Gaiam Dry-Grip Yoga Mat – 5mm Thick Non-Slip Exercise & Fitness Mat for Standard or Hot Yoga, Pilates and Floor Workouts – Cushioned Support, Non-Slip Coat – 68 x 24 Inches

Still my favorite mat after five years
Best. Mat. Ever. It’s very much like Lulu The Mat. But a bit smaller in size, lighter & more beautiful. Lulu’s The Mat wears down so fast & this one doesn’t. Much lighter than manduka. Thicker/comfier than jade harmony which previously was my favorite. The surface is very absorbent. The grip is amazing – way better than traditional mats – I am so secure in warrior 2. I am able to go through half my hot power yoga class without a yoga towel. Then I lay down a towel during core when my sweat starts really dripping. It performs great when hot & damp, but also when dry. This mat is thick which is awesome for my knees in camel, and feels sturdy rather than squishy. I use chained hair elastics attached to a large button to hold it rolled when not in use. Any mat strap would work, I was just feeling creative & made my own. I used another thick mat before, but it was slippery. Then I used jade harmony but it was too thin. This is perfect.Update: I have had this yoga mat for 2 years now!!! I went through TWO yoga teacher trainings using this every day for hours, and often allowing other students to use it. I practice on it every single day. I do restorative yoga, drip-heavy heated power yoga and Bikram, as well as occasionally an outdoor class. It remains immaculate, as though I bought it yesterday! I cannot say enough good things about this mat. I clean it with JUST WATER and I think this is why it has retained its beauty. Occasionally, like every few weeks, I will clean it with either dish soap, vinegar, lemon juice-dilutred water with a drop of tea tree oil. Not consistent, just whatever is around. Usually it’s water and let hang dry outside. It does not smell (I am a medium-sweater, not a huge dripper but not just a glower). I wish my yoga studio carried this mat, I think I am going to recommend that they do. I don’t use it during my teaching only because I feel like I cannot “sell” it up, since we don’t carry it. But if we carried it, I would tell every student to buy it. Especially that student who face-planted on her lulu mat. The surface is only slightly worn – it’s almost as new looking as the day I bought it. It’s a beautiful mat. It’s thick and comfortable for those with knee issues, it has not matted down much at all – maybe just slightly after two years & only recently. I think I’ll get it in purple next!UPDATE: Year 3 almost to the day. I am finally beginning to see wearing on my beautiful mat. I’ve been practicing at home regularly & just did a third yoga teacher training. I am starting to notice it wearing down at the top middle & top bottom of my mat. I think it’s time for a replacement, but I’ll never throw this one away. They’ll have to bury it with me.UPDATE: It’s STILL my favorite mat after 5 years. It is showing some love wear on the surface but it’s not peeling, and i can see some of the threads around the top and bottom of the mat that are starting to be exposed. I kind of want to buy another identical mat but I kind of want this one to last forever and it’s still 100% functional. Part of me wants another just to test how much better (or not) a brand new one is because I think this MUST have lost some of its cushioning. Right? Well, it is like the tarot deck I’ve had for 25 years, I could buy a new one but the old has become an extension of me, one of my favorite possessions in its perfection as it is not new but still exactly perfect.

1 year update: very impressed, just as good as when I got it, zero concerns about longevity and durability.
This is my third yoga mat I’ve bought (first two were Jade Professional/Manduka eco-lite). Right now, I would say this is a good mat, but I am concerned about its longevity. I bought this mat because of Wirecutter’s recommendation, and claims that it does well for people who sweat a lot.Sadly, claims just aren’t true. It performs just the same as my Jade Professional/Manduka in terms of sweat, meaning I’ll have to pull out my towel in the middle of practice because it becomes too slippery. Additionally, the wetter the mat become, the more the top layer’s stickiness disappears. It is near straight slip and slide if I don’t put on the towel, and I feel a lot more concerned about falling to the ground compared to my other mats. You can actually see the top layer start to rub off after practice. I don’t envision this lasting more than a year of daily practice, and that is very frustrating.I’m giving this a 4 stars solely because the mat is surprisingly light, has great grip when not wet, and the cushioning is firm and supportive (its best feature). There was also no odor and break-in period for this mat, which is great compared to the rubbery smell from my other mats. Comparatively, this is most similar to Lululemon’s The Mat, and would recommend this for slower styles that don’t require a lot of movement and sweat.Edit: After using this mat 4x/week for over a year, I no longer question it’s durability; I can see this lasting at least a 2 more years of regular practice. The grip is still a solid (though still not as awesome as Jade mats), but still slippery in a sweaty practice. Would happily buy again when my current one is done.

Absolute life saver!After buying cheap 20$ mats at local sports stores and either sinking into them,or sliding like on ice, found this gem!Very grippy, and great quality.Would buy more as gift once needed

Excelente compra, cumplió todos las expectativas. Muy recomendado 100