Yoga guides and mat care

OEKO-TEX, REACH, FSC and the ones that mean nothing. What each certificate actually tests, which ones apply to a mat, and how to check a claim yourself.

Renewable is not the same as harmless. What natural rubber genuinely does better than plastic, the monoculture problem nobody selling it mentions, and how to judge a claim.

From a cut in the bark to a mat on your floor: tapping, vulcanising, the layer underneath, and the steps where a brand can quietly cut corners.

Both are called rubber and only one comes from a tree. What changes in grip, smell, latex content and what happens at the end of the mat's life.

Two products share the name. One is 1 mm and folds into a bag. The other is daily rubber you take somewhere. Which trip 1.8 kg actually survives.

Because density is what makes them grip. What the weight actually buys you, when it stops being worth it, and what to choose if you carry your mat every day.

Cork grips better as you sweat, rubber grips better dry. The honest comparison on grip, weight, feel, durability and what most cork mats are actually made of.

TPE yoga mats are widely sold as biodegradable. They are not. What TPE actually is, why a petroleum plastic cannot break down, and where the label goes wrong.

Yes, at first. What causes the smell, how to get rid of it faster, the one piece of common advice that will ruin your mat, and when a smell means something is wrong.

Natural rubber contains latex. What that actually means if you are allergic, why two different conditions share the name, and what to use instead.

What your yoga mat is really made of

A clear comparison of PVC, EVA, NBR, TPE, natural rubber, cork and PU yoga mats, and how each material affects your health, performance and the planet.