The Mat
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so glad I made the investment
I have been practicing on cheaper mats for awhile, and decided it was time to make the investment in a better mat if I wanted to improve. I was constantly slipping, and the thickness wasn't enough to keep my spine from griding on the floor, and I just hated it. So, my instructor recommended The Mat, and that weekend I took the trip up to my local store and purchased one.
The grippiness and the padding have already made an improvement in my practice. I sweat a LOT in hot yoga, and I still don't need to use a towel- I do need to wipe it down every so often or I start to slip, but otherwise it's great. You really need to clean it after every practice or so as it states- I didn't once and when I unrolled my mat it was super slick the whole class. Yuck.
As for the smell, yeah it smelled like rubber the first class or two I brought it to but it was only really bad the first time... I bought it in store so maybe that made a difference and I unrolled it, cleaned it, and aired it out for a day before using it. But I've had it for less than a month and it already smells just fine. So I don't think it's something that happens all the time.
Also... I bought the light pink color and I do kind of regret that. I don't mind about the sweat stains showing during class- every color does that, even the black. But I have two stains on it that were there when I bought it (didn't see till I unrolled it at home) and I cannot get them off, and it seems like it looks dirtier faster than the other colors. So, I do wish I had gone with a purple or something :-/
May 13, 2013
Not sure there is a mat for those uber sweaters
Everyone thinks they sweat in a hot vinyasa. However, there are some of us that really do sweat abnormally much, and maybe it is unrealistic to find any mat that will allow us to go without a towel.
Usually I make it about half way through class before I have to roll out my grippy backed towel. I'm pretty slick at rolling it out without missing a pose. In my dream world there would be a mat that you go a whole class without an annoying towel underfoot.
This mat does work great with a little bit of sweat on it, but it is as slippery as an ice rink about halfway through class. Again, I am not sure any mat could be sticky with a quarter inch of sweat on it.
I would recommend it for 90% of yogis. I would love to hear of a mat that works for us heavy sweaters without having to use an annoying towel.
Also, the stink goes away in a weeks worth of heavy use.
May 11, 2013
What good is a mat you can't use?
I wanted to love this mat. I've been using the Yogi Toes for lululemon towel in my hot yoga classes, and it works fairly well. So I took the time to do the research before committing to an expensive mat. I read every review on here - the glowing ones and the ones that reported a foul stench - and it seemed like most people were able to remove the smell with a good washing and airing, so I bit the bullet and gave it a try. I immediately unrolled and aired out my mat in a spare room for a week, washed it in the tub with dish detergent, aired it out some more and took it to class. Smelly. Embarrassingly so. Repeat airing/washing, etc. The mat still reeks. The grip is fantastic, the thickness is wonderful, and the color is beautiful. (I have the Surge and don't mind the sweat stains that show up in class - I'm proud to be working so hard!) But I honestly would've given this mat zero stars if that was an option because it doesn't matter how good the other features are: if it smells so bad that it's embarrassing to take it to a class, what good is it doing me?
May 9, 2013
TOXIC
The "toxic" smell from this mat makes it unusable. The texture and grip is great but you can't even practice on it because it smells so bad, despite leaving outside to air out, using yoga mat spray, baking soda with water, Lysol, nothing makes a difference. Bummer.......waste of money
May 9, 2013
Sadly disappointed, although some positives
I purchased this mat with the hope that I would no longer slip around during a mega hot sweaty yoga session and whilst this initially was the case, the mat is now beginning to bunch a little during certain poses. I'm not so bothered by the smell which is slowly but surely disappearing but I still have incredible stains on the mat, and I have no idea from where!! I use a clean fresh towel each session, but my mat now looks years old instead of 1 month old. I have cleaned it as directed with lemon juice or baking soda but the stains remain. I air it after every session but it still looks pretty manky now. I?m pretty gutted as it?s my first proper yoga mat.
May 8, 2013
Skunky Smelling
I bought this mat because I needed one that was super grippy. The reviews on it were great, so i thought it would be an awesome investment. Turns out, it is really grippy. But, it's also super smelly. I've had it for over three months now and it still has that awful rubber odor. Every time I come home from yoga, my fiance remarks (in a loving way) that I smell like skunk (because that's what it smells like), yuck.
Even worse, I purchased it in the light pink color, and I can't seem to get stains out. I've tried baking soda, lemon juice, dish soap. Nothing works. I'm pretty disappointed because it's a great mat to practice on, but boy the smell and the stains really bring it down a number of stars.
May 5, 2013
The best mat!
I bought this mat after taking a few hot yoga classes and realizing that a towel on a yoga mat to keep you from slipping is more of a distraction and nuisance than anything else. I wanted a mat that would absorb my sweat and would keep me from slipping. Well I found what I was looking for in this mat. Its got good padding and GREAT grip! I do not slip at all on this mat, it keeps me grounded and allows me to focus on my position and stretch rather than worrying about slipping. I would definitely recommend this mat!
The only con I have (which is more my own insecurity than anything against the mat) is that I bought a pink one and you can see every sweat mark that you make. I am a little embarrassed of it when I am the only one in class with this mat and noone else has this issue. I hope they can one day make this mat in a way that your sweat drops wont be so noticeable. I am most likely going to go and buy the black mat since it seems your sweat marks are not as noticeable than they are on the lighter mats. If your like me just take that into consideration before buying the lighter colored mat.
May 1, 2013
I bought this mat a couple weeks ago. I was hesitant to spend that much money on a mat but after a friend (who is a yoga instructor) recommended it, I decided to take the plunge.
I LOVE the thickness and the stickiness. My old mat was too thin and I would always slip. Now I can stay in downward dog forever without having to keep re-adjusting my hands and feet due to slippage.
I didn't really think the smell was that strong, but I did unroll it right away and let it air out for a day before using it.
My only complaint is that I've already noticed small stains (they look like oil stains). I've cleaned it with a diluted Dawn solution and they won't come off. Makes me kinda wish I had picked a black mat instead.
Anyone have any ideas of how to remove oil stains or stains in general from the mat?
May 1, 2013
Love the Mat!
Love the Mat!
I went in to store looking for a new Yoga mat, I had been using a cheap one that was ok, but I was ready to invest in something better. I'm so glad I did.
The Mat is a little bit on the heavy side but still light enough to tote around. It does smell a little of rubber for the first little while but I just gave it a wipe with water and a few drops of tea tree oil, as recommended by the sales assitant, and the smell soon disapeared. I use the same method for cleaning the Mat too.
What I love most about the Mat as it doesn't matter how hot and sweaty I get, I don't budge, no slipping and sliding like I did on my cheap mat. I can hold on until the cows come home. Also it doesn't seem to absorb sweat or dirt like some mats, I've had mine for 5 months now and it looks just as new as when I brought it.
At 5mm, the thickness gives comfort but still allows you to feel grounded in your postures.
I'm really glad I invested in this Mat, it has really changed my Yoga practice in a great way.
April 30, 2013
Mat is ok...however, cannot get the rubber smell to go away. I have aired it, wiped it, washed it. Going on 2 months now. A lot of money to be so disappointed by the smell.
April 29, 2013
