How to Choose Discount Yoga Mats

2010-01-06T08:20:00.004-06:00

So you want to start your yoga practice, but you need a discount yoga mat? Well here are some things you need to consider when buying your discount yoga mats online.

Yoga provides a multitude of benefits, both physical and mental, including increased strength, improve flexibility, improved concentration and even weight loss, and these are some of the reasons yoga has been practiced for centuries! But just as your house requires a good foundation, so does your yoga practice. A good yoga mat is that foundation! Finding and selecting a good yoga mat at a decent price is crucial to your yoga practice. How does a mat affect my practice you say? I spend several hours per week doing yoga. Try spending that length of time on a mat that's not supportive and comfortable! There are a number of features to consider when you're searching for a discount yoga mat. Here are the most important ones.

Size

Yoga mats are offered in a variety of sizes.

For most people, the only dimension of concern should be thickness. Most "normal" yoga mats are thin and provide less padding, but are truly cheap yoga mats. If you're just beginning your yoga practice, practicing for short sessions and/or you do yoga on a soft surface (like carpet), then a "normal" mat will likely do. If your goal is to ultimately elevate the level of your practice and extend your sessions, you may want to go ahead and bypass the cheap yoga mat and invest in a thicker mat. They aren't as "cheap" and are heavier, however, the extra padding is worth the extra cost in my opinion.

Concerning length and width, as I said before, the traditional dimensions should work. But, if you are larger than average, you may want to pay a slight premium for a longer or wider mat, because you want to make sure that you have sufficient room to perform your yoga right!

Colors

This one should be obvious. There are a ton of patterns and colors available. Some discount yoga mat vendors also offer premium or custom mats that can be imprinted with the saying or design of your choice! Consult your chosen yoga mat vendor for color selection options.

Environmental Considerations?

There are even yoga mats which can help reduce your environmental footprint, at least as it relates to your yoga practice. Normal (i.e., non eco-friendly) yoga mats normally contain vinyl, also known as PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic. PVC plastics contaminate our environment through its entire lifecycle, and the chemical toxins that accompany it are hazardous to us, nor can they be recycled like cans or greeting cards! Therefore, a "green", eco-friendly discount yoga mat should be "PVC free". They should also minimize the number of man-made additives they contain.

There are some other potential considerations, like mat "stickiness" and texture, but these are the main characteristics to keep in mind. If you do this, it will be quite easy for you to find a discount yoga mat that works for you and your yoga goals!