Yoga Mat Buyer’s Guide - Our 10 Favorite Yoga Mats On the Market

Transcript

hey everyone my name is ashton august and today we're here to take a look at the best yoga mats on the market when you're on the market for a yoga mat there's a few key features that you want to look for the first of which is an eco-friendly yoga mat made with eco-friendly practices you also want to look for mats that are super durable as well as offer a lot of traction and cushion so you can get the most out of your practice these are our top 10 favorite mats on the market and they all share these qualities so now let's take a look at what makes each mat unique [Music] all right we are going to start with the 100 or above category and we're gonna start with the manduka black matte pro so manduka is like the epitome of a quality yoga mat it comes with a lifetime guarantee which to me just speaks to their confidence in this high quality mat and you can feel it that it's really built to last this is a super thick durable mat and what i really like about that is it's very comfortable to practice on what i also love about the quality and durability is that you can even wear shoes on it so it makes a great exercise mat also it's made with closed cell technology so it's not going to absorb your sweat or any moisture as you practice one thing for you to note about it is that you do need to break it in a bit for you to get really good traction but then you're gonna have awesome traction okay let's move on to the next mat the aloha native cork yoga mat this is their chakra print obviously the most unique quality about this mat right off the bat is that it's made out of cork so these mats are made out of recycled cork on the top and then recycled rubber on the bottom cork is naturally antimicrobial which is awesome for hot yoga and for not having to clean your mat all the time and it also creates excellent traction especially when it's wet so wet or dry you can practice on this mat but for hot yogis this is definitely a favorite there's no break-in period you can step right on the mat and get right to it all right last but certainly not least let's jump on over to this lifeform yoga mat lifeform was the first alignment system that i saw on a yoga mat and you see this mat everywhere it is incredibly popular amongst yoga teachers around the world and a lot of that popularity has to do with their unique alignment system that's really effective but also really subtle and sleekly designed so you can just place your hands on these lines and effortlessly find your alignment and that's the other thing i love about this mat is that it's made from sustainably sourced natural rubber and it creates a really unique feel it's almost like this satiny silkiness that has a lot of traction and grip hot yoga or otherwise it's a joy to practice on and while it is over that 100 price range it also comes with a really nice carrying bag too all right you guys our next category is mats between 75 and 100 i'm going to start off with afromats that i'm standing on here this is the rise and shine xl any xl aphromat is going to be longer than a traditional yoga mat and my favorite quality about afromats is they're really unique affirmations this is the rise and shine on there are other statements like i am enough or i am beautiful and you can even customize your own saying another unique quality about afromats is that they're made with a unique jute blend so this gives it a really organic look it's a really nice texture to practice on and it's going to give you a lot of grip these mats are also made out of biodegradable materials all right let's jump on over to this lovely guru grid mat this is the gu rubber eco-friendly premium yoga mat guru grid has three levels of mats this is their top of the line mat and the feeling is really unique and uh traction that's similar to lululemon's v-map it's also a very practical alignment system mat and that it's got squares as well as numbers to help you not only find the proper alignment in each pose but also gauge your progress in certain poses and that's why i really love this map for beginner yogi someone who's just starting off and still really learning their form let's jump on over to the bmat strong by b yoga as soon as you step on this mat you're going to notice its most unique feature which is its cushioning this cushioning reminds me of the cushioning that you find in running shoes these mats come in a variety of colors they're very rich vibrant hues we have found that some of the colors do tend to fade if you leave them in the sun very small price to pay though for such an all-around quality and enjoyable mat to practice on this mat is a favorite amongst guys it's offered in an extra long and extra wide version perfect for the taller yogi and last but certainly not least let's check out hugger mugger's para rubber yoga mat this yoga mat has a beautiful really peaceful tie-dye design on it and the traction is awesome so it has two sides worth of traction and textures that are slightly different and they allow you to practice on any surface this mat is made of natural rubber and you really feel that in the grip the cushion and the traction and what i've found with hugger mugger over time is that their entire line of products are all very high quality with an affordable price tag and that's what i particularly appreciate about this yoga mat too all right this is our final category these are the yoga mats that are below 75 dollars and we'll start off with way lana this is the way lana yoga and pilates mat it's the most affordable mat out of all the mats that we've reviewed here today and the most striking feature is this rich yellow color it's associated with happiness expansion and upbeat energy perfect for your yoga practice it's also a very comfortable mat to practice on and while it doesn't have the best traction out of all the yoga mats we've covered it does still offer traction and it's great for a vinyasa or a yin restorative or a slow flow this is a good mat for beginners who are just starting off all right next up let's look at this pogomat xl this is another favorite yoga mat amongst the guys out there this yoga mat is seven feet long excellent for the taller yogis and it's also really really thick with memory foam cushioning so as i'm standing here i feel my feet getting slightly indented very comfortable matte to practice on excellent mat if you have any injuries you're working with or sore sensitive joints so it's awesome for a restorative yoga practice but it's also really really durable so you can do your high intensity workouts on this mat and it will definitely stand the test of time all right last but not least let's check out the jade harmony mat the harmony mat is jade's top selling yoga mat it is a very classic timeless yoga mat if you're looking for a simple reliable mat that's a joy to practice on this would be an excellent choice for you this also happens to be my boyfriend's favorite matte it's the only math that he will practice on and what i really love about jade in addition to their high quality mats is that they're a company that gives back for every yoga mat sold they plant a tree and they've planted over 1 million trees they also donate to many charities and it's just an awesome company to be a part of well there you have it these are our 10 favorite yoga mats on the market and we recommend every single yoga mat i'm confident that you would be happy with any of the yoga mats that we've covered here today so really your choice just boils down to a matter of budget the level of your yoga practice the type of yoga that you do practice and then your personal preferences so i'd love to hear from you in the comments below if you have any questions about the yoga mats we covered if you have any comments about them and of course we would love to know which map you end up deciding to go with thank you so much for joining us and be sure to to our yogi approved youtube channel to stay up to date on all of 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