*elephantjournal.com received these review items for free, in return for a guarantee that we would review said offering. That said, we say what we want—good and bad, happy and sad.
Allow me to let you in on my dirty little secret: I’m a yoga mat snob.
It can’t be too slippery, too thin or too thick and it can’t have that classic new yoga mat toxic smell that everyone dreads.
For me, practicing on a comfortable yoga mat versus a paper thin mat is like the difference of going for a jog in tennis shoes versus stilettos. I know which I’d rather do, but how about you?
My Süga mat was in a few words made for me (and any creature of comfort) before I even knew it.
I’m a Forrest Yoga junkie but will dabble in hot yoga from time to time. If you know yoga, then you acknowledge that a slippery foot or hand while in Warrior 2 or Downward Facing Dog is the worst nightmare you’d rather not face. After three weeks of using my Süga mat in my daily practice, I was left pleasantly surprised. Several times, I took it to my favorite 100 degree Fahrenheit hot yoga class and my beloved Forrest Yoga class where we hold poses for quite a while and it was as if I was doing yoga on a cloud all class long. The density of the mat is divine.
The mat is slightly heavier than others I’ve used. It took some getting used to but I no longer notice the weight difference.
Süga is headquartered in Encinitas, California—a mecca for surfing and yoga aficionados alike. Süga mats are made in the U.S. from 100% recycled wetsuits. The name “Süga” alchemizes pure love for surfing, yoga and sustainability into a product that not only brings these three worlds together, but eases the environmental footprint of non-biodegradable wetsuits that are no longer usable.
Wetsuits go to die when surfers are done with them, but Süga reincarnates them into a new, happy purpose for the yogis, yoginis and surfers of the world.
Because the mats are made out neoprene, they are heavy-duty and hold up against bacteria, sweat and dirt.
Süga empowers anybody and everybody to realize the power of conscious business and corporate responsibility. Süga’s upcycling program inspires a classy approach to how we can each take initiative repurpose something no longer usable for its original purpose and to mitigate the footprint of an otherwise non-biodegradable product. The company is a member of 1% for the Planet.
The company’s C2G program (Cradle2Grave) program offers you a yoga mat for life. If anything should happen to your Süga, the company will send you a new one. Süga has recently met its Kickstarter goal.
I’ve been practicing yoga since I was in high school and my mom started nudging me toward classes. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with the practice and my Süga mat is by far the best yoga mat I’ve had during that time. I feel good about being socially conscious while I practice and inspiring my yoga classmates to reconsider the benefits of an upcycled mat.
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See all of our eco-friendly yoga mats on Elephant Market!
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Author: Caitlin Oriel
Images: Süga Instagram
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