bYo - The Development of a Yoga Mat - Part 3

We’ve been on the market with bYo for half a year now, and the first batch has completely sold out. Today, we’d love to tell you about the obstacles we had to overcome before the launch and how we ultimately managed to bring bYo to market.
 
 
Looking back: Our project to develop a new yoga mat stalled because we couldn't find a suitable material that met our sustainability standards. We just couldn't make any progress, even after testing many different materials.


Which material is truly sustainable?

Natural rubber? No, because not a single supplier was able or willing to guarantee that 100% natural rubber was used. Besides, many people find the smell unpleasant. 

 TPE? It's often touted as eco-friendly, but since it's a synthetic material, it wasn't an option for us either.

 Hemp? We think hemp is a very interesting material, but so far we haven't been able to find a manufacturer that can deliver the right quality.
 

The bYo Concept 

Our basic philosophy in developing bYo is that anyone who practices yoga or works out should use natural materials. After all, a yoga mat is a very personal item and a place of retreat from everyday life. In our view, synthetic materials don’t fit with that.

A series of coincidences led us back to cork. Our market analysis revealed that, although there are already many yoga mats made of cork, they always have a different base material—namely, rubber or TPE. The surface consists of only a relatively thin layer of cork, so the term “cork yoga mat” is actually mostly inaccurate.

Without going into too much detail, we found the idea of launching a yoga mat made of cork on both the top and bottom to be very exciting.
 

After all, what could be more satisfying for our customers than practicing on a completely natural mat? 

The first sample production wasn't quite up to par yet. The mat's flexibility and grip still needed improvement for it to become a #iamtreeletic product. That made us all the more happy that we were able to improve these two aspects enough to say, "bYo is coming to market."

We are aware that the bYo has slightly less grip than a plastic or rubber mat. However, during the testing phase, we found that all exercises can be performed safely and that the grip can be maximized by dampening the mat. 

 We also gave some thought to cushioning. The concept behind the bYo yoga mat is to provide a completely natural practice environment. The mat is on the firmer side, but at 4 mm thick, it offers sufficient cushioning. And if you need more cushioning, simply place a non-slip blanket under your bYo.
 
We launched bYo just before Christmas 2020. Some of the first orders were still shipped to our customers via express delivery. Since then, bYo has become an integral part of the yoga community and is simply the original when it comes to truly sustainable and natural yoga mats.
 
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