When your mat is new, the fine fibres in the vegan suede are aligned and smooth, but we want them to face in different directions. This will happen over time with good use, so the more you use your mat - the quicker it will wear in for grip, but you can speed this up with a good scrub over the fibres.

This provides the excellent grip and support you need, whilst remaining soft with a beautiful sensory texture, so you can flow easily through asanas and rotate around the mat with ease. Warming up well with your hands will also create heat which activates the grip even more, so don't worry about being sweaty and slipping, the sweat will make the grip brilliant and you can flow easily, no more stuck toes!

Kati Kaia top works differently to the 'sticky' top feels, PVC, PU or more plastic grip bases. Scrub over the top with water and a brush or cloth. You don't need to be too gentle with the top vegan suede, it will get better and better with use and with your practice as you flow or move between asanas you can feel the difference in the support and they are really easy to wipe clean, no more dust collecting.

It simply takes a little time to wear in, but giving it a scrub down after your sessions, breaks in the top more and keeps your mat clean. Adding water when you need it and keeping your mat free from bacteria, oils or hand creams.

Kati Kaia Yoga Pads are made from the same natural tree rubber as our signature mats but with an eco PU grip top. This makes it instantly hold grip both on top of the mat and seperately when out and about for asana practice and handstand drills. This top surface need a little more of a gentle touch and care to keep clean. Unlike our vegan suede, which needs to break in and can take a lot of vigour and scrub, the pu surface is instantly grippy, but needs a softer touch, we recommend to keep trainers away from the top and clean the pad regularly from sweat....

All our mats are made with Natural Rubber, which with various uses can wear through, just like your favourite trainers, there are ways to care for your mat to increase the longevity and lifespan. These are not PVC or plastic based and so with use, your mat will start to show signs of age as the natural rubber will wear down over time. With a daily dynamic practice on grained wood surface this can be 1-2 years or with a less frequent asana practice on carpet, 6 years or more! With correct care, you can keep your mat clean and performing its best for as long as possible.

We recommend you keep your mat out of direct sunlight for long periods, away from radiators and other drying-out elements. Always roll your mat suede face out to protect the rubber base and make sure your skin is clean of oils, hand or foot creams. As a continuation from above, having clean hands and feet will also help prevent dirt from collecting on your mat and is and feels lovely for your practice.

Cleaning your mat regularly will also help to keep it hygenic and fresh. We recommend you wipe the top and bottom after each session and once a month a gentle deeper clean should be considered. It doesn’t take very long to clean, but dirt and sweat can affect the life of your yoga mat.

A good rule of thumb is to try to wipe down your mat after every sweaty practice. It goes without saying that this is vital if using a shared yoga mat in a studio, where the wear can be more depending on the practice, surfaces, shoes, oils and cleaners used.

See our FAQs for more details or our blog 'Yoga Mat Lifespan' for more details. We also have our Recycle Scheme when you are ready >