Yoga mats help to keep you stable when you are practicing your poses. They should be readily portable, as well as comfortable and cushioning. If you are parsing through your options to select the best yoga mat for your workout, you should always keep the following considerations in mind.
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Choosing The Perfect Yoga Mat for You:
Thickness
Life is a series of trade-offs, and nowhere is that more evident than when you are selecting the thickness of your new yoga mat. At odds is your search for comfort, which would suggest getting a thicker mat, versus your desire to establish a solid connection with the floor. Buy to thin, and that connection with the floor will be all too evident the first time you crack your knee during a Crescent Lunge, and but too thick you will find yourself wobbling hither and yon when attempting a perfect execution of your Tree Pose. Portability is also sacrificed in the interest of thickness, so base your buying decision on your workout habits.
Material
The material of your new yoga mat bears a direct relationship to its texture, stickiness, and eco-friendly properties. The vast majority of yoga mats that you will see on the shelves are made of vinyl, which provides an excellent return on your investment as their rugged manufacture will give the mat a lifespan of at least a decade. Additionally, vinyl, otherwise known as PVC, is known for the give and take of its sponginess. For those who value eco-friendliness over sponginess in their yoga mat purchases, more earth-friendly options are available from the use of recycled rubber, jute, or organic cotton.
Texture and Stickiness
Both texture and stickiness relate to the level of slipping and sliding that you will do when conducting poses. Working together, the texture provides barriers to sliding while stickiness relies on the physics of suction to keep you in place. The texture is achieved by inserting patterns of raised bumps in the surface of standard vinyl yoga mats, while natural fabrics like jute have a naturally rough texture. Generally speaking, you will find that vinyl mats will provide the most stickiness for your workout, but that advantage is lost if the mat is dirty, so make sure that you have thoroughly washed it down before that next yoga class.