These 5 Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats Are Good for the Earth and Your Practice

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5 Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats to Buy
Manduka eKO Lite Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Gaiam Jute Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Jade Harmony Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Prana E.C.O. Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Yoloha Yoga Cork Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Prana Verde Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Buying an eco-friendly yoga mat means you don't have to worry about chemicals during chaturunga.
Image Credit: Mireya Acierto/DigitalVision/GettyImages

No one wants to be thinking about what chemical additives are underneath their hands and feet during downward dog. Fortunately, more and more companies are producing eco-friendly yoga mats and natural yoga mat cleaners.

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When you have a mat that's free of dangerous chemicals and made with eco-friendly processes or more sustainable materials — like all-natural rubber and jute — you don't have to sacrifice good grip quality in your efforts to be gentler on Mother Earth. Here are five options to consider.

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Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats

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How We Chose

We based our decisions for the best eco-friendly yoga mats on the following criteria:

  • Material
  • Dimensions
  • Weight
  • Thickness/cushioning

1. Best Overall: Manduka eKO Lite Yoga Mat

This Manduka yoga mat comes in some beautiful colorways.
  • Material: ‌natural tree rubber
  • Dimensions:‌ 71" x 24" (standard) or 79" x 24" (long)
  • Weight:‌ 5.2 lbs (standard) or 5.6 lbs (long)
  • Thickness:‌ 4 mm

Made from biodegradable, non-Amazon-harvested, natural tree rubber, Manduka's eKO lite yoga mat offers some serious grip, even in the midst of your sweatiest hot yoga classes. The rippled surface texture feels and acts like the ridges of your hands to prevent slipping and sliding. Plus, Manduka also carries a line of sweet-smelling natural yoga mat cleaners.

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Buy it:Manduka.com; ‌Price:‌ $84 (standard) or $95 (long)

2. Best Budget Mat: Gaiam Jute Yoga Mat

Jute may feel a little different, but it's much better for the environment.
  • Material: ‌jute
  • Dimensions:‌ 68" x 24"
  • Weight:‌ 3.5 lbs
  • Thickness:‌ 5 mm

Gaiam's Jute Yoga Mat mixes environmentally friendly polymer resin with jute (a vegetable-based fiber). While the jute creates a bit of a different feeling on your hands than traditional rubber mats, the no-slip properties remain. Plus, the rubber portion provides the comfort and support that's missing from an all-jute mat.

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Buy it:Gaiam.com; ​‌Price: ‌$39.98

3. Best for Giving Back: Jade Yoga Harmony Mat

A portion of the sale of these mats from Jade go to support some really good causes.
  • Material: ‌natural tree rubber
  • Dimensions:‌ 68" x 24" or 74" x 24" (also have extra-wide 28" mats)
  • Weight:‌ 5 lbs
  • Thickness:‌ 4.7 mm

While all of Jade's yoga mats are made from all-natural rubber and are PVC-free, their mats take altruism one step further by donating $5 from each sale of teal mat purchased to ovarian cancer charities, $5 from each saffron mat to Autism causes and $5 for every pink mat to breast cancer charities.

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For those who value companies who give back to the environment, Jade plants a tree for every one of their mats sold through their partnership with Trees for the Future. They've planted more than two million trees so far!

Buy it:JadeYoga.com; ‌Price:‌ $84.95 (standard) or $89.95 (long)

4. Best Durable Mat: Prana Verde Yoga Mat

This mat comes in two colors and two sizes.
  • Material:‌ FSC-certified recycled rubber
  • Dimensions:‌ 72" x 24" (standard) or 78" x 26" (large)
  • Weight:‌ 6.8 lbs
  • Thickness:‌ 4 mm

These yoga mats are made from two different materials, each serving a different purpose. A blend of recycled and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified rubber provide plenty of cushioning, and an organic cotton internal scrim that helps keep the mat from stretching over time.

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This product is free of PVC, chloride and latex. The underside of the mat stays put on smooth, hard surfaces, while the top offers a no-slip grip and won't allow germs from your sweat to absorb into the mat.

Buy it:Prana.com; ‌Price:‌ $99 (standard) or $110 (large)

5. Best Lightweight Mat: Yoloha Yoga Cork Mat

No matter how sweaty you get, you won't slip on this eco-friendly yoga mat from Yoloha.
  • Material: ‌cork
  • Dimensions:‌ 72" x 26" (standard) or 80" x 26" (long)
  • Weight:‌ 2.5 lbs
  • Thickness:‌ 6 mm

Promoting and providing sustainable products is a big part of Yoloha as a company — the brand even ships products in 100-percent recycled paper and cardboard, according to the Yoloha site. Yoloha mats are made of sustainably produced cork and recycled rubber.

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But these mats aren't just good for the environment, they're great for your practice, too. Thanks to the materials used, the more you sweat, the better your grip will be. Plus, cork naturally deters bacteria and germs, and the foam on the underside of the mat won't absorb moisture.

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Buy it:YolohaYoga.com; ‌Price:‌ $129 (standard) or $149 (long)

Natural Yoga Mat Cleaners We Love

What to Look for in a Yoga Mat

If you're shopping for a yoga mat in the store, ask if you can try a few poses on a test mat. If you're shopping online, be sure to read some of the reviews — some of the best and some of the not-so-great. Here's specifically what to look for:

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Thickness

Most yogis practice yoga barefoot, and with all the standing and inverted poses in a traditional class, a thick, cushy yoga mat can make asanas more comfortable.

If you'll be practicing on your carpeted living room floor, you might be able to get away with a thinner mat (2 to 3 millimeters). But if you'll be practicing on concrete, hardwood or another hard surface, you'll want to look for a mat that's 5 to 6 millimeters thick.

Texture and Grip

Because of the variety of stances and positions you'll find yourself in during yoga, you'll want to make sure your mat's surface is textured enough that you're not slipping and sliding all over the place. And on the flip side, you'll want to make sure your mat stick to the floor.

This is especially important if you're in a super-sweaty class like hot or power yoga. Most yoga mats now mention their textured surface in online descriptions, but you can also check for one. Usually that means a soft, foamy first layer with a rubbery or woven top layer.

If you discover the mat you purchased doesn't quite keep you in place, don't panic! Throw down a yoga towel (or even a regular bath towel) to add some resistance between your hands and feet and the mat.

Dimensions

A standard yoga mat measures 24 inches wide by 68 inches long. For many people, that's plenty of space to move around. But if you're taller than 6 feet or you simply want more room to practice on, you'll want to look for a wider and/or longer mat.

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Some companies — like Yoloha and Jade — offer mats that are either 26 or 28 inches wide. And others provide a variety of lengths, ranging from 71 to 85 inches. Extra-large yoga mats generally cost a bit more than standard yoga mats, but make yoga much more enjoyable when you're not hanging off your mat.

Material

Traditionally, Westernized yoga mats have been made from PVC (vinyl). But as explained above, many companies are now using more earth-friendly material like natural or recycled rubber, jute and natural or organic cotton.

The material you chose is largely up to your personal preference. But of course, you should also take into consideration any allergies or skin sensitivities you have — not just for your yoga mat but your yoga mat cleaner as well.

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