Top 5 Sustainable Yoga Mats For Your Practice

Yoga is practiced by millions of yogis around the world. The benefits of a good practice or a simple stretch can do wonders for your body, mind and soul. It's not difficult to find a mat to match the type of practice you participate in but can be a bit of a challenge when it comes to finding a sustainably made one.

Most yoga mats found in department stores and even yoga shops are actually made of plastic - PVC in fact. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride and like all plastics, is manufactured from the fossil fuel industry from petroleum with the added use of phthalates to give the mat a soft, flexible and pliable feel. As you can guess, this man-made concoction of plastics and phthalates is not recyclable and is damaging to both your health and our environment. According to Yoga For Humanity, "phthalates are well-known hormone disruptors and are known to product adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife." So where can you find a yoga mat that's free of PVC and is both great for you and the environment? Luckily, there are sustainable companies looking to change the yoga and workout industry by leading customers away from the plastic and into eco-friendly materials. Here are my top 5 sustainable yoga mats to guarantee you have an eco-friendly and beneficial next practice. Namaste.

Scoria

Behind every great yoga practice is an enhancement of the mental and physical well-being and that's where Scoria's story is told. They create products that encourage a youthful and playful mindset with the mentality of "#SparktheChildWithin". This company is a huge proponent of giving back to the community through their amazing partnership with Feeding Children Everywhere, committed to providing children in need with nutritious and plant-based meals with every purchase you make. They have an amazing selection of cork mats from various artists and even some yoga props and apparel available for purchase.

Prana

Prana is one company that you may have already heard of and may be where your current mat is from (much like me!) One of the company's main aspects is sustainability and that it's a part of our DNA". They do this by partnering with dedicated organizations like Fair Trade, bluesign®, Textile Exchange, Responsible Down Stand to change the way clothing and yoga materials are made. Their yoga mats are perfect for a calming indoor and even outdoor session because the materials are made with nontoxic TPE and is UV resistant. Not to mention, this material is made with a closed cell construction keeping germs from being absorbed into the material.

Manduka

Practicing yogis from around the world will easily tell you, Manduka is the industry's go-to for amazing quality yoga mats and guess what, it's also eco-friendly as well! Manduka's eKo yoga mats are made from sustainably harvested tree rubber with non-toxic foaming agents meaning zero waste manufacturing and no harmful plasticizers. Disclaimer: Manduka's eKo mats are different than their PRO mats. Their PRO mats are made from the highest quality PVC, manufactured emissions-free, no dyes or phthalates but are still made from plastic. If you're on the hunt for the most eco-friendly option, eKo mat is the one for you.

Suga Mats

Suga Mats is a sustainable lovers dream by manufacturing premium quality yoga mats in the US from 100% recycled wetsuits that's both recycled (obviously) and recyclable! From the mastermind behind a lifelong surfer and a yoga practitioner, this amazing eco-company has now collected over 12,000 wetsuits and diverted over 32 tons of neoprene from landfills. If you're looking to test out a whole new material for your yoga mat, why not give a wetsuit mat a try?

Ekaminhale

Maybe the rubbery feel of yoga mats aren't for you. That's where Ekaminhale comes in. With a GOTS certified cotton both ethically and hand-made in India, this yoga rug is better for the planet than most of its competitors. Because it's made with a rug material rather than rubber or PVC, it allows for a firmer grip when doing some of the hardest yoga poses. If you're in the market to buy a rug rather than a mat but are still unsure, Ekaminhale offers a two-year warranty that allows you to return the mat if you aren't completely in love with it.

Photo by rishikesh yogpeeth on Unsplash