Ultimate Yoga Mat Review

Which yoga mat is the best? Well, it depends on your priorities. Do you need a light mat for travel? Are you most concerned about having a biodegradable mat? Do you want a mat that will last a good, long time? Is cost your biggest issue? Here is a chart that lays out all the most important features in five popular yoga mats so that you can easily decide which one is right for you. In addition, you can use the links below to find more in-depth reviews of several of these mats.

The Contenders

• Gaiam Yoga Essentials Mat: This mat provides our baseline. It is probably the most commonly used mat for beginners. It is readily available at supermarkets and it very economically priced.

• Kulae tpECOmat: A soft, lightweight mat made of biodegradable TPE.

  Kulae tpECOmat Review

• Jade Harmony Mat: Very popular mat made of rubber. Completely natural and very durable.

  Jade Harmony Review

• Lululemon The Mat: This mat ingeniously layers two materials, giving you a choice of practice surfaces.

  The Mat

• Manduka Black Mat PRO: Extremely durable, heavyweight mat favored by yoga enthusiasts.

  Manduka Black Mat PRO Review

	Gaiam	Kulae tpECOmat	Jade Harmony	Lululemon The Mat	Manduka PRO
material	PVC	TPE	rubber	polyurethane, rubber	PVC
thickness	1/8"	1/8"	3/16"	3/16"	1/4"
weight	light (2.2 lbs)	light (2 lbs)	mid (4 lbs)	mid (5.5 lbs)	heavy (7 pounds)
length	68"	72"	68" or 74"	71"	71" or 85"
biodegradable	no	yes	yes	no	no
odor	no	no	yes (rubber)	slight (rubber)	no
soft	yes	yes	no	yes	no
traction	fair	good	good	good	good
durability	poor	poor	good	good	good
price	$22	$39	$65	$68	$94