Frequently Asked Questions

About Our Mats

• What are your mats made from?

  Our mats are brushed microfiber vegan suede bonded to a biodegradable, recyclable, 100% natural tree rubber base. The vegan microfiber suede surface is made from a proprietary blend of recycled polyester and nylon. The construction is simple, but developing and sourcing the materials was not!

• Why vegan microfiber suede?

  After experimenting with many materials, we finally settled on microfiber vegan suede. It’s soft when it’s dry, incredibly grippy when it’s damp, and it feels really nice on your skin. It dries quickly, washes up well, doesn’t fade or bleed, and produces extremely vibrant colors. We use a vegan microfiber top for the same reason so many yogis use a microfiber towel on their existing mat, but without all the slipping and wadding and bunching! Also, our vegan microfiber is eco-friendly — surprising since it’s synthetic — but the mat’s polyester and nylon microfibers are made from other recycled synthetics, which lessens our impact on the environment. In addition, our entire mat is recyclable (the top) or recyclable AND biodegradable (the bottom).

• Why 100% natural rubber?

  Because it’s extremely sturdy yet also extremely eco-friendly, since it’s recyclable, biodegradable AND renewable! It provides excellent cushion to protect your joints, and excellent traction on slippery floors. It won’t crack in cold weather or deform in a hot car, and is directly bonded to the surface without any glue. It lies flat on the ground, prevents the mat from slipping and provides cushioning for your body while giving you a secure stance for your poses.

• How does your mat feel?

  Incredibly soft and smooth when it’s dry, but add a little moisture from a spray bottle (or sweat from hot yoga!) and it becomes incredibly grippy. Imagine a smooth microfiber towel (or even a piece of real suede) stretched over a thick, high-quality yoga mat and you’ll have the basic idea.

• Are your mats slippery?

  Our microfiber surface provides more grip the wetter it gets, making it the perfect companion for sweatier practices and/or more intensive exercise regimes — you’ll never need a towel over your yoga mat again! It’s thick enough to keep your knees happy but light enough to take with you on the go. Prefer a dry practice? Simply mist the surface of this mat with a spray bottle to activate the grip.

• Will I need to put a towel on this mat?

  Absolutely not! You CAN put a towel on our mats, but it’s not necessary. The microfiber suede acts just like a towel (but without all of the annoying wadding and bunching and shifting).

• How big are your mats?

  Our mats are 6’ long x 2’ wide x 4.5mm thick (1830 mm x 610 mm x 4.5 mm). After a great deal of experimenting we’ve found this to be the best compromise between length, width, thickness and weight. This size should accommodate the vast majority of people, no matter how tall you might be.

• Do you offer any other mat sizes?

  Not at this time. If there’s sufficient demand from you extra-tall people out there we may add a mat that’s slightly longer and wider.

• How thick are your mats?

  Nominally 4.5 millimeters (nearly 1/4") thick, though there may be some slight variation due to manufacturing tolerances. After extensive testing, we found this to be the best compromise between cushion and weight.

• Do your mats provide good cushioning?

  Yes! Many cheaper yoga mats are only 3mm thick (or even less), whereas ours are 5mm. A 2mm difference might not sound like much, but our mat is 66% thicker than a 3mm mat and provides much better protection for your joints.

• How heavy are your mats?

  5.5 pounds (2.5 kg). Think of a small 5-pound dumbbell…and then add a bit more. (Obvious, we know, but it helps put the weight of the mat in perspective.) It’s not the lightest mat available (since it’s designed to be sturdy and well-cushioned), but it’s a lot lighter than the old 9-pound mats that once dominated the market.

• Are your mats eco-friendly?

  Yes, very! Our mat’s polyester is made from other recycled synthetics, which lessens our impact on the environment, and its base is 100% natural rubber, which is recyclable, renewable, AND biodegradable! In addition, our entire mat is recyclable (the top) or recyclable AND biodegradable (the bottom).

• Are your mats recyclable?

  Yes! Our entire mat is recyclable (the top) or recyclable AND biodegradable (the bottom).

• Are your mats made from recycled materials?

  Yes! Our mat’s top is made from a proprietary blend of recycled polyester microfibers.

• Are your mats made from natural materials?

  Our mat’s base is made from 100% natural tree rubber, which is recyclable, renewable AND biodegradable!

• Are your mats washable?

  Yes! Hose it down or hand wash with cold water and hang to dry for a long, colorful life. The mat will not fade or bleed. (If you live in a very sunny or very arid environment, your mat should dry in a day; otherwise, it might take a couple of days. You may want to consider buying TWO mats if you do yoga every day and don’t want to use a damp mat.)

• How durable are your mats?

  We’ve been using (and abusing!) our first prototype mats on a daily basis for years now, and they still look almost-new (outside of of ordinary wear and tear, of course). In the unlikely event that you receive a defective mat, we’ll happily replace it at no cost to you.

• Will your mats bleed/smear?

  No! You can clean it without fear of bleeding or smearing. Our mats are vibrant but color-fast.

• Does your mat smell?

  No. We’ve owned some EXTREMELY icky-smelling mats, but happily ours does not fall into this category.

• How does this mat compare to other high-end mats?

  We’ve owned expensive mats from well-respected brands like Lululemon and Athleta, and as much as we’ve liked their mats (and LOVE their clothing!) we much prefer microfiber vegan suede surfaces over all others. We believe we’ve found the perfect balance of size, weight, cushion, grip, durability and artistry; no other mat compares.

• I’m new to yoga. Is this mat a good choice for me?

  Yes! You may be tempted to start with a cheap mat and upgrade later, but in the end you’ll simply be buying two mats instead of one. In addition, the grip provided by our vegan microfiber suede will make you feel more stable, confident, and ready for the next pose.

• I’m a very experienced yogi. Is this mat a good choice for me?

  Yes! Perhaps you’ve replaced your mat once or twice already, and are now looking for something long-lasting. Or perhaps you’re tired of seeing the same mats over and over and over every day and are looking for something that makes a statement. Or perhaps you’re tired of sweaty towels slipping around and bunching up. Or perhaps you’re now doing more advanced poses and are looking for a surface that provides more grip and stability than your current mat offers. No matter what your reason — durability, washability, style, absorption, grip — our mat has you covered!

• How long did it take you to develop this mat?

  Our mat is the product of more than 2 years of iterative sourcing, testing, development and debugging. We tried a wide variety of base and surface materials, printing processes, construction methods, sizes, thicknesses, and weights. We used and abused our prototypes for months as we honed in on each of these factors until we arrived at what we believe is the perfect mat. Once we knew WHAT we wanted, we spent many more months sourcing and testing materials from various suppliers around the globe until we found a really great manufacturing partner with whom we could form long-term business relationships. He ships us blank yoga mats and we do all the printing ourselves at facility in Minnesota.

• Can I have my mat custom-printed?

  Yes! We’re currently working on a way to automate this, but if you’d like a fully custom designed yoga mat using your own artwork (or ours!) we’re happy to accommodate you! Please check out our Custom Yoga Mats page for details. (We also offer a yoga mat personalization service if you don’t need a fully custom design.)

• Can I have my mat personalized?

  Yes! We’re currently working on a way to automate this, but if you’d like your yoga mat personalized with a name or monogram or date or any other simple tweak we can do it because we all of the printing ourselves! If you need a fully custom-designed custom designed yoga mat using your own artwork (or ours!) we’re happy to do that too — check out our Custom Yoga Mats page for details.

About Big Raven

• Where are you based?

  We are headquartered in Spring Grove, Minnesota.

• Where are your mats printed?

  Our yoga mats are printed in our workshop below our yoga studio in Spring Grove, Minnesota. If you’re ever in the area, check us out — we’d be happy to show you around!

• Are you yogis yourselves?

  Yes! We’re highly experienced yogis and yoga instructors, with decades of experience between us. As such WE know what we want in a yoga mat, and we’re hoping others will love our mats as much as we do!

Shipping & Order Details

• How much does shipping cost?

  Shipping is free to most U.S. locations! Shipping to U.S. territories, Alaska, Hawaii and all international locations will be shipped at the lowest price available to us from our shippers. In some locations there may be additional duties, taxes, and custom fees that are outside of our control. Please be advised that international orders may have COD charges. Big Raven Yoga is not responsible for these fees (and have no control over them). We do not offer refunds on refused packages as a result of unexpected duties and fees, unfortunately.

• If I have a problem with my mat, how do I contact you?

  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a problem! We want you to love your mat as much as we love ours!

• How long will it take to get my order?

  Our premium yoga mats are printed to order just for you. At the moment, our time to print and ship your mat is approximately 2 weeks.

Exchanges & Returns

• How do I exchange or return my mat?

  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a problem! We want you to love your mat as much as we love ours!

Mat Care

• How do I care for my mat?

  Hose it down or machine wash on cold in a front-loading washer and hang to dry for a long, colorful life. For gentle cleaning use a yoga mat cleaning spray, or soap and towel. Not to worry — your mat will not smear or bleed! For deep cleaning, machine wash on cold, delicate setting in a front-loading washer. Air dry in a clean environment. (If you live in a very sunny or very arid environment, your mat should dry in a day; otherwise, it might take a couple of days. You may want to consider buying TWO mats if you do yoga every day and don’t want to use a damp mat.) Do not tumble dry, dry clean, bleach or iron. To store your mat, roll it with the printed side facing outward. This keeps the corners of your mat flat when you unroll it and prevents unsightly creases in your mat.