Your Yoga Mat -- Bag It

When I was a kid, you had a few options for lunch -- you could either brown bag it or buy. I can't remember if it was "cool" to bag it or not, but I do remember that I did a little of both. There were days that a soggy tuna sandwich just couldn't stand up to the thought of a hot meal (and I'm sure my mom appreciated the break from making my lunch). When I first started to practice yoga outside of my house, the first thing I did was purchase a bag for my mat.

It didn't occur to me to not buy a bag for my mat. The thought of juggling my yoga mat along with my wallet, keys, water bottle, etc. just didn't appeal to me. I recently bought a new mat bag and it made me think about how my practice totally influenced the types of bags I purchased. I started off with a yoga pack from Gaiam. At the time I was practicing mostly vinyasa and I was using a thin sticky mat. Then I bought myself a Manduka mat. Even though I bought Manduka's PurpleLite Travel mat, it was still too cushy to fit into the Gaiam pack. So, after graduating mats, I had to graduate mat bags.

Since I was practicing vinyasa yoga in a heated room, I needed a bag with a separate compartment for my sweaty clothes. Enter a fantastic bag from Timbuk2. The Timbuk2 yoga bag used to be a standard offering, but now I can't even find it on their Web site. It was like a gym bag with straps to attach the mat at the bottom. It was a tight squeeze with my Manduka mat, but it worked. I loved the added room and the separate compartments. It was a bit unwieldy though, and I often got caught in doorways. What can I say -- I was used to a vertical bag and the Timbuk2 bag was horizontal.

Last summer I got an amazing gift at the Fit Yoga conference -- a free Saka compact yoga mat bag complete with an eco yoga mat. As soon as this mat bag was passed over the registration desk into my hands, I thought "wow, that's pretty darned small." I appreciated it, since I was commuting on the train to and from the suburbs to NYC. The smaller, the better as far as I was concerned since I already had a bag filled with my wallet, water bottle, a few books, and an extra layer of clothing. If you're looking for something compact without compromising quality (the mat was thicker and longer than I would have guessed considering the small size of the bag from which it came), I can't recommend the Saka Travel Set highly enough. The price is low and the quality is high.

Just recently, I tried two new bags to see if they fit my new yoga lifestyle. Now I go to more conferences than ever and I'm often traveling into NYC for classes. I wanted to try bags that travel well but hold a lot of stuff. Enter the Yopa Practical Mat Bag. I know, I know -- the word practical makes it sound like not a lot of fun, right? Well, that would be wrong. This bag is pretty darned amazing. It's expandable, so it can fit blankets, blocks, straps, personal items, etc. -- or, if you just want to throw your mat in there, that works too. If you're a restorative class junkie, this is the bag for you. You can fit everything in one place. I brought this mat bag along to my recent training in Vermont and it carried it all -- meditation shawl, thick yoga mat, a block, a strap, my wallet, and a few other items. The material is lightweight I love the outside mesh pocket (which actually serves as a mat carrying case -- you can fold up the mat inside of the mesh pouch) and the change purse that clips inside the bag -- very handy for those little items that often get lost in large mat bags. This bag is so large that it negates the need for me to carry a bag for my non-yoga stuff separately from my mat bag. Granted, the bag may not look very "sexy" (it's a true backpack so it's nice and easy on your body) but it meets every yoga need possible AND the price is right.

I notice that I tend to prefer function over form, so I care more about my mat bags holding what I need them to hold rather than looking good. After all, who cares if something looks good if it doesn't work for you? Of course there are a lot of beautiful yoga bags out there today. Heck, RoZCoo bags look like something out of a fashion magazine. Then I stumbled upon a company that designs yoga bags to suit the yogi's own personal style -- Anna William. While they offer a rather standard yoga bag in form (a simple drawstring bag with an outside zipper pouch and adjustable shoulder strap), they offer an overwhelmingly large selection of fabrics to choose from. You can build your own bag and customize the bag's exterior fabric, the interior fabric and the outside pocket fabric. If Martha Stewart were in need of a bag for her yoga mat, I'm sure she'd buy one from Anna William.

Design isn't my strong suit, so rather than design my own I choose a ready-made yoga bag. Again, being a function over form gal, I wasn't sure whether or not I'd like this bag -- I was thinking it was all flash and no substance. Not so. I was pleasantly surprised by how sturdy the bag is. The material is even more gorgeous than it looked on the Web site, and the bag itself makes quite a statement. I can honestly say that I've gotten more compliments on this bag than any other I've owned (the Timbuk2 bag is a close second). When I'm going to a class and I'm in the mood to show a little personality, I use this bag. It's great when I don't want to schlep around the Yopa bag filled with props and whatnot (in size, it's a happy medium between the Yopa bag and the Saka bag). It IS pricey though -- at $108 it's one of the most expensive bags I own. Still, the quality (and the style for you fashion mavens out there) is worth the high price. And here's a fun little fact -- you can become an Anna William consultant and host a yoga bag party for your favorite yogis.

I've tried quite a few yoga bags in my time and I often alternate between them depending on what I'm doing (a one-day workshop, a conference, a training, a class in the neighborhood, a class in NYC, etc.). Finding the right yoga bag can be tough, and I think it's a good idea to have a few different styles and sizes to suit your changing yoga needs. Every time I see some poor yogi carrying a mat sans bag it's always the same -- there's a lot of stumbling, juggling, and dropping. I say bag it. Yoga bags nowadays are fun, stylish, and pretty darned versatile. I'm sure that I'll purchase a bag or two in the future if and when my needs change.

Of course bagging your mat isn't about being cool or stylish (despite the fact that many of the bags out there are, in fact, cool and stylish) -- it's about necessity. Who wants to be carrying around a mat that tends to unravel at the most convenient times? Once, upon leaving a yoga class, I watched a poor woman flounder and drop her bag in the middle of the street she was attempting to cross. Not very safe -- or smart -- eh? Unlike lunch in grade school, I always bag it.

Namaste!

Comments

[Skidless Yoga Towel]

After reading your article I have learned many information and other things that I can use in my everyday life. I have fun reading your article as well.

[Kathy Ligther]

Was looking for yoga bags online and there seem to be alot more companies making them now. I came across http://www.luxuryyogabags.com which has a big selection. I can't believe how expensive some bags are! Personally I like the simple cloth ones around $50.

[Yoga Gal]

I just bought the new Yogoco Yoga bag. It has all the function needed, can hold a mat, towel, water and looks great! Its eco-friendly and made in the USA. You can see it www.yogoco.com - very cool indeed.

[Remi]

Its very useful informations. yoga is a perfect and long lasting option to loose the weight which gives effective results...
Its good for our health.

[patrick]

Yes , yoga is a perfect and long lasting option to loose the weight which gives effective results...

[Erica D'Matto]

Thanks for all the information. I really liked the Anna Williams bags, but the price was WAY TOO HIGH! JustMyMat sells yoga bags for $4.99, which is the lowest price I've seen. It's not too functional, but it gets the job done.