Favorite Yoga/Exercise Mat

Negin · 02-09-19, 06:00 AM

Do you have a favorite yoga mat? I won't be going to classes. This is for home use only. Also, this mat will not be just for yoga. Our floors are tile.

Jessica Smith uses this one, I believe.

This one has lots of good reviews.

yogapam · 02-09-19, 07:06 AM

I have a 6’ round mat and I love it. It is very similar to the one in the link you posted. I use it for yoga, Essentrics, & cardio. Most of my cardio is low impact & I do it in bare feet. I use a regular yoga mat on top of it for yoga & any floor mat work. My yoga mat is thin and very non slip but I can’t remember what brand it is. I think it might be Prana, but I’m not at home right now to check.

red1013 · 02-09-19, 08:33 AM

I bought this one:

https://www.mandalayogamat.com

Several people here recommended it. I ordered the purple one, love it!

VainJane · 02-09-19, 12:06 PM

I have two: a thick, regular-width one for Pilates, and a thin, extra wide one for standing fusion workouts. For Pilates, I actually layer the thick one over the thin one - my spine needs all the padding it can get.

JackieB · 02-09-19, 12:59 PM

I also have a round one and put my maduka yoga mat on top of it.

cyana · 02-09-19, 01:59 PM

I have a herd of yoga mats.

The ones I use regularly and one that is well known but rarely used include:

Jade Fusion 74" is my soul mate mat. Thicker, but not too mushy for yoga. Good grip. Mine has been going strong for over 10 years. On the heavier side, but not an issue for using at home. I

this mat. I lie down on this mat and immediately feel happy. If they ever brought back the Sedona Red I'd buy another to have in reserve! https://www.jadeyoga.com/collections...ant=1225786348

Prana eco is my yoga studio mat because it is light as a feather and I walk to yoga classes. Decent thickness but not mushy, good grip. I got this at REI a year or two ago using gift cards and I must admit it's been a pleasant surprise: https://www.rei.com/product/847346/prana-eco-yoga-mat

Mandala round mat - I bought one of the seconds and you'd be hard-pressed to figure out the flaw that makes it a second. Layering this and the Jade mat is super for restorative/yin yoga. If you tend to migrate off your mat, a round mat really helps. It's nice not to roll over onto the cold floor in the winter! https://www.mandalayogamat.com/mandala-yoga-mats

Manduka Pro 85"- has tons of fans, but I'm not one of them. Too slippery despite literally scrubbing it multiple times with coarse salt and a stiff brush and laying it in the sun to dry (at the recommendation of the people at Manduka). Over 10 years old and still looks brand new. If you wanted a mat that would wear like iron for doing P90X and such, this would be a great option.https://www.manduka.com/yoga-mats/pr...mat-verve.html

A former yoga instructor purchased one of the Yoga Accessories mats to take to a conference where she had to travel by air and didn't want to worry about something happening to her good mat. She was pleased with the mat and the price point was excellent. It looked much like the mat in your second link.

Good luck in your search!

BunnyHop · 02-09-19, 05:53 PM

I'm a fan of round mats too.

At first I went with the cheaper option, from CAP Barbell. It's only 5', and quite thin. On carpet it's fine, but not something I'd want to use on a hard floor. It's also a good bit too short to fit all of me, so that's annoying. Also, I do think that they've raised the price on them, when you can find them. I'm glad I lucked out and got one fairly cheaply one Christmas.

Once I realized how much I like the round mat in general, though, I decided to get a 6' mat someday. That someday came a while ago, and I really, really like it. As others have said, here and elsewhere, I have no idea what flaw it might have that merited a decrease in price.

One, thing, though. The cheaper round mat was shipped folded up quite tightly in a box and the lines of the folds have never disappeared despite the fact that I've had it rolled up smoothly in one direction or another ever since.
The thicker, more expensive mat is in much better shape.

Negin · 02-10-19, 04:56 AM

Thank you all so much! Off to look into all of your suggestions.

geojill · 02-10-19, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red1013

I bought this one:

https://www.mandalayogamat.com

Several people here recommended it. I ordered the purple one, love it!

I have this one and love it. When I go to a yoga class, I always feel so confined by the regular sized mat.

On a separate note, my lab loves the mat too. I keep it folded in half lengthwise and then in half again lengthwise and up against the wall downstairs (I fold it that way to protect against dog hair) and she will go down and roll and rub all over it. She has never done that with any of my other mats, just this one lol.

killoffsonny · 02-10-19, 02:25 PM

I have a manduka. Not sure the model. It wasn't their most expensive one but it was still pricey. Best mat I've ever had. I use it for both pilates AND yoga (haven't done yoga in awhile though). Its very compressed so it protects my bony knees. The only thing I don't like doing on it is rolling like a ball.

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02-09-19, 06:00 AM
Negin Join Date: Nov 2011	Favorite Yoga/Exercise Mat Do you have a favorite yoga mat? I won't be going to classes. This is for home use only. Also, this mat will not be just for yoga. Our floors are tile. Jessica Smith uses this one, I believe. This one has lots of good reviews. __________________ "Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory." - Betty Smith, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"

02-09-19, 07:06 AM
yogapam VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West coast of Canada, eh. ;)	I have a 6’ round mat and I love it. It is very similar to the one in the link you posted. I use it for yoga, Essentrics, & cardio. Most of my cardio is low impact & I do it in bare feet. I use a regular yoga mat on top of it for yoga & any floor mat work. My yoga mat is thin and very non slip but I can’t remember what brand it is. I think it might be Prana, but I’m not at home right now to check. __________________ **~Pam~** Certified Level 4 Essentrics Instructor - March 2021 Hatha YTT - 2011 Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down..... "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." Jim Rohn "It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Tony Robbins Check out my Instagram account, @fitness.ficti0n.inspirati0n

02-09-19, 08:33 AM
red1013 Join Date: Sep 2005	I bought this one: https://www.mandalayogamat.com Several people here recommended it. I ordered the purple one, love it! __________________ ~Lori

02-09-19, 12:06 PM
VainJane Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Seattle, WA	I have two: a thick, regular-width one for Pilates, and a thin, extra wide one for standing fusion workouts. For Pilates, I actually layer the thick one over the thin one - my spine needs all the padding it can get.

02-09-19, 12:59 PM
JackieB VF Supporter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Minnesota	I also have a round one and put my maduka yoga mat on top of it. __________________ Jackie Certified Essentrics Instructor, Level 4---February 2017 Yoga Tune Up Roll Model Method Practitioner---December 2021 "Movement is a privilege. You don't have to exercise. You get to exercise. Visit a person whose mobility is severely limited, and you'll appreciate the distinction. Do what you can, count yourself lucky, heal yourself in the process." Essentrics Colorado

02-09-19, 01:59 PM
cyana Join Date: Dec 2001	I have a herd of yoga mats. The ones I use regularly and one that is well known but rarely used include: Jade Fusion 74" is my soul mate mat. Thicker, but not too mushy for yoga. Good grip. Mine has been going strong for over 10 years. On the heavier side, but not an issue for using at home. I this mat. I lie down on this mat and immediately feel happy. If they ever brought back the Sedona Red I'd buy another to have in reserve! https://www.jadeyoga.com/collections...ant=1225786348 Prana eco is my yoga studio mat because it is light as a feather and I walk to yoga classes. Decent thickness but not mushy, good grip. I got this at REI a year or two ago using gift cards and I must admit it's been a pleasant surprise: https://www.rei.com/product/847346/prana-eco-yoga-mat Mandala round mat - I bought one of the seconds and you'd be hard-pressed to figure out the flaw that makes it a second. Layering this and the Jade mat is super for restorative/yin yoga. If you tend to migrate off your mat, a round mat really helps. It's nice not to roll over onto the cold floor in the winter! https://www.mandalayogamat.com/mandala-yoga-mats Manduka Pro 85"- has tons of fans, but I'm not one of them. Too slippery despite literally scrubbing it multiple times with coarse salt and a stiff brush and laying it in the sun to dry (at the recommendation of the people at Manduka). Over 10 years old and still looks brand new. If you wanted a mat that would wear like iron for doing P90X and such, this would be a great option.https://www.manduka.com/yoga-mats/pr...mat-verve.html A former yoga instructor purchased one of the Yoga Accessories mats to take to a conference where she had to travel by air and didn't want to worry about something happening to her good mat. She was pleased with the mat and the price point was excellent. It looked much like the mat in your second link. Good luck in your search! __________________ "People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway." — Mother Teresa "I've decided to grow old disgracefully." - Twigs

02-09-19, 05:53 PM
BunnyHop Join Date: Nov 2008	I'm a fan of round mats too. At first I went with the cheaper option, from CAP Barbell. It's only 5', and quite thin. On carpet it's fine, but not something I'd want to use on a hard floor. It's also a good bit too short to fit all of me, so that's annoying. Also, I do think that they've raised the price on them, when you can find them. I'm glad I lucked out and got one fairly cheaply one Christmas. Once I realized how much I like the round mat in general, though, I decided to get a 6' mat someday. That someday came a while ago, and I really, really like it. As others have said, here and elsewhere, I have no idea what flaw it might have that merited a decrease in price. One, thing, though. The cheaper round mat was shipped folded up quite tightly in a box and the lines of the folds have never disappeared despite the fact that I've had it rolled up smoothly in one direction or another ever since. The thicker, more expensive mat is in much better shape. __________________ Anna

02-10-19, 04:56 AM
Negin Join Date: Nov 2011	Thank you all so much! Off to look into all of your suggestions. __________________ "Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory." - Betty Smith, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"

02-10-19, 02:25 PM
killoffsonny Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Houston	I have a manduka. Not sure the model. It wasn't their most expensive one but it was still pricey. Best mat I've ever had. I use it for both pilates AND yoga (haven't done yoga in awhile though). Its very compressed so it protects my bony knees. The only thing I don't like doing on it is rolling like a ball. __________________ Becky