Repurposed: Suga Recycled Wetsuits Yoga Mats
Supplies: one hundred pc recycled neoprene surf wetsuits
Thickness: 5mm
Weight: 5 kilos
Dimensions: 72 x 25 inches
Professionals + Cons
⊕ Made solely from recycled wetsuits
⊕ Dense cushioning
⊕ Straightforward to scrub
⊗ Totally different (however not dangerous!) textured vibe
Rules
You gotta love an organization that not solely retains issues out of a landfill however makes it recyclable—or, as the oldsters at Suga say, “reincarnated.” That’s how they confer with the method they engineered to “recycle these petrochemical primarily based landfill clogging neoprene monsters into extremely practical devices of yogic bliss.”
Fittingly, one wetsuit equals roughly one yoga mat. And sure, you possibly can donate your worn wetsuit to the trigger, both by way of drop-off or delivery, in change for 10 p.c financial savings. You can too volunteer to host an area wetsuit assortment bin.
The mats are manufactured stateside in accordance with U.S. environmental legal guidelines, and the shortage of abroad delivery lessens the carbon footprint. Suga, whose identify attracts equally from “surf” and “yoga,” additionally shares a portion of gross revenues with environmental non-profits via 1% for the Planet. The model explains its tackle eco-consciousness, stating on its web site, “If companies are afforded personhood by regulation, we consider they need to be held to the identical moral requirements as people.”
Efficiency
The textured floor is somewhat unprecedented within the yoga area but the tackiness makes for a surprisingly grippy mat whether or not or not you’re sweating. The fabric can also be reassuringly dense with a supportive thickness that ensures a soft area to follow, whether or not you’re kneeling, arm balancing, or stretching out in Savasana. It additionally rolls out flat the primary time you’re taking it out of the (recyclable cardboard) field.
Though you may not see loads of these in your native studio, Suga has an enthusiastic fan base with overwhelmingly appreciative on-line opinions for its idea in addition to its sensible utility. We perceive why.
The vibe is usually a little paying homage to the low, pre-shag carpeting you may need skilled in your grandparents’ home—however not in a foul method! Simply remind your self you’re practising on a badass surfer’s wetsuit that was as soon as drenched within the ocean. For an additional $10, you possibly can land the extra-large model, which affords you a further 2 inches in size and 1 inch in width.
Worth
In some unspecified time in the future, each sustainable mat will start to interrupt down. Take into account the Cradle2Grave (C2G) option which, for $189, ensures a lifetime of free mat replacements.
Solely Eco-Aware: Manduka eKO Yoga Mat
Supplies: one hundred pc pure rubber
Thickness: 5mm
Weight: 7 kilos
Dimensions: 72 x 25 inches
Professionals + Cons
⊕ Pure rubber sustainably sourced from non-Amazon timber
⊕ “Rippled” texture gives grip
⊕ No towel required for warm yoga
⊗ Not gonna final without end (or possibly even a pair years)
Rules
As an organization, Manduka delivers an array of yoga mats that present reliably dense cushioning and help made with eco-conscious supplies that ship the texture everybody needs in a yoga mat with the sustainability of eco-conscious supplies. That’s not as simple as it would sound.
The eKO line of mats is probably most sustainably manufactured from any of their mats, counting on recycled non-Amazon tree rubber in energy-efficient services and shipped with out plastic packaging. It additionally options non-azo dyes, and no PVC or related chemical compounds. In accordance with the corporate, all scrap is re-used for a zero waste manufacturing course of.”
Additionally, while you wish to recycle your previous mat, Manduka will ship you a pay as you go label in addition to a coupon for 20 p.c off, it doesn’t matter what model the mat.
Efficiency
There’s no denying how grippy the eKo mat is because of the floor texture, which will be described as “refined wave or woodgrain or no matter.” It additionally means you possibly can follow on it within the sweatiest of circumstances and never have to throw down a towel, which is yet one more refined option to save assets and cash.
The densely cushioned mat can also be far more than superficial grip. As one in every of our testers defined, “At any time when I’ve to make use of an alternate mat, the distinction is critical sufficient to piss me off.” As with all Manduka mats, the eKO is available in an array of imaginative colours, sizes, and thicknesses. Anybody who needs to reduce materials can go for the eKO Lite ($92), which is one much less mm in thickness but vastly extra transportable. It nonetheless retains all the opposite perks of the design.
The priority we learn most persistently is the relative delicacy of its sustainable composition, which isn’t preferrred for frequent utilization, particularly in scorching yoga courses—a truth Manduka transparently cautions about on its web site. Notice the PRO or PROLite strains by Manduka, that are additionally made with pure rubber, are nearly indestructible, and are a darling of yoga academics for a lot of causes. Additionally, some on-line reviewers take into account the practical textured design barely distracting, whereas others deem it a “fairly elevation of a stable shade.”
Worth
Verify the “Almost Perfect” portion of Manduka’s web site, which brings you mats from numerous types at substantial reductions attributable to ever-so-slight variances or, one might say, imperfections. That features lengthy and vast mats in addition to the PRO and PRO Litee strains.
Greatest OG: Jade Concord Yoga Mat
Supplies: Pure rubber. That’s it.
Professionals + Cons
⊕ Actually nothing however pure rubber. No PVC or phthalates.
⊕ Intense grip
⊕ Obtainable in extra-long and extra-wide
⊗ Textured floor additionally attracts fuzz and fur
⊗ Exhibits wears with sustained follow
Rules
Jade is the model that largely launched the sustainable yoga mat motion in 2000. The one materials used within the stateside manufacturing of the mats is the renewable useful resource of pure rubber. Additionally, since 2006, the corporate has planted one tree for every mat bought, totaling greater than two million saplings on the planet, a follow that has impressed many different manufacturers to comply with. It additionally donates 10 p.c of on-line Earth Day gross sales to environmental organizations.
Efficiency
Jade Yoga appears to be based on the straightforward premise that straightforward works. As outlined right here, easy means pure rubber mats in enviable jewel tones which might be obtainable in slight variances in thickness and dimensions.
The mats even have the identical “unearthly” grip, as one tester described the textured floor. “Think about you had Alien Tape suction cupping your palms and toes to the mat.”
Many yoga academics choose the “help, grip, and cushion,” as one tester described it. That grip can really feel nearly claustrophobic for some who possibly are a contact extra avoidant with regards to such dedication to a place on a mat. Over time, the mat will present put on and tear from holding you so carefully, requiring it to get replaced.
The Concord has a 5mm thickness and is sturdy however much less nondescript than most yoga mats owing to the array of muted however wealthy colours. One other sustainable choice is the recycled sari yoga rug produced from cotton.
Read our full review of the Jade Harmony.
Worth:
Jade mats sometimes go on sale. The corporate additionally donates 10 p.c of on-line Earth Day gross sales to environmental organizations, so in case you’re making an attempt to do one thing for the surroundings, you are able to do somewhat extra by shopping for on that day.
What You Must Know About Supplies in Eco-Pleasant Yoga Mats
Whenever you Google “sustainable yoga mats,” you encounter point out of two main supplies—pure rubber and cork—in addition to how they evaluate to artificial rubber. It’s a posh matter with no easy options, so basically, your determination comes all the way down to an inexact algorithm of traits which might be essential to you.
Pure Rubber
Not like its cheap artificial rubber counterpart, pure rubber is derived from rubber timber and accommodates no PVC, chemical compounds, or toxins. It could probably comprise hint quantities of latex. The method doesn’t trigger poisonous runoff into water or soil (or, for that matter, into the air you breathe) and the ensuing materials is biodegradable. The timber will not be felled throughout the extraction course of, though they are often broken and the trade can result in deforestation—and its accompanying ecological crises.
Pure rubber is often used for eco-friendly yoga mat, whether or not as the one materials or as a base layer. It’s recyclable though not all native curbside recycling processes it.
Cork
The making of cork depends on eradicating the bark of a selected oak tree as soon as it reaches a sure age. It causes no harm to the timber, which regenerate the bark every 9 to 12 years and may face up to a number of cycles of surrendering bark in a lifetime. Curiously, cork timber truly take up carbon dioxide, which suggests the method of producing cork will be carbon optimistic, making it an much more renewable and sustainable course of. Cork is biodegradable and recyclable, though much like pure rubber, native recycling crops don’t at all times course of it.
How We Examined
- Mats examined: 38
- Testers: 18
- Variety of courses practiced: A whole lot
- Skinned knees: 1
- Splinters from unfinished cork (not 42 Birds): 1
- Gasps of shock: 5+
We’re sorta obsessive about yoga mats. We’re frequently perusing on-line opinions for mat, inundating full strangers at yoga studios with questions on their mats, and randomly asking the yoga academics we all know to disclose every little thing in regards to the mats they’re in a long-term relationship with and why. We’re always geeking out about stability, grip, cushiness, sturdiness, ease of cleansing, and different options which you can solely really admire—or curse—after practising on the identical mat for months or years.
Each from time to time, we slender down the mats we really feel are high contenders—whether or not new types or previous, big-name manufacturers or boutique label—in all worth factors and ask our group of 18 college students and academics of yoga—millennials and near-octogenarians, scorching yoga goers to yin and restorative regulars, novices and decades-long academics—to make these mats a part of their common yoga routine for a couple of weeks.
Then we requested questions. Heaps and many questions.
In figuring out our greatest eco-friendly yoga mats, we saved in thoughts the supplies, manufacturing practices, packaging, person expertise, and worth versus worth. What this appears like varies dramatically from model to model. After which we practiced some extra. What you see above are our outcomes.
Easy methods to Discover the Proper Eco-Pleasant Yoga Mat for You
Nonetheless undecided? In case your present mat isn’t falling aside, maybe probably the most sustainable determination you can also make for the time being is to proceed practising on it. Then when it begins to put on and also you’re prepared to switch it with an eco-friendly yoga mat, discover the choices above once more. And don’t neglect to recycle or reuse your old mat.
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