AYP Gecko Mat

Here is a little history of our Gecko Mat.

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Over the years I have researched many different mats in a quest for one that was both durable and not harsh on the environment. I looked into the development of Natural Rubber mats as well as a variety of other materials. I wanted to stay away from PVC based mats due to their being less environmentally sound. I realized however that rubber mats are also problematic for the environment.

Natural Rubber for the most part comes from Asian forests and the propagation of rubber trees and the harvesting of the sap has caused problems in many areas with issues such as the eviction of indigenous people from their native lands as well as environment consequences from deforestation. After harvest this raw rubber product is then sent by ship to Taiwan or China where it is converted into a yoga mat. From there it is then sent by ship again to the EU, US etc. So the amount of fuel used to create a rubber mat is quite vast leaving a rather large carbon footprint.

The next issue is the fact that due to the less durable nature of natural rubber mats they tend to fall apart rather quickly thereby causing the student to purchase multiple mats in the life of their practicing yoga. This means there is much more energy and materials used over the life of ones practice.

Taking all of this into consideration, investigation and thought I have developed what I believe to be a very sensible sort of “Hybrid Yoga Mat” that we call The Gecko Mat. It may not be the perfect mat but I believe it to be a really great step forward.

The integrity of structure of the gecko mats makes them incredibly durable and long lasting. The Gecko Mat is by far more durable than the vast majority of mats on the market today. It is built to last! Due to this integral strength it will last a lifetime thereby using less resources and requiring less transportation while also not being a detriment to the rain forests where rubber trees grow. There are some other mats that are also long-lasting however they tend to weigh in at around 7 pounds. I found a way to use the same materials yet reduce the volume by 30% while maintaining the same level of durability and cushion. This means there is 30% less material used yet the mat is 2 pounds lighter. That translates into less raw material used to produce the mat and less fuel to transport it. The Gecko Mat is also much easier for the student to carry than their heavier counterparts.

I do not claim that the Gecko Mat is the perfect mat since it is made using PVC. That is not ideal but looking at the whole picture I think the overall impact on our planet is less due to the life span of the mat and the greater efficiency of its construction.

The factory where the Gecko Mats are produced is Oekotex Certified and the mats have been tested to assure that they are not emitting harmful chemicals. You may visit the Oekotex Certification website to read more about it: www.oekotex.com.

Please know that I have thought this through and looked at many different angles and have struggled with exactly what kind of mat to create and the Gecko Mat is what grew from that quest. I am open to other suggestions, ideas and creative thoughts about new ways to improve the mats we spend so much time on. Hopefully together we can create a more perfect yoga mat!

Sincerely,

David