Review: Yoga Design Lab Combo Mat

There are many different places that you can buy a yoga mat from, and many different brands to choose from.  The choice increasing exponentially based on how large your budget is.  At Yoga Wellbeing HQ, we feel however that price should only form part of your decision making process, even if you do have less money to spend.  The main reason being the environmental impact each new yoga mat has on the environment.  Cheap yoga mats are often made from PVC which generally contains phthalates, pronounced “thalates”.  Phalates make plastics more flexible and bendy, but they have been linked to health issues and negative impacts on the environment, the main one being chemical emissions over the products lifetime – even in your home.  Plastic in generally not that biodegradable either, so if you love yoga, and love our little planet, its best to save up a bit longer and skip the PVC mats.  The other materials you may see online or in shops are: TPE (Thermoplastic elastomers) and PU (Polyurethane), whilst easier to recycle than PVC, neither biodegrades that easily as the products themselves are made from processed materials involving chemical reactions.  So whats the answer?

Environmentally friendly yoga mats

Thankfully there are more environmentally friendly yoga mats out there, some are made from naturally occurring materials like cork and rubber, whilst others are made from recycled materials such as soft drinks bottles.   There are even companies that have combined the best of both materials, using renewable natural materials and combining them with recycled.  Yoga Design Lab is an example of a business which has followed this approach.

Yoga Design Lab

The idea for Yoga Design Lab started with the founder Chad Turner visiting in Bali and attending a yoga class full of uninspiring chemically made yoga mats.  This was his light bulb moment.  Believing that there must be a better way, Chad sold everything he owned and moved to Bali to surf and design yoga mats, and the rest as they say is history.

The Combo Mat

Yoga Wellbeing has had plenty of requests over the year’s for a non slip, eco (chemical are a big no no) and durable yoga mat. We’ve looked high and low for the right balance between all these elements and have found it in Yoga Lab’s stunning range.  Whilst looking stunning in virtually all designs, the different mat formats including studio, commuter and travel all try to utilise sustainable natural materials,  whilst the images are reproduced using water-based ink.  They tick all our tree hugging boxes!

Our favourite format of all is the Combo Mat, this acts as both a mat and a yoga towel in one and folds up really easily in your suitcase. It combines a lightweight 3.5mm biodegradable tree rubber mat with an absorbent top layer in a whole range of wonderful peaceful and playful designs.  It is even machine washable, which is handy as the microfibre finish can pickup more stains.  Grip is simply fantastic, particularly if used in a hot country like Spain when you may sweat a little more.  Yoga Design Lab recommend using an atomiser to spray dusting of fresh water on this mat before you start – maybe enthuse with your choice of essential oil!

Size & Weight

• 178cm x 61cm x 3.5mm
• 1.8kg