There might be a lot of top 10 eco-friendly yoga mats out there, but we've tried to put them into 2 categories so that everyone can find The One. And it wasn't easy!
Finding the best yoga mats implies very thorough research, not to mention practice. After reading hundreds of reviews on probably hundreds of websites, we've narrowed it down to a few and ... Ta Daaaaa! We have found the best eco-friendly yoga mats ever!
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Top 10 Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats for Beginners
Choosing the right yoga mat can be tricky, especially as a beginner. If you've been to a few classes already you've probably seen they come in lots of designs, styles and sizes. Opinions are scattered between different brands and where to find a good yoga mat. You might be even tempted to think that anything might be OK since you're just starting, but the truth is if you're serious about including yoga in your life, it might be a good investment to start with a good mat from the beginning. Not to mention is also more eco-friendly, because you won't be throwing it away once every few months.
What does having a good mat mean? Well, there's only a few things to consider, but very important: grip, thickness and size. It's good to have a good grip because you won't want to slip during a pose. Thickness is important to protect your joints and it's also good to have a size that gives you enough space for your exercises. As a tall person, I can tell you for sure I had no idea there are different sizes when I first started!
Having a beautiful Yoga mat could motivate you into practising even more than before. Not to mention it will catch everyone's eyes. Yoga Design Lab designed this mat in Bali, starting from the idea of creating a highly functional product that was also aesthetically beautiful. Combine that with being eco-friendly and you have a winner! Did they succeed or what?
Pros This yoga Mat is made from biodegradable natural cork and rubber, printed with water-based inks. Another thing to mention is that it doesn't smell! You don't need an extra towel if you're sweating because this mat just seems to absorb everything! Easy to clean with natural soap and water.
Cons: Cork is a difficult material to work with but also as natural as you can get. Most people seem to mind the fact that it doesn't unfold perfectly and it can't be straightened out very easily.
Giving back: $1 of each purchase goes to support boys and girls youth yoga programs in need ♥
The first thing you notice about this yoga mat is the guidlines. Those are there to help you focus and adjust your hands and feet to the accurate position. Heathyoga is a professional yoga product manufacturer for over 10 years. They have been and still continuing to source our planet for the best materials to guarantee their customer total. The material they used for this mat is called TPE and it's the latest technological improvement to the traditional yoga mats.
Pros It's great for tall people: longer and wider than most yoga mats! It's comfortable, thick enough and easily portable.
Cons It's a bit smelly the first time you unwrap it, but the smell fades quickly after the first day.
This Yoga Mat is perfect for any type of exercise providing great traction, cushion, and stability for standing poses, making it one of the best eco-friendly yoga mat for beginners. It's made of natural rubber, a renewable resource that contains no PVC, EVA, heavy metals, or synthetic rubber. It has a very good grip, making it a good choice for improving your practice. Jade Yoga Harmony comes in 3 different sizes, so you can choose the one that's right for you.
Pros It grips well straight away and it's perfect for classes or at home. You can hold any position with ease.
Cons It smells like rubber, but it's not a chemical smell. You can get used to it. It's a bit heavy.
Giving back With every product sold, Jade Yoga is trying to give Earth something back, currently planting trees through Trees for the Future
Made from biodegradable, non-Amazon harvested, natural tree rubber, Manduka eKO Yoga Matka Prolite is perfect to carry to your classes. You'll probably notice this logo on other mats at the gym because it's one of the most popular brands out there. It comes in some interesting dreamy colours and patterns.
Pros Once you unroll it, it stays right there: no corners sticking out. This yoga mat gives you a great grip for the Downward Dog pose.
Cons There's nothing seriously wrong with this mat. There's a certain rubbery smell that can put some people off.
Giving back Through project:OM, Manduka donates 1% of their global sales to organizations who believe in empowering people to improve communities worldwide.
Love the name of this brand! With Every Atom promises you that "the sweatier you get, the more grippier the grip". Challenge accepted! After a few weeks sweating on this mat, it definitely rose up to the challenge and made it into our top 10 best eco-friendly yoga mats for beginners.
This mat is made from natural rubber, free of latex, AZO dyes, DOP softeners and heavy metals and it's extra-long and wide.
Pros It's very light and can be folded and carried in a bag. One thing worth mentioning: it doesn't come wrapped in plastic!!!
Cons Thickness might be an issue for some, as it's quite thin and probably designed for travel.
Giving back With Every Atom partners up with Yoga Stops Trafficking , an annual campaign uniting yoga practitioners across the globe to take a stand against human trafficking
If you're attending any Yoga class at the gym, you've probably seen there's a new trend starting: cork made Yoga mats. Cork fitness mats are naturally antimicrobial and self-disinfecting. Therefore, they are much easier to care for than conventional yoga mats. The cork surface is odour-neutral, dust-repellent and ideal for allergy sufferers. Oh, and have you seen those guidlines?
Pros There are too many pros for this yoga mat. What I love the most about this is the durability. It also comes in great packaging and you get some freebies with it.
Cons Cork should be light, the mat is not particularly lightweight.
This Yoga mat is made of technologically improved TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomers), which are generally low modulus, flexible materials that can be stretched repeatedly providing superior durability. The alignment system is something you'd never thought about or felt you needed, but you will find them really helpful.
Pros It is lightweight, odour free, does not curl up and has the perfect balance of support and cushioning
Cons When practising more powerful exercises, it gets some marks on it. But they come of by the next day.
The makers of this Yoga mat promise us "the grip of our lives". But so do others and this is the main concern on every yoga mat available on the market. We are happy to say that this mat is great! The grip is very good, but that's not the only feature it has. You've probably noticed from the photo that it has lines for alignment and that cute paw logo in the middle. It is made from 100% HIGH QUALITY sustainably sourced and biodegradable rubber. Yogi Bare uses only natural plant-based dyes and laser etch their design to avoid any toxic inks.
Pros The grip is very good, the mat is comfortable for any exercise.
Cons It doesn't come with a strap.
Giving back Proceeds from every sale of their Blue LUNAR Paws mat go to Sea Shepherd OCEAN
You might find this quite comfortable and very suitable for beginners due to its thickness of 5mm. IUGA Pro Non-Slip Yoga Mat is made of biodegradable and sustainably harvested tree rubber, therefore the mat is Completely Free from PVC, Latex and other Toxic Materials. As with any other rubber mat, you might expect a smell in the beginning, but fortunately, it is not the case. Yey!
Pros Has a good grip and it's just the right thickness to make it comfortable for any exercise.
Cons There aren't too many colour options and the way it come rolled it's a bit unusual because you have to flip it after you unroll it.
Yogamatters is the best website for everything yoga-related (nope, they didn't pay me to say that!). Absolutely no doubt about it! Yogamatters used to sell all kinds of yoga mat brands, but has finally decided to make their own! It's recyclable, biodegradable and free from toxic chemicals and dyes – which means you're making a great choice. The Eco Everyday Rise Yoga Mat is made from sustainably harvested natural tree rubber.
Pros Non-slip, comes in pastel colours and it lays down flat immediately, which makes it perfect for classes.
Cons Its 3mm thick and might be uncomfortable for some. Quite heavy for its thickness.
Giving back Through the High Five Initiative, Yogamatters is supporting and encouraging five great projects over a period of five years, projects which are all transforming lives, renewing hope and working for a better future.
Every week, we like to send our subscribers a SUSTAINABLE CHALLENGE. Are you ready to take real actions into living life sustainably? Sign up or have a look at one example!
Top 10 Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats for Experts
Oh, so you're a pro looking for a great yoga mat? Your old one has failed you or gave up in the end? We got you covered, girl! We did all the work so you can stop researching for days! Either you're always on the road, practice at home, go to a gym or you're a teacher, these are perfect for you! Good grip, durable and - of course - eco-friendly!
There’s a great feeling about unrolling a yoga mat and seeing it stays flat. This mat does exactly that! And it’s the perfect size if you normally need more space for your exercises, especially if you practice yoga outside. Lebensmuster Life Pattern Yoga Mat is made of natural rubber and cork and has an ideal thickness to protect your joints – 5mm.
Pros Easily absorbs shocks thanks to the flexible rubber base. It’s non-slip.
Cons Not suitable for travelling, quite heavy
Probably one of the most beautiful yoga mat you can imagine. It’s very elegant and it feels almost like a precious accessory. The colours available are super gorgeous and even if you go for the light colour this mat it's fine, because it will be easy to clean it. I personally like the purple one, but, just as other dark coloured mats, you might get white marks on it after use. the marks disappear by next day.
Another thing worth mentioning is that it comes beautifully packed in a box, so no plastic involved anywhere. Inside the box you'll find the mat in a hemp bag and there's also a towel.
Pros Very comfortable, only weights 1kg and fits in a suitcase
Cons There’s nothing wrong with this mat. It only comes in 4 colours.
Giving back Gymbella partners up with a charity foundation to plant one tree for each purchase
Liforme Yoga mat is longer and wider giving Yogis the space they crave, and with perfect balance between firm stability and comfortable cushioning. If you’re looking for grip, this is exactly what you need! At times, being too grippy might mean that it will pick up dirt from the floor. But no worries, you can clean it easily with a damp cloth.
Pros Amazing grip, the guide lines are very helpful
Cons it’s quite expensive, which might put some people off
Giving back Liforme supports yoga studios and teachers during rough periods by offering them grants or a percentage of their sales profits.
It probably doesn’t get more eco-friendly than having a jute fibre yoga mat. Jute will give you the feeling of interacting with Nature, facilitating your Grounding experience. Lottus Life yoga mat is the thickest matt on our list – 8mm, which means it’s good for your hips, knees, joints and back.
Pros Very confortable for advanced moves, no rubber smell
Cons Not too grippy, depending on the surface you use it on and type of exercise
Giving back Lottus Life donates 1% from each purchase to bring clean water to communities in need via the KARMA PROJECT
Yogo Ultralight travel mat is your ideal travel companion: it’s light and it doesn’t take to much space of your luggage. It’s designed for those who can’t take a break from their daily exercises. The grip is good, but not too extreme and you’ll need to spray it with water for more grip.
Pros Fold-up neatly and the handles are great for carrying it around
Cons It’s a travel mat so it’s quite thin
Giving back With every yoga mat you purchase, YOGO provides a food-bearing tree plus restorative agroforestry training and supplies for a poor family through their partner NGO.
Made from natural materials, this earth-friendly Eco Everyday Rise Yoga Mat from Yogamatters is the ideal place to start your day. It’s much more suitable for indoors than outdoors because of its thickness of only 3mm and it can get dirty quite quickly. However, it’s easy to clean it with a damp cloth or by submerging it in water. The grip is good and suitable to be used on pretty much any flat surface: tiles, wooden flooring or even on top of a carpet.
Pros It comes in a range of clean, natural shades and has a practical textured practice surface
Cons It might be too thin for some people
Giving back: Through the High Five Initiative, Yogamatters is supporting and encouraging five great projects over a period of five years, projects which are all transforming lives, renewing hope and working for a better future.
Manduka seems to be the “go-to” yoga mat for so many yogis and you’ve probably seen it many times at the gym. It’s the perfect yoga mat for experts and it gives you a good grip for every exercise. The thickness of the mat is just right and Manduka promises it will never wear out from yoga practice.
Pros Closed-cell surface prevents sweat from seeping into the mat. Easy to clean it and there’s no marks on it even after intense use
Cons Quite heavy and pricey
Giving back Through project:OM, Manduka donates 1% of their global sales to organizations who believe in empowering people to improve communities worldwide.
Teddy is Yogi Bare’s proposal of a yoga mat that absorbs sweat like a towel. Which is definitely true. It’s the ideal mat for hot yoga and it seems like the more you sweat, the grippier it gets. You can easily wash it using a washing machine. Comes in a range of beautiful patterns and fits very well in a suitcase, as it’s easily foldable and thin.
Pros good grip, easy to maintain
Cons It doesn’t come with a strap
Giving back: Yogi Bare supports Sea Shepherd OCEAN by donating part of their profit towards cleaning the ocean.
This studio-quality pro mat blends high-performance luxury with a sleek design. Ideal for all yoga and fitness practices, with just the right amount of cushion. Yoga Lab’s mats are made of ethically sourced natural rubber and recycled materials. It's a good mat for yoga teachers or those who have been practicing Yoga for a long time.
Pros It has a very good grip and has just the right thickness.
Cons Limited colours, not all available all the time
Giving back: $1 of each purchase goes to support boys and girls youth yoga programs in need ♥
Yoloha is a family-owned business who started the cork made yoga mats madness and they are living up to the challenge! They basically invented the cork yoga mat in their garage and the rest...is history! This yoga mat is composed of two layers and two different materials which put together make perfect sense: one surface is made of eco-friendly cork and the other is a dense foam base, free of PVC’s and latex.
Pros The cork surface is non slip and anti-microbial, no harsh rubber smells.
Cons it’s a bit tricky to roll-up, but you get used to it after a while
Giving back Yoloha yoga works with many local youth yoga programs to provide mats for their organizations including Empowered Minds