Yoga mats are available in nearly every type imaginable. They are made of synthetic materials, all natural materials, and many combinations there of. Plus yoga mats can be purchased to compliment any many colors and designs for anyone’s taste or style.
There are a few fundamental categories of yoga mats: natural fiber mats, sticky mats, and natural rubber/vinyl mats. Each mat has its pros’ and cons’ depending on the type of yoga, a person’s individual preference of feel, and the budget allowed for the item. Every yoga store or website a person will search for yoga mats will be faced with many products that all look the same, each claiming to be the best. The best yoga mat is really in the eyes of the beholder.
For stretches and balancing poses many people prefer the security of a sticky mat. These mats are made of PVC a synthetic material which is designed to help people keep their grip. The mats are often light weight and easy to carry.
Most people who participate in yoga are interested in the mat for power yoga (also known as hatha yoga) will be doing more physical activity and are likely to sweat more. For this reason a natural fiber such as cotton or other natural woven fibers would give a better grip while sweating. If you are interested in using the mat for complete forms of yoga that include relaxation and meditation will want a longer and possibly thicker mat designed for lying stretched out flat. Most of these mats will be made from natural rubber or vinyl depending on the manufacturer.
Yoga Mat Buying Tips
Regardless of the kind of material to be used for the mat, there are a few basic considerations to be taken with any yoga mat. A yoga mat should also be easy to care for. Much like clothing, yoga mats which are machine washable are preferable to mats which require hand washing or other special care. Yoga mats are frequently used on public floors, for sanitation and personal comfort machine washable mats will fit the bill.
The yoga mat should be durable; to test the durability some people use a quarter to rub away at a sample of the material counting the strokes. At the end of the test, this person can deduct that the mat that was able to withstand the largest number of strokes is the most durable.
Most machine washable mats cannot withstand the spin cycle, for maximum life of the mat it should be removed and allow to air dry flat or hanging. Rolling the mat or folding it before it has had time to dry can also affect its longevity.
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