Review Yoga Mat

Black Mat PRO Review

$80 for a yoga mat? Like most of you, I had the same reaction, but it is one of the best investments I've ever made. Yeah, it's a lot of money, but the best always is -and this mat is clearly the best. That's why your instructor uses one. You won't believe how much better your poses and jump-backs will be until you try it on this extremely supportive surface. It's well padded, but firm -never squishy- so your stability is excellent; and its surface relies on texture, not stickiness, to ensure superb grip, even when sweaty.

Now let me make a case for why this mat is actually a good value: I have only been practicing yoga for a year (three 1 hour classes a week), and in that time I have purchased two mats for $30 each. One I've already worn out (material broke down from use) and the second one is on its way to wearing out. If I buy a third $30 mat I am now up to $90 in just over a year. The Black Mat Pro will last a lifetime and will make your practices better. So my opinion is: suck it up and spend the money. It only hurts for a minute and you'll forget all about it the first time you step onto this mat! (Greg - MI)

First off, I've been practicing ashtanga/power yoga for about a year and a half now. I'm not an expert, but I know what works for me. My hands and feet sweat a lot during class. Most mats I've tried turn into a slip-and-slide after the first 5 minutes. From day one I've had to use a towel under my hands at the front of the mat to keep from collapsing in down dog. I've tried them all, your standard "sticky" mat, a mysore rug, etc. The sticky mat gripped until I got sweaty then it was worthless. The mysore rug needed to be so wet to grip that I ended up sitting on wet spots (not fun).

The Black Mat Pro is the only one that works. It grips perfectly and I don't even need the towel under my hands. I also love that it is so thick and dense. It doesn't "follow" me when I jump through, provides plenty of padding for my knees/arms, and is very stable for balancing poses. I even like that it's heavy...it helps tone my arms! (Rose - Washington)

My yoga teacher encouraged me to get a Manduka Yoga Mat. I was skeptical because they are big, heavy and not that attractive (in my opinion). But wow, what a difference the Black Mat has made for my practice. You can do so many more things with a good yoga mat. I have only been studying for a year and a half; but in the last 3 months, I have done more on my Black Mat then I did the entire year before. This Mat really is better. I am buying one for my friend for Christmas. And, I plan to buy a PROlite for my next business trip. (Greene-CO)

I debated about this mat for some time. I'm an avid practitioner, and in five years of religious practice, the Manduka mat was my fourth mat purchased. I started with a Prana mat that went bald around the hands and feet positions for down dog. Then, i went to the lululemon mat, which was great at first, but then just lost its traction and became very slippery, even with the yogi toes. My next mat was the Jade Harmony mat, which was my favorite, until the potent natural rubber smell just became distracting, and it too started shedding little rubber pieces and got threadbare in spots. With the Manduka Black Mat Pro, there was an immediate difference. It never bunches up and gets stickier with use. Why wouldn't you want a mat that is guaranteed for two lifetimes? You can put it in your will. (Lindsay - PA)