Consider these points before buying Yoga Mats
Fifteen years ago, there was only one basic type of yoga mat
— made of PVC and noted for its stickiness — and your only choice was whether
to buy purple or blue. Now, there’s a yoga
mat to suit every priority and preference.
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| Sassoon Yoga Mats |
Beyond a color and pattern that suits your style,
your yoga mat needs to keep you stable in your poses; it needs to be storable
and portable, yet comfy and cushy. You may also want your mat to be
environmentally friendly. These aspects of your mat's personality are all
affected by how the mat is made: how thick it is, what it's made of, and its
surface texture.
Use this guide to help you
find a yoga mat you can be blissfully happy with — one that suits your
practice, priorities, lifestyle, values, and budget. No matter what the stores
tell you, that’s the best yoga mat for you!
THICKNESS
Why it’s
important: The thickness of your yoga
mat has a lot to do with how comfortable it is — too thin, and your knee may
get banged up during crescent lunge. The tradeoff is that thick yoga mats (some
as thick as 6 mm) can make it harder for you to feel a strong connection to the
floor, making you more wobbly in Tree Pose, for example.
Basic buying
guide: Consider how much room you
have to stow your yoga mat, how important portability is, and where your sweet
spot is on comfort versus being able to feel a direct connection to the floor.
If you're short on storage space, have a long schlep to the studio, and like
the feel of just a little padding,
opt for a standard-depth mat, in the 1/8 inch range.
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| Sassoon |
If you don’t mind carrying and
storing a little more heft for the sake of more cushioning, consider a premium yoga mat that's
about 1/4 inch thick. And if you absolutely must be able to pack your yoga mat
in a suitcase or carry-on, get yourself a foldable
travel yoga mat in the 1/16 inch range.
MATERIAL
Why it’s
important: The material
your yoga mat is made of dictates its texture, stickiness, eco-friendliness, and
sponginess (how much it yields to pressure), and how it wears over time.
Options: Most standard yoga mats are made of PVC, otherwise known as
vinyl. Newer, more earth-friendly options include natural and recycled rubber,
jute, and organic cotton or natural cotton (which means the fabric is not
treated with synthetic finishes during manufacturing).
TEXTURE
Why it’s
important: The texture of your yoga mat
dictates how much traction it provides. Like stickiness, texture affects how
much slipping and sliding you do. It provides physical barriers to sliding
(whereas stickiness relies on suction). And because texture affects the way a
yoga mat feels, it’s also a component of overall comfort.
If you’re a Princess-and-the-Pea
type, any bumpy texture will likely aggravate you in savasana. Texture can be either
man-made (a pattern of raised bumps, for example) or dictated by the materials
— jute yoga mats have an organic roughness to them, while PVC yoga mats, though
slightly textured, have a softer feel.
Options: There’s a yoga mat texture to suit every whim — from
completely smooth to downright rough.
Basic buying
guidelines: If you’re looking for a yoga
mat that prevents slipping and you’d like to avoid PVC mats (the traditional
sticky yoga mats), look for a rubber, jute, or cotton yoga mat that has a raised,
tactile pattern. The added grip the raised texture provides can help you stay
put no matter how sweaty or vigorous your practice gets.
STICKINESS
Why it’s
important: A sticky yoga mat keeps you
from sliding all over the place and helps you maintain your alignment as you
move from one pose to another, as well as when you hold poses for several
seconds.
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| Sassoon - 4mm Yoga Mats |
Basic buying guide: If you
need help staying put in your poses but you bristle at the thought of
practicing on a yoga mat with a raised texture, a Rubber yoga mat is
probably your best bet. If you buy a Rubber yoga mat, wash it before you use it
and use a handy yoga wash cleaner
whenever you notice your hands sliding forward in downward dog.
ECO-FRIENDLINESS
Why it’s
important: As yogis, we hold dear the
tenet of ahimsa, or
non-violence. That makes practicing on a yoga mat that will ultimately end up
clogging a landfill for decades to come troublesome.
Options: Earth-friendly yoga mats are
typically made from natural or recycled rubber. These yoga mats may also
include natural materials, such as jute or organic cotton.
You can get a yoga mat that's
eco-friendly, has a thickness that meets your needs for comfort and
portability, and has a texture (such as a raised geometric pattern) that
prevents slippage.
PRICE RANGE
Typically, a basic yoga mat, plain
solid-color will be toward the low end of the price range. From there you may
pay more for patterns, designs or logos; premium thickness; antimicrobial
treatments; and cool textures, especially raised tactile patterns. Eco-friendly
yoga mats tend to be toward the high end of the price range.
STYLE
Once you've narrowed your choices
down by thickness, material, texture, stickiness, eco-friendliness, and price,
there's only one factor left: style! So go ahead and pick your favorite color,
pattern, or print. After all, you'll be seeing a lot of it in downward
dog. Happy shopping!
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