Printed Mats - Learn More
Health & Sustainability:
It’s important to us to take as much care with our planet as we do our bodies, which is why our mats are produced with both sustainability and health in mind. Our mats are made with a fully biodegradable natural tree rubber base – so your children’s children won’t be digging up the remains of your PVC mat a century from now - and the good folks who produce them for us are working on a pay-it-forward initiative to re-home used mats. The inks used to print our rad Eagle Rock WERKSHOP® art that you know and love on the microfiber surface are UV cured, meaning that it dries in seconds under UV lights, which uses limited energy and forgoes the use of harmful solvents to set the designs. Our mats are completely free of yucky stuff like PVC, latex, phthalates and heavy metals.
Surface Texture and Grip:
The days of carrying a separate towel to lay on your mat are over! Unlike most other mats that lose traction with moisture, our mat’s microfiber surface offers more and more grip the wetter it gets, making it the perfect companion for sweatier yoga practices or more intensive exercise regimes.
Please note that with low sweat, low humidity practices, the luxurious, microfiber printed surface can be quite slippery when dry - especially when the mat is new, as it'll feel particularly velvety straight out the box. But not to worry! You can easily use a spray bottle with water to spritz the surface of your mat at the beginning of your practice and again as needed to bring out the awesome grip.
If you happen to sweat excessively during practice (like myself) you may find your sweat pooling on the surface of the mat near the end of class. This can cause you to loose traction and slip. If this should happen, be sure to use a towel to mop up any extra sweat that is pooling to get back to that perfect "sweet spot" of grip that you get at the beginning of class.
Comfort and Portability:
Thick enough to keep your knees nice and happy but light enough to take on the go, this mat strikes the perfect balance between function and portability. The natural rubber base provides a dense cushion that’s gentle on your joints and sturdy enough to hold up to demanding use, while still light enough at under five and half pounds to sling over your shoulder (with the included carrying strap!) and head off to class!
And – here’s one of our favorite little mat features in the WERKSHOP studio! - Don’t you hate how foam mats curl up at the ends when you unroll them? Our mats lay flat even after they’ve been rolled up. =)
Care and Cleaning:
We recommend giving your mat a thorough cleaning once a week with frequent practice.
First, rinse your mat with water. Next, spray it with an anti-bacterial yoga mat spray. (See below for an easy-breezy, awesome-smelling, and all-natural DIY cleaner that we use in the WERKSHOP studio! We’ve tested it out and it’s safe for our mats, but we recommend spot testing any new cleaner on a corner of your mat to be sure that it doesn’t affect the printing.) Gently rub the spray into the mat with your hand and then lightly rinse again. Hang the mat up to dry - it may take a day to dry, depending on what season you're in. Voila! Squeaky clean, happy-smelling mat!
Between practices and once-a-week cleanings, we recommend a light spray down with cleaner and a couple of hours unrolled to dry properly.
DO NOT aggressively scrub your mat or use harsh, chemical sprays. To maximize longevity, we don't recommend throwing your mat into the washing machine or tumble dryer.
DIY Mat Cleaner with Essential Oils!
- Fill a spray bottle with 2-4 ounces of distilled or spring water
- Add 2-4 drops of tea tree oil
- Add 2-4 drops of lemongrass oil
- Shake thoroughly to mix and spray on your mat!
Tea Tree and Lemongrass essential oils have natural antibacterial and antifungal properties and smell lovely!
You can also swap out Tea Tree and Lemongrass for Eucalyptus and Mint! That was the original cleaning solution suggested to us by our manufacturing partner =)
