First, the classification of yoga mats
1. material: rubber, TPE, PVC, flax, EVA.
2. Function: anti-slip and protection
3. Size: 6 10× 1730 (national standard) 6 10× 1830 (extended) 800× 1830 (widened).
4. Thickness: 2 2- 10/0mm
Second, the choice of materials.
1. Natural rubber
Advantages: natural raw materials, environmental protection; The natural texture and open structure of the surface help to absorb water, so it has a good effect of preventing dry sliding or wet sliding.
Disadvantages: I just bought it and it tastes heavy; The open-cell structure is easy to absorb stains and needs market cleaning.
2. Test the model
Advantages: high elasticity; No matter dry/wet skid resistance is good; Environmental protection, some products can be completely recycled.
Shortcomings: Compared with PVC, it has poor durability.
3. PVC
Advantages: good durability and low cost of raw materials, so the price is relatively close to the people, and it is also a popular yoga mat at present; Does not contain latex, suitable for people who are allergic to latex; This material has poor absorbability, so it is easy to clean.
Shortcomings: due to the poor absorption of the material, it has good anti-skid performance under dry conditions, but it is poor for people who sweat a lot; Plastic products can't degrade naturally.
4. Cotton and flax
Advantages: gentle and skin-friendly, non-irritating, it is the first choice for those who love traditional knitting technology; Easy to clean.
Disadvantages: the effect of grasping the ground is poor, which is limited to yoga classes or meditation exercises with few movements.
5. Extravehicular activities
Advantages: cheap
Disadvantages: poor elasticity, poor anti-slip effect, mostly used to make soles, with strong smell.
Summary: At present, the most suitable yoga mat for beginners: TPE (thermoplastic rubber) is a relatively high-end environmental protection material, with better taste and safety, elasticity comparable to natural rubber, and can be recycled. Colleague TPE is light in weight, easy to carry, good in toughness, good in resilience and skid resistance, and has no shortcomings.
Tip: don't buy EVA, and novices don't recommend cotton and linen.
Third, the choice of size.
Beginners (6mm-8mm): The most suitable thickness for beginners, and the thicker one is 10mm, which is called fitness mat. Yoga is a balanced sport. Too thick a cushion is not easy to feel the ground and keep balance. This stage can make you fully aware of the ground and give you effective protection.
Advanced (3mm-5mm): Generally, rubber mats are of this thickness, which is used by advanced users with less protection and deeper ground perception.
Advanced (1.5mm-3mm): Thin yoga mats are rarely used. Mainly a foldable yoga mat, which is easy to carry. Simply put, Jiayou can take his own yoga mat to class and travel. Non-slip and sanitary. But the thickness is really thin and a bit awkward.
Beginners can choose according to the materials. It is suggested that TPE and PVC use a medium thickness of 6-8mm, and natural rubber use about 4 mm.