Another place for a well made reasonably priced mat is the Bolder Mat Company.
[QUOTE=Dabbadooey;27532]Another place for a well made reasonably priced mat is the Bolder Mat Company.[/QUOTE]
i tried using their mat, and wasnt a big fan of them.
They seem like they are made out of very cheap quality and dont last very long. 
I’m not so concerned about the price. I’d like to find a mat that will be my “forever mat”, as in I will have it for years, so am willing to fork out the higher price. I’d like to know of one that is well made, comfortable, large, not too cumbersome for portability, and has a little extra padding (compared to the usual little cheap ones).
Anyone know of any like this?
I really like my Jade Harmony mat 
I find its thick enough to cushion body, whether its the “sit” bones in navasana or the head in sirsasana. It rolls up tightly so that it fits easily in my carry bag. It does smell a bit, which doesn’t bother me much. But I use a towel over my mat anyway because I find it more hygienic and its prevents me from slipping (during hot yoga or even during non-hot yoga when my feet get sweaty).
To the poster who mentioned not to worry about a mat and to use cotton or nature as a mat: I believe that my mat helps to provide injury, and that IS important. The Jade mat is a lot stickier (IMO) that some of the cheapie mats and that is important to prevent slippage which could lead to injury. Also, I couldn’t see how practicing on the bare floor, whether in a studio or outdoors is safe nor hygienic. Just my two cents.
If I had to get another mat, I would probably get the same one again. Though I am curious how the Manduka would feel different. Apart from looking bulky, it seems like a good mat too.
I was at a Bikram studio today in Cambridge, MA and they have old mats that I was very impressed with. They no longer sell them, however. I was told they are made by Prana. They appear to be like a very think felt/rubber mix and they fold. I looked online to see about buying one, but the mats that I see don’t appear to be like the ones I saw. Does anyone know the mats I am talking about? Thanks
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