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Yoga Kargha is a division of Abhinehkrafts, an Indian company making handmade yoga, meditation, and wellness products using only sustainable and natural materials.
Sounds great on paper - but are they any good? I decided to put them to the test.
I've been practicing yoga almost daily for over a decade, and I've used and tested dozens of so-called sustainable yoga mats - some great, others not so much.
For this YogaKargha review, I tested the Amrit Yoga Mat, a handwoven organic cotton yoga mat that can also be used for general fitness, pilates, and meditation.
I'll reveal my full findings, how the mat performed in real-world use and my personal recommendations on how to get the most out of the product.
✔ 13 Color Options
✔ With or Without Anti Skid Backing
✔ 100% Organic Cotton
Dimensions:
The version I tested was in Forest Green color, with the antiskid felt backing.
It's available to buy on Amazon or if you prefer, on Etsy.
My new organic yoga mat took around a week to arrive, from the date the order was placed,
The product was shipped in a recyclable cardboard box, with zero plastic apart from the FedEx label.
The cotton mat was rolled up and secured with twine inside a cotton bag.
Unlike some other mats I've tried, the Amit mat was quick to open as I didn’t need to spend ages peeling off a layer of plastic.
The mat felt clean when opened. This could have been due to the lack of chemicals, or the fact there was no plastic odor. So it may have been a sensory experience, but either way, my impressions during unboxing were very positive.
My first impression was wow - what a beautiful mat!
I was excited to use it & jumped straight on to try it out straight away.
However, I did find that it felt a little bit itchy after using it on the first and second occasions. I also noticed an aroma I’m not used to - it smelled a little like incense candles. This isn't necessarily a bad thing and might actually be to many people's tastes, particularly if you plan to use it as a prayer mat.
I felt that both the aroma and itch were possibly due to incense burning while the product was being made, or possibly a few loose fibers. I decided to leave the mat to air for a few days. After this time, the aroma subsided and I was no longer itchy even when practicing somatic movements during restorative practice.
After that, I was good to go.
The Amit by Yoga Kargha is a high quality, handwoven organic cotton mat.
It's gentle and soft to the touch, and the quality of the weave is obvious. The mats are dyed with natural and plant-based dyes which give them a rich, appealing color.
The optional anti-skid felt layer has a multitude of rubber dots embedded over a cotton felt fabric.
I would definitely recommend you add this layer, especially if you plan to use the mat on hard or tiled floors. It adds a few mm of extra thickness, but that doesn't make it feel bulky at all. More importantly, it makes the mat basically slip free on almost any surface.
I was pleased to find that the Amit gripped a range of surfaces including laminate, tiled, and carpet well. Despite being put through its paces with a range of moves, the mat itself didn’t budge at all due to the anti-skid felt layer.
My hands and feet did slip slightly on the mat after working up a sweat - but much less than when I use a natural cork mat.
The addition of a small amount of water from a spray bottle prevented any slippage in positions like wide angle pose, warrior I or II, or downward dog until the water evaporated. This is the same with my natural cork mat.
I found that using either rosin or dry hands improved my grip and I could practice asanas with confidence.
The fluffy and dense nature of cotton fibers offered excellent cushioning and padding, which made them great for various yoga poses such as cat/cow, locust, and bow poses that require support for the knees, elbows, or hips.
The added thickness helps reduce discomfort and pressure on these body parts during practice.
I can't make a definitive judgment on the durability as haven't used it for long enough. In my experience, cotton mats as a general rule don't last as long as other materials.
However, the quality of the weave and materials mean I would expect this to last longer than most other cotton equivalents.
It is washable which ensures it will be cleaner for longer than a cork mat for example. The manufacturer recommends handwashing or a gentle machine wash to ensure that it doesn't lose its shape.
The extra large size is a big plus for me and makes the Amrit wonderful for practicing on.
It's much larger than standard cork or rubber yoga mats - so there is plenty of room to move around and perform wide-angle poses or shavasna.
In a yoga class at a studio with limited space, the large size may not be ideal. But it's absolutely perfect in a large studio, home practice, or outside.
Often taller people struggle with the length of standard mats, so if you're above average height you'll love this!
Many people commented on how good the size was when I took it to class.
Initially, I did worry that it wouldn’t fit in my large cotton yoga bag. In fact, it didn’t fit when rolled but because you can fold it, it still fits in my bag with yoga bricks and other yoga props.
Despite being bigger than my cork mat, the YogaKargha Amrit is actually much lighter.
As mentioned, when rolled up it doesn’t fit in my big yoga bag but that’s not an issue as it comes in its own complementary bag which is easy to get it back into.
Because it's light and foldable, it's easy to put in a suitcase or large travel bag.
I loved the size and softness of the mat.
it would be great if could use it for all asanas without the need for rosin or grip aids as these may transfer onto the cotton - but others may not be affected by this lack of grip.
The mat is perfect for all kinds of different styles of yoga on many different surfaces.
Smell of incense or dyes when new, which may not be to everyone's tastes. This fades with airing.
Not suitable for tumble drying, so you need a warm day to dry it on a line. But most mats can’t be washed in the machine at all, so this is still a step up on the competition.
High price compared to other (non-organic) cotton yoga mats. But the price is comparable to premium mats such as Lululemon, and I would say this offers better value for money.
Overall I'm very happy to recommend the YogaKargha Amit mat.
My personal recommendations if you're looking to buy this product are:
It's suitable for beginners through to advanced practitioners
Perfect for Restorative and Yin yoga
If performing flow, Iyengar yoga, Hatha, or power yoga - an added grip aid might be needed (Not tested in hot yoga)
Extra padding makes it great for those with joint issues
The product more than met my expectations and I'd have no hesitation in buying this or any other Yoga Kargha product in the future.
Our core values mean we always prioritize sustainability over profit. We carefully evaluate and personally test every product to ensure they meet our high standards. All products recommended in this article were tested in accordance with our Review Methodology.
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