TPE Yoga Mat Manufacturer – Definitive FAQ Guide

TPE yoga mats are the new trend of eco-friendly synthetic yoga mats. They are quite fashionable and last long without leaving any carbon footprint. The best kind of yoga mat for serious yogis in your studio.

And in business, the new crave is the best seller. But how are you going to get some of these TPE yoga mats? 

Well, the short answer is getting it directly from the source – the TPE yoga mat manufacturer. 

This FAQ guide will help you search the globe for a suitable TPE yoga mat manufacturer that can satisfy your needs.

So, let’s get into it. Shall we?

Table of Contents

How to search for TPE Yoga mat manufacturers?

You can find a quality and reliable TPE yoga mat manufacturer with these three methods:

1. Networking
2. Trade shows
3. Trade associations

Networking

Sourcing your TPE yoga mat manufacturer through business partners, friends, and colleagues is still the best place to start. You get honest feedback on the manufacturer’s performance and inside information about how they do business. 

Figure 1: Using your business connections to find your TPE yoga mat manufacturer

This is where you can put to good use your business connections. However, don’t take everything at face value. Always make due diligence to verify the information you’re given.

Trade shows

Another great option to finding a reliable TPE yoga mat manufacturer is through attending trade shows. TPE yoga mat manufacturer participants have already been pre-screened by the event’s organizers. So, you know they are legitimate manufacturers with the proper documents to show for it.

Figure 2: FIBO Global Fitness Trade Show

One advantage of attending trade shows is You can ask questions to suppliers right then and there. Also, you get to see their yoga mats and give them an initial check. It makes your vetting process faster and easier.

Below are some of the trade shows you can participate in:

• IWF China
• FIBO China
• FitSummit
• Ukactive: Sweat
• IHRSA international convention & Trade Show
• Canton Fair

Trade associations

Go to your local chamber of commerce or trade association like Yoga Alliance to get a list of the qualified TPE yoga mat manufacturers in your area. They might not give you feedback on each business’s performance and product quality, but at least you’ve got a directory of trustworthy TPE yoga mat manufacturers.

Figure 3: Chamber of commerce in Albany

Where should my TPE yoga mat manufacturer be located?

Sourcing your TPE yoga mat manufacturer domestically or overseas should be based on your company’s scale and specific needs.

Figure 4: Choosing between overseas and domestic manufacturers

To better decide where to get your TPE yoga mat manufacturer, consider the pros and cons of each.

Domestic Manufacturer

International Manufacturer

Figure 5: State of the art facility of Yanre Fitness

If you’ve decided to take your chances on an international manufacturer, you can try Yanre Fitness. It has state-of-the-art equipment and had been in the business since 1997. You may find it worthwhile to talk to their experts.

How do I find TPE yoga manufacturers overseas?

The quickest way to find international TPE yoga manufacturers is through the internet.

Online manufacturer platforms you can use.

1. Alibaba
2. DHgate
3. Thomasnet
4. Marker’s Row
5. MadeInchina
6. TradeIndia
7. Global Sources
8. IndiaMart

Figure 6: Online platforms where you could find your Chinese TPE yoga mat manufacturer

You can use these online hubs to search for your TPE yoga manufacturer. But always be vigilant. Just like any other place on the internet, there are scammers and fraudulent businesses on these platforms.

Sourcing agents

If you don’t have time to scour the internet, you can always hire a sourcing agent to assist you. They will be your representative on the ground. And will find you the TPE yoga manufacturer that fits your business needs.

Figure 7: using a sourcing agency to find your TPE yoga mat manufacturer

When hiring a sourcing agent, be sure that the individual or company has these qualities:

1. They have experience in importing/exporting goods similar to TPE yoga mats.
2. They are highly specialized in the product domain. And knows a great deal about its manufacturing process, packaging, quality control, factory audits, and others.
3. They can speak and understand your language. And knows how to express your requirements to the TPE yoga mat manufacturer accurately.
4. The sourcing company or agent should be located within your proximity. It will be easier for you to communicate and tell them what you need when they are just a drive away.
5. They should have an extensive network of connections on the ground and in your target market. Your sourcing agent would need to know what or who to tap for certain needs and issues in sourcing and supplying your product.
6. Your sourcing agent should be transparent enough to tell you everything that’s happening with searching and dealing with your TPE yoga mat manufacturer.

After finding the right sourcing agency, they may do the following tasks for you.

1. Supplier sourcing
2. Product sourcing
3. Negotiation with the supplier
4. Follow up your orders
5. Arrange payments
6. Arrange shipment
7. Quality control
8. Factory audits
9. Sample testing

Figure 8: Purchasing and Procurement tasks a sourcing agent can do for you

What should be my criteria for a TPE yoga mat manufacturer?

Look for these qualities for your ideal TPE yoga mat manufacturer:

1. Product expertise
2. Target market expertise
3. Production capabilities
4. Accountability
5. Regulatory compliance
6. Culture fit
7. Ease of communication
8. Cooperation with a third-party QC
9. Comprehensive and clear record-keeping
10. Proactive attitude
11. Ethical compliance

Product Expertise

Your yoga mat’s quality will be safeguarded if your TPE yoga mat manufacturer specializes in producing such a product. They can readily solve common quality issues regarding the TPE yoga mat. They can identify and fix the issues before it affects a large portion of the order.

Your chosen TPE yoga mat manufacturer should be focused on producing yoga mats and other gym equipment and accessories. That way, you’ll be sure they know what they’re doing.

Figure 9: Product and target market expertise go hand in hand for a successful TPE yoga mat manufacturer

Target market expertise

When your TPE yoga mat supplier exports frequently to your target market, they will have extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of import/export regulations. They know the quality and legal requirements to comply with. And best of all, they are efficient enough to deliver the goods on schedule and with minimal cost implications for you.

Production capabilities

Expertise in producing yoga mats is not enough to choose a TPE yoga mat manufacturer. They should be able to produce them in the quantities required and on your set timeline. Production capabilities of a TPE yoga mat manufacturer are gauged through the scale of its facility. Plus, their inventory check could also provide insight into their actual production rates.

Accountability

You need a TPE yoga mat manufacturer that owns to their mistakes and solves them. When choosing your TPE yoga mat manufacturer, ask them how they handle these issues. 

Figure 10: Four characteristics of an accountable manufacturer

Manufacturer accountability will affect your ability to meet deadlines and product requirements. And most importantly, accountability reflects the integrity of the business you’re dealing with.

Regulatory compliance

Ensure that your chosen TPE yoga mat manufacturer is in keeping with government and international regulations, especially the policies in the importing country. You might run into legal issues and compounding penalties if compliances are not satisfied. The first step in ensuring this is to check that your TPE yoga manufacturer holds valid business and export licenses.

Figure 11: Four types of regulatory compliances a TPE manufacturer should satisfy

Culture Fit

Choose the TPE yoga manufacturer that has the same goals as you. A company might be more focused on developing new products. Or they might prioritize optimizing their systems and products to be eco-friendly.

Finding a supplier with the same customer profile as you are better equipped to meet your TPE yoga mat requirements.

Ease of communication

Effective communication is very important in any business dealings. You may be challenged with language and cultural barriers when dealing with international suppliers. But you can overcome this by writing it down and explaining it in detail. Teleconference and phone calls would be a great help to offset this.

Cooperation with a third-party QC

Third-party inspection is a great help in maintaining the quality of the product. They can also help in the efficiency of your TPE yoga mat manufacturer’s system. 

Figure 12: How quality is improved through a third party QC

Your TPE yoga mat manufacturer should be fine with this scrutiny. A company that welcomes oversight to their products shows great confidence in the quality of their TPE yoga mats.

Comprehensive and clear record-keeping

A TPE yoga mat manufacturer with an effective record-keeping system is an indication of their efficiency and proactivity. 

Figure 13: Efficient record-keeping by the TPE yoga mat manufacturer

Regulations, quality standards, and other compliances are being updated from time to time. Your chosen TPE yoga mat manufacturer should show this in their records. And they would also seamlessly implement these compliances into their system.

Proactive attitude

Keeping up and implementing systems that aim to improve efficiency and reduce waste is a footprint of a proactive supplier. At the very least, your TPE yoga mat manufacturer should have an ISO 9001 compliant QMS (Quality Management System).

But improvement-oriented suppliers would go above and beyond ISO 9001. They will have measures to continuously identify issues in their system, search for a solution, and proof-mistake them, if possible.

Ethical compliance

Having an ethical business partner is very crucial in this day of the social media craze. People have been known to turn down using products of companies that have been in the spotlight for non-ethical practices. The most prominent ones now are those that use child labor and slavery, environmental hazards, and animal endangerment issues.

Figure 14: Ethical compliance predicts the business integrity of your TPE yoga mat manufacturer

Don’t get connected with these suppliers. You might derail your business in the process.

These standards for a quality and reliable TPE yoga mat manufacturer have to be upheld. However, you may not find a supplier that scores 10 out of 10. A 9 or 8 score may be the best for you. You can try to build clauses in your contract with the supplier on some issues they may be struggling with.

How do I verify the credentials of my TPE yoga mat manufacturer?

Check the business license.

For US manufacturers, most states keep a central database of LLCs, corporations, and partnerships. Use this to check if they are registered to do business. 

For Chinese companies, check out this website to find the local AIC with the registration database for your TPE yoga manufacturer. http://www.gsxt.gov.cn/index.html

Figure 15: Understanding a Chinese business license

Other foreign countries have these databases too. Do some research on what these databases are and how to navigate them.

Request a credit report.

Credit reports can be done to almost any business now. US, Canada, Australia, UK, and other European countries have online websites that can provide you with a credit check or report to your manufacturer.

Figure 16: Credit report checks for a financially stable TPE yoga mat manufacturer

Use these websites to order credit report checks in these territories:

• US – FTC enforced website: http://www.annualcreditreport.com/
• UK – https://www.nav.com/business-credit-scores/
• Canada – https://www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-reports

Check the details on their Contact Us page.

Confirm if these details check out:

• Business address through Google maps
• Phone
• Email – most legitimate and leading companies use an email signature when they reply to messages.

Review court records in the country.

Most court records for businesses are public. You can use this to verify if there are previous and current legal cases against the company. 

Reach out to these agencies:

• US Bankruptcy Court
• US state’s federal and district courts
• Chinese supreme court database: http://wenshu.court.gov.cn/

What should I check when conducting a factory audit of the TPE yoga manufacturer?

Figure 17: Factory audit report sample for a Chinese factory

Find this information or details when doing a factory audit:

1. Inventory of their raw materials and finished products
2. Quality control processes for goods that are incoming, in-process, or on production and for pre-shipment.
3. R & D capabilities (This is crucial if you are planning to build a new product with the TPE yoga mat manufacturer)
4. Maintenance and calibration reports for its machines and equipment
5. Business license and other certifications

Why is inventory important in choosing a TPE yoga mat manufacturer?

Inventory is an indication of the TPE yoga mat manufacturer’s production capacity. It tells you their production capability and how much they can package and sell to their clients at a given point in time.

Figure 18: Inventory management objectives

You can also tell if the company manages its finances well by how they administer their inventory. A financially sound manufacturer can balance out the ins and outs of their inventory.

Do their records say they often overstock materials and products? Or do they frequently have stockouts that hamper their production capability?

These are just some of the points why you have to take special notice of your TPE yoga mat manufacturer’s inventory and its management.

How can I assess the TPE yoga manufacturer’s familiarity with my target market?

Ask these questions to better understand the knowledge of the TPE yoga mat manufacturer about your target market:

1. Is the supplier familiar with the legal requirements in your target market?
2. Do they have experience in exporting and importing to your target market?
3. Who are their connections in your target market?
4. Do they have a satellite office in your target market?

How do I check if the TPE yoga manufacturer is culturally fit for my company?

Ask these questions to confirm if you and the TPE yoga mat manufacturer is culturally fit

1. What type of companies have they worked with?
2. What do they know about your kind of business?
3. What is their MOQ (minimum order quantity)?
4. How detailed is their quote?
5. Have they created their quote based on your requirements?

Are there regulatory compliances for TPE yoga manufacturers who import to the US?

Here are some of the compliances your TPE yoga mat manufacturer should satisfy when importing to the US.

1. FCC Declaration of Conformity
2. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
3. Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
4. General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)
5. Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation 

What ethical compliances should the TPE yoga manufacturer uphold?

As your TPE yoga manufacturer, they should:

1. Not be using slavery or child labor
2. Have a safe working environment for their employees
3. Have no labor unrest, disasters, and factory shutdowns

What documents or records should TPE yoga manufacturers be continually updating?

Your TPE yoga manufacturer should update these records:

1. Regulatory requirements – Includes any changes in standards and legislation
2. Quality standards – Includes known defect and quality issues and performance standards
3. Packaging requirements – includes labels, retail printing files, and shipping markings
4. Product specifications and requirements – Includes materials, dimensions, and colors.

Do TPE yoga mat manufacturers produce other kinds of yoga mats?

Yes, TPE yoga manufacturers most likely produce other kinds of yoga mats.

Figure 19: TPE yoga mat by Yanre Fitness

Types of yoga mats they might produce:

1. PVC
2. NBR
3. EVA
4. Natural rubber
5. Jute
6. Cork

PVC

Yoga mats made of PVC are thick and very durable. They are moisture-resistant and have non-skid coatings. They have all the qualities of an ideal yoga mat. 

Figure 20: PVC Yoga mat

However, they are made of PVC resin powder which can be toxic and can cause allergies. For your users in the gym with sensitive health, this will not be the advisable yoga mat.

NBR

NBR is a synthetic rubber that’s thicker than PVC. Because of its thickness, it is very comfortable for yogis. 

Figure 21: NBR yoga mat

However, it’s also its thickness that gives it less traction. This makes NBR yoga mats not suitable for yoga practices that need a lot of stability work.

EVA

EVA yoga mat is a combination of ethylene and vinyl acetate. They are very light, flexible, and are water-resistant. The material also gives the yoga mat an anti-bacterial quality. However, it gives off a plastic smell when it’s new. It also gets thinner with continued use.

Figure 22: EVA yoga mat

Natural rubber

One of the eco-friendly yoga mats that have outstanding qualities. Natural rubber yoga mats are very durable, have incredible grip, give great comfort, and are also anti-microbial. 

Figure 23: Natural rubber yoga mat

The downside of this material is it is heavy and takes a long time to dry when wet. And it is not good for your yogis who are allergic to latex.

Jute

This type of yoga mat is made from natural fibers that make it very durable. Jute yoga mats have layers of jute and PER rolled into one. PER (Polymer Environment-Friendly Resin) is less damaging compared to PVC. But jute yoga mats are coarser to the feel because of the fiber texture.

Figure 24: Jute yoga mat

Cork

Yoga mats made of cork are durable, eco-friendly, and sticks better than PVC mats. Like jute yoga mats, cork-made ones are combined with natural rubber. The combination is what creates the long-lasting feature of cork yoga mats.

Figure 25: Cork yoga mat

Do TPE yoga mat manufacturers get certification for their mats?

Since TPE yoga mats are considered green or eco-friendly gym equipment, your TPE yoga manufacturer might have one of these certifications from authorized agencies.

1. Cradle to Cradle
2. QUL
3. kbA/kbT
4. Fair Rubber Association
5. Oek-Tex

What should I tell my TPE yoga mat manufacturer of my mat requirements?

Include these details when asking for a quote or product sample from your TPE yoga mat manufacturer:

1. Specifications of your TPE yoga mat. Length, width, thickness, color
2. Quantity of the TPE yoga mat. If you need TPE yoga mats in various lengths and thicknesses, list them accordingly.

Ex.

• TPE yoga mat 6’x2’x1/4″ black– 200pcs
• TPE yoga mat 6’x2’x1/16” red – 200pcs

3. Payment method – whether they accept wire transfer, bank transfer, or other methods
4. Payment scheme – Is it 100% advance payment, 50% advance, and 50% upon delivery or shipment of goods
5. Your delivery address
6. if they can’t deliver it straight to you, ask where’s the nearest port for drop off.
7. Shipping fee
8. Incoterms (FOB, FCA, EXW, and others)
9. If you’re requesting a sample, ask about production timelines.
10. Tell the customer the sample product will be tested.
11. Request that a name tag be added to each TPE yoga mat sample if there are several. In the name tag, there should be a description of the model number and company name.

If you think you need to clarify your instructions with the supplier, set up a phone call or teleconference to confirm the details of your request.

Conclusion

Finding a TPE yoga mat manufacturer can be quite tricky. But if you got the right information, you’ll soon locate the best of them one way or another.

Hope this guide has given you the best insight into searching for the TPE yoga manufacturer that suits your requirements. If not, don’t hesitate to try Yanre Fitness. We will be happy to give you great options for your TPE yoga mats.