Manduka Green Prolite Yoga Mat, 4.7 mm

I do yoga 5 times a week - Bikram, yoga sculpt and sometimes hot power flow. All hot variations. This mat is superior quality from others I’ve owned, it keeps its shape and washes easily, although when washing it does hold a bit of moisture so it can take a full 24-48 hours to completely dry out after a full submersion clean. It also doesn’t hold in odor which is great and it’s easily to wipe down after each class with anti microbial essential oils and cleansers. I do a full submersion clean probably once a week. Not sure what the official recommended clean routine is for yoga mats in general but this routine works for me and this mat has held up well. It boasts non slip design but doing the extreme heat hot yoga classes I still need a yoga towel, not only to absorb ... MoreI do yoga 5 times a week - Bikram, yoga sculpt and sometimes hot power flow. All hot variations. This mat is superior quality from others I’ve owned, it keeps its shape and washes easily, although when washing it does hold a bit of moisture so it can take a full 24-48 hours to completely dry out after a full submersion clean. It also doesn’t hold in odor which is great and it’s easily to wipe down after each class with anti microbial essential oils and cleansers. I do a full submersion clean probably once a week. Not sure what the official recommended clean routine is for yoga mats in general but this routine works for me and this mat has held up well. It boasts non slip design but doing the extreme heat hot yoga classes I still need a yoga towel, not only to absorb moisture but also if the mat gets super saturated from humidity and sweatiness in class, without the towel it can get a little slippery but not near as slippery as other mats I’ve used. It’s a common sense non slip, if you saturate it, it might be a little more slippery than if you were doing an unheated class. Doesn’t detract from the overall design and quality of the mat

Good mat that takes effort to get there

This mat is a bit like a dog that you brought home from the shelter that you thought maybe would just be able to sit and stay, but actually took more training than you anticipated. After some substantial attention, you become best friends and forget all about the hard times. But if somebody tells you they're going to get a dog, you warn them that it won't be all love and light. That's how this yoga mat is. It's a bombproof mat that will outlast the transmission in your truck. For that reason, I do recommend the black color, but what do I know about how clean the blue will be in five years? Just a hunch.It's thick, so it's cushiony on the knees. I give the mat 5 stars. But I give the company 2 or 3 stars for how they advertise this thing. To say they underestimate ... MoreThis mat is a bit like a dog that you brought home from the shelter that you thought maybe would just be able to sit and stay, but actually took more training than you anticipated. After some substantial attention, you become best friends and forget all about the hard times. But if somebody tells you they're going to get a dog, you warn them that it won't be all love and light. That's how this yoga mat is. It's a bombproof mat that will outlast the transmission in your truck. For that reason, I do recommend the black color, but what do I know about how clean the blue will be in five years? Just a hunch.It's thick, so it's cushiony on the knees. I give the mat 5 stars. But I give the company 2 or 3 stars for how they advertise this thing. To say they underestimate the "break-in" period is an understatement. First of all, this isn't a leather boot. You don't "break" it in, as if it were leather that needed to be softened. It's got a slippery film on it. The thing that really gets my chi boiling about this mat is the lack of transparency from Manduka. Listen: the mat exudes a slippery film for some time. Nobody knows what it is. It might be whale oil, but Manduka won't say. I have a conspiracy theory that Manduka knows exactly how to make this mat sticky from the start but they can't do it without compromising their OEKO-TEX certification. This certification, by the way, means that there are 350 nasty chemicals that are not in the mat. Does it mean there are no nasty chemicals? No, just not the 350 known nasties. It could certainly have some unknown nasties, as chemical manufacturers are clever.But back to the topic at hand: Manduka is all like: "yeah, just sprinkle some sea salt on your mat and let it sit for a day in the sun." When I hear that this works for some people, I don't think they're doing downward dog on their mat. It just doesn't work. You have to really scrub the salt (coarser the better) into the mat thoroughly with pressure, for a few minutes. It should take about 5 minutes to scrub the whole mat. And then, guess what? It will be slick again in a day or two. I think what's happening is that the surface is exuding a film that continues for some period of time and you have to repeatedly scrub it off until it is gone. Perhaps leaving the mat out in the sun causes the film to evaporate faster: sure, give it a shot. Even though I am a tree-loving person, I even tried acetone on my mat. I'm pretty sure I just ruined my OEKO certification, but boy did that film disappear! But guess what? It was back a day later. I did a couple more salt scrubs and now it's usable. I anticipate it will get better with time (after all, this is what Manduka promises: the best way to "break in" the mat is [and I quote their website] "practice, practice, practice."). I find this advice duplicitous. I think they are preying on the yogi's belief that lots of practice cures all kinds of ailments, including a slippery mat. What I would like them to admit is that it has a slippery film on it that goes away with time and when you use it, your skin rubs off the film or your clothing absorbs some of the film until it is gone. Don't just tell me that "practice" will do it. There's a real patronizing of yogis here. Manduka, just give it to us straight and tell us what's really going on.If all this seems like too much to deal with for a consumer good, or you’re doing sweaty hot yoga, you can head straight to an open-cell natural rubber mat that is stickier from the start. Just don’t expect it to last as long, and it will probably smell bad for some time. If all else fails, just do some Savasana. Just breathe. Everything will be fine, I promise.

I am an experienced yogi and I do not recommend this product at all.

I have regularly practiced yoga for 7 years now, and have used several different kinds of mats during that time. I previously used a Kind Mat Bliss, which was amazing and super grippy, but very cumbersome since it couldn't roll up or travel easily. Some of my yoga teachers and fellow students recommended the Manduka mat, and I decided to give it a try. Though very expensive, I was confident that this would be a great mat for my practice.When I first received it, I was SO excited to try it out that I didn't salt it first, and as expected, I slipped all throughout that first class. It was awful -- so incredibly slippery, and I ended up injuring myself from combating the slipping of my hands and feet! Absolutely unacceptable. I am a pretty strong Yogi, but I can only ... MoreI have regularly practiced yoga for 7 years now, and have used several different kinds of mats during that time. I previously used a Kind Mat Bliss, which was amazing and super grippy, but very cumbersome since it couldn't roll up or travel easily. Some of my yoga teachers and fellow students recommended the Manduka mat, and I decided to give it a try. Though very expensive, I was confident that this would be a great mat for my practice.When I first received it, I was SO excited to try it out that I didn't salt it first, and as expected, I slipped all throughout that first class. It was awful -- so incredibly slippery, and I ended up injuring myself from combating the slipping of my hands and feet! Absolutely unacceptable. I am a pretty strong Yogi, but I can only imagine how unsafe this mat is for a beginner.As soon as I came home from that class, I followed the salting protocol instructions, and let it sit for just over 24 hrs, as directed. Today, I had my first yoga class since salting it, and I was confident that this time would be better. Though less slippery than pre-salting, it is still WAY too slippery for me to feel safe and confident about using it regularly for my yoga practice!I am really, really disappointed with this product, especially for how expensive it is!! And after spending $165+ for a Manduka yoga mat and carrying strap, I refuse to spend more money on more Manduka products just to have a safe yoga practice with their product.Sadly, I returning this mat for safety reasons; I can't risk re-injuring myself because I spend the class over-extending myself to compensate for slipping. I cannot recommend this product.

Love, but where is the grip?

I’ve been looking for a while now to invest in a high quality mat. I’ve had a cheap, $20 mat from target for almost 11 years and the only reason I opted for a new one was because it was thin af and after ten years my knees are not the same😂. I want to love this mat, but I have the same critique as what others are saying, there is no grip. Even when doing regular poses, my feet and hands are sliding. I can’t even stay put in down dog. What? That’s the easiest pose. I even took the quiz they offered and in my answer I noted that I would be using it for hot yoga. This was the mat they recommended. After reading all the reviews, customer service seems to just say the same thing, there’s a break-in period. I’ve yet to hit that period. Other than the slipping which is ... MoreI’ve been looking for a while now to invest in a high quality mat. I’ve had a cheap, $20 mat from target for almost 11 years and the only reason I opted for a new one was because it was thin af and after ten years my knees are not the same😂. I want to love this mat, but I have the same critique as what others are saying, there is no grip. Even when doing regular poses, my feet and hands are sliding. I can’t even stay put in down dog. What? That’s the easiest pose. I even took the quiz they offered and in my answer I noted that I would be using it for hot yoga. This was the mat they recommended. After reading all the reviews, customer service seems to just say the same thing, there’s a break-in period. I’ve yet to hit that period. Other than the slipping which is pretty big, I have no other complaints. I love the color, love the thickness, and there is no visible discoloration. I couldn’t tell you what isn’t “almost perfect” but maybe it’s the grip level and I was bamboozled 😂

Manufacturing defects with the Adriene Anniversary Mat

Like quite a few of the other reviewers here I purchased the 10 yearYoga with Adriene anniversary mat. Two toned cream and brown. Mine also came defective. All through the mat there was raised areas of bumps. (extra material that wasn't smooth in the pouring process of making the mat) I sent numerous pictures and they obviously showed the defects. After a few conversations back and forth I was issued a refund. It certainly wasn't a speedy process for something that wasn't my error. I had to wait several weeks to get my refund. I did not appreciate that. I had wanted to have another one sent but you were out of the long style which I ordered. I was probably one of the first to place my order as a "Find what feels good member" I got up early so I could be one of the ... MoreLike quite a few of the other reviewers here I purchased the 10 yearYoga with Adriene anniversary mat. Two toned cream and brown. Mine also came defective. All through the mat there was raised areas of bumps. (extra material that wasn't smooth in the pouring process of making the mat) I sent numerous pictures and they obviously showed the defects. After a few conversations back and forth I was issued a refund. It certainly wasn't a speedy process for something that wasn't my error. I had to wait several weeks to get my refund. I did not appreciate that. I had wanted to have another one sent but you were out of the long style which I ordered. I was probably one of the first to place my order as a "Find what feels good member" I got up early so I could be one of the members to buy the anniversary mat. It was important to me. Your company failed with quality control here as I now see I was not the only one who had manufacturing issues. This whole special project was mismanaged but could of been avoided with better oversight.

Much too slick for price point

My fiancé got me this yoga mat to replace an old Lululemon one. We followed instructions provided with this mat to leave salt on the yoga mat’s surface for 24 hours to help prevent slipperiness. That didn’t actually do anything. I had to use hand towels during gentle yoga to prevent myself from falling. I’ve had to use yet another salt scrub in the hopes of “breaking in” the mat so I don’t cause future injury.While the closed cell technology is typically the response Manduka uses to complaints such as these, I would counter it is incredibly discomfiting that a company would require customers to “break in” their products, thereby potentially damaging it and voiding warranty just so the product itself can be used one time. Surely the company should just provide a ... MoreMy fiancé got me this yoga mat to replace an old Lululemon one. We followed instructions provided with this mat to leave salt on the yoga mat’s surface for 24 hours to help prevent slipperiness. That didn’t actually do anything. I had to use hand towels during gentle yoga to prevent myself from falling. I’ve had to use yet another salt scrub in the hopes of “breaking in” the mat so I don’t cause future injury.While the closed cell technology is typically the response Manduka uses to complaints such as these, I would counter it is incredibly discomfiting that a company would require customers to “break in” their products, thereby potentially damaging it and voiding warranty just so the product itself can be used one time. Surely the company should just provide a product that doesn’t have the problem in the first place. We’ve had to purchase a full scale yoga towel to prepare for the likelihood that the second salt scrub didn’t work.

Not really a yoga mat

When I saw a Manduka yoga mat on super sale at 50% off I was actually excited. Since Manduka seemed to me to have a reputation for making great yoga mats and I knew they also made some of their models with extra grip, I said, "Why not?!" However, I discovered quickly that this mat was disappointingly not much of a yoga mat at all.I've used many a yoga mat over the last 20 years but have only ever owned a large, grey Lululemon mat supposedly designed to wick sweat and offer better grip than most yoga mats on the market. However, I used my Lululemon yoga mat many times at hot yoga classes and found it to be a minimal improvement over the average mat. So, I wanted to get something that had better grip.I though surely a company like Manduka that makes a seemingly ... MoreWhen I saw a Manduka yoga mat on super sale at 50% off I was actually excited. Since Manduka seemed to me to have a reputation for making great yoga mats and I knew they also made some of their models with extra grip, I said, "Why not?!" However, I discovered quickly that this mat was disappointingly not much of a yoga mat at all.I've used many a yoga mat over the last 20 years but have only ever owned a large, grey Lululemon mat supposedly designed to wick sweat and offer better grip than most yoga mats on the market. However, I used my Lululemon yoga mat many times at hot yoga classes and found it to be a minimal improvement over the average mat. So, I wanted to get something that had better grip.I though surely a company like Manduka that makes a seemingly superior product would ensure all of their mats had fabulous gripping technology. But that is not the case. After I received my order for this mat in the mail, I discovered pretty much immediately after opening the packaging that this was a terrible design.I know this is supposed to be designed to take up minimal space but it's not much better than just using a towel or the bare floor. It's just too thin and the surface isn't really any more grippy than either of those options.I do not recommend.

Ultimately wasn't for me

Ive been on the market for a new and quality yoga mat, which apparently seems to involve countless hours,trials, and minor obsession of finding the right fit. I was under the impression that weight and portability was one of my top priorities, as i'm a frequent traveler..but I'm learning that grip is actually top on my list. I learned this through the purchase of this mat. I was sorely disappointed when I realized it wasn't a mat(ch) made in heaven..I wanted to keep it in all of its purple glory, but ultimately I didn't have the patience or faith that it would 'break in'. I salt scrubbed, soaped and rinsed, let it sit in the sun, took it to a few classes and I was still slipping and sliding. I also didn't enjoy the roll up process of this mat..it rolls from top ... MoreIve been on the market for a new and quality yoga mat, which apparently seems to involve countless hours,trials, and minor obsession of finding the right fit. I was under the impression that weight and portability was one of my top priorities, as i'm a frequent traveler..but I'm learning that grip is actually top on my list. I learned this through the purchase of this mat. I was sorely disappointed when I realized it wasn't a mat(ch) made in heaven..I wanted to keep it in all of its purple glory, but ultimately I didn't have the patience or faith that it would 'break in'. I salt scrubbed, soaped and rinsed, let it sit in the sun, took it to a few classes and I was still slipping and sliding. I also didn't enjoy the roll up process of this mat..it rolls from top under , and it doesn't roll up ( or rather stay ) tight. Also, the purple.. although stunning , was already holding onto dark marks/stains after the few field trips it had. REI was very graceful with the return policy. While I was in the store on the return mission, I saw the other Manduka mats on display...and strangely enough -different colors seemed to feel lighter or roll up slimmer than others of the same model/size ? It definitely leads me to believe each color, or even mat, may differ slightly or even significantly. I mean, I know I have this issue with a popular style of yoga leggings too, frustratingly so. I am now trying Jade/ rubber , and while I think its more suited to my grip needs for now..Theres definitely pros and cons to each though, as this one is closed cell as easy to clean, where as the rubber... not so much.

Unbalanced Balance

Decided to treat myself after practicing 8 years with the same inexpensive Gaiam mat. While the Manduka PRO Balance itself is pretty good, I'm bummed that the two color tones aren't evenly balanced – off by just an inch, but definitely noticeable during practice. Not sure if it's a defect or just an unfortunate part of the production process. I tried contacting support a week ago, but I haven't heard back. But the light side is that I'm using the imperfection to show up to my mat each day acknowledging that I don't have to be be perfect either. [Also: as many people mention, the mat is quite slippery when you first get it (particularly in downward dog), so you may have to explore the plethora of suggestions from Manduka enthusiasts to give it a bit more grip while ... MoreDecided to treat myself after practicing 8 years with the same inexpensive Gaiam mat. While the Manduka PRO Balance itself is pretty good, I'm bummed that the two color tones aren't evenly balanced – off by just an inch, but definitely noticeable during practice. Not sure if it's a defect or just an unfortunate part of the production process. I tried contacting support a week ago, but I haven't heard back. But the light side is that I'm using the imperfection to show up to my mat each day acknowledging that I don't have to be be perfect either. [Also: as many people mention, the mat is quite slippery when you first get it (particularly in downward dog), so you may have to explore the plethora of suggestions from Manduka enthusiasts to give it a bit more grip while you're breaking it in.] Would I buy such an expensive mat again? Not sure, I'm warming up to it though! Hopefully in time, I'll love it like so many other fans do!

Very happy with it...

Very happy with it now, but I wish I had read the reviews prior to purchasing it myself first! There were no instructions included either so to feel how slippy it was during my first session was an alarming shock and a bit disheartening. [I also thought it was a bit larger - the ones Adriene Mishler uses in her videos look so big!] I searched around and, to my relief, I found some possible resolutions for the unstable slippery feel. I did not do the recommended break in process with salt, but simply wiped the mat down after each use with only a Norwex microfiber cloth and water and it's PERFECTLY fine now - in less than a week. I do see why it's referred to as the Rolls Royce of yoga mats. : ) I am happy I have one now and hope to get one for my daughter someday. I ... MoreVery happy with it now, but I wish I had read the reviews prior to purchasing it myself first! There were no instructions included either so to feel how slippy it was during my first session was an alarming shock and a bit disheartening. [I also thought it was a bit larger - the ones Adriene Mishler uses in her videos look so big!] I searched around and, to my relief, I found some possible resolutions for the unstable slippery feel. I did not do the recommended break in process with salt, but simply wiped the mat down after each use with only a Norwex microfiber cloth and water and it's PERFECTLY fine now - in less than a week. I do see why it's referred to as the Rolls Royce of yoga mats. : ) I am happy I have one now and hope to get one for my daughter someday. I love that my Manduka mat is fairly earth friendly and safe. Great cushioning. LOVE it!