If you’ve been on the hunt for a great eco-friendly yoga mat, or just a great yoga mat period, you’ve probably come up against the question of natural vs. synthetic yoga mats.
There are many who love rubber mats for a variety of reasons, such as their biodegradable profile, totally plastic-free make up, and good grip. But a yoga mat is not a one size fits all solution. There is no ‘Best yoga mat” for everyone. I’ve been speaking with a lot of customers who have had bad experiences with rubber yoga mats for a variety of reasons including:
- Their smell. Rubber yoga mats can smell like burnt rubber long after they are unrolled for the first time. A customer brought in one of the most popular rubber mats on the market ONE YEAR after she bought it because the smell was still too gross. I had a yoga class last week and the man next to me had one. The smell was overpowering. Ew! TPE mats become smell-free after a week or so of unrolling.
- They are difficult to clean. Rubber is open cell, which means it absorbs sweat, germs, soap, and anything else it comes into contact with. TPE mats are closed cell, which means they are impervious to moisture, fungus, bacteria, and are very easy to keep clean and non-stinky.
- Latex! People with latex and other chemical sensitivities and allergies beware: rubber mats contain latex. TPE contains no latex at all.
- Their weight. Sure your arms are buff from yoga, but do you really want to carry around a mat that weighs up to 5 to 8 pounds? Little kids especially need a lightweight mat. Lotuspads and other TPE mats are super light and soft. Our heaviest mat weighs only 2 lbs 5 oz.
- Their cost. $60 -$95 for a yoga mat? No thanks! Our beautiful mats are only $40, and we are always offering promo codes and specials to make our beautiful yoga mats even more afforable during this difficult economic time.