A yoga practitioner has a good yoga mat, just like a martial artist has a handy weapon.
But how to buy a yoga mat that suits you is a doubt that almost every yoga beginner has.
If you are also struggling with what yoga mat to buy, don’t be afraid, today I will explain to you all the mats ranging from tens to thousands of yuan, and it will definitely help you in your yoga journey in the end.
If you want to know how to choose a yoga mat, you have to understand its material characteristics, because the material determines the life of the mat, whether it is environmentally friendly, the strength of the grip, and the ease of cleaning are very important.
Let’s start with the cheapest material first.
1. PVC yoga mat
“Price” is the factor that many people consider the most when choosing a yoga mat, because they are not sure whether they can persist in yoga, and want to experience it at the lowest cost.
PVC mats are the first choice, they are cheap and durable. But its shortcomings are also obvious. Due to the rough process and low cost, it is not environmentally friendly. It has a strong taste and may contain toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, and phthalic acid, and its slip resistance is not good.
2. NBR yoga mat
Nitrile rubber (NBR) is a non-toxic synthetic rubber material with no smell. It is characterized by its thickness, which can generally reach more than 10 mm, and is particularly easy to break.
This thickness provides cushioning for people with bad joints, but it’s also not good for balance when practicing on it. Rather than practicing yoga, it is more suitable for sitting on the floor of the living room, playing or sleeping on it.
3. TPE yoga mat
TPE is a synthetic material that mixes natural latex and hemp. There are many chemical components in the production process. The advantage is that it can be recycled and reused, has good elasticity, and has good anti-skid effect.
The disadvantage is that it is difficult for you to know what substances are mixed in the TPE mats sold by the manufacturers. Some manufacturers often use inferior raw materials or even waste materials to pretend to be TPE yoga mats in order to save costs, and it is difficult for us to distinguish them from the appearance.
4. Natural rubber yoga mat
Natural rubber yoga mats are the “nobility” among yoga mats. They are very expensive. The materials are natural and environmentally friendly, with strong grip and good cushioning effect.
But after opening, there will be a natural rubber smell, which lasts for a long time, and because its surface absorbs sweat well, it needs to pay more attention to maintenance, otherwise it is easy to hide dirt and bacteria, and it is relatively heavy , it is not very convenient to carry.
5. PU yoga mat
PU (polyurethane), also known as artificial leather, combines the plasticity of rubber with the strength of plastic, and has good performance in sweat absorption, resilience, environmental protection and anti-skid performance, and has no peculiar smell of natural rubber.
Its surface is the same as the rubber material. Although it can be wet and dry, it can also prevent bacteria from absorbing sweat. Therefore, some brands have tried to do antibacterial treatment on the PU surface to solve this problem. Of course, the price will also increase. relatively high.
The above types are the mainstream yoga mat materials on the market. You can choose according to your own needs. Yoga beginners who have a limited budget and want to have a good exercise experience can choose TPU yoga mats. Friends with sufficient budgets can choose antibacterial mats. Functional PU mat or natural rubber mat.