You’ve probably experienced it before. You stand in the downward dog and your hands, and even feet, slide away. And you wonder what that is about. Is not the yoga mat rigid enough?

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Do I need a towel? Or is it something else? We hope to provide some answers to these questions with this information.

The material

Roughly speaking, most yoga mats are made of PVC. A smaller percentage of yogis have rubber mats, or other materials. The choice of material and quality, however, has a major influence on the indispensable skid resistance. In our extensive article ” Buying a good yoga mat ” you will find all information about yoga mat materials. In short there are two main choices:

• PVC
• Rubber

PVC is sustainable (and can also be ecological when reused), is fairly stiff and lasts for a long time. The skid resistance decreases when the mat or hands are wet.

Rubber is very rough and ecological. The durability is often less than PVC. The skid resistance hardly decreases as the mat or hands are wet.

Cheap pvc yoga mats

Chinese yoga mats, such as the Lidl, Aldi and even Xenos, are by definition much smoother than the more expensive alternatives. That has mainly to do with the production process. The combination of the following factors (quality of raw materials, high production line speed and high oven temperature) will lead to smooth pvc mats. Chinese PVC mat producers are focused on the highest possible output in the shortest possible time.

However, rigid pvc mats are the result of the reaction of high quality raw materials with a lower furnace temperature. In other words; Yoga mats are thus “baked” to harden the PVC layer. And precisely this hardening process determines how rough / smooth a mat becomes. With cheap mats, no attention is paid to this. So cheap is definitely expensive!

A towel ?

This is a frequently asked question from our customers. The mat is smooth, so I need a towel . Unfortunately, this conclusion is often one-sided. There are several factors that play a role such as the quality of the mat, perspiration, choice of materials and the yoga style.

A towel is usually only useful when used in hot yoga or bikram. With these yoga styles the towel gets wet and a microfiber towel becomes more rigid as it gets wetter. With regular yoga styles, the towel will not get wet and will remain smooth. A towel is usually smoother than a standard yoga mat.

In bikram or hot yoga you always use a towel . Not only because of the hygienic aspect, but especially because you would otherwise slide down. Moisture and (pvc) mats do not go together. If your hands, feet or the yoga mat get wet, the surface tension decreases and therefore also the skid resistance. The use of a good microfiber towel is essential for these yoga styles.

Vinegar!

Vinegar would be a panacea for smooth yoga mats. There are literally hundreds of articles on the internet with these wonder remedies. Vinegar (mixed with water) is used in many mat sprays to clean the mat. However, this makes little sense with PVC or rubber mats. Vinegar does not make a mat more slippery or less smooth. Vinegar disinfects the mat, but does not necessarily clean it. A drop of Ecover detergent dissolved in water has more effect than vinegar (only for pvc mats!).

And beware with the use of (essential) oil in the mat sprays. Too much oil makes the mat smoother.

Perspiration

Some body types sweat more than others. For these types it is good to make a trade-off between a towel or perhaps a rubber mat. Even clammy hands can be the cause of reduced skid resistance. A good PVC yoga mat (like the Manduka PROlite ) has far less trouble with this than cheaper alternatives. That is something to watch out for when buying a new mat.

Keeping hands and feet dry is usually enough not to slip. A quick-dry towel can help. In the case of excessive perspiration, the choice of a rubber yoga mat is almost indispensable. Rubber remains stiff, even with perspiration.

Opinions and conclusion

• Cheap (chinese) yoga mats are by definition smooth
• Quality and brand yoga mats are much stiffer than the cheap alternatives
• Perspiration influences the skid resistance of a yoga mat.
  • Keeping your hands dry helps
• A towel (even with studs) is only useful for hot yoga or bikram
• Rubber yoga mats are much stiffer than PVC mats
  • In case of excessive perspiration, rubber is an excellent choice