With all the different yoga mats on the market, how do you choose?!?!

You choose by making the decision that causes the least harm to the earth, others, and self.

No more earth damaging $8 foam mats from Wal-Mart/Five Below/Marshalls that end up in landfills, where you struggle to hold poses anyways because your hands are slipping, all the while it’s passing on toxins to you while you practice!

Instead, take a deep breath, release your shoulders down your back, and make an intentional decision to buy Black, environmentally friendly, and/or from a small business.

Considerations for buying a yoga mat

• Grip - If your hands slip, get a mat intentionally designed to prevent slippage. Cork mats are great for this purpose. Another option is to buy a yoga towel, and lay it over your mat (if you have a super high standard of cleanliness, you might prefer this option because you can easily throw your yoga towel in the washing machine).

• Thickness - The thickness of your mat should be chosen based on your habits on your yoga mat.

  • Sizes- Most yoga mats found in big box stores are either medium thickness or THIQUE (lol).

    • 1.5-2mm is going to be very thin and great for travel.

    • 3.5-4mm is your medium thickness mat.

    • 5.5-6.5mm is your THIQUE yoga mat. Lots of cushion for the knees and other joints.

  • Vinyasa vs. Restorative - If your practice has lots of standing poses, like in a vinyasa class, a thinner mat could work best for you. It’s more ideal for finding ease and strength in balancing poses. If your yoga practice has lots of floor poses, like restorative yoga, then a thicker mat could feel more comfortable to the body.

  • Travel vs. Home vs. Studio- If you’re trying to pack light, a thinner, more lightweight mat might be a good choice. As a traveler, choosing a travel specific mat has been a game changer! For a mat that will mostly be used at a studio or at home, consider the floor it will be placed on. If it’s a harder floor, maybe you want a thicker mat. If it’s more of a bouncy floor, you might like a lighter, thinner mat.

  • Knee sensitivity + cushion- If you want to go with a thinner mat, there’s always the option to buy little knee mats/pad for some extra cushion. (Links below; alternatively, you can use a pillow or folded blanket!)

• Toxin free - Learn more about the toxins in PVC yoga mats here. I read the article and here’s my summary: PVC yoga mats are toxic and bad for your health.

• Marie Kondo the aesthetics, but in reverse. Ask the question, “Does it bring me joy?” and allow that answer to guide your buying decision.

Here are my recommendations for amazing small businesses selling amazing yoga mats:

Black owned + Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat Brands

• Toned by BaggedEm

• Zentric Flo

• Jayei Athletics

Travel Friendly, Black owned, + Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat Brands

• Grove Campus

• Flex N Fly

Travel Friendly, Eco-Friendly, + Artistic Yoga Mat Brands

• Scoria (woman owned)

• Yoloha Yoga (family centered)

Black-woman owned + unique

• Profit + July (size-inclusive)

• GYMBUU (folding yoga mat)

• Yoga Buu (gym bag + folding yoga mat)

For the Love of Black Artists

• It’s so many really dope artists creating amazing designs for yoga mats and selling them on etsy and society6, but I can’t in good conscience share a list of yoga mats that, although they may lack latex and heavy metals, are still PVC yoga mats containing other toxins. Nonetheless, I do want to acknowledge and honor Black folks' creativity and their fusion of art + wellbeing.

I bought a Yoloha travel yoga mat 5.5 years ago. I love it. I found it because I wanted a more eco-friendly yoga mat. I love the artistic design with the compass, moon phases, chakra symbols, and the words “find your center” written in the middle. I reversed Marie Kondo’ed it before I had even finished reading her book, and knew it was perfect for me. My current yoga mat has gotten the utmost use having traveled across continents, through canyonlands, across Black bear country in Upstate New York, and more. The imperfect environmentalist in me is going to practice on this mat until it is shredded in pieces (which has begun to happen).

I didn’t know about all these other companies when I purchased my current mat, but now I do.

I’m glad to have yoga mat options that are even more aligned with my values; furthermore, I’m excited to share these options with you.

Shopping Amazon?

• Liforme Travel

• Liforme Original

• Manduka eKO Superlite

• B Mat Everyday

• B Mat Traveller

• JadeYoga Travel

• JadeYoga Voyager

• Gaiam Cork Yoga

• Circle Yoga Mat

Other Yoga Accessories

• Knee cushion (single rectangle)

• Knee cushions (individual)

• Wrist Buddy Yoga Blocks

• Cork Yoga Blocks

• Yoga Bolster

• Canvas Yoga Mat Bag

• Yoga Mat Bag with Water Bottle Holder

• Yoga/Gym Bag

• Large Yoga Bag with zippers and pockets

• Yoga Mat Bag Tote

• Muse Apothecary Yoga Mat Cleaner

• Flexies Yoga Mat Cleaner Kit

• Yoga Mat Cleaner with Towel

• Yoga Mat Cleaner USDA Certified Biobased
  

Happy yoga mat shopping!

(I believe we should divest from Amazon (the trillion dollar online retail site) and/or use it as little as possible. Additionally, people have their reasons for shopping with them. If shopping there using my affiliate links above, know that a few of your coins support a Black woman-owned business.)