★ SOSA · Yoga Studios & Scent
A yoga studio is not a place for strong fragrance. The honest approach is calm and restrained: a clean, subtle signature in reception and the waiting area, kept barely-there or switched off in the practice room, and any sweaty, musty or closed-up smell fixed with cleaning and ventilation at source first. Scent is the finishing layer on a clean, aired studio - never a cover-up, and purely about a calm, welcoming environment
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
★★★★★
"We kept it deliberately soft - a clean, calm signature in reception and the practice room barely-there. The Vaayu on a schedule holds it evenly without anyone touching it, and it never overwhelms the class."
SOSA Vaayu · yoga studio reception
★★★★★
"Our closed AC room used to smell stale first thing and sweaty by evening. Once we sorted airing and mat hygiene, a light signature on a timer kept the space feeling fresh and considered."
SOSA Vaayu · aired first, then scent
★★★★★
"We switched from incense to the Vaayu - no smoke, no ash, and one consistent scent across the studio instead of a strong cloud near the burner."
SOSA Vaayu · incense alternative
★★★★★
"My little essential-oil diffuser only scented one corner of a 900 sq ft room. The Vaayu finally carried a gentle scent evenly across the whole practice space."
SOSA Vaayu · even across the room
★★★★★
"For breathwork we keep the practice room unscented and run the signature only in reception. Being able to schedule it off during class was exactly what we wanted."
SOSA Vaayu · zoned, off during class
★★★★★
"Our reception is tiny, so a compact Safar was plenty - a soft, welcoming scent at the desk, kept low, nothing like a perfume store."
SOSA Safar · small studio reception
★★★★★
"We kept it deliberately soft - a clean, calm signature in reception and the practice room barely-there. The Vaayu on a schedule holds it evenly without anyone touching it, and it never overwhelms the class."
SOSA Vaayu · yoga studio reception
★★★★★
"Our closed AC room used to smell stale first thing and sweaty by evening. Once we sorted airing and mat hygiene, a light signature on a timer kept the space feeling fresh and considered."
SOSA Vaayu · aired first, then scent
★★★★★
"We switched from incense to the Vaayu - no smoke, no ash, and one consistent scent across the studio instead of a strong cloud near the burner."
SOSA Vaayu · incense alternative
★★★★★
"My little essential-oil diffuser only scented one corner of a 900 sq ft room. The Vaayu finally carried a gentle scent evenly across the whole practice space."
SOSA Vaayu · even across the room
★★★★★
"For breathwork we keep the practice room unscented and run the signature only in reception. Being able to schedule it off during class was exactly what we wanted."
SOSA Vaayu · zoned, off during class
★★★★★
"Our reception is tiny, so a compact Safar was plenty - a soft, welcoming scent at the desk, kept low, nothing like a perfume store."
SOSA Safar · small studio reception
✓ Incense / a weak essential-oil diffuser - smoke, ash or a scent that only reaches one corner of the room ✓ SOSA Vaayu - one even, gentle signature across a studio up to ~2000-3000 sq ft, on a timer, easy to keep subtle or run only before class ✓ A sweaty, musty or stale-AC smell - cleaning, mat hygiene and ventilation at source, not fragrance
Founder Diaries · Yoga Studios & Scent
Will an air freshener or diffuser get rid of the sweaty smell? No. Nothing you spray or diffuse removes sweat or the odour it leaves in fabric and on a floor - that comes out with cleaning, drying and ventilation. A scent machine adds a fragrance on top, so over an un-aired room you get the sweat and the scent together, which is worse than either alone. Clean and air the room first; fragrance is only the finishing layer once the source is dealt with.
How do I stop the studio smelling sweaty between back-to-back classes? Build a short reset into the changeover: wipe and dry the floor where it is damp, have clients take mats away or wipe and stand them to dry, and get air moving - open windows and fans, or fresh-air ventilation - for the few minutes between classes. A scheduled diffuser can top up a light reception scent in that gap, but the airing is what actually clears the sweat.
Shop Vaayu ₹11,999
Facts verified August 2026 (SOSA product pages): The SOSA Sukoon is a 500ml ultrasonic cool-mist diffuser (₹1,899) for one small closed room. The SOSA Safar is a compact, cordless, rechargeable waterless cold-diffusion perfume diffuser priced at ₹3,999; it runs up to about 10 hours continuously or 30 hours intermittently on a single charge, has 3 speed settings and a 1h/2h/3h auto-off timer, and ships with three SOSA Hotel Collection hotel-inspired oils. It is a personal- or single-room device and is not rated to fill a large open floor evenly. The SOSA Vaayu is a waterless cold-air diffuser priced at ₹11,999 that atomises alcohol-free, water-free fragrance oil into a dry nano-mist covering up to 1000m3 (about 2000 to 3000 sq ft) per open floor, with a 400ml tank (four 100ml oils included) that lasts up to about 75 days depending on the intensity setting and daily run hours, 1h/4h/8h/24h timers, Bluetooth app control and under-38dB operation; a very large or double-height wellness floor may need the larger Angaan (₹25,999, ~8,000-10,000 sq ft), and a multi-room centre generally needs one machine per zone. A reed diffuser (from about ₹749) is passive and cannot be adjusted in strength. Fragrance projection depends on the volume of air and on ventilation - a closed, air-conditioned room holds scent while open windows and fast fans disperse it - so the same floor area can need different power. In a yoga or wellness setting a signature scent is ambience only: SOSA makes no wellness, therapeutic, aromatherapy, meditation, stress-reduction, breathing or other medical claim of any kind, and no air-purification claim - a scent makes the environment feel calm and welcoming, not the person. Sweat, mat, damp or closed-up studio odours are managed with cleaning, mat hygiene, drying and ventilation at source first; a signature scent is the finishing layer on a clean, aired room, never a mask, and the practice room is often kept very light or unscented, especially during breathwork. The hotel-inspired scents are SOSA's own original interpretations; SOSA is independent and not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any hotel named for reference. Prices and availability are subject to change - see the live product pages.
By the last evening class the room smells of the day, not of anything you sprayed. That is not a fragrance shortage - it is warm air, damp mats and unwashed props building up in a closed room faster than it can clear. The honest fix starts with the air and the hygiene, not the scent, so this guide works through the source first and treats fragrance as the last, lightest step.
Quick answers — read this first
Why does my yoga studio smell sweaty after evening classes? Because evening classes are the end of a long day of bodies, breath and damp fabric in a room that has been closed and recirculating since morning. Sweat lands on mats, bolsters, blankets and the floor, moisture builds in the air, and by the last class there is simply more odour than a still room can clear. It is an air and hygiene problem, not a fragrance one. Fragrance does not remove sweat - a scent laid over it just reads as two smells at once. Fix it at source first: mop the floor, wipe and dry mats, launder or air props, and open the room up or run mechanical ventilation between classes so the air actually exchanges. Only once the room is genuinely clean and aired does a light signature make sense. A SOSA Vaayu (Rs 11,999) can then hold one calm, subtle scent in reception and let the practice hall stay very light, on a schedule that runs before class and eases off during. Made in India, alcohol-free. SOSA makes no wellness, deodorising or air-purification claims.Will an air freshener or diffuser get rid of the sweaty smell? No. Nothing you spray or diffuse removes sweat or the odour it leaves in fabric and on a floor - that comes out with cleaning, drying and ventilation. A scent machine adds a fragrance on top, so over an un-aired room you get the sweat and the scent together, which is worse than either alone. Clean and air the room first; fragrance is only the finishing layer once the source is dealt with.
How do I stop the studio smelling sweaty between back-to-back classes? Build a short reset into the changeover: wipe and dry the floor where it is damp, have clients take mats away or wipe and stand them to dry, and get air moving - open windows and fans, or fresh-air ventilation - for the few minutes between classes. A scheduled diffuser can top up a light reception scent in that gap, but the airing is what actually clears the sweat.
The short answer
Short answer: a yoga studio smells sweaty after evening classes because a day of bodies, damp mats and unwashed props loads a closed, recirculating room faster than it clears; it is an air and hygiene problem, so fix it with cleaning, mat and prop hygiene, drying and ventilation at source first - fragrance does not remove sweat and a scent over it reads as two smells at once. Once the room is clean and aired, a light SOSA Vaayu signature (Rs 11,999) finishes reception, one per zone.
The range: a reed, a soft Sukoon (₹1,899) or a small Safar (₹3,999) suits one small room; the SOSA Vaayu (₹11,999) holds one even, subtle signature across a studio or practice floor up to ~2000-3000 sq ft on a schedule; one machine per zone, kept light in the practice room and off during breathwork.
Next step: shop the SOSA Vaayu, or send us the studio - rooms, sizes, class types and hours - and we will plan and quote it.
In this guide
A yoga or mind-body studio is the one commercial space where the honest answer is often less fragrance, not more. Clients come to breathe, move and settle, so the goal is a calm, clean environment rather than a scent anyone notices as sprayed. Design it in zones: a soft, barely-there signature in reception and the waiting area where people arrive, kept very subtle or switched off in the actual practice room - and genuinely off during breathwork and pranayama, where a strong smell competes with the breath. The tool that makes this easy is a controllable cold-air diffuser: a SOSA Vaayu for a studio or open practice floor up to about 2000-3000 sq ft, on a schedule so it can run gently before class and ease off during practice, with nobody spraying anything. Crucially, a sweaty, musty or stale-AC studio smell is not a fragrance problem - it is fixed with cleaning, mat hygiene, drying and ventilation at source first; scent is the finishing layer on a clean, aired room, never a mask. SOSA makes no wellness, aromatherapy, medical or air-purification claims - a scent makes the environment feel calm and welcoming, not the person - and this is purely about a considered, restful space.
Reception & waiting
A calm signature begins here
Practice room (subtle / off)
SOSA Vaayu · ₹11,999
One small room
SOSA Safar · ₹3,999
Straight answer
Why does my yoga studio smell sweaty after evening classes, and how do I fix it?
Because by the evening the room has absorbed a whole day. Each class leaves sweat on mats, bolsters, blankets, straps and the floor; warm, moist air collects; and if the studio has been closed and recirculating since morning, there is more odour in the air than a still room can clear between sessions. The last class of the day inherits all of it. This is an air and hygiene issue, not a fragrance one - and the order of operations matters. Fragrance does not remove sweat. If you spray or diffuse over a sweaty room you simply add a second smell on top of the first, and people read it as exactly that: scent laid over sweat. So fix the source first. Mop the floor and let it dry; wipe down mats and stand them to air, or have clients take their own away; launder or thoroughly dry bolsters, blankets and mat covers on a rotation so damp fabric never sits overnight; and above all get the air actually exchanging - open windows and run fans, or run mechanical ventilation, in the changeover between classes rather than recirculating the same air all evening. Only once the room is genuinely clean and aired is scent the right move, and then it should be light. A SOSA Vaayu (₹11,999) is a waterless cold-air diffuser that holds one calm, subtle signature across reception and the waiting area on a 1h/4h/8h/24h schedule, so it can run softly before class and ease off during practice - and the practice hall itself can stay barely-there or unscented. A small studio or a reception desk can use a compact Safar (₹3,999). To plan the zones and the changeover routine, a quick note sorts it. SOSA makes no wellness, aromatherapy, deodorising or air-purification claims - this is a clean, aired room finished with a light scent, not a cover-up.
A day of bodies, damp mats and unwashed props in a closed, recirculating room. Fix it with cleaning, mat and prop hygiene, drying and ventilation between classes first - fragrance does not remove sweat - then a light Vaayu signature in reception.
Start from the space and the zones, and keep it calm. A studio, reception or practice floor wants one clean, subtle signature that holds gently on a schedule and can ease off during class - that is the SOSA Vaayu (₹11,999, up to ~2000-3000 sq ft, kept light). A small studio or reception can use a compact Safar (₹3,999) or a soft Sukoon. Keep the practice room barely-there or unscented, and off during breathwork. If the studio smells sweaty or musty, fix cleaning, mat hygiene and ventilation first - scent is not a mask. A passive reed diffuser only really works up close.
Shop Vaayu
Why the sweaty smell builds up through the evening
A sweaty evening smell is the sum of a few things stacking up through the day. Understanding where it actually comes from tells you what to fix, and in what order - and why scent is the last step, not the first.
1
It accumulates
The room inherits the whole day
One class does not do it; a day of them does. Sweat lands on mats and fabric, moist air collects, and each session adds to what the last one left. If the room has not been aired or cleaned between classes, the evening simply carries the most load - which is why the smell is worst at the end of the day, not the start.
Tip: the evening smell is cumulative, so the fix is a reset between classes, not one big clean at night.
2
Fabric and floor hold it
Mats, props and the floor are the reservoir
The odour lives in what soaks up sweat - mat surfaces, bolsters, blankets, straps and an unmopped floor - far more than in the air itself. That is why spraying the air changes little: the source is in the fabric and on the floor. Wiping and drying mats, laundering or airing props on a rotation, and mopping the floor is what actually removes it.
3
Still air keeps it
No air exchange, no clearing
A closed studio that recirculates the same air all evening cannot clear what a class puts into it. Real ventilation - open windows and fans, or mechanical fresh-air exchange - in the changeover is what lets the room reset. This is different from a scent machine and different from an air purifier; ventilation moves air out and fresh air in, and that is what a sweaty room needs first.
Tip: air the room in the gap between classes; scent can never do the job of ventilation.
The SOSA principle
Owners often reach for a stronger fragrance when the evening smell sets in, which is the one move that makes it read worse - now the room smells of sweat and scent at once. The studios that solve it quietly did something simpler: a two-minute reset between classes and real airflow, so the room never carries the day into the last session.
Clients rarely name it, but they feel the difference between a room that smells of the last class and a room that smells clean and aired. The second one is a hygiene routine, not a bigger bottle of fragrance.
Fix the air first, then add a calm signature
Once the sweaty smell is dealt with at source, scenting a studio is two calm decisions: one clean, restrained signature that reads as fresh rather than perfumed, and where you place it - reception yes, the practice hall barely or not at all. Here is how the honest options compare for an evening-heavy studio.
The SOSA scent edit
Dealing with a sweaty evening studio
| Scent | Why it suits the mood |
|---|---|
| Spraying air freshener over the room | Adds a scent on top of sweat that has not been removed, so the room reads as two smells at once - and it does nothing to the odour held in mats, props and the floor. The one move that reliably makes it worse. |
| Cleaning, drying and ventilation at source | The actual fix. Mop and dry the floor, wipe and air mats, launder or rotate props, and get the air exchanging between classes. Removes the source rather than masking it - and no fragrance can substitute for it. |
| A light SOSA Vaayu signature, after airing | The finishing layer only. Once the room is clean and aired, one calm, subtle scent in reception on a schedule makes the space feel considered - kept barely-there or off in the practice hall, never used to cover sweat. |
Once the room is genuinely aired, one Vaayu (₹11,999) holds a calm signature across a studio or open practice floor up to about 2000-3000 sq ft, kept deliberately light and run on a schedule so it can ease off during class. A small studio or a reception desk can take a compact Safar (₹3,999), and a passive reed suits a quiet corner up close. Keep the practice hall barely-there or unscented, and keep a fragrance-free option in mind for sensitive clients and for breathwork. The device is sized to the volume of air, not perfume strength - planned on a quotation.
Matched to your studio
One SOSA Vaayu (₹11,999) holds a calm, subtle signature across a studio or open practice floor up to ~2000-3000 sq ft, on a schedule - gentle, run before class and eased off during practice; small rooms take a Safar or Sukoon, one machine per zone, sized by the volume of air.
An evening studio should smell clean and aired, not of the last class and not of a fragrance fighting it. Reset the room between sessions, move the air - then let a light scent simply finish a space that is already clean.
— Sonal Sahani, SOSA
The SOSA scenting range for yoga & mind-body studios
Every SOSA system here is made in India and sized to a real volume of air, and kept deliberately calm and subtle so a studio feels restful, never over-scented. A reed, a soft Sukoon or a small Safar suits one small room; the Vaayu holds one even, gentle signature across a studio or practice floor up to ~2000-3000 sq ft on a schedule; a multi-room centre runs one machine per zone, and it is a smoke-free alternative to incense. Keep the practice room barely-there or unscented and switch it off during breathwork. A sweaty, musty or stale-AC smell is fixed with cleaning, mat hygiene and ventilation first, not scent. Here is the full range.
The SOSA scenting range for yoga & mind-body studios
From one small room to a full studio - matched to the volume of air, kept deliberately calm and subtle, and lightest (or off) in the practice room
| System | Best for | Why it works | From |
|---|---|---|---|
 SOSA Sukoon
|
One small, closed room - a tiny studio, a reception nook or a single treatment room (up to ~300-400 sq ft) | A soft ultrasonic cool-mist diffuser - gentle and water-based, ideal where you want the lightest possible scent in a small space | ₹1,899 |
 SOSA Safar
|
A small studio, a changing room or a reception desk (one enclosed space) | Compact cordless cold-diffusion - a controllable, gentle scent for one small room; too small for a large open practice floor | ₹3,999 |
 SOSA Vaayu
|
A studio, reception or open practice floor up to ~2000-3000 sq ft - the workhorse, kept subtle and scheduled | Active cold-air machine with Bluetooth app & 1h/4h/8h/24h timers - one even signature, run before class and eased off during practice; one per zone | ₹11,999 |
How to plan it honestly: a reed diffuser is passive and lovely for a soft touch at a reception desk, but it is only really noticeable up close and cannot hold a whole studio. For a studio, reception or open practice floor, one even, gentle signature held on a schedule is the job of the SOSA Vaayu (one open space up to about 2000-3000 sq ft), and a multi-room centre runs one machine per zone - scent does not travel across a wall or up a staircase on its own. A very small closed room can use a compact Safar or a soft Sukoon; a large commercial machine can genuinely be too strong for a tiny studio, so match the device to the space. Four honest notes for a yoga space. First, keep it calm and subtle and zone it: reception and waiting carry a light signature, the practice room stays barely-there or unscented, and it should be switched off during breathwork - the app timer makes running it only before class easy. Second, if the studio smells sweaty, musty or stale, fix cleaning, mat hygiene, drying and ventilation at source first; fragrance is the finishing layer on a clean, aired room and does not remove sweat or damp odour - a scent laid over it just reads as two smells at once. Third, it is a smoke-free, consistent alternative to incense, and it carries a scent evenly across a room where a small ultrasonic essential-oil diffuser only reaches one corner. And on running cost and multiple studios: the honest anchors are the machine price (Rs 11,999) and that a 400ml tank lasts up to about 75 days depending on intensity and daily hours; a precise monthly figure and multi-studio quantities depend on your class hours, area and number of rooms, so those are planned on a quotation rather than guessed. SOSA makes no wellness, aromatherapy, medical or air-purification claims - a signature scent makes the environment feel calm and welcoming, not the person, and does not on its own increase bookings.
SS
ISIPCA
Versailles
Versailles
A note from Sonal
Yoga studios are the one kind of space where I often tell an owner to use less fragrance, not more. People come to breathe and settle, so a strong scent is not a luxury signal here - it is a distraction. The goal is simply a calm, clean space that feels cared for the moment someone walks in. So I think of it in zones: a soft, barely-there signature in reception and the waiting area, and the actual practice room kept very light or completely unscented. During breathwork and pranayama I would switch it off entirely - the breath is the practice, and a scent should never compete with it.
The honest first step is almost never fragrance. A studio that smells sweaty after class, or stale and closed-up in the morning, or musty in the monsoon, has an air and hygiene issue - not a fragrance shortage. Clean the floor and mats, dry damp fabrics, and get real ventilation and air exchange going first. Only once the room is genuinely clean and aired does a light signature make sense as a finishing layer. A scent laid over sweat or damp just becomes two smells at once. And a lot of studios come to me because incense leaves smoke and ash, or a little essential-oil diffuser only scents one corner - a Vaayu gives one gentle, even scent across the room, smoke-free, on a timer, so it can run softly before class and ease off during practice, with nobody spraying anything. A small studio or reception can use a compact Safar or a soft Sukoon; a big commercial machine is genuinely too much for a tiny room.
I will always be honest about what scent does. It makes the environment feel calm, clean and considered. It does not heal, relax the body, reduce stress, aid meditation or improve breathing - SOSA makes no wellness, aromatherapy, medical or air-purification claims of any kind, and I would never want a studio to imply otherwise. Keep some fragrance-free options for sensitive clients; alcohol-free helps, but restraint helps more. Everything is made in India. Send me the studio - the rooms, the sizes, the class types and your hours - and I will help you keep it calm, subtle and appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my yoga studio smell sweaty after evening classes?
Because a whole day of bodies, damp mats and unwashed props builds up in a closed, recirculating room faster than it clears, so the last class carries the most odour. It is an air and hygiene problem: mop and dry the floor, wipe and air mats, launder or rotate props, and ventilate between classes. Fragrance does not remove sweat.
Will fragrance or an air freshener get rid of the sweaty smell?
No. Nothing sprayed or diffused removes sweat or the odour held in fabric and on the floor - that comes out with cleaning, drying and ventilation. Scent over an un-aired room just reads as two smells at once. Fragrance is only the finishing layer once the source is dealt with.
How do I keep it fresh between back-to-back classes?
Build a short reset into the changeover: wipe and dry damp floor, have mats wiped and stood to dry or taken away, and get air moving - open windows and fans, or mechanical ventilation - for the few minutes between sessions. A scheduled diffuser can top up a light reception scent, but the airing does the real work.
Should I run a strong scent in the evening to mask it?
No, and we would advise against it. A stronger fragrance over a sweaty room makes it read worse, not better - now it is sweat plus scent. Keep any signature light and in reception, keep the practice hall barely-there or unscented, and fix the sweat at source. Under-scenting is the safer error in a yoga space.
Does a scented studio help clients or their practice?
No, and we make no such claim. A clean, aired room simply feels more welcoming and considered - SOSA makes no wellness, aromatherapy, deodorising or air-purification claim of any kind. Keep a fragrance-free option in mind for clients who are sensitive to scent and for breathwork.
A calm, subtle signature - light in reception, barely-there or off in the practice room, and consistent across every studio; never a strong cloud, never like a spa or perfume store
SOSA — Vaayu calm, subtle scenting for your studio
One SOSA Vaayu (₹11,999) holds a calm, subtle signature in reception on a schedule, kept light or off in the practice hall - the finishing layer once the room is cleaned and aired, never a cover for sweat. Ships with four hotel-inspired oils, made in India. It is about a clean, considered environment - SOSA makes no wellness, deodorising or air-purification claims.
Shop SOSA Vaayu ₹11,999 → Plan a studio or multi-city rollout
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More from SOSA
Editorial standards & sources
About this guide: Written by Sonal Sahani, ISIPCA Versailles-trained founder and perfumer at SOSA Home & Body. Product recommendations reflect the SOSA range; the scenting advice applies to any brand.Facts verified August 2026 (SOSA product pages): The SOSA Sukoon is a 500ml ultrasonic cool-mist diffuser (₹1,899) for one small closed room. The SOSA Safar is a compact, cordless, rechargeable waterless cold-diffusion perfume diffuser priced at ₹3,999; it runs up to about 10 hours continuously or 30 hours intermittently on a single charge, has 3 speed settings and a 1h/2h/3h auto-off timer, and ships with three SOSA Hotel Collection hotel-inspired oils. It is a personal- or single-room device and is not rated to fill a large open floor evenly. The SOSA Vaayu is a waterless cold-air diffuser priced at ₹11,999 that atomises alcohol-free, water-free fragrance oil into a dry nano-mist covering up to 1000m3 (about 2000 to 3000 sq ft) per open floor, with a 400ml tank (four 100ml oils included) that lasts up to about 75 days depending on the intensity setting and daily run hours, 1h/4h/8h/24h timers, Bluetooth app control and under-38dB operation; a very large or double-height wellness floor may need the larger Angaan (₹25,999, ~8,000-10,000 sq ft), and a multi-room centre generally needs one machine per zone. A reed diffuser (from about ₹749) is passive and cannot be adjusted in strength. Fragrance projection depends on the volume of air and on ventilation - a closed, air-conditioned room holds scent while open windows and fast fans disperse it - so the same floor area can need different power. In a yoga or wellness setting a signature scent is ambience only: SOSA makes no wellness, therapeutic, aromatherapy, meditation, stress-reduction, breathing or other medical claim of any kind, and no air-purification claim - a scent makes the environment feel calm and welcoming, not the person. Sweat, mat, damp or closed-up studio odours are managed with cleaning, mat hygiene, drying and ventilation at source first; a signature scent is the finishing layer on a clean, aired room, never a mask, and the practice room is often kept very light or unscented, especially during breathwork. The hotel-inspired scents are SOSA's own original interpretations; SOSA is independent and not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any hotel named for reference. Prices and availability are subject to change - see the live product pages.