bYo - the development of a yoga mat - Part 3

We have already been on the market with bYo for half a year, and the first batch is completely sold out. We are happy to share with you today which obstacles we had to overcome before the launch and how we finally succeeded in bringing bYo to market.
 
 
Looking back: our project for a new yoga mat stalled because we could not find a suitable material that met our standards for sustainability. We simply weren't making any progress and tested many materials.


Which material is truly sustainable?

Natural rubber? No, because not a single supplier could or would guarantee us that 100% natural rubber is used. Furthermore, many find the smell to be unpleasant. 

 TPE? It is widely touted as environmentally friendly, but as it is an artificial material, that was also out of the question for us.

 Hemp? We think hemp is a very exciting material, but we have yet to find a producer who can deliver appropriate quality.
 

The concept of bYo 

Our basic idea when developing bYo is that anyone doing yoga or a workout should work with natural materials. After all, a yoga mat is very personal and a retreat from everyday life. In our view, artificial materials do not fit into that.

Through a series of coincidences, we came back to cork. Our market analysis showed that while there are already many yoga mats made of cork, they always have a different base, namely rubber or TPE materials. On the surface, there is only a relatively thin layer of cork; the term "cork yoga mat" is therefore actually usually not accurate.

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

Because what can give our customers a better feeling than practicing on a completely natural mat? 

The first sample production was not quite satisfactory yet. The flexibility of the mat and also the grip had to be improved so that it could become an #iamtreeletic product. We were all the more happy that we were able to improve these two points to such an extent that we could say that bYo is coming to market.

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

 We also thought about the cushioning. The concept of the bYo yoga mat is to offer a completely natural training environment. The mat is rather firm, but offers sufficient cushioning with a thickness of 4mm. And those who need more cushioning can simply place a non-slip blanket under their bYo.