mat reviews

If you follow my facebook page, you know that I recently treated myself to a couple of new Manduka mats. After practicing on each of them over the past couple of weeks, I'm ready to write up some reviews, and also share with you how they stack up to other mats I've owned.

Manduka Black Mat Pro

 At $94, this mat is an investment. But, a worthwhile one if you ask me. It comes with a lifetime guarantee, so as long as you don't let it get stolen (I know of two people who have had theirs stolen!), you'll have it for the rest of your life. It has a texture unlike any other mat I've practiced on, and unlike other reviews, I didn't have to break mine in or let it air out. I was nervous when I read that people had issues with the grip when it was new. Many of the reviews said to scrub the mat with sea salt and let it hang to dry in order to maximize the grip, but I live in an apartment and have no space to let this monster of a mat air dry. I was happy to find that my mat was grippy right from the start. There was and still is a bit of a smell, but I don't find it to be too strong and it definitely doesn't bother me. The mat is cushy, but not squishy. It's firm and supportive. The only downside is that this mat is pretty heavy. Manduka suggested that I purchase the mat bag to go along with it, but I really didn't want to throw down an extra $55 so I just use a cheap mat strap that I got for free at a festival. It works just fine! Overall, I am very happy with this mat and look forward to putting in many many hours of practice on it :)

 

Manduka eKO Lite 3mm

 I got this mat on Amazon for $42. I ordered it in addition to the Black Mat Pro because I wanted something lighter and more suitable for travel (and toting from class to class). I have mixed feelings about this mat because I love the grip and it only weighs 2 pounds. It rolls up small and you can even fold it like a sweater and toss it in a suitcase. The downside to this mat is mainly the smell. It's made from natural tree rubber and the smell is quite overpowering. My hands smell like rubber when I'm done practicing, and so does anything else that's touched the mat. This mat also tends to bunch up a bit. I find myself straightening it out sometimes, but not constantly. For a mat that weighs two pounds and is only 3mm thick, I'd say that's to be expected and I don't find that to be a real issue. It's mostly just the smell I've got a problem with! Here's hoping it goes away eventually.

Jade Harmony Mat

I own two of these. One for just over three years, the other for just over one year. The older one is shot. I've practiced on it quite a bit (it was my first really nice mat) and it shows There is quite a bit of wear on the front and back of the mat and parts of it have begun to disintegrate. It is important to know that you should not leave your Jade Mat in the car, as the cold and sunlight will break it down and it will completely lose all grip. I rarely ever use this mat anymore, mostly because I find it unsafe. Since I did store mine in my car, it lost all grip (and I do mean all grip) and jumpbacks from forward fold to chatturanga mean the mat will slip all over the floor. Same thing with a jump from down dog to forward fold. I will say that I remember the smell being pretty intense when I first got this mat, but I was living alone in an apartment with a great space to leave it unrolled. Eventually the smell went away. This particular mat was regular length and cost $70.

The newer of these two mats is an extra-long length and the cost is $75. I hate to say this, but I don't love this mat. I have practiced on it quite a bit but I just don't get good energy from it. As silly as this may sound, I think it's the color. It is orange, and I had energy-related issues with a red mat I once owned. Aside from the color, I have issues with the overpowering scent of rubber with this mat. I've had it for over a year, but it still smells like rubber. Unless you unroll it on a pristine floor, things will get stuck to it. Hair, dust, dirt, whatever is underneath it. I find that it pulls my hair when I lift into wheel and also makes my hair rather staticky. I don't recall having these issues with my olive Jade mat, and for some reason I think my energy just does not do well with the color orange. Yes, I feel very strongly about that. 

My overall assessment of the Jade mats is this: If you're looking to invest in an expensive mat, go for the Manduka Pro. They also carry a Pro Lite that I've heard wonderful things about and it's available for $72.

Cheap Mats

You know the kind. These are the mats you can get at Target for $20, they have a waffle-like pattern on them. I have a purple one that I got for my 17th birthday. Notice I said have, not had. I still love and use this mat. Everything about it is average. Yes, you may slip a bit on it, especially if you work up a sweat while practicing. You may need to roll it up for extra knee support during cat/cow or camel. But, I find these mats to be great starter mats. I used this mat solely for four years before upgrading to something more expensive and I loved it. If you're new to yoga or are thinking about starting, I recommend one of these mats. Once you've been practicing for a while and you're hooked, then you can splurge on a more expensive one, but only then if you really want to. 

I think the important thing to keep in mind here is that you don't need fancy, expensive stuff in order to practice yoga. Some companies would have you believe that those things will somehow enhance your practice, but the truth is that all you need is a willing heart and spirit.

Namaste.