The best non-toxic and eco-friendly yoga mats are a conscious alternative to conventional yoga mats and are designed to promote a holistic approach to your everyday regimen. Check out the full list of featured eco friendly yoga mats here.
Whether you’re new to yoga, an aspiring yogi, or have been practising for years, there’s one piece of equipment that you’re going to spend a lot of time with and on – the humble yoga mat.
In this guide, we’ve taken a look at the best natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly yoga mats for helping you meet every one of your yoga goals in a way which promotes the maximum benefit for you while minimizing harm to the environment.
The best eco-friendly yoga mats are made from materials that are sympathetic to environmental considerations and to your health meaning that you can focus on what matters most during each session on the mat.
Best Eco Yoga Mats
Many of the conventional yoga mats out there are far from green and ecological when it comes to promoting a healthy approach to a holistic yoga regimen for mind and body.
The best eco friendly yoga mats aim to change this in a big way, bringing a mix of conscious and considered materials onto the scene which are non-toxic, free from known carcinogens, and ultimately, better for both you and for the environment.
prAna E.C.O. Yoga Mat
Why we love it | Looks like a conventional mat but without the yucky chemicals
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly yoga mat that maintains the look and feel of a conventional yoga mat, then the E.C.O (Earth Conscious Offering) from prAna is a definite contender for one of the best on the market. Produced following a toxin-free manufacturing process, the prAna E.C.O yoga mat is made without PVC, chloride or latex. On top of these green credentials, the E.C.O yoga mat is completely recyclable meaning when it’s time to replace, you can rest assured that the environmental footprint of the mat is minimized. The E.C.O yoga mat is made from 100% Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), a durable and UV resistant material as well as providing a high performance, two sided textured design. This means that stability is built into the prAna E.C.O and the mat provides a non-slip top surface and an underside that ensures it remains where you place it, even on slippery surfaces.
Best Cork Yoga Mats
Cork yoga mats offer a ton of benefits over many conventional yoga mat varieties which make them a great choice if you’re looking for an eco yoga mat that keeps a solid focus on environmental and health considerations.
Some of the major advantages of cork yoga mats include:
- Cork is biodegradable and will break down naturally at end of life
- It is hypoallergenic and repels dust, insects, and vermin
- Cork can be sustainably grown and harvested
- For a natural material, cork has a long life and is both easy to maintain and clean
- Cork yoga mats are non-toxic, providing a significant advantage over conventional PVC yoga mats
ARC Fitness Project Cork Yoga Mat
Why we love it | A low-profile, lightweight yoga mat with great grip
Designed to be a naturally better way of carrying out your regular yoga practice, the ARC Fitness Project cork yoga mat is a natural and healthy alternative to conventional yoga mats. One of the first things to note about the ARC Fitness Project natural yoga mat is that it features a 4mm thickness over the more conventional 5mm found in most other mats. The main thinking behind this is that it significantly cuts down on weight to allow for a lower-profile, lighter yoga mat meaning you don’t have to carry around a bulky mat between sessions, however this is a factor worth keeping in mind if you’re looking for a thicker mat. The multi-function sling for this natural cork yoga mat is designed to also double up as a yoga strap, allowing you to get practical use out of it when you arrive at a class or the studio. Cork yoga mats are known to offer superior grip (great for stability), and the ARC Fitness Project is no exception, actually providing more grip and stability with heat and sweat. On top of this, the natural antimicrobial, self-sanitizing, and odor-control properties of cork not only make this a low maintenance natural yoga mat solution (regular cleaning isn’t necessary), but will keep the yoga mat in top condition by offering protection from harmful bacteria, mold, and dust when it’s not in use.
Basically Perfect Cork Yoga Mat
Why we love it | This mat is made from all natural cork and organic tree rubber and won’t chip like other cork mats
The Basically Perfect Cork Yoga Mat is designed to be hard-wearing and long-lasting, resulting in a durable, eco-friendly yoga mat which is made from all natural cork and organic tree rubber. One of the more common complaints with some cork yoga mats is that the surface can have a tendency to chip whereas the Basically Perfect is designed to resist chipping under regular use. A key to a good natural yoga mat is the ability to provide sufficient stability and support at all times and the natural ability of cork to offer this is designed into the very fabric of the Basically Perfect mat. As with the other eco friendly yoga mats in our list, the Basically Perfect Cork Yoga Mat is free from phtalates, TPE, and PVC meaning that it’s completely non-toxic. Cork yoga mats have great antimicrobial properties and are naturally hypoallergenic and the Basically Perfect is also no different in this respect, providing a surface which is self-sanitizing by nature, keeping it free from bacteria even after heavy use.
BodyGood Cork Yoga Mat
Why we love it | Naturally water repellent, anti-microbial, and nonslip with a risk free guarantee
The BodyGood Cork Yoga Mat is naturally water repellent, anti-microbial, and nonslip, as well as boasting all of the usual environmentally friendly credentials of a natural cork yoga mat. Support is provided on the BodyGood mat through the inclusion of a ribbed rubber base which means you’re going to get perfect stability during your practice – no matter how intense it gets. This natural yoga mat is designed in California and is crafted to provide the benefits of a highly stable and effective mat, without the negative aspects sometimes encountered with conventional alternatives. A risk free guarantee is included with the BodyGood Cork Yoga Mat for added peace of mind when purchasing so you can test it out to see how it works with your practice.
Best Jute Yoga Mats
If you’re looking for the best natural yoga mat but want to look beyond materials such as cork, another excellent choice is jute which provides many of the benefits of other naturally based eco yoga mat materials both in terms of non-toxicity as well as environmentally conscious credentials and sustainable characteristics which protect it from wear and tear over time.
As a fiber which is one of the most sustainable found in nature, jute is a considerably better choice for the environment when compared to many of the traditional yoga mat materials out there while remaining extremely hard wearing as well as super easy to maintain and clean.
Ajna Organic Jute Yoga Mat
Why we love it | For every mat sold Ajna have committed to planting a tree
The Ajna Organic Jute Yoga Mat is eco-friendly, vegan, and completely recyclable. On top of this, this organic yoga mat is free from harmful chemicals and other toxic additives such as BPA, PVC, lead, cadmium, and heavy metals. When it comes to transporting your eco yoga mat around, a 100% cotton carrier strap makes transporting your mat a breeze, allowing effortless shoulder carrying of this lightweight yoga mat, as well as super simple storage when you get home after practice. Designed for all sizes and genders, the Ajna Organic Jute Yoga Mat is simple to clean and maintain when you’re done – simply wash with water, wipe with a natural disinfectant, and then hang to dry. For every eco yoga mat sold by the company, Ajna have also committed to planting a tree for each purchase made making this a holistically solid choice that has benefits beyond those you’ll experience when using it.
Maji Sports Jute Yoga Mat
Why we love it | Environmentally conscious and healthy yoga mat ideal for hot yoga
The Jute Yoga Mat from Maji Sports provides all of the benefits you’d expect from one of the best natural jute yoga mats, allowing for a considered yoga session that’s environmentally conscious and healthy in equal measure. As well as benefiting from the biodegradeable properties of jute as one of the major constituent materials used in the construction of the mat, the Maji Sports yoga mat is also non-toxic and is free from phtalates, silicone, and latex. If you’re looking for a natural yoga mat for bikram, hatha, power, or any type of vinyassa yoga, then the Maji Sports Jute yoga mat is a great choice, delivering the superior natural stability and grip for use in a range of demanding situations. If you want to increase the grip offered by this mat even further, consider pairing with a hot yoga towel which can be placed directly on top of the mat.
