welcome theothecat,
i moved your thread to this one so you check out all the mat recommendations. check katrina’s post specifically, because she recommends mat made by prana and it sounds like it’s the same one you’re looking for.
all the best,
nichole
Time to update my experience with the Jade harmony XW. A couple weeks later I really like this mat. I like it better than the manduka because it is wider and much more compact. It was slippery at first until one day I decided to wash it in the shower using dish soap and a brush.
I have the Manduka Black Long mat. I must say that it sticks very well even when wet and you’ll get more mileage than a good set of Michelin’s. My only issue I have with the mat is that it is heavy and bulky! I am a big man 6’1, 190lb and even I get tired of lugging it around. Also, with the long mat in tight quarters, I am constantly rolling over the mat behind me. I end up folding it under. I am considering one of the smaller rubber mats for those days I feel llike traveling light. : )
I have a differing view to all other posts about the Manduka black mat so figured I should put my 2 cents in.
I like my Manduka black mat but don’t love it for the simple reason that it slips when my feet get sweaty. I’m not particularly sweaty either.
I’ve used it since Summer of last year and practise 1.5 - 2 hours 6 days a week which is reasonable break in time I should think.
I do think it’s nicely padded, and can see that it’s as spanking new as the day I bought it though. So thumbs up on safer landing and durability.
It’s undeniably heavy - I thought about taking it to India last year. It took up 2/3 of my backpack capacity. Not a particularly good choice if you want just the one mat to carry around.
So, from my point of view, the Manduka black is good, but not great.
I personally love the Manduka mat, it is not cheap, but supposedly “it lasts a life time” 
Please note that the Manduka black mat is heavy, and not that easy to carry, but overall, still worth it.
I am using mat since 5 years and it seems it will work fine for another 10 years.
I am not big fan of mats but I would like to know,
Does a mat color make any difference?
Hi,
Im very new to Yoga, only started last month, and this month my fiance got me a yoga mat as a gift, however it’s a little too long for me.
should I cut it to the size I want or should I ask him to take it back and exchange it? I really don’t like changing gifts and I don’t want to ask him to do that, so I want to know if it’s ok to cut it?
would it look bad? would it start folding up at the sides?
It’s fine to cut most mats. But I would wait awhile and make sure you really want to. Sometimes extra length is nice - people pay more to get a longer mat!
My bamboo mat is my favorite…eco friendly without all those toxic materials and chemical off-gassing that most mats have.
Have you tried Khataland’s mats? They are extra long mats that are foldable and portable. Eco friendly too.
I haven’t heard of them no
Since lots of folks have commented on Manduka Pro “Black” mats
I would like to point out that Manduka now has a Manduka Pro in blue saphire on-line and sells purple ones to some dealers such as lululemon.
Personally I use a cheap mat I got for Xmas years ago but I put a super thin pilattes sticky mat over it and together they are bomb proof.
Rubber yoga mats are not nearly as effective as the traditional Darbha Grass mats which help you conserve and not dissipate the yoga shakti you collect during your sadhana.
Darbha Grass is what lord Krishna recommended in the Bhagavad Gita as an ideal Yoga Asana. You can get these traditional darbha grass mats in south India or you can try ordering them through Giri Trading Company. You can google them and try to order them online.
Lily Goncalves
Founder/Director of Blooming Lotus Yoga
www.thailandyoga.net
they all falling apart quickly…i got my mats from Ross for $6 and they last for few years…yes, they are no eco and fancy, but they are good mats.
Does anyone have any experience with Zenactive mats? I guess they are a new company. They are described as: “Extra Thick 1/4” (7mm) Non-slip, Extra Long 72" Memory Foam, ECO Friendly, Comes with 100% Guarantee."
It’s “[I]only[/I]” $45.
Thanks!
Zenactive mats are actually pretty decent. The only downside to them though are they get to be slippery for me sometimes. A lot people I know seems to be very happy with what they’re getting out of it. Overall nice quality especially when you take the price into consideration.
A quick search on amazon reveals exactly what you’re looking for. It’s called Ultimate Yoga Mat by Ali Rangwala. It’s not made of eco-materials but it’s very durable and boosts a 4.4/5 review on amazon. I think you should check it out. I might buy one myself.
I love my Jade Harmony Mat. I have really sweaty hands and feet and don’t slip on it at all. I recently wrote a whole post about the pros and cons of the Jade Mats if you are interested: http://journeysofyoga.com/jade-yoga-mat-review/