Cork Yoga Mats by The January Company

Cork trees are native to Portugal and northern Africa. Traditionally used to make wine stoppers, shuttlecocks for badminton, and flooring, cork is a newer material for yoga mats.

We believe it's the best choice.

Our mats are made from granulated cork, which repurposes the leavings of the harvest of cork for other goods. The cork tree provides cork bark many times in its lifetime, so long as the harvesting schedule is respected.

Cork bark itself is a fibrous material and is essentially a layer of plant cells. If you remember from high school biology, plant cells are different from animal cells in that plant cells have an a cell wall layer ensconcing the cell membrane. This plant cell wall is made from cellulose, which is naturally hydrophilis (water-loving) and absorbs water.

This is the reason why our mats handle moisture extremely well. We notice water may drip on the mat as we sweat through a workout. Yet that moisture is quickly absorbed. The mat feels less slippery when wet than it does when dry.

These are our go-to mats at home for workouts ranging from yoga to weight training (burpees to squats and back). These mats handle it all. Plus we like elephants.