How To Pick The Best Yoga Mat?
It was only a short while ago that buying a yoga mat was a simple and non complicated process. There would maybe be two or three colors to pick from and the different colors were all the same style of mat.
Things have definitely changed, and now I continuously get asked the question – what kind of yoga mat should I buy? There are now mats for every brand and style of yoga out there, for every color preference, size preference and material preference you can imagine. In fact it is now a little confusing to find the mat that you want due to all the options out there.
To help with all the information here are a few points to look at as you consider what kind of mat you may choose.
Cost – Everyone knows what is comfortable for them, but it is handy to know that you usually get what you pay for. If you want a mat that is an irregular size, like extra long, or extra wide then you will pay a bit of a premium for it. If you select a higher quality material for your mat again you will notice the price to be a little higher then the average as well. The minimum for a mat is $10 and all the way up to $100, so there is a big range.
Traction – If you really enjoy a lot of traction in your practice you may want to chose a rubber mat. Particularly open cell rubber can give a lot of grip. There are also many mats that are textured to different likings so check it out. Keeping your mat clean also really contributes to a good grip.
Material – There is plastic, the worst of which is PVC, then there are better ones like PER and TPE. But the better materials are natural. Recycled rubber and natural cotton yoga mats can be great, non environmentally damaging options that will support you well. Usually the natural rubber is a little more expensive – but well worth it too.
Size – Thickness ranges from 1/16 for a travel mat to 1/8, which is the most common, to ¼, which is considered a thick mat. Thick is good for protection of joints and less good for stability. Length is very easy to figure out. Just chose a mat that is as long as you are or longer.