Gaiam Yoga Mat - Folding Travel Fitness Exercise Mat - Foldable Yoga Mat for All Types of Yoga

about the 5 stars for comfort and thickness: considering you’re buying a mat for travel that is 2mm thick, the comfort is what you’d expect. comfort in this category is about stickiness and LACK of thickness for travel and being the size and thickness of a laptop inside a protective case. anyway, this is not a mat for hot yoga of any kind as it would need a towel to not be slippery with a lot of sweat. that said, vinyasa flow outside a heated room is totally doable. and just add a towel if you like hot yoga on the go. i bought this for personal practice at work and traveling and doing yoga. i washed it with a mix of 50/50 white vinegar and water with a soft bristle brush and it has been great since. it is plenty sticky for poses like that. again, no major sweat or yoga outside in the rain. using for a relatively intense workout at a pace that keeps you from becoming dripping with sweat it works awesome! i use between clients or at lunch at work. i will wear a tank top and looser yoga pants and cover it all w a suit jacket and no one can tell i am ready for yoga underneath. then, at lunch or between clients, i can drop the mat in my office and get a solid workout just removing my jacket or even the shirt i might wear, too. i cool down then add my office clothing back on the top half of my body. for me, having a mat that allows that without a big tube sticking out of my bag all bulky is fantastic. the “sacrifices” i deal with to have this fit into a work bag or suitcase are WELL worth it to me. i can also use it in hot yoga/vinyasa flow just by bringing a towel. i am totally happy with my purchase and think this is a totally usable travel mat that is easily carried. it also folds in on itself so the bottom touching the floor esp in an office or hotel room is not being introduced to the top when you can’t clean it before putting it away. nice! the bottom folds to itself! again, less concern with dirt or whatever else also being exposed in your bag. for the low price point and convenience i would easily purchase again. if you are used to a high end mat and get super drippy sweaty then maybe this isn’t for you unless you bring a towel. however, being for travel and convenience it is fantastic in my opinion. gets lots of use! Read more

Highly recommended very good gripe I take it with me to travel. It’s not heavy and foldable in a good way. Read more

My favorite thing about this yoga mat, and the reason I bought it, is that it's so portable. I love how it's foldable, thin and lightweight, because I've bought other extra thick yoga mats in the past but I travel a lot and they are too big and heavy to bring with me. So this is a great one to take with you on the road (or plane). However, if you want just an everyday yoga mat for home use, I wouldn't recommend this one. It's thin so it doesn't offer much cushion or support for knees/wrists, and it is a little slippery for me as well if I start to sweat. Overall it's suited my purposes great because I took it to the Peace Corps with me in Morocco and used it to teach women's exercise classes three times a week. So I would recommend it if you want something that's small and light for traveling, but not if this will be your go-to mat for home use. Read more

Nice travel mat, good grip that looks like it will last with proper care. No chemical smell, though I always clean mats before use anyway. Thin yet durable. It has creases so it folds up the same way each time. Definitely designed well for it's purpose, and a fair price. If you're looking for a quality travel mat, this would be it. Things to consider: If you are looking for an everyday mat, note that this was designed to travel well and is not thick enough to pad the knees or joints. Those with sensitivity should use a bath towel (something most hotels/stays provide) to pad the knees during poses like table or low lunge. If you do hot yoga, the grip might not be enough; hot yoga requires special materials to accommodate excessive moisture/sweat. Proper cleaning/care is a must to maintain any mat, and neglected mats degrade faster. That said, this mat does it's job. Good travel companion to keep up your practice even when away from home. Read more

I’ve had this mat for a few months now. As a plus size, short girlie- it is everything I need. I have used it indoors on carpet, hard wood, and outdoors. At first I was concerned about thickness, but I don’t need anything more than 2mm. I had a 6mm before this one and it was so thick it was difficult to balance on. I also love that it folds rather than rolls so it fits nicely on a shelf or in a bag for travel. The way it folds keeps the bottom sides together so they don’t touch the top at all, inline rolling mats. It’s also easy to clean and wipe dry since it’s not porous. I’ve never slipped on it, but I could see the potential if you had sweaty hands or feet because of the type of material. Read more