Eco Friendly and Healthy Yoga Mats [Week 36]
Amanda Drews
Yoga is not my thing. I would much rather be out in nature hiking or shaking it in a Zumba class. But apparently yoga just plain feels good and it’s nice to have a quiet moment to yourself. Yoga mats are also good for a bunch of other exercises as well. If you’re working out at home, it gives you a place to do those with a bit of comfort.
Normally I will always recommend finding something used before purchasing a new item but not the case for yoga mats. The thought of laying down on something that a hot and sweaty stranger (and not in a sexy way!) has been exercising on, doesn’t quite give me that zen feeling. Even when someone at the gym wipes down their mat after a workout session, odds are it isn’t getting all the germs and bacteria off. For mats to be fully disinfected, they need to be thoroughly sprayed (on both sides) and given a bit of time to dry before being rolled or hung up. How often do you see that happening at the gym?
Those mats that don’t get fully sanitized could cause some nasty infections and lead to things like toenail fungus according to an article from the BBC.
Ok gross, so I need my own yoga mat.
There are a few common options for materials for yoga mats:
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride)– Remember from my Eco-friendly Christmas Tree post where we learned about how degrading PVC products can adhere to dust particles? While I didn’t have access to the full article from Environmental Research, SCIENCEline reported that this 2018 study “measured the emission concentrations of phthalates in five PVC-containing consumer products — one of them yoga mats — at different temperatures. It concluded that at a temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit — a typical temperature of a hot yoga room — the total phthalate concentrations in the air increased only moderately from about .2 parts per billion to about 1 part per billion.” So not a huge concern but it does increase a bit. However, mice suffer liver damage when exposed to vinyl chloride gas even at levels below what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says is safe according to this study from Hepatology Communications. It is unknown how that translates into humans and through products that only use vinyl chloride gas as a feedstock like PVC does.
- TPE (thermoplastic elastomers)– a mix of plastic and rubber. TPE doesn’t off-gas and it’s free of BPA, PVC, lead and phthalates but there are 7 different groups of TPE (according to Ireadlabelsforyou.com) If a product isn’t transparent about what’s in their TPE, it may contain styrene or butadiene which you would want to avoid. I couldn’t find information about the “good” groups of TPE.
- PU (polyurethane)– typically flame retardants are added because of it’s flammability. This 2017 study showed evidence of lower rates of successful pregnancies in women undergoing IVF as higher levels of organophosphate flame retardants were found in their urine.
- PER (polymer environmental resin)- Ecocenter.org states “The apparent manufacturer of PER, Lan Song Industrial LLC, makes a number of claims about the material. The manufacturer states PER is made of PVC plus other unspecified additives in an “environmentally friendly” process, producing a material that is biodegradable and does not emit hazardous gases when incinerated. We were unable to find substantiation for these claims.” They found that the PER listed in some of the mats turned out to be PVC. They contained DOTP (Dioctyl terephthalate) instead of phthalate plasticizers which there is not a ton of available info on that I could find.
So is my yoga mat going to make sick?
Not necessarily. Looking at mats has generated a whole bunch of new questions for me and anything that comes with a health warning on the tag will always make me think twice. Although it sounds like there’s no good evidence that you could get sick specifically from just one item like your yoga mat, why bother being exposed to an extra thing in your home that could add to an accumulation of known harmful carcinogenic compounds in your body? And with hot yoga, the thought of a whole room of mats all degrading, kind of makes me want to avoid taking those big “cleansing” breathes. Besides, materials like PVC are not exactly Earth or worker friendly materials in the first place (check out this study on PVC bagger’s link to lung cancer) to produce so let’s find some better alternatives for some eco friendly exercise gear.
Best choices for yoga mat materials:
- Cork– Cork comes from the bark of trees and is harvested in a way that doesn’t kill the tree. It can also be recycled (but not in your curbside bin!) Cork tends to get grippy as you sweat and has a naturally anti-microbial surface.
- Natural Rubber (if you aren’t allergic to latex!)- Rubber can be considered sustainable as it comes from a renewable resource (trees) versus synthetic rubber that comes from petroleum. There is variability in the social and environmental sustainability between rubber companies. The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber addresses these issues for the harvesting of the sap (latex). Natural rubber is also technically biodegradable, even if it takes decades.
- Jute-Jute is a fast growing stem that requires far less water and pesticides than cotton. Some yoga mats that are made out of jute though are mostly PER with a little bit of jute so asking about the content amounts is important.
Here’s what I found out about some of the top picks for a more healthy, eco-friendly yoga mat.
Note: not everything I found out was great. These are the top mats I have seen across the internet and wanted to find out for myself what might make them worth buying and which ones to steer clear of.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link or picture and finalize a purchase. As an Amazon and Share-A-Sale Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I will always tell you my true opinion of the products I’ve used. Thanks for supporting the site!
Gurus Roots Cork
This is one of the mats I bought and is my favorite!
Although it is a bit heavy, I prefer this mat over our Brentwood Home mat that my husband likes. I find it stays in one place and gives me a good grip. It’s not as cushy as a typical foam mat is but I wouldn’t expect that. There was no nasty off-gassing smell and I feel safe using it. It came packaged in a plastic wrap. Here’s how to recycle plastic film and wrap.
Gurus has free shipping to recycle your yoga mat back when you’re done and that makes it a big win for me! This cork topped mat has a natural rubber bottom and measures 72″x 25″ and weighs 6 lbs. They plant a tree with every purchase and have a 30 day free refunds or exchanges if you decide the cork mat isn’t for you. Their sprouts version of this mat has TPE on the bottom layer. This mat was ranked #1 on Leafscore.com in 2021. Shop Gurus HERE.
Brentwood Home Organic Non-Slip
This is the other yoga mat we bought and while I find it hard to grip onto, my husband prefers it over our Gurus cork mat because it is more comfortable. *Not recommended if you have a latex allergy!
This comes from the same company that we bought our mattress from. Brentwood Home’s 100% GOTS organic certified cotton and FSC-certified natural Dunlop latex yoga mats are certainly unique from the other’s we see. They are climate neutral and 100% certified vegan by Vegan Action. Their mats are 71″ x 24″x 5mm and weigh 5.7 lbs. They have a 30 day refund policy for one yoga mat per household. This product is made in India. Their website mentions that the mat is recyclable and biodegradable but no info on how to recycle it. I did write the company and suggest that “recycle” be re-worded so that people don’t end up chucking them into their curbside bins.
Shop Brentwood Home.
Wanderlust x Manduka x EKO SuperLite Travel
Wanderlust is the only B certified company that has anything to do with yoga that I found. They offer a 100% natural tree rubber with no PVC or plasticizers yoga mat. It’s like the one pictured below but in a light travel version so you can do yoga wherever you wander. And when you purchase this mat, Wanderlust will donate 20% to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS. Shop HERE.
Manduka EKO Lite
This is a 100% all natural tree rubber with non-toxic foaming agents mat that is 71″ x 24″ weighs 5 lbs and is 4 mm thick. It contains non-azo dyes (dyes based on natural substances), and no PVC or harmful plasticizers. Shop for the Manduka EKO Lite HERE.
Urbavore natural cork
This is a cork surface with a tree rubber mat measuring 6ft x 2ft x 4mm. I think they win for the cutest design for a children’s mat! Those measure 5ft x 2ft x 4mm. Shop Urbavore HERE.
Scoria Cork
These all cork mats have beautiful designs on them and they offer 2 kid’s sizes as well! Purchases from Scoria go to partner with Right to Play that helps Indigenous youth in Canada learn life and healthy living skills. Shop Scoria HERE.
SugaMat Recycled Wetsuit
Here’s a unique yoga mat! It’s US made from recycled surfing wetsuits and are closed loop and recyclable at the end of it’s life. They are 72″ x 25″ x 5 mm and weigh just under 5 lbs. Technically they call the material closed cell foam that is non-toxic, PVC, PCB, PET, and phthalate-free. Suga is a 1% for the planet company. There are some complaints on their reviews that it leaves little black flecks on the floor so this might be good for an outdoor practice mat.
It doesn’t look like shipping your old mat is free but they do have a few drop-off locations in Canada and California and you get 10% off your new mat when you return your used one. When XRF (X-Ray Florescence) tested, there were traces of polyurethane and chlorine polymers as well as phthalates found in a solvent extraction in this mat according to EcoCenter.org. Shop SugaMat HERE.
Pharamond life pro
I like the fact that this one has some nice designs that help with alignment on it. These mats are made out of TPE and are 72″ x 26″ by 6mm. For every item purchased at their store they plant a tree. This company is based in London. Shop Pharamond HERE.
Abhinehkrafts Grass Fiber Yoga Mat and Organic Cotton
These mats are handwoven by artisans in India from organic cotton (not certified) and fibers from elephant grass and Indian reed-mace grass. Shop Abhinekrafts HERE.
Jade Yoga Harmony
This natural rubber mat weighs 4.2 lbs and measures 68 x 24 x 0.19 inches. They are made in the USA, plant trees with every product sold through Trees For The Future and they give you a free 30 days of an online yoga program to follow when you purchase a mat. Shop Jade Yoga HERE.
Yoloha Unity Cork
This USA made mat is a blend of recycled cork and recycled rubber. It measures 72″ x 26″ x 5 mm and weighs 3.5 lbs. They are latex free and PVC free. The foam on the bottom layer is “3.5 mm thick green label compliant foam” according to one of the questions on their Amazon page. They have a full refund or exchange period of 30 days. Shop Yoloha HERE.
Repose Eco-Friendly Cork
Repose uses 100% natural rubber and cork for their 72″ x 24″ x 4mm mats. shop Repose HERE.
Gaiam Jute
This mat is made of jute and PER. It is 68″ x 24″x 5 mm. It is latex and silicone free. Shop Gaim HERE.
Hugger Mugger Para Rubber
This is a 70″x 24″x 0.25″ natural rubber. Their rubber is sourced from Malaysia and Indonesia. The company also offers latex free mats (different from the one below). Shop Hugger Mugger HERE.
Yogasana Cotton
This is a 4 mm thick, 26″ wide, 2 kg, 100% organic cotton mat. They are GOTS certified, source their cotton from the Better Cotton Initiative and used naturally sourced color dyes. For each reversible mat made, $5 goes towards educational activities for the children of their production workers. They can be machine washed with cold water and have a 30-day money back guarantee. Shop for the Yogasana Cotton Yoga Mat HERE.
Hejhej Duo
This mat is from a company in Germany that says they were the first closed loop yoga mat system to pop up. You get a free shipping label when you purchase and a coupon for 15% off your next mat. They also have carbon neutral shipping. I’ll admit I’m still confused as to what the mats are made of entirely. Shop HejHej HERE.
So which yoga mat did I buy?
I ended up buying the Gurus Roots Cork mat and the Brentwood Home Organic Non-Slip Mat. I prefer the Gurus cork mat while my husband prefers the Brentwood Home Cotton mat. They are both a bit heavy but we prefer doing yoga at home so it’s not much of an issue. I find myself slipping on the Brentwood home mat but my husband has no problem with it and finds it more comfortable. Neither on had a nasty off-gassing smell to it when it was opened up and we feel like we made good choices. Namaste.
Depending on where you practice yoga and what kind you do, may help you determine which mat you need. If you have an incredibly old mat, it may be time to replace it due to degradation if you don’t know what exactly it’s made out of.
- Take a look at some of the mats above and find one that fits your needs, style and budget.
- Enjoy your practice!
