Yoga Mats

A sticky yoga mat made from PVC from a nearby store = about $19.99

Organic Style eco-friendly yoga mat = $47.94 (including shipping)

For a long time, no one was really aware that PVC was even used in sticky yoga mats, and these mats have grown to be the most common and popular choice. As such, sticky yoga mats with PVC are the most readily available (and sometimes the cheapest) option. People have grown fond of the stickiness in these mats, a trait less found in more environmentally-friendly options. And some people like that PVC mats can be washed in the washing machine when in need of a cleaning.

Made from thermo plastic polymer (TPE), these mats are free of PVC, chlorine and latex, which is a reassuring fact when you consider how up close and personal you’ll be getting with your yoga mat. If you feel like you’ll be sacrificing by passing on a PVC sticky mat, focus on the features of these mats: An anti-slip, moisture resistant and textured surface — durable enough for even a truly intense practice —, different-colored sides for variety, and the praise of other yoga devotees for the “zero break-in time” required. For extra oomph (or ohm, in this case), 10% of each mat purchase goes to an organization that helps individuals affected by environmental and social injustice.

The availability of PVC yoga mats can be helpful when looking for a yoga mat, but these mats are not always the best suited for your practice (or even the best looking pad for your downward dog). Plus, the machine washable perks of these mats are lessened by the fact that, with time, such washing will cause them to retain water and possibly smell (and trust me, there’s nothing worse than resting in child’s pose while you breathe in deep whiffs of old sweat). But the real problem with these mats is, of course, the PVC itself. Dubbed “the worst plastic from an environmental health perspective”, PVC creates dioxin in its production, science’s most potent known carcinogen. If that weren’t enough, PVC can’t be recycled and lingers in land fills.

An eco-friendly yoga mat may cost you a little bit more up front (though we think the benefits definitely justify the price) and should be wiped down with a gentle soap solution by hand, instead of going for a spin in the washing machine. As well, your TPE mat may decompose a little faster than a PVC counterpart (we’re still talking years down the road), but when it does, you can feel good knowing that it’s not a mat that’s going to lay in the landfill for hundreds of years.

While we’re all for a bargain and convenient choice, there are simply too many facts about the health and environmental dangers of PVC to recommend PVC sticky mats for your yoga experience. The hazards of PVC are present in each phase of its life (production, product life and disposal), which means it’s detrimental to others before you get it, detrimental to you while you have it and detrimental to the entire world after you’re done with it.

Purchasing an eco-friendly yoga mat is a choice that you can feel pretty good about — you’re passing on PVC and its chemicals and getting a slew of pretty great features, too. Make your yoga practice a daily activity and you’ll certainly be getting your money’s worth. Or, if nothing else, simply do it for the sake of the environment.