The 5 Best Yoga Mats of 2023: NBR vs TPE vs Rubber vs PU vs PVC

Yoga mats are made of many different materials. The common yoga mats in the market are Natural rubber/PER/TPE/Cork/PU/Suede/Fabric/NBR/EVA/PVC/Cotton/Jute/Woolen yoga mats. Choosing a yoga mat is a very big challenge for beginners. Look no further! We've done the research and gathered the top yoga mats including eco-friendly yoga mat options, we've got you covered. In this blog post, we'll go over the best yoga mats on the market and compare the advantages and disadvantages.

The right material for the yoga mat is asked to be comfortable when used, and keep warming on the cold ground, good traction is also needed. Then how to choose a suitable yoga mat for ourselves, what are the differences among the different materials of yoga mats? 

As a yoga mat manufacturer, we will make a full analysis and comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of different yoga mat materials for you.

Note: The description of yoga mats name has many differences, gym mats, fitness mats and exercise mats. For consistency, we will refer to them as yoga mats in the article.

Firstly, The Material of the Yoga Mats

The yoga mat material is one of the most important factors when choosing a yoga mat.

Different yoga mat materials affect the yoga mat lifetime, the eco-friendly performance of yoga mat, yoga mat smell, the yoga mat retrievability, the yoga mat stickiness and the best way to clean gym mats.

1. Rubber Yoga Mats

Rubber pads are good for resilience, durability and anti-skid performance, which will be significantly reduced if your hands and feet sweat. The natural yoga mats texture provides strong friction and traction for your body. The rubber mat has an intrinsic smell that is hard to remove but it is a totally safe and eco friendly yoga mat material. Wavar supplies best rubber yoga mat for your yoga business. 

2. TPE Yoga Mats

TPE is usually made of plastic and rubber polymers and widely applied to sports equipment. TPE yoga mat has good ability of anti-skid, elasticity and durability, but tpe yoga mat price is generally a little higher. Technically, TPE material mat is more suitable for yoga exercise.

3. NBR Yoga Mats 

NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) is a synthetic rubber that is primarily used for the manufacturing of oil-resistant rubber products. NBR fitness mat has a great property of wear resistance, but not working so well in the aspects of non-slip and elasticity. Because calcium oxide may be involved as a filler during processing, if the proportion of calcium oxide is not well controlled, then the final products may cause skin allergy or burning sensation. Furthermore, due to the foaming agent applied during manufacturing, NBR yoga mats tend to be odorous. NBR Yoga Mat usually comes to be thicker yoga mats.

4. PU+Rubber Yoga Mats

PU material is an emerging organic polymer material that is mainly used for artificial leather, sofa, automobile steering wheel, etc. PU is known for its superior property of anti-wrinkle, frosted, anti-slip, breathability and water-absorbing even if there is sweat and water during exercise. On the other hand, compared to TPE or other yoga mats, polyurethane yoga mat is more expensive and hard to take care of. Therefore, beginners are really not recommended to pick this yoga mat.

5. PVC Yoga Mat

PVC is a plastic-based material that is highly durable, easy to clean and offers excellent floor grip. However, PVC mats are non-absorbent and can become slippery when you sweat heavily. PVC is latex-free, a benefit to those with latex allergies, however, it is not biodegradable or as environmentally friendly as other options.

PVC is the most commonly used plastic that provides strong grip control and cheap to get. However, PVC mat is not tear-resistant and has poor resilience. It tends to flake after long-term use. More importantly, PVC yoga mat material is not biodegradable or as environmentally as other options. Therefore, PVC yoga mat is gradually eliminated by the market and it seems not to be the option for yogis anymore.

In addition to the above several common yoga mats, Wavar also produces jute yoga mat/cork yoga mat/suede yoga mat/PER yoga mat/cotton yoga mat and woollen yoga mat, the price of these material of yoga mats are higher than others.

Secondly, Thickness and Density of Yoga Mats

Different thickness for yoga mat have different usages, the thick one can help to improve your comfort level and can also protect your joints because it can help to reduce joint contact with the ground. The thinner the mat is, the better to improve your balance. Wavar's available yoga mat range in thickness from 1/8 inch (3mm) to 1/2 inch (13mm).

We need to choose suitable yoga mats thickness according to our specific situations. Such as how long have you been learning yoga, and what's the aim of learning yoga and so on. If you want to improve your health, we suggest you choose the thicker one, as the thicker mats can help to buffer better. Because a thicker yoga mat can bring keen, elbow and spine buffering, a thick yoga mat can help you to achieve the aim of improving your health condition. If you are a professional yogi, or you want to improve your balance ability faster, we suggest you choose a thinner one because thinner yoga mats can help to improve your stability, which is very important in many yoga positions.

How to choose the thickness of the yoga mat depends on your aim, each thickness has its own usage. Therefore, it is very important to set a practice target before choose yoga mats. We are a professional yoga mat manufacturer.

Thirdly, The Size of the Yoga Mats

If you are fresh in learning yoga, you are suggested to choose the standard yoga mat (length 68inches, width 24inches), this size is suitable for most people. If you are taller, you can choose large yoga mat in 71 inches, 72 inches, 74 inches and 84 inches, and the width is up to 30inches. Such a size can provide you with enough space to stand and lie supine on the mat. You should mind that the greater the size is, the heavier it will be, and it is not so convenient to store and carry. The length and width you choosing is depend on your height and the needs to comfort level. If you what an extra length and width to improve the comfort level or to do some other exercise, you can choose a longer yoga mat, and practice with Foam Roller and Yoga Brick.

Forth, The Traction and Texture of The Yoga Mat

The more sticky or grip a yoga mat has, the safer yoga mat to avoid skipping when practicing. And helps you to change the yoga position easily, such as balance, resist gravity or some other movements. Therefore, most yoga mats have uneven textures, which will make your exercise safe and comfortable.

Usually, PVC yoga mat has the best viscidity and traction. TPE or NBR have similar viscidity, but they are slippy on the surface, thus their traction is not as good as PVC yoga mats.

PS: How to do with the new yoga mat slipping?

Treat the new yoga mat with a salt scrub to speed up the break-in period. Generally, new yoga mats will gradually reduce slippage with the number and time of use.

Fifth, the Types and Designs of Yoga Mats

Wavar can provide personalized yoga mat figures, custom yoga mats colors and yoga mats patterns, it can highlight your brand or characters by its special design, and it may also make your yoga class become much more expected.

Yoga Mat with Custom Logo, Double Color PVC Yoga Mat, Suede Fabric & Natural rubber Yoga Mat all support custom patterns and logos. We will help you create your own yoga mat.

Maintenance and Cleaning of the Yoga Mats

We can clean the yoga mat quickly every time we finish our yoga exercise. We only need to wipe the yoga mat with a damp cloth, water or vinegar solution can also work. We do not need to clean the yoga mat too frequently. To keep the yoga mat away from niff or sweat stains is necessary. If your yoga mat is too dirty, you can clean them with detergent, as little as possible. And you must clean up the residual detergent with pure water, because any residual can make the mat slip.

Some special materials yoga mats even can be washed in the washing machine, but you need to read the wash care information first, do not wash them in the washing machine for too long, it may accelerate or cause damage to the yoga mat.

The best yoga mat buying guide in 2023 helps you to find your fittest yoga mats. When you choose yoga mats, the main factor is your most concerning function and the exercise types to be performed. After making sure of these contents, you can use the provided information to help you choose the suitable yoga mats for yourself!

Wavar has more than 10 years of experience in the Chinese fitness industry, we have the insider knowledge to guide gym, studio owners and fitness equipment buyers with practical yoga mat buying suggestions. 

Custom and order yoga mats with one-stop factory prices, contact us for more information!