Best sustainable yoga mats USA for gym equipment selection
Our gym consultant perspective on the best sustainable yoga mats in the USA right now
SUGAMATS sustainable yoga mats gym equipment
SugaMat are based out of the USA and specialise in transforming used surfer wetsuits into sustainable gym equipment - yoga mats. Leveraging the existing connection between surfers and the natural world they aim to reduce the surfing community’s environmental impact by keeping their used wetsuit material in the loop - an example of Circular Design in action that reduces waste sent to landfill.
Wetsuits on their own are non-biodegradable and made of neoprene. SugaMat has tackled this problem by working with engineer experts to recycle surfer wetsuits into highly functional yoga mats, a process that had to undergo a considerable Research & Development process followed by extensive product testing prior to a commercial launch.
Tests have shown that a SugaMat sustainable yoga mat performs on the same level or even better than other yoga mats on the market.
As they put it, this is a product that exhibits specific tolerances of density, tackiness (wet and dry), elasticity, durability, and liquid permeability.
In their current production process, one used wetsuit results in approximately one yoga mat.
To date, SugaMat has collected over 12,500 wetsuits and diverted over 32 tonnes of neoprene from landfills (https://www.sugamats.com/recycling ).
Furthermore, the SugaMat end product remains 100% recyclable, and they offer a take-back program at end-of-life so that customers can again keep the product in the loop, in exchange for 10% off a future purchase. This ensures even a used SugaMat can be recycled again into a new yoga mat for use in sustainable gyms, yoga studios and homes around the US.
The SugaMat C2G (Cradle to Grave) is effectively a lifelong guarantee or ‘service as product’ meaning that if the mat wears out, rips or develops a hole in it for example, they’ll send you a new one at their own expense.
JADE YOGA sustainable yoga mats gym equipment
Jade Yoga was founded and run by a former lawyer Dean Jerrehian who worked for the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), creating a unique position from which to launch a sustainable gym equipment project such as a yoga mat brand.
These mats are made of natural rubber, an eco-friendly as it has minimal impact on the environment during harvesting, manufacturing, and recycling.
It is obtained from the latex sap of the tropical tree Hevea Brasiliense.
For this, an incision is made into the bark of the rubber tree and the latex sap is collected. The latex sap is then converted into rubber for use.
When done responsibly in this way, rubber reproduction can contribute to an increase in biodiversity while reducing carbon emissions from deforestation.
In terms of performance, natural rubber is highly resilient, strong, light yet unlikely to rip.
The final product for Jade Yoga mats contains no PVC, EVA, or other synthetic rubber.
The Jade Yoga mats are also in compliance with all US environmental, labor, and consumer protection laws.
In line with its earth friendly stance, the company has committed to planting a tree for every yoga mat sold via a partnership with Trees for the Future, a nonprofit that also supports farmers in regenerative agriculture. Since 2006, with this partnership, Jade Yoga have planted more than 2 million trees in total.
YOLOHA sustainable yoga mats gym equipment
Yoloha creates yoga mats from cork, an eco-friendly, highly durable, and high performing material that it is hard not to like from a sustainable gym equipment perspective.
The Yoloha founder saw that cork outlasted and outperformed any other natural material and provided a non-slip surface (even when wet), providing the technical characteristics necessary for a yoga mat.
Harvesting cork is fundamentally a sustainable process, as the founder explains:
“When cork is harvested the trees are not cut down, instead their bark is carefully stripped away by hand in a skilled trade that provides thousands of fair wage jobs. Plus, harvested cork oak trees suck up to five times more carbon dioxide as they begin to grow back their bark in a nine-year process.”.
A new addition to the composition of Yoloha’s yoga mats is what they term “Plant Foam” that adds a sustainable extra cushion for this piece of gym equipment. Collaborating with Hexpol in Germany to create an environmentally efficient foam for their yoga mats.
After a couple of years, they found the perfect combination for their very own type of plant foam: it is 55% ethically sourced Brazilian sugar cane + 35% non-toxic EVA foam. With this addition of plant foam, alongside the cork surface layer, each Yoloha mat is made from a total of 70% renewable resources.