The best eco yoga mats for a non-slip workout

Consider yourself a yogi? Love aerial yoga? Or are you a complete beginner to yoga? Well did you know that while PVC yoga mats are often cheap to buy, they’re not so great for the environment? This is because they typically take hundreds of years to decompose and release toxic chemicals when incinerated.

Thankfully, there are now a variety of ethical alternatives that are just as pretty and effective as they are sustainable – so you can clear your eco-conscious with yoga practice and add an eco yoga mat to your yoga equipment. After all, it’s just as important to be kind to our bodies as it is to the environment.

But rather than tossing out your non-eco yoga mat in disgust, we would suggest finding another use for it or simply waiting until it's too worn to use anymore. After all, you've already bought it now! Could it make a nice resting place for your pet? Or what about using it as insulation?

Environmentally friendly or not, a yoga mat provides not only a thin cushion for you to exercise on but a personal space that signifies dedicated me-time and self-care. They're an essential for long yoga sessions as well as yoga stretches after a run – this is why it's so important to get your hands on a good one.

And while you're keen to grab yourself an eco-friendly yoga mat, there's still plenty of other qualities you're likely to want to look for in your mat including organic materials, good grip, thickness, support, and texture.

What is an eco-yoga mat?

But what exactly makes a yoga mat eco-friendly, you may ask? Well, it's actually pretty simple. The yoga mat needs to have been made from natural materials to qualify it as an eco-friendly yoga mat. We especially love eco yoga mats that are sustainably sourced and also come in recyclable packaging.

We caught up with Fi Clark, Head of Yoga at FLY LDN to find out more about finding the ideal yoga mat for you.

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What should I look for in an eco yoga mat?

There are lots of different types of eco yoga mats available, made from a variety of sustainable materials such as eco-friendly foam, natural rubber, cork, jute, and cloth. But what else should you look for?

"Resilience, high-quality materials, and durability. It needs to be grippy enough to ensure your hands and feet won't slide or slip in dynamic practices but it's also not too thick for standing balances," explains Fi. "There's a whole array of choice and if you practice somewhere regularly where you can't store your mat, I suggest a good quality travel mat that you can lay over a regular studio mat."

Do different exercises suit different types of mats?

"Practices such as Vinyasa Flow, Rocket, and Ashtanga yoga that are pre-dominantly standing and of a dynamic nature where you need to stay stable when holding a posture or transitioning into another will need a medium thickness of mat that has a good grip. The most popular are rubber topped mats as they are non-slip. More mat-based practices such as Pilates, Hatha, and YIN need less grip but more padding as you will be either seated or lying down for the majority (if not all) of the class." If you're looking to get started with any of these practices, you could try one ofthe best yoga apps for beginners.

What are the benefits of eco yoga mats?

"Sustainability and ethics are usually the reason behind choosing an eco-mat over a non-eco mat. They also tend to be antibacterial and contain far fewer synthetic toxins than non-eco competitors."

Should I go for a mat with a textured surface or one that is smooth?

"The surface texture is completely personal, if the mat is good quality then the pattern or texture should not make too much difference to the performance. Some people like to use mats such as YogiBare and Liforme as they have markings on the mats that help with alignment with some postures, but it has little effect on the experience of grip."

What thickness should I choose?

According to DIYogi, "Pick a mat that's too thin and you may experience a lot of discomfort in your knees, wrists, and ankles when you hold poses for a long time. At the other end of the spectrum, one that is just too thick for you can slow down your movement and keep you from feeling 100 per cent supported – you’ll just hopelessly sink into it."

So what thickness should you go for then? Unhelpfully, it's completely down to you as an individual. If your joints need more support, a thicker mat is naturally going to provide that support compared to a thin one. Just don't go too thick so you can't properly perform your yoga poses.

A thin yoga mat is ideal if you like to travel with a yoga mat as it's much lighter to take with you. We'd recommend using a thinner yoga mat on top of carpet while you practice.

What else should I think about?

"It is worth researching and asking friends on their recommendations. Generally, you get what you pay for as far as mats are concerned, similar with running trainers for their functionality and technology. Most mats I've owned are still in great condition after years of use so although it may feel expensive initially, it's definitely an investment to make sure your yoga practice is safe, and you're supported by your mat. It makes a massive difference!"

To help you out, we've rounded up the best eco yoga mats on the market right now.

The best eco-friendly yoga mats