What's wrong with typical yoga mats?
Typical yoga mats are made from plastic (often PVC or TPE) or natural rubber (latex). Plastic mats are made from fossil fuels, degrade into harmful microplastics, and in the case of PVC, are known to be carcinogenic. Plastic mats will continue to exist in the environment for hundreds of years after they are no longer in use.
Natural rubber mats are biodegradable and non-toxic. However, ethical rubber sourcing is very difficult. Rubber production, unfortunately, frequently involves forced labor or deforestation of existing rainforests. Despite assurances, rubber certification systems have serious gaps that prevent us from knowing where and how rubber was truly produced.
Solajai mats include no plastic and no rubber. Instead, we make our mats from cork, wool, hemp, and tencel - all of which are highly sustainable and regenerative.
Last updated: October 17, 2024 13:21
How is a Solajai mat different from other cork mats?
First of all, other cork mats use plastic or rubber foams as the base. Second, our cork is a higher quality than other widely available cork mats, resulting in a more luxurious look and feel, and much improved grip. We use cork on both sides, making our mats reversible. Our felt cushioning helps absorb sweat, improving wet grip compared to other cork mats, and our mats are about 40% lighter.
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
Will my mats look exactly like the pictures?
The pictures are representative of your future mat’s overall design. However, we are constantly improving our aesthetics and quality, so your new mat will be even more amazing! We will reach out to you after the end of our campaign to collect your design preferences prior to beginning manufacturing.
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
Where is Solajai based?
We are headquartered in Portland, Oregon. One-half of our founding team is based in Bangalore, IN.
Last updated: November 23, 2024 17:27
Who is Solajai?
Our small founding team consists of Jeff and Shashank - two friends and classmates who met at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our shared passion for sustainability led to us founding Solajai as a sustainability-first company. We are a scrappy, 100% self-funded company and have no affiliation with any large companies or investors. We strive to maintain our independence as much as possible to ensure we can maintain our uncompromising focus on sustainability as our first priority in all we do.
Last updated: September 16, 2024 18:53
Do you have a website and social media channels?
Yes! You can visit us online to learn more and sign up for our email list at solajai.com
You can also follow us on Instagram @solajaiactive
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
What does the mat feel like?
The closest equivalent we like to compare the feel to is a fine Italian leather. It’s a very smooth, natural feel and is not cold to the touch like some mats. It also provides strong grip without pulling out leg hair (ouch)!
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
How do I maintain my Solajai mat?
First of all, your mat comes ready for you to use. No salt scrubs or break-in period. Once your mat is in use, you can wipe it down after heavy sweat sessions with a cloth moistened in a solution of water and mild soap. No special cleaners needed. If you have pets in your home, don’t worry! Our mats are tested extensively with pets - they hold up great to toenails, drool, and pet hair (which brushes off easily with your hand).
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
What is the 1% that is not biodegradable?
We plan to ensure our mats are 100% biodegradable, but a trace amount of the materials may not be fully biodegradable until we can achieve greater order volumes with our suppliers. There is a small amount of non-toxic, plant-based adhesive and decorative metallic coloring in some versions that may not be fully biodegradable, pending further laboratory testing. Collectively these elements are less than 1% of the mat by mass.
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
What if I want a vegan mat?
Our mats do contain wool for its moisture-wicking and fast-drying properties. However, our wool is sourced from certified farms in New Zealand and the sheep are not harmed during shearing. We are developing a fully vegan mat that we plan to have available some time in 2025, but only the version including wool is available on Kickstarter.
Last updated: October 16, 2024 15:36
What if I have more questions?
Feel free to message us through Kickstarter, or send an email to [email protected] and we’d be happy to get back to you promptly with any additional information. Thanks!
Last updated: October 17, 2024 14:14
What is BackerKit?
BackerKit is a service that crowdfunded project creators use to keep track of hundreds to tens of thousands of backers—from shipping details, pledge levels, preferences and quantities, whether they have paid or had their card declined, special notes, and everything in between!
The BackerKit software and support team is independent from the campaign’s project team—BackerKit does not handle the actual reward shipping. For more information about the preparation or delivery status of your rewards, please check the project's updates page.
How does BackerKit work?
After the campaign ends, the project creator will send you an email with a unique link to your survey. You can check out a walkthrough of the process here.
I never received my invitation. How do I complete the survey?
The most common reasons for not receiving a survey email is that you may be checking an email inbox different from the email address you used to sign up with Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Tilt Pro account, or it may be caught in your spam filter.
Confirm that the email address you are searching matches the email address tied to your Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or Tilt Pro account. If that doesn’t work, then try checking your spam, junk or promotions folders. You can also search for "backerkit” in your inbox.
To resend the survey to yourself, visit the project page and input the email address associated with your Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Tilt Pro account.
How do I update my shipping address?
BackerKit allows you to update your shipping address until the shipping addresses are locked by the project creator. To update your address, go back to your BackerKit survey by inputting your email here.
When will my order be shipped, charged or locked?
That is handled directly by the project creator. BackerKit functions independently of the project itself, so we do not have control of their physical shipping timeline. If you want to check on the project’s status, we recommend reading over the project's updates page.
I completed the survey, but haven't received my rewards yet. When will they arrive?
As BackerKit does not actually handle any rewards or shipping, the best way to stay updated on the shipping timeline would be to check out the project's updates page.