This mat is awesome!! I knocked off one star because, like others have mentioned, it is a little stinky. The pungent rubber smell can definitely linger in whatever room it’s stored in. I’ve had the mat for 3 weeks now and I’d say the rubber smell is approximately 60% gone....and this is with me not doing anything special in terms of airing it out. In my opinion, although the smell is not what I’d consider pleasant, there are much more offensive smells than the smell of natural rubber. Ok, now back to the mat’s awesomeness: Just the right amount of cushion; conducive to all poses. So supportive on my knees- it makes forward lunges a breeze! Love the color and simple, calming design (I purchased River). I cannot attest to the grip vs slip factor during extremely sweaty conditions (ie hot yoga), however during ‘normal’ practices where my hands and feet get mildly sweaty at best, the grip factor is 100%. I don’t slide one bit! The mat is a little weighty, but I don’t mind. When I take out the mat, I’m reminded of it’s good quality and look forward to rolling it out every time! **Edit: I’ve had this mat for about 3 months now. Smell is gone. I put the star back. 5 stars all the way. This mat is awesome! Read more
My favorite mat ever! Grippy with just enough cushion. Also love the line pattern, it helps me line up my poses. Just a really pretty functional yoga mat. Read more
I have bought many of the big names in yoga mats over the years and have appreciated them all. But I love how this mat functions. Stays in place. Rolls out flat. Perfect traction for vigorous yoga classes. Thick but not squishy and firm enough so my balance is not compromised. My hands never slip. Checks the boxes for me. Oh, and pretty! Solid color on one side, beautiful design on the other. The only thing I can see as an issue for some is that it does have that rubber smell that comes w/ so many natural rubber mats. So if you are smell sensitive, keep this in mind. But otherwise, I could not be happier to be practicing my yoga regularly on this mat. It’s my go to amongst a selection of great mats. Read more
Gonna say, right off the bat, that there is a latex smell to this mat. I've had mine about six months, and it no longer smells much while I'm using it, but I do notice that a rubbery smell lingers on my hands. Sometimes even after I wash them. So what do I do? I wash them again. No biggie. It's good to wash your hands frequently during cold season. It's 100% worth it, because this is a great mat. It's thick and spongy enough to cushion my joints very nicely, but firm enough to feel quite stable in standing poses. Some might like a firmer or softer mat, but for me, this is the perfect balance. While researching, what really drew me to this mat is the dual-sided aspect. The top, with the streak pattern, is a solid layer of sticky rubber. This side is more grippy, and feels firmer. I use this side most, since I do a lot of vinyasa yoga. If you flip the mat over, it has a more open-cell structure that feels a lot like a Jade mat. It feels softer, which is nice for restorative or yin, and if it's a hot day (I don't have AC) it seems to provide a little more traction under slightly sweaty conditions. For very sweaty conditions like hot yoga, just use a mat towel. This mat is not great on its own for hot yoga, but is any mat? Quality yoga towels are like 20 bucks, work well, and best of all, prolong the life of your mat because you're not sweating directly onto it. This mat is heavier than other mats I've had, but I have a backpack style mat bag so I barely notice the increase. The weight comes from the thickness and density that makes it so comfortable. Read more
I absolutely love this mat! I had been doing yoga for about two years on my "beginners" mat and was having real issues with my hands getting sweaty and sliding. I finally decided it was time to invest in a better mat and talked with my yoga teacher. She let me try several mats at the studio to see how they worked. While they were better, I still found myself slipping a bit even on those. She then recommended I try her mat and I fell in love . She used this mat and I can see why. It's heavy so it doesn't slide around on the floor, it's cushioned so my knees are happy, and (best of all) I can do poses with sweaty palms without sliding. The only drawback at all is the mat is sticky enough that when swinging my leg to the front of the mat while in any downward position, I absolutely have to lift it - any dragging of the leg and the mat causes resistance. It actually encourages better yoga, but some days I'm not capable of a clean movement and have to come down on a knee and then swing the other leg forward. It did have a rubbery odor for the first few times I used it but that has totally gone away now and I am 100% pleased. I was taking a class from the owner of the yoga studio a couple of weeks ago and she did a double take when she was working with me -- looked at what type it was and made the comment that it is a really excellent mat. Read more
Very grippy mat and beautiful design! I love it! I had been using another mat which was way too slippery and because of that I found myself not enjoying my yoga practice very much. I needed to get a better mat and I was debating between the Jade harmony mat, Manduka mat, and this one. I chose this one because I really liked the color and design, along with the good reviews. I had tried a Jade mat before and the rubber smell didnt really bother me much so I figured the smell wouldnt be a big issue. I also like that I can clean this mat easily with a damp towel without having to buy a special mat cleaner. It was delivered on time without any delays. I've used it a couple times so far and it's super grippy, cushiony, feels high quality, and pretty. It's exactly what I wanted! Read more
