How it’s Made: Promotional Yoga Mats

Branding sports equipment, like promotional yoga mats, is a fantastic way to extend the quality of your brand and connect with your audience. Here at Branded we make all our sports equipment using our retail manufacturing arm with customisation and fulfillment down to the individual piece. In this blog series we give you an insight into ‘How It’s Made.'

Promotional Yoga Mat Design process

Typically you’ll need a 300DPI art file or vector. You can use a template in Photoshop or upload your logos and designs directly online. If you don’t have in-house art team don’t worry we’re here to help with free design support.  

Materials and crafting process

Most conventional yoga mats are made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). These mats are made sticky and pliable using plasticizers (such as lead, cadmium, dioxin or phthalates). BRANDED. promotional yoga mats, however, are made from natural materials that are non-toxic, with no added PVC or latex. Our natural rubber is tapped from trees. This process is sustainable and gives the mat more cushioning, not only does this add to the mats comfort, it also enhances grip and body control. The rubber is melted down and formed into molds during which the patented grip texture is added. The rubber is then cooled and rolled into a long roll. The promotional yoga mat's surface is made of high-quality semi-synthetic micro-fibre suede that is created and cut into an equal size roll . This allows the mat to remain environmentally friendly as well as maintaining a high-quality finish that is soft and gentle on the skin. The two are then welded together by heating both materials and running them through our hydraulic press with the assistance of a non-toxic water base adhesive that remains free of harmful chemicals (such as PVC, phthalate, lead, dioxin). Before being cut to size depending on the requirements of the studio brand of customer (max length is 121m long if you really need!)  

Printing process

The finished design is then printed onto a special heatproof material; designs are always printed in full CMYK to a detail of 300DPI. The paper and mats and then heated to 220oC, the ink is turned into a (non-toxic) gas and the pressure from the hydraulic press forces the ink to penetrate into (NOT onto) the mat. This allows for a clean print every time with no registration marks altering the product. The design will not fade with washing, crack with folding or lighten over time.  

Drying and packaging

Mats are then dried, rolled, and wrapped in our retail plastic and boxes the same way our studio and consumer mats are. All that's left to do is get your downward dog on. NAMASTE…   Our BRANDED. guarantee: All products are made athlete-ready to the same standard as our retail equipment, we provide free design support, no MOQ and 1% of ALL campaign spending goes to help change the lives of Refugees through sport. Got an idea? Info@disruptsports.com