Often you will find people struggling with carrying their yoga mats to and from their classes. Not only are these mats bulky and heavy but also you have to carry other items too like your towel, water bottle, and so on. Therefore, you need a yoga mat carrying bag using which transporting the essentials can be done in a breeze. However, the main problem is in choosing the right bag without making any mistakes. Since there are so many different options in hand, we have explained a few factors based on which you can make the perfect buying decision.
Why It’s Better to Use the Yoga Mat Carrying Bag Than the Mat Straps?
You can carry yoga mats by attaching the straps and handle to them. But, it’s not exactly convenient to use them for transporting the mats for long distances. This is why you need yoga mat carrying bags in which you can put all your essentials and then go to your classes. Besides, you won’t have to worry about the mat getting dirty or damaged from any factor if you keep it inside the bag.
How to Choose the Right Yoga Mat Carrying Bag for Yourself?
Type
There are two types of yoga mat carrying bags available in the market— tote and zippered bags. If you want to keep your mat clean and safe against dust, scratches, or any other kind of damaging factor, it’s better to go for the tote-styled carrying bag. However, these bags aren’t too flexible which is why you will have limitations in terms of sizes. For combatting such issues, you can choose the second type of yoga mat carrying a bag shaped like a tote. Most of these bags usually don’t have a zipper, thereby helping you to reach your accessories with ease.
Mat size
As you need to put the yoga mat you use in this bag, it’s crucial for you to consider its size. Some bags can accommodate 26-inch wide mats having a rolled diameter of about 6 inches, while others can accommodate larger sizes. If you get a bag with a size larger than the mat you use, there won’t be any problem in fitting. But if it’s the opposite case, the product will be completely useless for you. This is why be very cautious while checking the bag’s size and the mat it can accommodate easily. If you use multiple mats with varying sizes, it’s better to choose a tote bag because they have a large space inside that can fit most yoga mats easily.
Material
The yoga mat carrying bags are usually made from canvas material made from either pure cotton fabric or a cotton blend. As this material is plain-woven, its durability is unparalleled. Besides, it is quite strong and can withstand a lot of wear and tear which is why the bags can ensure the weight of heavy yoga mats and other items easily. Canvas material won’t tear up or form scratches easily, thereby ensuring that your mat and other items are safe from any kind of damage. Sometimes, bags are made from pure cotton also, without the use of canvas material. These are light bags but won’t be able to carry heavier mats due to their lack of strength.
Portability
As yoga mats are quite heavy and bulky (even in rolled conditions), you need a carrying bag that can be used easily without any difficulty. For this reason, make sure the product you have chosen has light construction. This way, you won’t struggle much in lifting the bag, and carrying it over your shoulders to and from the yoga classes.
Compartments
Most yoga bags usually come with one compartment where you can keep the mat. If you have chosen a zippered bag, this pocket will have limited space due to which you can keep the mat and other small items inside it. On the other hand, if you have chosen a tote bag with one large compartment, you can put multiple things along with the bag easily like your water bottle, towels, and more. A few yoga mat carrying bags have multiple small to medium-sized pockets apart from the main compartment (both for tote-styled and zippered bags). For example, if your chosen product has a small inner compartment, you can keep your phone, cash, wallet, keys, and other such valuables. The medium-sized pockets, on the other hand, can store yoga blocks, water bottles, umbrellas, and more easily.
Expandability
A few yoga mat carrying bags can be expanded to make more room for storing your essentials with ease. These bags are truly wonderful and of great help, because you can adjust their size as per your requirement. For example, if you want to carry the mat only, you can use the product in its normal structure. But in case you want to take other items with you like yoga blocks and others, you can expand the bag’s size to fit them effortlessly.
Adjustability
Most yoga mat carrying bags are reinforced with adjustable straps whose length can be altered easily using the buckles. Therefore, you can increase or decrease the strap’s length as per your convenience so that carrying everything becomes much easier. Besides, if you are feeling excessive pressure on your shoulder, you can shorten the strap and carry the bag in your hand.
How Much Will a Yoga Mat Carrying Bag Cost on Average?
The yoga mat bags cost from $14.98 to $22.99 based on multiple factors. For instance, if you choose a large bag with or without the zippers, its price will be higher than the smaller ones. Similarly, pure cotton bags are costlier than the ones manufactured from canvas or cotton blend materials.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid While Choosing a Yoga Mat Carrying Bag?
At the time of choosing the yoga mat carrying bag, you need to be aware of some mistakes people usually make. To make sure that the chosen product can meet your requirements, you need to avoid making these mistakes:
- Do not choose a yoga mat carrying bag without considering the mat’s size you use
- Using a tote bag without realizing you may not be able to close the bag
- Not caring about the strap width of the bags is not a good idea because thin straps will put a lot of pressure on your shoulders.
- Sometimes, people are allergic to canvas material which is why make sure not to go for the material if you have sensitive skin.
