Practicing Yoga brings along some significant benefits to both your physical and mental health. Yet, as you go along with the practice, choosing the right Yoga mat holds the key to your overall Yoga session. If you take the recommendations from the Yoga experts into consideration, Cork Yoga mat is surely the right and most appropriate yoga mat in the same respect.
For those who are not aware of the endless benefits of Cork material, it is highly considered a sustainable and eco-friendly material by global experts.
What is a Cork Yoga Mat?
In layman’s terms, Cork yoga mats are made of the same material used to make wine corks. Yes, we are talking about that valuable thing that maintains the freshness and quality of your favorite beverage intact. Like wine corks, even cork yoga mats use the outer layer of Cork Oak tree barks.
So, you can call these cork yoga mats natural and eco-friendly. And yes, we must also mention about the highly sustainable cork material used to make your favorite Cork yoga mat. On top of that, some of the best cork yoga mats are 100% recycled and renewable.
So, you must not feel surprised while seeing all those Yoga experts using these Cork yoga mats in their sessions. Still, if you need more reasons to use a Cork yoga mat, please go through the points and perspectives mentioned below.
Why We Highly Recommend Opting for a Cork Yoga Mat?
There are numerous reasons for one to use the best Cork yoga mat for their Yoga practice. Some of them are :
1. Cork Yoga mat is environment friendly
Cork material is extracted from the famous Cork oak tree from the regions nearby the Mediterranean Sea. As you strip off the Cork from the outer layer of the tree’s bark, it reproduces the same material to compensate the loss.
Hence, we can deem this material as renewable and eco-friendly in every sense. So, as you use the Cork Yoga mats for your yoga practice sessions or general exercise, you can stay at peace for not using any harmful or non-renewable resources.
Besides, Cork yoga mats are durable, and you can expect them to last for years in favourable surroundings. Well, that sounds like the perfect icing on the cake, isn’t it?
2. Carries anti-bacterial properties
People who practice Yoga outdoors are tend to get in touch with random viruses, bacterias and germs around. While you cannot do much about the surroundings, you can always use Cork Yoga mats for their anti-microbial properties.
Beside letting go of all those dirt, germs and bacterias around, this Cork yoga mat will help you to get rid of that body odor after the Yoga practice. So, you don’t really need to clean up the mat every other day, and that comes as a big sigh of relief for many.
3. Light in weight
How often do you find yourself in situation where you have to carry the Yoga mat to random places just to keep up with your Yoga practice? Quite often we reckon. Well, with these light and sturdy Cork Yoga mats, you can now take off that extra weight from your luggage.
Since we use the outer layer of Cork oak tree to extract the cork material, it doesn’t carry much volume and weight. So, regardless of what variant of a Cork yoga mat you are using, you can always find them lighter on the weight part.
4. Offers perfect grip and traction
No matter how eco-friendly, antimicrobial or lightweight a Yoga mat is, there’s no point going with its purchase if it doesn’t offer the required performance. Well, that’s where these best cork yoga mats ticks yet another box for all those Yogis out there.
Besides being highly durable, these Cork Yoga mats offers just the perfect grip, cushioning and traction for every yoga lover. Hence, you don’t need to worry about that slip of feet or form during any given session.
Additionally, the best cork yoga mat sticks perfectly to the surface due to the natural rubber coating. You may find it a bit heavier than the PVC OR foam based Yoga mats. Yet, it brings along all the right comfort and traction during those extended yoga sessions.
5. Skin-friendly
This is for all those girls and women that are looking for a Yoga mat that doesn’t bring any unwanted rashes and itching to their body. While Cork Yoga mats are highly sustainable and eco-friendly, they also come easy on your skin.
The smooth touch and texture of Cork material is way better than those cheap and toxic PVC yoga mats that do all the damage to one’s skin and body.
What are the Different Types of Cork Yoga Mats?
As of now, you can find four types of Cork Yoga mats in the market i.e, Mats made of Pure Cork material, Cork with Recycled EVA, Cork amalgamated Rubber and Cork with Natural Rubber.
Standard Cork Yoga mats
These mats don’t have any impurity or inclusion of other materials. The manufacturers source pure cork from the Cork oak tree and add some additives to give it the desired shape. Few of the mats carry natural polishing and varnishing with random colors to enhance its appearance.
Cork yoga mats with Recycled EVA
Recycled Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), commonly known as poly (ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA) is mixed with Cork material to manufacture the best Cork yoga mat. Most of the times, the EVA is sourced from the waste plastic materials lying around.
So, the Cork yoga mats of this type are quite cheap and lightweight. If you can’t spend on the ori9ginal pure Cork yoga mat, this can be used as an alternative.
Mats made of Cork amalgamated Rubber
Cork is mixed with rubber to add a different touch to the end product during the production of this variant. You may find this type of Cork yoga mat a bit heavier than the other variants. Besides, rubber offers perfect cushioning and flexing effects.
So, if you don’t prefer using pure cork or Cork yoga mats made of recycled EVA, this can turn up as a good choice for your Yoga sessions. Rubber tends to change its shape and composition while coming in direct contact with heat.
So, it would be best if you stayed extra careful while using these Cork yoga mats with amalgamated rubber outdoors in hot and humid conditions.
Cork Yoga mats with Natural rubber
Natural rubber offers bigger cushioning and comfort to the person practicing Yoga. Besides, it does bring that extra comfort and grip during those extended Yoga sessions. Yet, as you use these Cork Yoga mats with Natural rubber, stay cautious of heat and moisture around.
As mentioned above, rubber is tending to lose its shape and formation in hot and humid surroundings. So, you have to take all the precautions while bringing them to use in any such situation.
Cork Yoga Mats vs. PVC Yoga Mats – a Brief Comparison!
PVC Yoga mats appear to be the first yoga mats launched in the global markets and still come over as the most commonly used yoga mats. The material is cheap, highly durable, and easy to clean. But wait, it brings along an extensive list of disadvantages as well.
PVC is harmful to our ecosystem and further, bring some big disadvantages for our health at the same time. In contrary to Cork yoga mats, PVC Yoga mats contain compounds of some really harmful chemicals like lead, cadmium, and phthalates.
All or most of these can bring on some adverse impact to your nervous system in case of extreme exposure. Well, that doesn’t mean that you will instantly get sick by using these PVC yoga mats. Yet, their ill-effects may go visible in the long run.
Speaking of the extreme exposure to this chemical, phthalates are also used in other commonly used objects and stuff like nail polishes, shampoos, furniture, and curtains. So, you still have that risk of excess exposure to these chemicals in addition to using the PVC yoga mats. Moreover, PVC cannot be recycled, and that comes as another downside of using products made out of it.
On the other side, the cork yoga mats come extremely durable, handy, antimicrobial, and eco-friendly at the same time. Although you may have to spend some extra bucks for them, the performance and grip makes it worth every penny.
How to Pick the Best Cork Yoga Mat from the Market?
Once you step out towards the offline or online market, you may come across a list of Cork yoga mat options that promises to be the best among the rest.Yet, not each of them can offer you the desired quality and performance in your Yoga practice sessions.
So, is there a way to differentiate between the good Cork yoga mats or the ‘not so good’ cork yoga mats ? Yes, there is, and we will now take you through to few key points in the same regard.
Quality of the material used
As mentioned above, Cork yoga mats come in different types and variants. Hence, it sometimes becomes a bit tough to differentiate between them. Yet, you must carefully check down its quality while making a brief investigation in the same direction.
Most of the cork yoga mats come with a detailed labeling that talks about the materials used in their making. Check those details carefully before making the purchase from the market.
Size and shape
There’s no point buying a Cork yoga mat if it doesn’t fit your individual requirements correctly. So before you go ahead and purchase the best Cork yoga mat, give a check to the details and dimensions according to your specific needs.
Form and balance play a key role during any given yoga practice session. So, your Cork yoga mat should complement the whole effort at the same time. It really becomes easier to check the dimensions while making a purchase online.
However, once you step out to a nearby shop or showroom, not every Cork yoga mat would come with a product labeling or branding. Hence, it is always recommended to go for the brands that portray their products and services’s right details and description.
Hallmarks or standard seal
Several countries make it mandatory for the manufacturers to put Random hallmarks and seals to verify their quality. In case you live in one such country, do purchase the Cork yoga mat only after checking such hallmarks.
By doing that, you can always ensure purchasing the right product, coming over with the best quality. Moreover, these seals or hallmarks confirm about the durability of the purchased product.
Stay cautious of the fake products
As you proceed with purchasing the best quality Cork yoga mat, you may come across various fake and phony vendors. All or most of these marketers are looking to dupe with your hard-earned money by making false commitments.
So, before making any purchase decision regarding the best Cork yoga mat, do check all the necessary details and descriptions.
FAQs About Cork Yoga Mats
The cork oak tree appears to be the only tress that carries the capability to regenerate its bark after every yield. So, that is something that makes the Cork Yoga mats a perfect sustainable yoga mat. Besides, the yielded trees soak up five times more carbon dioxide than their non-yielded counterparts.
So, this ultimately makes every cork product, along with the best Cork yoga mat, 100% Eco-friendly. Moreover, the Cork used by most of the manufacturers of Cork yoga mats is obtained via an eco-friendly harvesting technique that doesn’t bring any harm to the Cork Oak Trees.
So, right from the sourcing of the raw material to giving the perfect finish to the end product, each involved step benefits the environment somehow.
Cork doesn’t absorb water, and hence, you can call these Cork yoga mats, water-resistant. That said, the Cork material releases a waxy substance called suberin instead that further make this best Cork yoga mat, anti-slippery.
So, there’s no chance that you will slip or slide while practicing those tough poses or asanas. Regardless of whether you are trying for a handstand without resenting your sweaty hands or trying to create a plank without your hands giving up on you, these Cork yoga mats are surely the best bet.
Cleaning Cork yoga mat after use isn’t a rocket science. You can clean them faster than any other random Yoga mats around. Simply use a 50-50 water-vinegar solution and apply it gently on the mat surface.
You can also use water and soap water instead and achieve the desired result from the cleaning process. Cork doesn’t absorb water or sweat so it won’t take much time for your Cork yoga mat to dry after the usage.
Yoga mats often carry tons of germs, viruses, and dirt, and this is where the antimicrobial properties of this best Cork yoga mat come into play. The anti-bacterial properties of cork material take special notice of all such germs and bacterias.
A Good yoga mat isn’t a good yoga mat for only being sturdy or handy. It must bring along some good efficacy while a person is using them for their yoga practice sessions. Well, that’s where these Cork yoga mats scores some good points in various aspects.
Cork material is highly durable and it further brings along the perfect traction and comfort for the person. Regardless of the moisture levels on the surface, a best Cork yoga mat will offer you that perfect grip and traction, something that must attract those Hot yogis around.
It also brings along that perfect balance and form to the practitioner that isn’t evident in any other yoga mat available in the market.
Most of the cheap Yoga mats are made of harmful synthetic and chemical-based bio products. So, it’s kind of weird to align those Yoga mats with your pure and spiritual Yogic lifestyle. Besides, there are so many yoga mats out there in the market that claims to be the best among the rest.
That said, all of the cork yoga mats are a perfect product in their own sense. Cork comes over as a material that is safe to use, eco-friendly, antimicrobial, and high on performance. So, by every means, opting for this perfect Cork yoga mats is always a wise decision.
Final Word
Most of the Cork Yoga mats score high in their quality, performance, and environmentally friendly aspects. Yet, it would help if you stayed cautious while making their purchase from the market.
Check for the product labelling or branding to get a fair idea about its quality and efficacy according to your specific needs. Besides, you can purchase online while reading through all the product ratings and reviews posted by previous customers.
