The 11 Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats

Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat [Top 11]

I’m a huge yoga fan. And an environmentalist.

Let me just get this straight right away: finding a yoga mat isn’t hard. It’s actually dead simple. However, finding an eco-friendly yoga mat isn’t easy. Especially if you want that eco-friendly version to also be comfortable, have the perfect thickness, and be light enough to carry around.

I’ve spent several hours browsing through Google and Amazon to find the perfect eco-friendly yoga mat for you. That made me read about:

  • Different brands
  • The perfect thickness
  • How to choose a yoga mat
  • ….and in the end, I bought one (you’ll see that later in the article).

I have finally come up with a list of eleven recommended eco-friendly yoga mats.

They are comfortable. Not too pricey. And they do not destroy the planet.

What more can you ask for?

Let’s get to it.

The 11 Best  Eco-Friendly  Yoga Mats

Table of Contents

In a hurry? Here are my three favorite eco-friendly yoga mats

Lightweight
Heathyoga Eco Friendly Non Slip Yoga Mat - TPE Material
Heathyoga Eco Friendly Non Slip Yoga Mat, Body Alignment System, SGS Certified TPE Material - Textured Non Slip Surface and Optimal Cushioning,72"x 26" Thickness 1/4"
Weight
2,2 pounds
Thickness
6 mm
Lightweight
Heathyoga Eco Friendly Non Slip Yoga Mat - TPE Material
Heathyoga Eco Friendly Non Slip Yoga Mat, Body Alignment System, SGS Certified TPE Material - Textured Non Slip Surface and Optimal Cushioning,72"x 26" Thickness 1/4"
Weight
2,2 pounds
Thickness
6 mm

Why do I recommend these three yoga mats?

Because they fit all my criteria.

After spending hours researching mats, I decided to buy several of them. And due ot that, I know exactly what I need when buying a yoga mat.

That includes:

  • That the mat is made of eco-friendly material
  • Not too expensive
  • Non-slippery
  • I can wash it in the washing machine
  • Lightweight
  • I’ve bought and owned both of them (this is no fake review…just look at the pictures below)
  • ….and that’s about it. 🙂

You might be curious why these three mats are recommended. I’ll let you know straight away.


1. Lightweight and thick: HeathYoga

Heathyoga Eco Friendly Non Slip Yoga Mat, Body Alignment System, SGS Certified TPE Material - Textured Non Slip Surface and Optimal Cushioning,72'x 26' Thickness 1/4' Table could not be displayed.

1. Natural Jute Yoga Mat

Sale
Natural Jute Yoga Mat
1,903 Reviews
Natural Jute Yoga Mat

  • Made from premium organic natural fibres that repels smells and sweat.
  • Very thick and dense yoga mat. Say goodbye to knees that hurt.
  • Comes with a free and durable yoga strap. Not one of these that gets destroyed after a week – this one is proper solid.
  • This eco-friendly yoga mat is free from harmful chemicals, latex, BPA 6P phthalate and heavy metals.
  • When I sent an e-mail to the owner before I purchased on Amazon, he/she was very friendly & knowledgable and answered all the questions I had about the product.

General comment:

I bought this one and I am quite happy with it. Not only is it pretty to look at, but it really also does the job. Having tried a couple of other yoga mats, this one is by far the second best I have tried.

Easy to bring to the gym and back as it got a (eco-friendly) carrier strap.

This was my previous yoga mat before I purchased the one on top. I do not feel bad for throwing it out as I had used it for five years, which meant that it started to look and feel a bit old.

Pros:

– No harmful chemicals at all. You can even do naked yoga without really having to think about your health.

– It feels very soft to your skin. Yoga before and after buying this mat is really two different things. I do not want to use unnecessary “big words”, but that is true.

– The cotton carrier strap makes it very easy to bring from A to B.

– It’s beautiful. The design is quite unique on this one. I can almost guarantee that all the other attendees in the yoga class will have mats that differ from yours.

– The mat is 5mm thick, which is average. That means that it is suitable for both pros and beginners.

Cons:

– The price is a bit steep. I understand if people out there do not want to pay 50 USD + for a yoga mat, which is why I also listed some other below.

2. IUGA Exclusive Yoga Mat

IUGA Eco Friendly Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines
1,719 Reviews
IUGA Eco Friendly Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines

  • This yoga mat comprises of quite recently developed and patented TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) foam.
  • Reversible Design: Reversible textured sticky non-slip surface for excellent traction.
  • Perfect for home or studio use. The alignment lines help to maintain the correct body posture in several yoga poses. It’s particularly helpful when practicing alone without instructors. (which is exactly how I do my yoga….with some instructions on my computer)
  • Extra Large Size: 72” long X 26” wide and 6mm thickness. The perfect balance of weight and cushion.

General comments:

Note that I now is giving comments to a product that I have never bought. I just want to be 100 % honest about this. However, I have enough knowledge about yoga mats to write down some useful information.

This is a typical “beginner yoga mat”. Extra grip and extra thickness [6mm].

Pros:

– Perfect for beginners. If you have never done any yoga before, this is a great option.

– Cheap price.

– Loads of good customer reviews on Amazon.

Cons:

N/A.

By the look of it, this really looks like a quite decent yoga mat for the price.

3. TOPLUS Eco-friendly Yoga Mat

IUGA Eco Friendly Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines
4,358 Reviews
IUGA Eco Friendly Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines

  •  The upgraded TOPLUS Yoga mat is made with a patent pending new echo friendly material. PS! The manufacturer does not really specify what exactly this “eco-friendly” material consists of…
  • One of the yoga mats with the best reviews on Amazon (that also includes the non-eco-friendly mats)
  • 6mm in thickness offers the most comfortable experience for all levels yoga.
  • The TOPLUS yoga mat is light enough to carry to the gym or anywhere you want with the included carrying strap. DIMENSION: 72-inch x 24-inch x 6mm. Weight: 37o

General comments:

Another decent choice. Comes in four different colors and got some interesting features. Unless you want to pay a bit extra for a premium, eco-friendly yoga mat, this is something for you.

Pros:

– Body alignment system. According to what is written on Amazon, this one is specialized in giving you the support you need to keep a certain position. In other words: you can say goodbye to falling over when attempting to do a difficult yoga position.

– Cheap. You can check the current price on Amazon in the link below, but when I write this is costs about 30 USD. That is cheap.

– No smell from plastic or other harmful chemicals. According to the ad, this one is absolutely smell-free.

Cons:

N/A.

By the look of it, this really looks like a quite decent yoga mat for the price.

4. IUGA Carry-Friendly Yoga Mat

Sale
IUGA Yoga Mat Non Slip Textured Surface
2,366 Reviews
IUGA Yoga Mat Non Slip Textured Surface

  • Made out of 100 % eco-friendly materials
  • No Lingering Odors
  • Free Carry strap: Easy to go and store. No need to go buy a yoga carrying strap.
  • Lightweight, Perfect Size and Durable

General comments:

More or less identical to #3. Same price, same sales arguments and almost the same colors available.

Pros:

Just read #3. Apart from paying 3 USD more, it looks like you will buy an identical product.

Cons:

N/A.

By the look of it, this really looks like a quite decent yoga mat for the price. You have probably noticed that I write this about ever yoga mat I haven’t tried, right? ☺

Eco-friendly yoga mat pricing

  • Below 30 USD: I was looking a bit into this price range before I had any idea of what I had to spend to get a decent product. Let me put it this way: yoga mats below 29,99 are either ugly, eco-harmful, or of really low quality.Most of them have a combination of all these above-mentioned factors.

  • Between 30 and 60 USD: This is where you will find most of the yoga mats. It seems that the standard price for decent-looking, eco-friendly mats on Amazon range between 40 and 59 USD.Let me be quite frank with you. There’s no reason to pay more. If you manage to choose the right one, these mats are solid, waterproof, non-slippery, lightweight and they just do the damn job. Unless you’re a yoga master professor, I would never recommend spending more than 59 $ on a single yoga mat.

  • Above 60 USD: I am a “yoga noob”. Therefore, I would never buy any mat above the price range of 60 USD. Luckily, I would also say that only 3-4 % of all yoga mat manufacturers price their mats within this price range. I just can’t see any benefit of spending more than 50 USD on a yoga mat.

FAQ

Are most yoga mats out there harmful to the environment?

Yes. Absolutely.

That isn’t only limited to yoga mats. The biggest sinner is a toxic material called PVC. Yoga mats that contain PVC will keep radiate after production – and that will harm not only you (the user) but also the environment.

Los Angeles Times has published a super great article about why the “yoga equipment industry” went from toxic to eco-friendly materials in yoga mats.

Are all yoga mats that are branded “eco-friendly” on Amazon really environmentally friendly?

Oh gosh! Oh no!

As I mentioned previously in the article: I spent hours on research before writing this article. And let me be very clear: there were loads of home fitness equipment companies that claim their products to be “eco-friendly”…

Once I looked into what their yoga mats were made of, I was not very impressed.

Are these recommended eco-friendly yoga mats non slip?

Probably not all of them. I’ve only tried three: and they were both great for all types of use.

Eco-Friendly Yoga mat: Key Features

For most people, that list would look something like this:

1) Price.
2) Comfort.

For me, it is quite different. I value comfort the most. If you ever tried yoga, you already know that it is all about relaxation. To relax, you need to have a soft surface to “play on”. Eco-friendliness is number two. Rejecting to buy products that harm the environment is something that I see as one of my best habits. And in the end, price is also an important factor. Firstly because I am not a millionaire.

Secondly because spending several hundred dollars on a yoga mat isn’t a really good idea.

1stComfort & Softness
2ndEco-friendly materials
3rdPrice
4thThe fact that the mat is “in stock” on Amazon. 🙂

Why should you buy yoga equipment on Amazon?

Well, I have always been a big fan of online shopping. Amazon is not only the biggest e-commerce retailer in the world. It is also a place where manufacturers from all over the world can offer their goods. Another thing is its global reach. Regardless of if you are in the USA, Namibia, China, or Vietnam, you can always order on Amazon.

In this case, I was never in doubt that they offered the biggest selection of eco-friendly yoga mats on the market.

PS! If you know a better place to buy environmentally friendly yoga equipment, feel free to add a comment in the comment section below.

Background

For years, I was looking at yoga as something that older women did. The idea that I, a 27-year-old guy, would go into the fitness center and join a yoga class was somewhat bizarre. But luckily, a friend of mine actually convinced me to join a class. Regardless of what you think about religion and spirituality: yoga is amazing!

In order to do yoga (home and in a fitness center), you need a yoga mat. And due to the simple fact that I am an environmentalist, I did a lot of research to find the best eco-friendly yoga mat on the market. I chose to write this article in order to share what I learned. Frankly, I am not sure how long time you usually spend on research before buying anything, but I will at least save you an hour or so.

Just to make sure that we are on the same page, these are my criteria when I buy an eco-friendly yoga mat:

  • That it’s thick enough to not hurt my elbows, knees, or hands while doing yoga.
  • Price.
  • That there’s no harmful chemicals in it.
  • The fact that it’s available on Amazon, which means I can get it as quickly as possible.
  • Overall quality.

If you agree with these criteria, I would actually say that you should trust my reviews below. 🙂

What eco-friendly Yoga Mat do I use myself?

If there is one thing I believe should be banned on the Internet, it’s fake reviews. An awful lot of people make a list of yoga mats that they have never used – and try to squeeze out some money by recommending them to their audience.

That should not be allowed.

In order to prove that I actually am quite an (eco-friendly) yoga enthusiast myself, here are some pictures of the yoga mat that I really recommend:

If you want to have a look at the Prana yoga mat on Amazon, feel free to click here. Right now, it’s valued at around 60 USD, but this might change in the future.

9 thoughts on “Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat [Top 11]”

  1. Avatar

    Thanks for giving some advice on what the best eco-friendly yoga mat is.

    In the ocean of yoga equipment that flourishes online, it’s easy to get lost and be tempted to buy the cheapest. But after quite a long experience, I can say that the cheapest is not often the best when it comes to yoga mats and other yoga equipment.

    You can probably say that much of the equipment is made in the same way and in the same place, but is sold to different suppliers. In my quest, I came across hundreds of rugs that were cheap, especially if I ordered straight from Asia. The problem with this is that you don’t get to experience the quality of the mat until you buy them, and I assume that the price often reflects the quality, and therefore chose to move away from the cheapest solution.

    For me, it became important to think about the environment, quality and duration. If I get ten cheap yoga mats that are of such poor quality that they must be replaced within six months, I feel the gains go up in the spinning, as well as not being particularly environmentally friendly.

    We only have one soil, and I will do what I can to help preserve it.

  2. Avatar

    You do indeed mention all the important factors of an eco-friendly yoga mat: not too steep price. Non-slippery. Lightweight.

    But I would also recommend to only buy from websites that have fast shipping. Many of the independent stores do not have the same shipping options as Amazon. As an Indian guy living in the US, I found out that nothing really beats Amazon when it comes to selection, price and fast shipping.

  3. Avatar

    I also have the Prana yoga mat. It’s eco-friendly, good and quite cheap. I was enrolled in a yoga class here in Switzerland. Apparently it was some “posh” yoga teacher that tried to push her own mat (and get a commission for that i assume).

    The problem was that her mat was really bad.

    I also saw on Amazon that some people complain that the prana mat “slips” a lot and that is nothing that I am aware of. Have yet not felt that it has slipped at all, which is great.

  4. Avatar

    So just to be Clear: you would recommend the PRANA eco-friendly yoga mat?

    I was a bit surprised as you were recommending two, but I might maybe misunderstand a bit. I just need a quite cheap yoga mat that contains no harmful Chemicals (so my daughter might also play on it)

    1. Avatar

      Hello Ariana,

      I understand your confusion. In fact, I have bought two yoga mats – and I can recommend them both. They are placed on the top of the article and referred to as “top picks”.

      Right now I use the PRANA yoga mat, and I would really recommend that one as it fits all my needs.

  5. Avatar

    I think in the future we will not use words like «environmentally friendly yoga mat». I simply think that we will just say “yoga mats” and that we have all understood that we only should produce products in eco-friendly materials. Frankly, the time where companies are allowed to destroy the earth should be over. Even a small thing like a yoga mat might seem insignificant to someone, but imagine how many yoga mats that are sold on Amazon every day.

    I took a quick check and saw that at least 90 % of the mats are not environmentally friendly. That creates a huge problem.

    Do you also believe that we will only see eco-friendly products in the future? What is your take on this?

    BTW! I bought my yoga mat from my personal trainer (he really convinced me…), but I promise to buy one of the ones from this list next time.

    1. Avatar

      Hello Yogaist, and thanks for your comment.

      Well, I think you might be right. But I also know for a fact that most people wont become “eco-warriors” unless it is beneficial for their wallet. That is where the problem is.

      I heard from a friend in New York that “The Impossible Burger”, which is a vegan burger, costed about 10 USD. And a normal double cheeseburger at the same place? 7.5 USD.

      As long as we see stuff like that in our society, we will never see a drastic change in how most of us act. The sad truth is that most people do not care about global warming, climate change or any other environmental issues.

      But let´s hope you are right. At least you are much more optimistic than myself! 🙂

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