Hugger Mugger’s Para Rubber Yoga Mats are favorites among committed yogis and teachers. Part of our sustainable line of yoga mats, the Para Rubber Yoga Mat is thick, durable, and exceptionally grippy. This mat will help you take your practice to the next level.
Rubber is sustainable in several ways: it comes from natural rubber trees and it’s very durable and long lasting. Native to South America, rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) are tapped for their latex, the source material for all natural rubber products. While more than half the rubber used in manufacturing today is synthetic—from petroleum sources—Hugger Mugger uses only natural, tree-sourced, Malaysian rubber in our mats.
Our Para Rubber Yoga Mats come in four rich, earthy colors: Storm, River, Alpine, and Lotus. These mats are grippy on both sides, making them extremely stable. And for taller yogis, there’s the Para Rubber Mat XL—at four inches wider and eight inches longer than our standard-sized mat, it will give you plenty of room to stretch.
How Rubber Got its Name
Rubber’s name comes from one of its early uses—as an eraser. When latex first arrived in England in 1770, Joseph Priestley observed that it was great for rubbing pencil marks from paper. In other words, the new material was the perfect rubber. Friction is what makes rubber the ideal material for an eraser. It’s also the quality that makes it a great grippy yoga mat. Plus, rubber is sturdy and flexible, and provides excellent cushioning.
Caring for Your Para Rubber Yoga Mat
Rubber is a sturdy material. Otherwise, we wouldn’t use it for tires. But unlike tires, the Para Rubber Yoga Mat has a cushy feel. Your yoga mat won’t be hitting the road for 50,000 miles, so we use a more flexible rubber that is much more comfy to practice on. The Para Rubber Yoga Mat is 1/4-inch thick, giving it extra cushioning and insulating power.
All rubber mats have a slight, but harmless, odor like the smell of new tires. The smell fades over time, and you can help it along by wiping your mat down with our PureMat Mat & Gear Wash in Lemon Tea Tree or Lavender. Make sure you use a fabric towel or clean cloth—no paper towels. Paper towels will disintegrate when you rub the mat with them and you’ll end up picking little paper towel crumbs off your mat. Plus, fabric towels are reusable.
With proper care your Para Rubber Yoga Mat can support you for many years of yoga practice.
If You Have Latex Allergies
Some people are sensitive to latex. Since all natural rubber products are made from latex, people with latex allergies should not practice on rubber yoga mats. Symptoms of a latex allergy can include mild itching or redness, sneezing or coughing, and in more serious cases, anaphylactic reactions. You can visit Mayo Clinic‘s website for more information.
If you have a latex allergy but are interested in using a sustainable yoga mat, we have lots of great alternatives to rubber. Check out these eco-friendly mats:
PER: Nature Collection, Nature Collection Ultra, Gallery Collection Ultra, Tapas® Travel
Jute/PER: Sattva Jute Mat
Biodegradable TPE: Earth Elements 5mm