If I had to credit one fitness item with helping me stay active for the past decade, it would be a yoga mat. It’s what I use for everything from static stretching to strength training to tucking under my foam roller to keep it from slipping out of place. I’ve used plenty of mats over the years — including ones from Lululemon, Giam, and Alo Yoga — all of which are pretty similar in construction, often made from rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polyurethane (a plastic similar to PVC). But last December, when my colleague Jeremy Rellosa mentioned that a new cork yoga mat — yes, cork as in the stopper in your wine bottle — was one of the best things he bought all year, I was intrigued. He tested the Robin from 42 Birds for a range of activities, including at-home yoga classes, stretching sessions, and body-weight workouts, and named it his “top recommendation for a yoga mat” and his “most-used fitness-workout item.”
I knew I needed to test the Robin myself. When I first unraveled the mat on our living room floor, I quickly realized why it’s so out of the ordinary. At less than two pounds, it’s incredibly lightweight (most rubber yoga mats are four to five pounds). As I used it for single-leg exercises, I noticed it gave a perfect middle-of-the-road combination of stability and support. When I sweated on the mat, it got grippier, which I found helpful when I was stretching my calves in downward dog or doing a quick HIIT workout involving multiple rounds of burpees. It’s so grippy that during my testing I never felt that I needed a mat towel to prevent it from becoming overly slippery, which sometimes happens with my Lululemon mat. The brand also recommends spraying the mat with water prior to use in order to give it some extra grip, which I’ve found works well for when I’m doing a workout with balance poses or on days when I’m not working up enough of a sweat to make it grippy without the added water. If my mat is overly damp after a session — say, after a heated class — it dries within a few hours and then I’m able to roll it up for storage.
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As I mentioned, the Robin is very lightweight compared to other yoga mats I’ve used, which makes it a lot easier to haul to a fitness studio. That’s thanks to the its material makeup, which I can honestly say is unlike anything else I’ve seen before on the market: The top side is made of 100 percent cork, which is naturally anti-microbial (so bacteria won’t grow as easily on the surface); meanwhile, the bottom has five-millimeter-thick foam that’s free of PVC, plasticizers, and latex, according to the brand. The thickness falls right in between the three millimeter and six millimeter sweet spot for yoga mats that I’ve heard recommended by yoga teachers and studio founders.
At $78, it’s also pretty affordable compared to other yoga mats I own, which have been in the $100 to $150 range. Not only does the Robin feel nice under my hands and feet because of the flexible and soft texture, but the grainy appearance of the cork is a welcome contrast to the more plasticky, rubbery mats in my rotation. I also appreciate that it’s considered an ecofriendly choice compared to most traditional yoga mats — and one that feels just as moisture wicking, slip resistant, and durable as my past favorites.
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I Do All My Down Dogs on This Plastic-Free Yoga Mat Now
