Wabi-sabi, the art of embracing imperfection, dictates that “nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect.” The same can be said about your yoga studio; it will forever be a work in progress. Whether you have recently purchased a studio or are looking to remodel, you’ll eventually come to the realization that no yoga flooring lasts forever, and no yoga flooring is perfect, but that doesn’t mean some options aren’t better than others. You can embrace the imperfections of our yoga studio flooring while simultaneously having the best yoga flooring possible.
Which yoga flooring should you choose? To help you, here are a few positives and negatives about each option.
Carpet Yoga Flooring
While we do our best to maintain objectivity, there just isn’t much that is positive to say about carpet as a yoga flooring. The main benefit is cost-effectiveness. Carpet is the budget yoga flooring, but it shows in its many flaws:
- Lack of comfort: you will need a firm carpet to provide stability, but that also comes with a level of discomfort and little protection from falls.
- Sanitation: carpets are hard to keep clean and easily absorb and hold moisture. If you run hot yoga classes, you will find cleaning the carpet and removing the sweat will be a large and costly challenge. It’s also incredibly difficult to remove the musty mildew smells from the yoga practice space, and in many instances that smell can seep you’re your lobby or even become a concern for neighboring tenants.
Wooden Yoga Flooring
There are many types of wood flooring to choose from: hardwood, bamboo, reclaimed wood, each with their own price points. Comparative pricing is hard to gauge with wood because there are so many different options, so we will simply focus on other pros and cons of the material.
Pros of Wood Flooring
- Easy to clean: wood flooring is generally easy to mop and dries quickly.
- Stable: wood flooring provides ample stability for most yoga practices.
- Anti-skid: wood will typically not cause friction burns if someone falls.
Cons of Wood Flooring
- Maintenance: for all the beauty that comes with wood, it’s hard to maintain. It will need constant refinishing due to scuffs and other damage.
- Climate control: wood flooring needs to be constantly monitored for humidity level. Wood swells and contracts with temperature changes, leading to cracking, bending and warping. It’s not always the best choice for hot yoga.
- Sustainability: while some wood is reclaimed/recycled, it still requires trees to be cut down for initial production.
Vinyl/Foam Yoga Tiles
There are wide range of yoga tiles on the market, so you want to make sure you work with the right company, one that uses both the best materials in their products and the best practices in their product construction. Vinyl is a great outer material for foam yoga tiles for a wide array of reasons that make it suitable for many yoga practices.
Pros of Vinyl Yoga Tiles:
- Easy to clean: just like wood flooring, vinyl yoga tiles are easy to mop and dry quickly.
- Stable: check the foam core density of the tiles you are purchasing. The right yoga tiles will have a density that provides ample stability while still maintaining a soft surface to cushion falls.
- Anti-skid: vinyl provides an anti-skid surface. You can even choose from smooth or tatami textures, using tatami surfaced tiles for added anti-skid protection.
- Moisture (that’s climate and sweat) proof: vinyl tiles are the best choice for hot yoga because they do not absorb water or expand when exposed to excess humidity.
- Sustainability: the right tiles will be made from recycled materials. Ask your flooring provider how they make their tiles.
- Easy installation: these tiles can be placed over all types of flooring and have an anti-skid backing that holds them in place.
- Easy replacement: suffer damage to a certain area of your flooring? Simply purchase and install a new tile rather than replacing the entire floor.
What’s the downside of foam and vinyl yoga tiles? Some would say the price, but the right yoga tile is a long-lasting investment that should last at least 10 years, so it’s worth what you put into it. If you are serious about providing a comfortable and safe space for your yoga practice, look into getting yoga tiles for your studio. If price is an issue, check out Zebra’s financing options or speak with a Zebra representative today, about options from the Zebra Outlet.