What it is: YogaPaws are high-tech fingerless gloves and toeless socks with yoga-mat material sewn on one side and a stretchy, breathable fabric on the other. They are essentially a yoga mat you wear. Comes in four sizes for men and women.
What You Might Not Know: YogaPaws have been around for more than 15 years, but they’ve gone through a few iterations. The newest designs are more absorbent in the “gloves” (hand-mats? palm-paws?) to soak up sweatiness. Get this: The towel-like lining in the hand units absorbs seven times its weight in moisture, according to a Yoga-Paws press release. That sounds impressive even if I can’t quite imagine just how much sweat that might amount to. I should test-drive these in Bikram Yoga.
Feelin’ the Love: These mini-mats are really handy, and I liked how the mesh in the “gloves” and the Lycra-spandex in the “socks” felt snug against the backs of my hands and tops of my feet, so no distracting slippage there. I could see myself stuffing YogaPaws into my suitcase when flying off to fitness conferences (although I’d still want something like a towel between me, my YogaPaws and whatever lurks on hotel-room carpet. Ew.)
Eco alert: The yoga-mat material in Yoga-Paws scores bonus points for being free of chlorides, PVC or latex.
If I Could Change One Thing: I want to be able to toss Yoga-Paws in the washing machine. But they have to be hand-washed. That’s a chore I reserve only for bras and bikinis.
Also, some poses feel better without the paws. For example, I missed having my palms lightly touching each other in Prayer and Tree Poses; the paws’ padding interfered with that subtle connection. (About Tree Pose, though…the foot paw improved my ability to gently rest the sole of my foot on the opposite thigh without feeling like it was going to slide down.)
Should You Buy It: I’d say so, if you travel even sometimes or want the freedom to drop into a yoga class, impromptu. Yoga-Paws easily fit in a large purse or travel bag.
Yoga teachers might also find this product convenient for moving around the room demonstrating poses without their having to stick to one yoga mat at the front of class.
Yogapaws.com; $37
What a great idea!!! As a large size human being, sometimes I find myself scooching off the mat during yoga class.
Sweaty hands & feet + wood floor = sucky yoga
Thanks for your comment! They do seem handy and I like that they are so portable. I still like yoga mats, but I hate it when they start to look dirty. That’s one benefit to these Yoga Paws.
I would be more inclined to use these rather than a mat! I hate working on a yoga mat when taking a yoga class! I never feel like I get a good grip and end up working on a floor if its a bare wooden floor.
I really like the idea of these gloves and socks!