The Mat
4
5
510
512
poorly designed mat!
6 months after receiving my mat, it has already begun to stretch during certain positions, it no longer grips like it used to and it has begun to stain (despite the fact that I never use it for hot yoga). Also it has retained the unbearable smell though it has diminished significantly. I was so unsatisfied with this mat that I replaced it today with a Manduka mat. I am disappointed that a company that prides itself on quality would produce such an inferior product.
June 14, 2013
Ahhmazing mat!
After attending yoga classes fairly consistently for a couple of semesters, I decided to ditch the communal yoga mats and invest in my own. I bought a relatively inexpensive one from a large retailer and discovered myself slipping in Warrior I & II... that wasn't going to work, so I looked at reviews for Lululemon's The Mat and other similarly priced brands.
I took the plunge and invested in this mat. One of the best investments I've made. Being concerned about the streaking and discoloration noted in other reviews, I purchased a black one. After 6+ months of weekly practice, my mat still looks great. There are a few streaks, but I don't mind them (it's just a sign of my hard work!). The mat is VERY grippy without being sticky and it is easy to clean. I love it!
June 12, 2013
Awesome Even in the Sweatiest of Classes
This is the second The Mat I've owned. I love it because no matter what class I'm in, I'm never slipping and sliding like I did on my other mats. The extra bit of cushion also gives you a good foundation on any type of floor. My only complaint is my first Mat was a mint green color, and even though I wiped it frequently, it dirtied really easily. So this time I got black hoping that would alleviate the issue.
June 11, 2013
Not Perfect, But Close!
I ordered the mat about a week ago and was fully prepared to have to return it based on some of the reviews I read about it not being grippy enough, staining, cracking, etc. However, I am quite pleased to find that it is an almost *perfect* surface upon which to practice. "Almost perfect" because it does tend to stain a bit and it is rather heavy (although not much heavier than a regular mat + mat towel). Now let me address some of the issues from the negative reviews I've read...
1. Staining: I think the reason some people have an issue with the mat staining is because they roll it up while it's still soaked in sweat (something you can't really avoid if you practice yoga outside of your home). I have the green mat and after my first practice I rolled up and shipped out. After unrolling the mat a day or so later it was still wet where I had sweat during class and there were marks. So I cleaned it again with Lemon + water mixture and let it dry. 90% of the marks are now gone. I'm sure it will eventually get gross after a lot of sweaty use but, to be entirely honest, I don't really care that much because it's the most functional mat I've ever owned.
2. Grippy-ness: This is hands-down the *most* grippy mat I have ever used. I would even go so far as to say sometimes a tad *too* grippy - but I'd rather have that problem than worrying about slipping during down-dog and busting my head. I have completely tossed my mat towel and am amazed at how my sweat beads off the mat or absorbs quickly, leaving an even grippier practice surface. If grip is your goal, GET THIS MAT. (disclaimer: I have never used this mat during Bikram yoga. Although I have used it during "hot yoga" in a 90 degree room and it performs very well).
3. Cracking: I have not encountered this problem but I think anyone with cracking issues has probably left the mat out in the sun too long or folded it up into some weird position while it was wet.
4. Cleaning: I use a mixture of lemon juice and water that I keep in a spray bottle at my house. After practicing at the studio I roll up and clean when I get home. This actually works for me because it reminds me to lay the mat out flat to dry, instead of just tossing it aside once I walk in the door because it's already cleaned and rolled up.
Hope this review helps! Don't let the negative ones scare you away from this truly practice-changing mat.
June 9, 2013
Wonderful Mat! Great Grip No Slip - I love it :)
So within the past few months I decided to get back into doing mostly hot vinyasa yoga again at YYOGA regularly - 4 to 5 times per week. I was doing their introductory offer which offered mat and towel service for free but when that had expired I was faced with having to find a mat.... *dun dun dun*
I had an old, cheap mat laying around the house so I decided I could maybe use that? Wrong. It was terrible quality so I did a lot of searching online and reading reviews: I came across Lulu's "the Mat", it was cheaper than Manduka's and Jade's mat. The Mat is super grippy, I have never slipped while doing any of my yoga postures (I am not an excessive sweater during hot vinyasa though, perhaps if you are maybe consider a mat towel, but really don't think you need it).
Basically, other reviews I read were complaining that:
- it has a strong rubber odour ; yes, there is an odour but it DOES go away, I wash my mat every time I use and hang it to dry, apparently if the smell is really bad, I have heard to use baking soda w/ water or lemon water. Perhaps purchasing it from the store so it's airing out rather than online sitting in a warehouse? I haven't had a problem and it doesn't bother me anyway
- sweat stains ; I bought the black color and it hasn't stained on me. If you really have a problem with what your mat is going to look like, and don't want others to see your "badges of hardwork" buy the black one, don't buy the pink one because it's pretty and then you hate the stains it leaves.
It is heavier than other mats so I believe it's quite durable. I've only had it for a short time, so I can't comment on how long it will last or when it will start to show a lot of wear and tear. All in all, I would recommend this mat to any of my friends who are going to be practicing yoga regularly..
Cheers!
June 7, 2013
Disappointed
I want to love this mat, and for the most part, I do. But I can't quite get past the fact that it stains. I've never had a mat stain before (and I've used many different brands). I bought the light pink one because I loved the colour so much. But after using it only 5 - 6 times, brown sweat stains started to appear. I'm pleased that Lululemon stood behind their product and allowed me to return it for credit.
On the plus side, I loved the weight of the mat (yes, it's heavy, but I felt really grounded on the mat) and I loved the stickiness - no sliding at all - but I didn't get a chance to try it in a hot yoga class.
The rubber smell was still there, but it was fading.
I may take another chance with a darker mat...maybe the black or purple wouldn't show the stains as badly.
June 7, 2013
Used to be a great mat
I am so disappointed in Lululemon's declining quality. I replaced my 3 year old Mat 3 months ago. Nice eh? The old one looks better.
The old Mat was awesome. Looked and felt like new for a good 2 years, then slowly wore down. Was very grippy and durable.
The newer one wore wore in my Downward Dog spots immediately, and also has some snags form my toenails.
I got a blue one before the new black one, took it back right away because I washed it once and it never ever dried and looked dirty before I even used it. They said it was a lemon and talked me into the black one...which I assumed would be better since my old one had been black. Silly me, It is ruined after just a few months I do not have the receipt.
Lulu tells me they haven't changed the Mat at all but clearly they have since the back is now striped and was solid.
Lulu go back to selling Manduka!
June 5, 2013
Very Sturdy Mat
I practice hot yoga about 4 times a week and I had been using the yoga mats provided at my yoga studio until my boyfriend bought me the mat. I have to say that my practice has greatly improved since I started using this mat! It provides me with a better surface for balancing and more cushioning for my back and knees. It has super grip and it is so thick and sturdy in general. The mat actually soaks up sweat so it rarely becomes slippery. I feel as though it gave me new motivation! I did not give it 5 stars because it has a really strong, almost fishy smell for the first few weeks. I thought that the whole class would be able to smell it, it was really that bad. I have the black color and my best friend has the pretty light peach color. At first I wanted a bright color too, but her mat has become very stained and mine still looks great, so I would reccomend the black color to anyone looking to purchase the mat. Finally, it is quite heavy for a yoga mat. A strap is a must. I see this as a sign of quality though!
June 5, 2013
Good but not Great
I wish I could give 3.5 Stars because it's above average. I wanted to love this mat. I do hot vinyasa yoga 4-5/week and this was great the first 3- 4 times, but there seems to be like a greasy film on the entire mat now? I have used water to clean it and it cleans up fine, but when I'm in class my hands and feet start slipping in downward dog. Maybe it's too hot in the room, but I feel like I need to get a towel to prevent myself from slipping. This makes the mat more of a nuisance than anything now. My friend who does yoga with me bought her mat the same day (about 2 weeks ago) and is having the same issue.
I do love the thickness and quality of this mat. The smell isn't nearly as bad as everyone else is saying. Maybe I'm just not that sensitive to smell.
June 5, 2013
Useful in surprising ways
I have a friend's cats staying with me and it's been quite an adventure. This weekend it was quite hot, so I opened my skylights. One of them doesn't have a screen, but it's quite slanted and high up. I woke up one morning to a loud meow-ing and discovered that the cat had jumped out the skylight and was stuck on the eavestroughing about six feet away. The roof isn't shingled but is instead very sheer. After a moment of thought, I wiggled The Mat out of the skylight, boosted myself up after it, positioned The Mat halfway between the skylight and the cat, edged over on The Mat to the cat, and then safely desposited the cat inside my apartment, shortly followed by myself and The Mat.
In conclusion, this is the grippest mat ever and it helped me not fall off a very steep, very slidey roof whilst rescuing a very dumb cat. I've also gotten some good yoga out of it.
June 3, 2013
