Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats, Clothing, and Meditation Accessories
Discover sustainable yoga and meditation products with an oriental soul. Samarali is an ethical Dutch brand founded in Uzbekistan, building a complete eco-friendly practice from yoga mats to cushions and clothing, using non-toxic materials.
🌿 Natural materials throughout — cork from Portugal, organic cotton, natural rubber, buckwheat, recycled wool fibres
🎨 Plant-based and natural dyes — no synthetic colorants in the meditation and textile range
🏭 Short supply chains — cork accessories produced in Portugal, where the cork is grown; buckwheat filling added in the Netherlands to minimise transport
♻️ Recycled inputs — meditation mats filled with recycled wool fibres that would otherwise go to waste
👗 OEKO-TEX certified clothing — independently tested for harmful substances
📦 Recycled paper and cardboard packaging only — no plastic in any order
👷 Ethical production — fair wages and normal working hours verified across production partners
🇳🇱 Based in the Netherlands — founded in 2019 by Nodira, originally from Uzbekistan; Oriental design heritage embedded throughout the product range
About Samarali
Samarali was founded in 2019 by Nodira, an expat from Uzbekistan living in the Netherlands, who wanted yoga and meditation products that were genuinely sustainable rather than just marketed as such. The brand’s Central Asian roots are visible throughout the product range: the geometric patterns, the warm colour palette, and the name itself all reflect an Oriental design philosophy that is unusual in a category dominated by either minimalist Scandinavian aesthetics or generic wellness imagery.
Every product in the Samarali range is screened for appropriate certifications before undergoing field testing. The cork accessories, a significant part of their range, are produced in Portugal, close to where the cork oak forests grow, keeping that supply chain unusually short. Meditation products use organic cotton, plant-based dyes, and buckwheat filling sourced and added in the Netherlands specifically to reduce transport emissions. The meditation mats are filled with recycled wool fibres, a material that would otherwise be a processing waste stream.
All packaging is recycled paper and cardboard. Production partners are required to pay fair wages and maintain normal working hours, with Samarali conducting ongoing due diligence rather than relying solely on self-declaration. Clothing is produced from OEKO-TEX certified fabric.
Eco-Friendly Yoga Gear
Yoga Mats
The yoga mat is the foundation of the practice and the most environmentally significant purchase in this category. The conventional yoga mat is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a petroleum-derived plastic that is difficult to recycle, often contains plasticisers including phthalates, and off-gasses VOCs in use. Cork and natural rubber are credible alternatives, and both appear in Samarali’s mat range.
Samarali’s cork yoga mats pair a Portuguese cork surface with a natural rubber base. Cork is naturally antimicrobial. It inhibits bacterial and fungal growth without chemical treatment, and it has a distinctive grip property: the more you sweat, the better it grips. This is the opposite of PVC mats, which become more slippery as moisture builds. The cork surface is also self-cleaning in the sense that its antimicrobial properties prevent odour accumulation, meaning the mat doesn’t require aggressive chemical cleaning agents.
Also new to the range: an organic cotton yoga rug, a flat-woven alternative for practitioners who prefer a thinner, textile-based surface. Traditional in style, handwoven, and more compact for travel than a standard mat.
Also in the yoga category: Yoga Sets → | Yin Yoga Sets → | Yoga Accessories →
Meditation
Samarali’s meditation range is arguably their most distinctive category; it is where the Oriental design heritage shows most clearly and where the material sourcing is most carefully considered.
Meditation cushions (zafu) and meditation sets are made from organic cotton, coloured with plant-based dyes, and filled with buckwheat hulls, the traditional filling for meditation cushions, which provides firm, adjustable support that contours to the shape of the sitter. Buckwheat filling compresses over time but can be added to or removed to adjust height and firmness. The cotton covers are washable; the buckwheat filling is fully compostable at the end of life.
Meditation mats (zabuton) are filled with recycled wool fibres, material recovered from the wool processing waste stream that would otherwise go to landfill. The recycled wool provides cushioning and thermal insulation from the floor, supporting longer sitting sessions on hard surfaces.
A Bolster is available both as a yoga prop and as meditation support, providing elevation and passive opening in restorative practices.
The geometric patterns across the meditation collection draw from Central Asian textile traditions; each design is intentional rather than decorative filler.
Shop the Full Meditation Range →
Clothing
Samarali’s clothing range covers yoga tops, shorts, and sets in OEKO-TEX certified materials. The range is designed for practice use, not athleisure, with cuts and fabrics suited to movement, flexibility, and extended wear in warm studio conditions.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification means every piece has been independently tested for over 100 harmful substances, including pesticide residues, PFAS, heavy metals, and formaldehyde-based finishing agents. It is not a supply chain certification in the way GOTS is. It confirms the end product, not the production process, but it is a meaningful safety assurance for clothing worn directly against the skin during physical practice.
A note on the clothing range: Samarali’s clothing selection is intentionally concise, a curated set of practice pieces in certified materials. If you are looking for a broader range of sustainable yoga clothing, leggings, sports bras, and sets from multiple brands with GOTS, Fair Wear Foundation, and other supply chain certifications, our Sportswear page covers the full landscape, including dedicated yoga wear brands like Boldwill, ORGANICATION, and The View Yoga, all verified through SHOP Like You Give A Damn’s 32-point ethical criteria.
Accessories
Yoga Blocks
Samarali’s yoga blocks are made from cork, the same Portuguese cork as the mat surfaces. Cork blocks are self-supporting under load, naturally antimicrobial, and considerably more durable than foam blocks, which compress permanently over time. Cork does not absorb sweat or odour. A pair of cork blocks used regularly will outlast multiple sets of foam alternatives without any change in structural integrity.
Eye Pillows
Cotton eye pillows filled with lavender or flaxseed are used in savasana and restorative practice to block light and provide light pressure on the eyes, which activates the oculocardiac reflex and slows the heart rate. Samarali’s eye pillows use the same organic cotton and plant-based dye approach as the meditation cushion range.
Blankets
Mexican-style practice blankets are made of natural materials. Used for layering in restorative and yin yoga, for seated support, or as a wrap during savasana. The blankets carry the same Central Asian-influenced geometric patterns as the rest of the range.
Massage
Cork massage rollers and accessories for myofascial release and warm-up before practice. Cork provides a firm but non-abrasive surface that does not require cleaning agents and does not harbour bacteria between uses.
Our Verdict
Samarali does something genuinely uncommon in the sustainable yoga category: it builds a complete practice environment from a single consistent material philosophy. Cork and organic cotton with natural dyes, short supply chains, recycled inputs where possible, and a design identity that is visually distinctive rather than generic wellness beige.
The meditation range is the strongest part of the collection. The buckwheat cushions and recycled wool mats are thoughtfully sourced, and the Oriental design language gives them a character that most competitors’ products do not have. The cork yoga mats offer real performance advantages over conventional PVC. The accessories, cork blocks, eye pillows, and bolsters complete a practice kit that requires no plastic to assemble.
For a sustainable yoga setup built from a single brand with a coherent philosophy, Samarali is the place to start.
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