I've been using this mat very regularly (almost daily, hot-ish vinyasa practice) for 18 months now. I was inspired to try the travel version after having great success with my more substantial Jade Harmony mat. After 18 sweaty months, my Jade Travel mat has held up pretty much perfectly. Very little wear-and-tear aside from minor fraying on the sides, but such will happen with natural and biodegradable rubber. The mat itself has become slightly more pliable with use, but has not worn down at all. As an aside, I am an experienced practitioner and do not drag my hands or feet at all during practice, and I think this may make a difference. I've seen other well-used Jade mats with worn-down patches where people's hands and feet are often located, however I have not experienced any wearing on my mat. Since I have found Jade to be far superior to any other mat in my 15+ years of practice, I think it's well worth the investment--and moreso, perhaps it will encourage practitioners to practice somewhat more mindfully to slow or prevent damage to the mat. Another notable point of contention is the "open cell" design. Unless you're a stinky sweater, this won't really affect you. I get plenty of sweat on my mat on a regular basis, but my sweat is fairly odorless so it hasn't made the mat stinky. That said, it appears to clean well with a simple soap solution. This mat is quite thin, which is awesome for travel, especially in an urban setting. However, like any travel mat, thinness sacrifices cushion, so if you already know you have a tendency for achy joints, you may need to double up with a rental mat when you get to class. With consistent practice on this mat, however, I believe I have helped encourage my connective tissues to become stronger--I alternate using this mat with using my much more cushioned Harmony mat. The grip is far superior to all other mats I've tried--moderately sweaty hands hold up against Jade, and it isn't until I really start pouring buckets of sweat that I need to put a towel down (and even then, I can get away with just putting a small towel at the top of my mat). Despite these unique aspects to the Jade Travel mat, I cannot encourage people strongly enough to go with Jade. I wasted many years on other highly-sought-after and expensive mats and was never truly satisfied until I started using Jade. These mats present unparalleled grip, texture, and support, with the added bonus of coming in different lengths for taller people, and being the most environmentally-friendly mats out there. Read more
This really is an amazing yoga mat. It is thin, but well-made and is holding up very well to daily and often twice daily yoga practice. This is very important of course, as it does cost more than some other yoga mats, but also features a 6 month warranty! That was a strong selling point to me, as I had just returned another, cheaper mat after less than 1 month of daily use. It was starting to shred and break up, but the Jade Travel Yoga Mat is clearly holding up under constant use. It is made from a fairly dense, yet supple rubber material. Yes, it does smell like rubber at first, but that fades with time. Some people like the smell, some don't, it didn't seem to bother me. If the odor does bother you, washing with a mild detergent and rinsing will help, but really it may take some time for the rubber smell to go away. I did notice that the tacky, pebbled surface did seem to pick up almost every single hair and piece of dirt, fiber,etc. that it came in contact with, which was annoying, but not a deal-breaker. I clean the mat as needed and the surface does take a little longer to clean, but not by much. Early on, I designated one side, the Jade logo label side, the "Up" side and the reverse, the "Down" side. This seems to help with reducing maintenance/cleaning. Also, before rolling, I fold the mat almost in half, folding the short end "bottom" maybe 6"-8" shy of the top end. Then I gently roll from the folded edge. This greatly speeds up the rolling process. Once rolled, the mat is much smaller than what you may be used to. Also, it is dense material, so it is a little heavier. No matter, it works well for me to easily strap on my motorcycle. The thinner height of the mat allows you to feel more grounded and stable. If you are at the stage in your yoga practice where you don't really need a lot of cushion and want something that is a happy-medium between a standard height mat and no mat at all, this is it. You will feel secure and confident on this mat. It always lays flat with no curling edges. If you are doing an asana that requires more cushion, it is easy enough to fold up a small towel and place it under a knee, which you probably already have nearby. There is no slipping on this mat. This is coming from a guy that sweats a LOT during yoga practice. All of the other mats I have used, have had slipping "issues" when wet. This is the exception. I always place a small towel at the top of the mat, covering the first 12" inches of the mat, so my hands have something additional as cushioning as well and I have never had a problem. The tacky, pebbled surface is perfect for giving you a solid, stable and comfortable footing, providing such a sense of confidence and security that you never have to think about the possibility of slipping. Occasionally, when moving on the mat, a portion of it will get caught and bunch up a little, but is easily smoothed out. I chose this color, Sedona Red, after seeing it and liking it at a yoga practice. It has a nice grounding quality to it and isn't black, which I am bored with or teal and purple which are more feminine. Midnight blue looked pretty cool also, as did Olive Green, but not as much to me. Oddly, the longer 74" mats are currently $2 cheaper than the 6" shorter, 68" mats. $47.95 vs $49.95 with Prime delivery. Hey, that's a deal! Thanks Jade! My understanding is that this mat is made from rubber, which is biodegradable, so it is an environmentally friendly choice. That is a plus, in my estimation. You should not leave this mat in the sun or in your car for long periods, as it will cause the material to age more rapidly. Made in the USA. Go USA! I also like the additional length you get with this mat. Some mats are just 68" long. It feels like a bit of luxury to have the additional 6", knowing that when you lay on your mat, even without looking, you won't have to worry about your head landing on the floor. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality and design of this mat. After seeing and testing my mat, a good yogi friend got one as well and she loves it. Since I use it daily, I don't expect this to last more than a year, if that. As mentioned, it does come with a 6 month warranty, which is well above what is offered with other mats. I am not affiliated with Jade nor have I received anything from them for this review. I will update this review if I notice any substantial changes. Read more
