The Best Non-Toxic Yoga Mat
If you didn’t put a lot of thought into your yoga mat purchase, there is a good chance that it is made from toxic plastics. A common material of many mainstream yoga mats is PVC, a compound that causes deleterious effects on both human health and the environment. According to the NIH, exposure to PVC probably also means exposure to phthalates, which may disrupt reproduction and development and could be a cause of cancer.
According to Greenpeace “PVC is the most environmentally damaging plastic. The PVC lifecycle -- its production, use, and disposal -- results in the release of toxic, chlorine-based chemicals. These toxins are building up in the water, air and food chain.”
Working out should be something that improves your life, not something that exposes you and the planet to treacherous toxins.
The good news is that there are several high-quality non-toxic yoga mat options available.
Here are 5 high-quality yoga mats made with eco-friendly materials that are better for you and the planet:
1. The Jade Harmony mat is a beautifully constructed mat that is a favorite amongst yogis. Jade Yoga mats are made from natural rubber tapped from rubber trees, contain no PVC, EVA or other synthetic rubber, and are made in the United States. This mat is durable and retains its quality for many years. Jade Yoga also plants a tree for every mat sold!
2. Oko Living makes beautiful mats from herbal dyed and ethically hand-loomed organic cotton.
3. Corc Yoga mats are made from sustainable and biodegradable cork. They claim that each cork harvest contributes to the longevity of the tree. Corc Yoga mats are also handmade, PVC free and naturally antibacterial.
4. The Manduka eKO Superlite makes for an ideal eco-friendly travel yoga mat. The eKo Superlite is, well, super lightweight, and folds up to fit into your backpack. The only downside to this mat is that it has essentially no cushion.
5. Not only are Yellow Willow Yoga mats made from a micro-fibre suede made from recycled plastic bottles and natural biodegradable tree rubber with no latex, silicone, toxic glue, PVC or phthalates, they are also gorgeous.
note: there are yoga mats out there deemed eco-friendly that are made from PER. In my research, I found a few reasons to believe that these mats may not be as non-toxic as they say. They are therefore not included here.
