Here We Explain Our Pricing
I'd like to explain why our mats cost what they do AND why you still need one even at that price…
Unlike our competitors, we don’t crank out generic yoga mats by the thousands (or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands). We’re a small, family-run business and we print each mat individually to order — custom made exclusively for you. We simply don’t have the same economies of scale as big- yoga brands or big-box retailers and, truth be told, we’re not really interested in competing solely on price. Instead, we focus on quality and beauty and value. We know our prices might seem a little high when a yoga mat can cost less than $50 at Target. But our mat is not the same mat you get at a big-box retailer, and our price reflects the exceptional value you get in return.
Our goal is not to produce the cheapest and least expensive yoga mats on the market. Our goal is to create beautiful yoga mats from very, VERY high-quality materials. Our mats are both beautiful and durable and will handle years of daily use and abuse and still look like new. They don’t feel like other yoga mats, they don’t look like other yoga mats, and they don’t fall apart like other yoga mats.
The reason they don’t feel like other yoga mats is that they’re printed on microfiber suede, a man-made alternative to traditional suede. Over and above its ethical considerations, our suede has numerous advantages over traditional suede: It’s incredibly soft, with a luxurious, velvety feel. It becomes extremely grippy with even the slightest moisture, which provides improved stability and safety during your practice. While man-made, our microfiber suede is remarkably eco-friendly: It’s made from a proprietary blend of recycled polyester and nylon fibers and is brushed to an exceptionally smooth finish. Because we use recycled (and recyclable) materials, we’re reducing our use of water, energy and greenhouse gases. In addition, the base of our mats is made from thick, 100% natural tree rubber, which is both biodegradable AND recyclable. It provides excellent traction on moist, humid floors, and plenty of cushion for your joints.
The reason our yoga mats don’t look like other yoga mats is that our mats are fully dyed from edge to edge, with one-of-a-kind designs created by our artists. There are plenty of single-color yoga mats out there, and plenty of yoga mats with simple graphics and prominent logos. We decided to go a different direction, by creating intricate, vibrant artwork that you’ll look forward to unrolling. Also, unlike other yoga mats, our mats are easily washable in your household washing machine: Simply throw it in the wash and hang it up to dry for a couple of days. (Don’t try that with your average big-box yoga mat!) Because we use eco-friendly, water-based dyes, you can
rest assured that our artwork won’t fade or bleed. It’s 100% safe to throw your mat in with your beloved yoga clothes!
Finally, the reason our yoga mats don’t fall apart like other, lesser quality mats is that ours are built to last. Literally. Cheap mats that start to break down after a few months or a year of chaturangas are no savings. Our commitment to quality shows in the durability of our mats and in the craftsmanship of their construction. And because they wash up so beautifully, they’ll continue to look like new for years to come.
We started Big Raven to cultivate happiness. We’re yogis ourselves, and we’re on our mats every day. Our goal is to create beauty and durability as an alternative to low-quality, mass-produced mats. There are plenty of those out there already. We wanted to take a different approach, one that would appeal to yogis with an artistic eye, yogis who value quality, yogis who are willing to pay just a little bit more to get a lot more in return. We know that $107 for a yoga mat sounds expensive compared to what you might buy at a big-box retailer, but we believe it’s a fair and honest price for high-quality mats, made in limited runs, by a small, family-owned boutique business. Namaste!
Calm. Not Quiet. Yoga Mats for the Bold.
