The original yogis didn\u2019t have rubber mats, or foam ones, for that matter. They had bare ground, grass mats and animal skins, if they were lucky. So when my wife suggested I spend $90 on a natural rubber yoga mat like the one she had, I balked. Is that really necessary?<\/p>\n
It turns out the answer was yes. Ten years later, I\u2019m still using the JadeYoga Harmony mat I sprang for, and I\u2019m no longer a skeptic, I\u2019m an evangelist. Natural rubber provides enough cushion for comfort, enough grip to safely push my limits, and the durability of a truck tire.<\/p>\n
From sedentary to centered<\/p>\n
Yoga<\/a> wasn\u2019t always a part of my life<\/a>. A decade ago, I was desk-bound with occasional bursts of activity, and the creaky joints and stiff muscles to show for it. My wife Tracey and I tried various exercise routines, including fitness videos, going on walks, and even gamifying exercise with Nintendo\u2019s Wii Fit. Nothing ever stuck.<\/p>\n Then Tracey discovered yoga<\/a> through online classes, starting with the same cheap $20 foam yoga mat you can find in the fitness aisle of any local big box store. Only a couple of months in, I noticed yoga was different for her. It became a daily ritual for her that provided movement and also set a nice mood<\/a> for the entire day. After getting serious, Tracey upgraded to a natural rubber mat, like the ones yoga instructors use.<\/p>\n JadeYoga Harmony<\/p>\n $79.65 at Amazon<\/a> Photograph: Courtesy of Alan Truly<\/p>\n I started to feel like I was missing out, so I grabbed her hand-me-down foam mat to join her, and experienced a surprise: I didn\u2019t expect yoga to be simple, but I was shocked at how unsteady I felt and how challenging it was to hold what looked like an easy pose. While the squishy foam was soft on my knees, it made me feel awkward and wobbly. Balance is a big part of a physical yoga practice, and I became frustrated with my lack of progress.<\/p>\n After struggling for a couple of months, Tracey recommended getting the same mat she used. Even though my foam mat was already wrinkling and tearing, I hesitated. But I knew I needed more movement, and yoga was an easy, at-home<\/a> option that didn\u2019t take much space, so I reluctantly agreed to invest in a proper mat.<\/p>\n What a difference. Instead of a shaky stance, I could hold poses long enough to feel like I was accomplishing something. Though the fiber-reinforced rubber was less than half as thick as the foam and not nearly as plush, it provided a comfortably soft but resilient and remarkably grippy surface that I could rely on.<\/p>\n Why it works<\/p>\n Natural rubber yoga mats have an unbeatable grip. An independent test<\/a> by the German non-profit Stiftung Warentest found that natural rubber yoga mats outperformed all synthetic mats, offering superior grip even when wet. <\/a>That\u2019s especially important for poses like a wide-stance warrior pose, or a deep twist, when slipping could cause an injury.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a renewable natural resource, made from the sap of the rubber tree. Dean Jerrehian, the president at Jade Industries Inc, told me that the company \u201cchose natural rubber for its yoga mats since it\u2019s a durable and sustainable material that doesn\u2019t require cutting down trees\u201d. While sap extraction is energy-intensive, a 2017 study<\/a> found rubber to be more eco-friendly than synthetic alternatives. Natural rubber doesn\u2019t off-gas volatile organic compounds, either. (Though it\u2019s not a good choice if you have latex sensitivity.)<\/p>\n Photograph: Courtesy of Alan Truly<\/p>\n Despite advances in materials science, rubber is still the top pick for durability, too. From heavy-duty tires to eco-friendly footwear<\/a>, natural rubber handles wear and tear. Jerrehian says the mat\u2019s fiber reinforcement, an embedded polycotton scrim, prevents stretching. After 10 years of daily practice on the same mat, I can attest to that: I would have worn through a dozen foam mats in that time.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n A guide to buying fewer, better products.<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n A decade of wear<\/p>\n I\u2019ve spent more than 1,000 hours on my JadeYoga mat, but I know it\u2019s past time for a new one. It isn\u2019t as grippy as it once was. I have a hole the size of a pencil eraser at one end, and a palm-sized thin spot at the other end, where I can see the embedded fibers. To compensate for the inevitable wear caused by stretching, twisting, and sliding, I now shift my hand and foot placement forward a couple of inches.<\/p>\n Photograph: Courtesy of Alan Truly<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t abused my mat, but I also haven\u2019t babied it. I use it outdoors sometimes, for general-purpose exercise, and sometimes even for extra grip under foot when I wear virtual-reality headsets. An occasional scrub with soapy water keeps it smelling fresh, and I roll it up when I\u2019m finished using it.<\/p>\n What do I do with my old mat?<\/p>\n My wife ordered her second JadeYoga mat four years ago, and now it\u2019s my turn. But my wonderful mat won\u2019t go in the landfill. I\u2019ll roll it to use as a pad, or cut it up to use as smaller mats, as I did with my wife\u2019s retired mat. A mini-mat can add a second layer of knee padding, cushion weights, or extend a new mat. Even after 10 years, my JadeYoga mat has many more years left in a new life.<\/p>\n For more ideas on products that built for the long haul:<\/p>\n Alan Truly is a consumer journalist who enjoys sharing insights and recommendations on fitness, outdoor gear, kitchen tools, life hacks and more. Based in Nova Scotia and raised in the American south-west, he has faced the extremes of hiking blistering Arizona trails and navigating an icy Canadian forest in the winter. Since 2020, Alan has been covering a range of interesting topics and essential products.<\/p>\n
$91.95 at JadeYoga<\/a><\/p>\n