All in all, it’s good to be suspicious of ‘greenwashed’ products that incorporate recycled synthetic rubber or other materials. You might, however, make an exception if a manufacturer provides third-party test results and robust certifications for the final product. The most eco-friendly, sustainably-made, non-toxic yoga mats Jade Yoga began its eco journey over two decades ago and has since maintained its legacy as the makers of one of the best ethical yoga mats. Another top-quality option from our pals at Les Mills. Unlike the MBX mat above, this one is designed specifically for yoga, with a vegan leather top layer that absorbs moisture (read: sweat) and stops you from sliding around, no matter how clammy your paws are. Sure enough, our resident yogi stayed rooted in their poses during vigorous vinyasa flows, without any distracting slipping around. Music to our ears! The first choice is the Original Eco Yoga Mat which is made from natural rubber (which does contain latex) and jute. Jute is a beautiful eco-fabric. It has no chemical additives and is 100% biodegradable. Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is another type of plastic that typically contains formaldehyde. I'd avoid this one as well.

Some mats are machine washable (rejoice!), in which case giving it a thorough clean is as easy as throwing it in the machine, putting it on a cold gentle cycle with mild detergent and air drying it afterwards. Durability: Your yoga mat won’t have to withstand intense HIIT workouts or dropped dumbbells, but it should emerge unscathed from dynamic practice, without any rips or dents. I've also included brands that consider sustainability and ethical labor practices in all facets of their business. Ones that have third-party certification in place and fully transparent ones. If I can't find that info, I will tell you. To sum up, try to avoid these materials:

Our pros put a number of mats through their paces, seeing how each one performed during yoga, yoga nidra (a form of deep rest), HIIT and even weights sessions (most yoga mats double up as exercise mats). They were scored based on how grippy, comfortable, portable and stable they were (with bonus points for eco credentials), and only their favourite few made it on to this list. Reprise is on a mission to keep plastic off your body, and a reprise or a repeated practice like doing yoga daily can massively improve your well-being. You can feel confident purchasing some of the best eco-friendly yoga mats from Reprise. When the bark is removed from cork trees, they absorb 3-5 times more carbon dioxide. Every year, a cork oak forest can retain up to 14 million tons of CO2, helping to reduce greenhouse gases! So COOL! The grass is tropical and grows along the swamps and riversides, commonly found in the Deccan Indian region. It is an evergreen Perennial grass; its flowers, leaves, root, shoot, and stems are harvested and used. The fibers from this grass have been used to create these mats.

Yoga mats range in price from cheap thin PVC that you’ll likely want to replace pretty regularly (making them more costly for you and for the environment in the long-run), to more costly higher quality yoga mats that can last for years if not decades. To reduce your environmental impact, it’s best to choose a mat that you love and that will last you a long time. How to clean your yoga mat How regularly and how thoroughly you clean your yoga mat will depend on how often and how intensely you practice. For most people, it’s enough to clean your yoga mat once a week. This keeps stains at bay and prevents the build-up of bacteria and dirt. Follow manufacturers’ guidelines where given, and choose natural cleansers like lemon juice, dilute vinegar solution, or non-toxic dish soap to clean your mat. The Manduka eKO mat features tri-layer technology that creates a mix of grip, durability, and slip-resistance. A stretch-resistant center binds the two layers together to improve durability. The standard eKO mat measures 71” long and 26” wide and has a sealed-cell surface, meaning that it doesn’t absorb moisture (and bacteria) like many open-cell rubber mats. As such, it is more durable than open-cell rubber mats. If you like rustic-looking mats, you'll fall in love with the ones that Barefoot Yoga makes. You have a few to choose from.We believe yoga should be accessible to all and we‘ve steadily grown our range of yoga mats to meet all abilities, needs and tastes. It all began with our Signature mat in 2008, and our technology and environmental credentials are now embedded across our ranges. They advocate zero waste, so any material leftover from the creation of their mats is used to make other cork products. Even cork dust is used as fuel.