Manduka PRO Yoga Mat – Premium 6mm Thick Mat

Pretty heavy, but that’s due to the length and material used. If you want a nice portable one would get the prolite version instead. This is very nice, and not slippery. Not sure if they fixed it in newer versions but didn’t experience what other people are saying. Rolls very flat (except the little curve at the small end), and very stable. Well worth the extra money paid.

Súper inversión. Solo que tienes que curarlo porque si está resbaloso . Varias veces curarlo.

Love the color and thickness of this mat – feels very substantial and I have friends who have had this same mat for more than 5 years and its still in nearly perfect shape. The only negative is that the mat is a little slippery if you are sweating. Again, everyone I know with this mat says it needs time to break in and many of the reviews note this as well. My previous Jade mat had a great grip from the beginning and was not slippery at all but after about 2 years it both looked and felt worn. So, if this mat takes a little time to break in but lasts for years, that seems like a good trade off to me.

I will NEVER buy another brand mat again! This is so sturdy and the quality is amazing. I love mine! Once you brake it in and get comfortable with it you will want to buy more! lol

Pros:
– Good balance of firm yet supportive. My knees don’t hurt in kneeling poses, while at the same time in standing poses my feet aren’t sinking in into too much cushion.
– Stays put on the floor and doesn’t move under my hands and feet like my cheap old mats used to do.
– Longer and wider than my old mat – a perfect size for my height (5’8)
– “Lifetime” warranty

Cons:
– Main: A little slippery if my hands get moist (more on that below)
– Minor: Much heavier than my cheap old 3mm mat, but that’s totally understandable given the much greater size and thickness and thus not a big deal.
– Minor: Random stuff (hair, fuzzballs, etc.) sticks to it like glue. Light color highlights that.
– Minor: Manduka recommends folding it with the top surface facing out, and it is a mild inconvenience having to turn the top side onto the unclean studio floor.

Now more on the slipperiness topic since that seems to be a top issue of concern for many folks.

First, a note about my sweating level and yoga style, so you can put my review in context: I sweat very little. In the past I have attended some very hot (90-100+ degrees) classes and always been fine with not having any towel on my cheap old Gaiam and Reebok mats. These days I do not attend hot yoga classes, but just mildly heated ashtanga and power vinyasa and I barely squeeze out a few drops of sweat here and there.

After getting my new Manduka mat I went to a few classes before I had time to do the salt scrub. Slipperiness was not a big concern. I was completely fine for most of the class, except some slipperiness when my hands got a little moist towards the end. Nothing too bad though.

I decided to do the recommended salt scrub. I put the mat out on the patio, sprinkled it generously with coarse sea salt, scrubbed it around a bit, and left it like that for a day (I live in Southern California, so freezing weather is not a concern). I used a wet rag to scrub vigorously and wipe the salt away. Here is a tip I found the hard way: Make sure to completely wash off the mat surface, not just wipe it with the rag, because salt will remain. The next time I used the mat I discovered that the little bit of salt film that was left on the mat triggered a bizarre reaction in my palms and feet – it made them sweat profusely! I don’t know if it has to do with osmosis or what, but my palms and feet were drenched with water (while the rest of my body was completely dry) and I was slipping all over the place. Ironically the salt scrub made the mat far more slippery than it was previously! I couldn’t wait to get home and thoroughly rinse it off with water to get any remaining salt off.

After I did that, the mat returned back to normal. I can’t tell if the salt scrub made any difference from the pre-scrub level. I use it just fine for most of my practice, and if my palms get a bit moist towards the end and things start to get a bit slippery, I move my hands to a different (dry) spot.

I don’t know how the mat would perform if I take it to a true hot yoga class – I suspect it may get quite slippery and perhaps I would need a towel. But like I said, for my purposes (non-heated or mildly heated ashtanga and power vinyasa) and my sweat level (low), it is largely fine.

Also, I’ve only had the mat for a few weeks, so I may see improvement as time goes by.