How to Choose a Yoga Mat?

A couple of years ago, a yoga mat you’d buy would not stand out compared to thousands of others – made of PVC and known for its stickiness. Your only choice was whether to purchase blue or purple. Now, in the present times, there’s a yoga carpet to suit your every preference and priority.

Beyond the pattern & color, your yoga (or meditation) mat requires keeping you stable in all your poses. Since these mats are used during meditation as well, it’s important for them to be comfortable enough for a prolonged period of sitting down with no movement.

Hence, it’s important that mat should be portable and storable, yet cushy and comfy. You may also choose to be your yoga rug to be environment friendly. These aspects of a yoga mat make it reliable.

Here is an expert guide to determine the parameters which would help you in purchasing a reliable yoga carpet:

Thickness

You must not ignore the thickness of the yoga mat. Thickness is an important factor when it comes to choosing a reliable yoga mat. The thickness of the mat acts as a cushion, thus giving you complete support while doing yoga. A standard yoga mat is about 1/8 inch in thickness while the thickest is about ¼ inch. There are also wafer-thin yoga mats, which are often termed as “travel yoga mats”. One of the factors that you need to consider while deciding on the thickness of the mat is how much room you have to stow your yoga mat, how crucial portability is, and where your sweet spot is on comfort versus being able to feel a direct connection to the floor. In case you are facing a shortage of storage space, then having a long schlep to the studio and like the feel of just a little padding opt for the standard-depth mat, in the 1/8-inch range.

Material

The material of the mat decides its longevity and durability. In addition, the material of which a yoga carpet is made of dictates its stickiness, texture, sponginess & eco-friendliness. Most of your standard yoga mats are made up of PVC, which are otherwise known as vinyl. The newer, more earth-friendly options include natural and recycled rubber, organic cotton or natural cotton, jute, etc. In case you are allergic to latex, then you should yoga mats, which are manufactured out of natural rubber are a reliable meditation and yoga mat. If you want to stick with the tried and true sticky mat, then you can choose a yoga mat made out of PVC and can endure your use and abuse for more than a decade. Sponginess can indeed vary with various blends of materials like cotton, jute, etc.

Texture

You should necessarily consider the texture of the reliable yoga and meditation mat. The texture of the same dictates how much traction it provides. Like stickiness, texture affects how much slipping and sliding it can withstand. This also provides physical barriers to sliding. There are options of yoga mats that suit every whim – from completely smooth to downright rough. If you are searching for a yoga mat that prevents slipping and you would like to avoid PVC mats, then you should ideally look for cotton, jute, or rubber mats, which has a raised tactile pattern.

Stickiness

Stability is an important factor that you need to consider. The mat must stick to the base and at the same time, it should be anti-slip, thus assuring that you can easily do your yoga exercises. The PVC yoga mats have the highest sticky factor available in the market.

Eco-friendliness

This is very important. The earth-friendly yoga mats are typically made of natural or recycled rubber. These yoga mats may also include natural materials like organic cotton or jute.

Price range

The basic 1/8-inch-thick, plain solid-color PVC sticky yoga mat will be towards the lower end of the price range. From there, you may pay more for designs, patterns, premium thickness, logos, cool textures etc.

Conclusion

With the help of the above-mentioned parameter, you would be able to find a reliable yoga or yoga mat for your needs.