Building or renovating a yoga studio comes with a healthy dose of decisions that need to be made, one of which is the type of yoga flooring to use. There are many different yoga flooring materials to choose from, and not all are created equal.
If you are looking for a new type of flooring, here are a few things you should consider.
1. Thickness
One of the benefits of choosing yoga tiles over other types of flooring is that you can choose the thickness of your mats, which allows you to tailor your level of comfort as well as protect against falls that can happen while practicing more complex poses.
Zebra’s yoga tiles come in two different thicknesses (0.5 inches and 1.0 inches). The half inch tiles offer a suitable amount of protection for most yoga practices. If you practice aerial or acro yoga, where falls can occur from greater heights, we definitely recommend upgrading to 1-inch tiles for even more protection.
2. Texture
All Zebra yoga tiles are covered in a non-slip vinyl covering, and there are two texture options you can choose from: tatami and smooth. Both are comfortable to practice so the choice really comes down to your personal preference. Do you like the look and feel of tatami or do you prefer a smooth texture on your flooring?
3. Temperature Stability
If you practice Bikram or any other type of yoga that requires a heated room, you know the pains of needing a flooring that doesn’t buckle under high temperatures. Wood breathes well, but if it’s not installed properly, it can buckle and warp as temperatures rise and fall. It’s essential to have a type of flooring that will not warp in high temperature environments.
4. Waterproofing
It’s no secret that with yoga comes a lot of sweat, and after everyone is done sweating on your mats, the mats need to be properly cleaned with disinfectant solution. In order to prevent damage and excessive wear due to sweat and repeated cleanings, you’ll want to invest in yoga flooring made from materials that are waterproof.
5. Eco-friendly
There’s an undeniable connection between yoga and environmental sustainability, and it’s important for studios to try and help the environment in any way that they can. While not all materials are 100% sustainable, there are options that are made with recycled materials (Zebra’s Yoga tiles are made from up to 70% recycled materials).
6. Ease of Installation
Why not make things easy on yourself? There’s nothing worse than getting your new yoga flooring and being unable to install them yourself or having to pay someone even more money to do it properly. There’s nothing better than completely changing the look of your studio in a single afternoon!