Manduka 79" ProLite Yoga Mat, Midnight

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

Expensive slip ‘n slide material

I purchased this mat a few weeks ago because I felt my yoga practice had progressed to the point where I deserved a good mat as opposed to the 30 year old hand me down one I had been using. This Manduka mat took my yoga practice from calming and peaceful to dangerous and frustrating. With this mat, I slip and slide every which way before I even start sweating. The grip has NOT improved even after several weeks of daily use and no, I will not be purchasing an additional towel to lay on top of this mat to alleviate the deficiencies of the mat. And no, I will also not be pouring salt all over the mat and creating a huge mess and headache to “break in” faster. At this price point, the mat should be ready to use immediately. I do NOT recommend this mat.

Incredible!! BUT…

This mat is very high quality and is worth the purchase. BUT the amount of work it has taken to break it in so that I can use it without slipping is insane. I tried the salt, I tried soap, I tried cleaner. Finally what did the trick was using a magic eraser to gently wear the top layer so it was sticky enough to practice on. I’m exhausted from the pure amount of work that had gone into this. Manduka clearly has the ability to do this in the production line. For a $140 mat…I expect it to come ready to use. No questions asked.

Not bad

I've been going back and forth about whether purchasing a Manduka mat was a good or necessary choice. I opted to get it due to its closed-cell design and renowned density. Open cell has its benefits, but you can never really get all the sweat out that it absorbs so not only does the bacteria stay in there, and sweat is an oil that can be a problem over time. Open cell mats can peel away with time, especially with consistent or vigorous practice (namely, ashtanga or vinyasa practices). So, I took the jump when it was on sale.When it arrived, I scrubbed it with scotch brite (instead of salt), rinsed it off with water and washed it with a gentle dish soap outside in the sun. Honestly, I think dish soap alone would have been sufficient. There's not much point with the ... MoreI've been going back and forth about whether purchasing a Manduka mat was a good or necessary choice. I opted to get it due to its closed-cell design and renowned density. Open cell has its benefits, but you can never really get all the sweat out that it absorbs so not only does the bacteria stay in there, and sweat is an oil that can be a problem over time. Open cell mats can peel away with time, especially with consistent or vigorous practice (namely, ashtanga or vinyasa practices). So, I took the jump when it was on sale.When it arrived, I scrubbed it with scotch brite (instead of salt), rinsed it off with water and washed it with a gentle dish soap outside in the sun. Honestly, I think dish soap alone would have been sufficient. There's not much point with the method Manduka recommends as it's a longer process with variable results. If you want to get the film off, just use dish soap, Scrub it and rinse it well in the shower.When I first tried it, I wasn't sure I liked the feeling of the grip. It wasn't bad though. Even practicing in the sun I did not slip even with moderately sweaty palms. it was just a different type of grip than a mysore rug, a good jute mat (not all are great), or a cork & rubber mix mat like Yoloha Unity. I found the grip slightly reminiscent of an open-cell rubber mat but with a bit more "give" when you adjust if needed. The feel of it is growing on me but the mat itself is good. The density is on point for Ashtanga practitioners and those who need cushion without the squish. I've used it outside a few times on cement without an issue. Cleaning is easy. I've used it for hot yoga a few times. I've only had an issue with the slipping once during hot yoga but the room was extra hot that day and I was sweating buckets. This is the only time I had an issue with the slipping. I would recommend bringing a towel for good measure but I find so far I haven't consistently reached for a mat towel. Your experience may be different.This mat is lightweight enough to travel without compromising on cushioning but it can feel a bit bulky. The mat is sturdy and built to last. The mat is good for most types of yoga, including rigorous practices like Ashtanga. While it works with my hot yoga practice, it might not be the same for you. I recommend you bring a yoga towel just in case. If you are not sure why would you get a mat only to use it with a towel: it's a personal choice but this mat doesn't hold onto a sweat or bacteria so your mat truly gets clean when you wash it and the grip (or mat) isn't negatively affected over time due to this. Overall, Im happy I took the plunge but I WISH THE TRAVEL MAT COMES BACK OUT! (especially with new colours). This mat isn't heavy per se but it would be nice to have the light travel option.

Perfect Yoga Mat!!

I had 2 Manduka yoga mats for about twenty plus years. These were perfect mats but over time, I wore feet marks on both ends, which were slippery to practice on. So I could not find my favorite Manduka mat locally, so I bought a Jade Mat from REI. Unfortunately, the Jade mat seemed to pick up every little hair from my wool rug and I could not keep it lint-free. So I finally returned it and then got a Pro Lite Manduka Yoga mat in Deep Sea Green - perfect in every way and will last for another 20 years!!! I love this mat, it is thick enough, light enough, not too bid for me at 5"5' and it is sticky enough...Manduka really does make the best quality mats and as yoga is an investment in me, I paid the $100 plus price...

Perfect mat: light, easy to carry, plenty of cushioning

I’ve been looking for the perfect yoga mat - and this is it. I’ve been doing yoga over 20 years and teaching for 14 years. I’ve had both hips and one shoulder replaced, and have a steel pin holding my hand together. My former mat was too heavy to tote around with a bad shoulder. My hands and knees need extra cushion. And I needed a non-slippery surface. This mat fulfills all my needs and it’s a comfortable weight to carry. I highly recommend.

Seems worth the $

I finally broke down and spent the $ and I'm glad I did. The only mat I've ever had that was sticky to start and stayed sticky was my original Gaiam mat, now almost 20yrs old (so it REALLY needs to be retired, and it's really thin). I've bought probably 6 or 8 different mats from different companies over the years and none of them are sticky, especially when my feet & hands are cold & dry (which has gotten worse as I've gotten older). I've only had the Manduka mat for a week but it was sticky right out of the box! I conditioned it w/ sea salt, per the instructions & am using Manduka's mat wash to wipe it down and so far, I love it. I hope I won't have to update my review (in the bad way) but at this point I don't think so. I have a daily home practice and go to the ... MoreI finally broke down and spent the $ and I'm glad I did. The only mat I've ever had that was sticky to start and stayed sticky was my original Gaiam mat, now almost 20yrs old (so it REALLY needs to be retired, and it's really thin). I've bought probably 6 or 8 different mats from different companies over the years and none of them are sticky, especially when my feet & hands are cold & dry (which has gotten worse as I've gotten older). I've only had the Manduka mat for a week but it was sticky right out of the box! I conditioned it w/ sea salt, per the instructions & am using Manduka's mat wash to wipe it down and so far, I love it. I hope I won't have to update my review (in the bad way) but at this point I don't think so. I have a daily home practice and go to the studio 2-3x wk. Right now the new mat is staying home but if it continues to perform so well, I'll be purchasing a 2nd one to travel with.

So expensive and yet so poorly made

This is my second manduka mat I've ordered. I LOVED my first one and sadly left it under a table at a restaurant. I ordered a replacement and am so disappointed. For some reason, the seams on the mat only run in one direction, not two. I've never considered this before because it's never been a problem before for me (and I've used lots of yoga mats over the years), but seams in only one direction means that your hands and feet slide with the seams of the mat. In every position, my hands and feet were sliding away from each other and I had to constantly readjust. It was so distracting to worry about my feet sliding as I'm holding a pose. Yoga is about stillness, but not with this mat. Unbelievably, the mat is twice as expensive as the mat I bought from Manduka in ... MoreThis is my second manduka mat I've ordered. I LOVED my first one and sadly left it under a table at a restaurant. I ordered a replacement and am so disappointed. For some reason, the seams on the mat only run in one direction, not two. I've never considered this before because it's never been a problem before for me (and I've used lots of yoga mats over the years), but seams in only one direction means that your hands and feet slide with the seams of the mat. In every position, my hands and feet were sliding away from each other and I had to constantly readjust. It was so distracting to worry about my feet sliding as I'm holding a pose. Yoga is about stillness, but not with this mat. Unbelievably, the mat is twice as expensive as the mat I bought from Manduka in 2020 and it feels so cheap by comparison considering all the sliding. I have a $10 mat that I bought years and years ago that I was ready to give away for free, and I will use that one over this one. This one is going in the trash.

Still breaking it in....

I wanted to wait a while before writing the review as I've read many reviews and was aware of the slipping at the beginning.Unfortunately, I have sweaty palms and feet. I have a strong daily ashtanga practice which requires grip as I move a lot.When I first got the ProLite I was so excited. Initial grip was fantastic as my palms and feet were dry but after 2 sun sals, I began to slip in down dogs. It was like being on a plastic water slide after 10m into practice. I salted it for longer than 24 hours, rubbing the salt in before and after, trying to 'exfoliate' the mat. It helped a bit but not that much.I've been practising a long time so I understand that mats are very personal. A mat that suits one won't suit another. This mat is great for my hubby who has dry ... MoreI wanted to wait a while before writing the review as I've read many reviews and was aware of the slipping at the beginning.Unfortunately, I have sweaty palms and feet. I have a strong daily ashtanga practice which requires grip as I move a lot.When I first got the ProLite I was so excited. Initial grip was fantastic as my palms and feet were dry but after 2 sun sals, I began to slip in down dogs. It was like being on a plastic water slide after 10m into practice. I salted it for longer than 24 hours, rubbing the salt in before and after, trying to 'exfoliate' the mat. It helped a bit but not that much.I've been practising a long time so I understand that mats are very personal. A mat that suits one won't suit another. This mat is great for my hubby who has dry palms and hates my suede and rubber mats because he slips on them.But for sweaty palms me, it's been a few weeks now and it's still slippery. I'm giving this mat a 3 for now and will update it when/if the grip gets better. Martin from Eco Yoga Store who was very helpful and friendly, have warned me about it and suggested using a towel initially which works fine. I'm still confident that the mat will grip more as time goes by but I'm a little disappointed that it's taking longer than I thought.So my recommendation is, if you have dry palms and feet, this mat is awesome as it grips, feels great and has good cushioning. Weight is great as it's not as heavy as the Pro but still feels solid. I have plenty of friends who rave about their Mandukas so I trust that the brand is good. If you have sweaty palms, you have got to be prepared to put in the hard yards breaking it in. If you're a beginner with sweaty palms, prob give this one a miss.

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.