It's basically a place to keep your yoga mat.  The mat, as all yoga enthusiasts know, is an absolutely crucial part of this popular relaxation method.  It's important that this mat remains protected during transportation and when in storage.  All yoga mat bags function in much the same way.  You basically roll or fold up the mat and place it inside the bag.  The bag then protects your precious mat from nasty dirt and allergens that could eventually ruin it.

Although they're usually known as yoga bags, these products can just as easily be used to carry the mats we use for Pilate's or other similar exercises.  Most of them can hold mats up to 100" long.

Prices for these things range from $20 - $50, depending on the material and number of features that a given product has.  We'll go over some of the different options below.  It's important to do a little bit of research before making a purchase.  When you are ready to buy, you may want to consider buying a mat online.  There are a ton of different websites that offer a variety of different options. 

When it comes to materials for your bag, there are a few standard options available.  Here's a quick breakdown of the most common types of fabrics used.  Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete list!  With the ever growing popularity of Yoga, companies are constantly developing new and exciting products for people to buy.

Cotton

• This is, by far, the most common fabric used in mat bags.  It's a very tough material.  Yoga mats can get kind of heavy after a particularly sweaty session and it's important that the bag holds up well.  It's also fairly water-proof and cleans up fairly well.  You can wash these items in a machine or by hand.  Just be sure to hang dry it the first couple times you wash it.  You don't, after all, want your bag to shrink!

Silk

• Silk bags are all the rage now.  With the Eastern kind of flavor that comes with Yoga, this really makes perfect sense.  There are all sorts of interesting patterns and styles available in Silk that can't really be replicated with cotton.  Silk, unfortunately, isn't as strong as other materials though.  Because of this, you'll often find that silk bags are lined with some kind of a cotton for extra strength.  Surfin' the web the other day, I came across this wonderful company called EverythingYoga.  They make a beautiful yoga bag out of recycled silk.  Go Green Baby!
  

Hemp

• Speaking of going green...  Another popular material to make yoga mat bags out of is hemp.  This fabric is very respected for it's sustainable attributes and this goes hand in hand with Yoga.  It's not quite as "fancy" as silk, but the material is extremely durable.  These things will almost certainly outlive your mat!  Check out Barefoot Yoga's Hemp Bags.  They're made in Thailand.

Now that you've decided on a material that suits you, what else is there to consider before taking the plunge?  Thankfully, there isn't that much.  Most bags offer more or less the same in the way of features.  That said, here are a few things that you want to see in a solid product.

Strength And Size

• The first thing you want to do is make sure that your mat actually fits inside the bag you buy!  Nothing looks worse than a hanging mat...  Consider the strength of the bag as well.  Reinforced seams are pretty good indication of how tough a bag is.  Don't cheap out on quality!

Shoulder Strap

• This is a must.  Make sure it's comfortable as well.  It's painful enough walking to the gym without a nasty strap digging into your upper body.  You should be able to adjust this strap to your liking as well.  If you're buying something online, read the reviews and look at the pictures.  You should be able to get a sense of whether it's comfy or not.

Accessory Pockets

• Most bags come with these.  When you go to exercise, you're going to have to put your keys and wallet somewhere!  Check to see that the bag you like has enough pockets or compartments for your needs.

You can usually get a pretty sweet deal when buying stuff online.  I find that you can get exactly what you want as well.  Don't settle for a hot pink yoga bag with lime green trim and no accessory pockets.  Check out these sweet deals from Amazon!