MandukaPRO Yoga Mat - Teacher Recommended, Non-Slip Textured 6mm Ultra-Dense, Hot Yoga Workout, Studio at Home Pilates

I Love this mat! I am a relative newbie in yoga, have been sporadically going to YMCA yoga classes for a little over a year. I started out by just using the mats at the Y. Then I decided that I would get my own mat... I didn't really want to use the same mat that lots of other people have been using; wasn't too sure how often they are cleaned or the health of previous users of the mats.Well... I got a yoga mat in the $20 range. Thin and my hands slipped in Down Facing Dog. Moved up to a mat in the $30 range and used both mats during practice. No problems with the thickness of the combined mats stacked together (comfort of knees in poses that require you to be on all fours), but still a little problem with slipping hands. And standing balance poses were a little more difficult since the two mats together were a little "spongy" and my balance is not that great that I needed the extra "added benefit" of a less stable surface to balance on!I noticed that all my instructors use Manduka mats... Hmmmm, wonder if the mats are worth the (lots) extra money they cost??? Asked a couple of my instructors, and they all said emphatically "YES!" Sooooo.... Decided to give the $$$ mat a try. I mean, after all, I spend well over $100 for running shoes... and stability and comfort in my yoga mat is also important!Well, I have to say, the instructors are right! I LOVE this mat. My hands do NOT slip in Down Dog, even toward the end of a strenuous yoga workout when I am a little "damp". (I sweat like a well lathered horse after a hard run...). The mat is comfortable in all of the poses that I have done; no issues with knees on the hard surfaces of the gym floor. Standing balance poses have become a little easier; the firmness of the Manduka mat provides stability that I was just not getting with less expensive options.The mat itself is obviously of better material than my previous less expensive mats. Firmer, heavier, less slippery. I have seen some reviews that say it is TOO heavy... not a problem. If you are doing plank position, and you are complaining about the weight of this mat, then something does not equate!I like the fact that the mat has a lifetime guarantee. One of my main instructors has used her mat for over 4 years; and she teaches classes 2 hours a day on average ... every day (or maybe more...). Her mat is still in perfect condition. She said that she went through 2 mats a year before moving up to the Manduka... So is it really more expensive than the cheaper mats??? Maybe not!!!I got the extra long Manduka mat. I am not tall (5'9") but I like to stay on the mat and not on the floor - shorter mats have me hanging off the ends on some poses with the normal sized mats. The longer mat is perfect!If you are new to Yoga, give yoga a try using the studio mats at the class before buying a Manduka (they are expensive).If you like Yoga and want to continue... BUY A MANDUKA MAT!!! You will not be sorry!

I am very confused by the other reviews. Let's talk about texture, progress, and size. Pictures show an old ProLite in green, new Pro in black.Texture - I did nothing to my mat. It's beautiful and sticky and I flew my crow right away. I plan on washing it regardless, because it feels almost like a film of stickiness put there for people who are concerned about the breaking in period. Out of the box, this mat is already stickier than my old prolite mat, which I find to have more than sufficient grip. For most practices, including a nice fast vinyasa / power flow, all I need is a hand (mat) towel in case my hands are slick. I do use a mat towel for hot yoga for grip and because it feels better against my skin. The striations of the embedded fabric top have changed somewhat over the years - I've attached a photo so that you can compare. I'd say the variance in the texture has also increased - I don't mind, but it is slightly less perfect. Of course, this comes from someone who did exchange her first Manduka because the texture lines were misaligned to the mat, which was included in the warranty. (Side note: Manduka has been a fantastic company for me, and they sent me another one which was perfectly aligned.) This one deviates by maybe 4mm at most, and I have the extra long. All in all, still a beautiful finish. The weight of this thing almost feels wet and heavy; it drops to the floor like a soaked towel and becomes one with the ground.Progress - I've owned my Manduka Prolite for 10+ years. I watched them transition from logo stickers to fabric tags to this iteration of printed on frog. This one is even stickier out of the box than my first one, which I did indeed have to break in. I noticed them making them less slick out of the box a few years after I bought my first one - and this one is even stickier than that! If anything, I think it's almost as sticky as a Jade Harmony, but less dry feeling and much more solid. This upgrade (and stay at home mat) is totally unnecessary for me - my old mat shows zero signs of wear, and I'll be hard put to justify buying another mat ever again after this one. However, as much of an indulgence as this is, I am so enthusiastic about it - it feels just different enough, like the top of the line model of a car compared to its middle sporty model, all smooth, heavy, and finished.Size - My new mat is extra long at 85" and 26" wide. I'm what, 65 inches? I don't really need it, but it is amazing to stretch my arms up and still have mat. Those extra inches on every side oddly give me more confidence to try balancing poses. I seriously thought this would be too long and pointless, but as soon as I laid on it, I knew it was never going back. It feels different enough that I wouldn't bring it to a super crowded yoga class because I don't need to be the person who thinks they need more space than the rest (since I am not larger), but at home, oh man. The freedom, the sprawl. To my fellow average height females, do it. Splurge. You're already getting the Pro, there's no going back.All in all, this reinvigorates my home practice and gives me more (unexpected) confidence to fly / fall. It's perfectly usable the moment you get it, and will completely outlast you. The only shame is that I'll never be able to justify getting another mat.

I've had a bunch of nice yoga mats. My Jade mat began to fall apart and I got little rubber bits all over me when I practiced & my Lululemon mat wore down so much that it was no longer grippy. I decided to fork out the money for a Manduka Pro because I've read about their longevity. So far so good!I'll address the most pressing concern: the mat is really slippery when you first get it. It really shouldn't be because it's so expensive, but whatever. You have to do a bit of work to get it to a reasonable grippiness. Skip the salt advice; it doesn't work at all. Take regular old Dawn Dish soap, squirt it all over the mat, scrub the mat with the rough side of one of those green and yellow sponges, rinse and let dry. Do it a second time if it needs it. This worked great on my mat and it now grips very well except in the hottest of classes where I do have to use a yoga towel (also went with the ridiculously expensive Manduka towel and it works very well).It's a heavy mat. I'm not sure why people who exercise complain about this. It's not THAT heavy.It's a thick mat, but not in a cushy way. It's nice and dense. This is great for folks with joint (especially wrist) trouble.It's a closed cell mat. This means It doesn't soak up your sweat. If you're really sweaty, it will pool and you'll need to use a yoga towel. This is ideal for me because I was yucked out by open cell mats that make the sweat disappear. Where does it go? Into your mat. Forever. The closed cell nature of the Manduka Pro means you can wash it and it actually gets clean.I think this is overpriced, but I practice a lot and so far I'm a fan.