After searching the major e-commerce platforms, the yoga mats that appear on the homepage are mostly made of TPE and NBR, mainly because the price is cheap and most people can afford it.
Does cheap mean high price? Not necessarily. At present, the materials of yoga mats on the market mainly include: TPE, NBR, PVC, PU, cork, rubber, linen, etc. The four materials of TPE, NBR, PVC, and rubber can be used as the bottom surface or the front and back of the entire yoga mat. It can be used as this kind of material, while PU, cork, and flax have good water absorption, anti-skid, and skin-friendly properties. Usually, they can only be used as the surface of yoga mats, because these materials are expensive. As the bottom surface, they do not have slip and abrasion resistance of TPE and rubber.
The following factors are mainly considered when purchasing a yoga mat: price, elasticity, slip resistance, and safety (environmental protection of materials).
Price: PU>cork/linen/rubber>TPE>NBR>PVC
Elasticity: Rubber>TPE>NBR>PVC
Anti-skid property: rubber>TPE>PU/cork>NBR>PVC
Durability: Rubber>TPE>PU/Cork/Linen>NBR>PVC
Safety: linen>TPE>cork>PU/rubber>NBR>PVC
Based on the comparison of the characteristics of the above various materials, the most cost-effective yoga mat is TPE yoga mat！
What’s TPE Material?
TPE generally refers to thermoplastic elastomer, also known as artificial rubber or synthetic rubber. Its products not only have the excellent properties of high elasticity, aging resistance and oil resistance of traditional cross-linked vulcanized rubber, but also have the characteristics of convenient processing and wide processing methods of ordinary plastics. It can be produced by injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and other processing methods, and 100% of the corners of the nozzle can be directly used for secondary use after being crushed. It not only simplifies the processing process, but also reduces the processing cost. Therefore, thermoplastic elastomer TPE/TPR material has become the latest material to replace traditional rubber. It is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, comfortable to the touch, and beautiful in appearance, making the product more creative. Therefore, it is also a more humane and high-grade new synthetic material, and it is also a world-standard environmental protection material.
TPE yoga mats are affordable, elastic, non-slip, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, durable, and washable.
First: good elasticity.
The density of TPE is higher than that of NBR and TPE, so the elasticity of TPE yoga mat is better than that of NBR and PVC. The good elasticity of TPE is mainly reflected in the fast rebound and not easy to deform, while NBR and PVC have poor resilience and are easy to sag, especially the material Poor, it will feel sticky when pinched. A relatively simple way to judge is to tear the yoga mat to see if it will quickly return to its original shape.
Second: Good skid resistance.
TPE yoga mat has high density and compact material, and can emboss various non-slip textures on it, while NBR and PVC are softer and cannot be embossed with various non-slip textures. Even if they can be embossed, due to comparison Soft, non-slip effect will not be very good. This is like watermelon rind. TPE is equivalent to the green skin of watermelon, which is relatively hard. If you grind the skin, it will not be very slippery. On the other hand, NBR and PVC are equivalent to the side with a capsule, which is relatively soft. Even if many lines are drawn on the upper surface, it still feels slippery and slippery.
Third: Security.
Both TPE and NBR are environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials. These two materials will not emit a pungent smell. After buying them, they can be used immediately after wiping them. Therefore, this material is also suitable for children to use as crawling mats or game mats. . However, the plastic smell and pungent smell of PVC yoga mats are relatively strong, and the new ones need to be opened for a period of time before they can be used.
Fourth: Durability.
TPE yoga mat is not easy to deform due to its high density and good elasticity, which determines its durability. Moreover, the yoga mat made of this material can be washed in water, and can be cleaned with laundry detergent, detergent or even alcohol. Cleaning and disinfection, and it will dry quickly if placed in a cool and ventilated place, because this material is not easy to absorb and seep water. Due to the small density of NBR and PVC, the pores inside are relatively large. If they are washed in water, the pores are easy to absorb water, and the water is not easy to evaporate. Even if it is aired, it is not easy to dry.
Based on the above analysis, although the price of TPE yoga mat will be more expensive than NBR and PVC, its price is far cheaper than PU, cork, rubber, and linen, and TPE yoga mat is elastic, non-slip, durable and safe. Performance, as well as later maintenance, are much easier than NBR and PVC. Therefore, TPE yoga mat is currently the most cost-effective yoga mat among all. This is also my preferred material for buying yoga mats!