What is the best yoga mat to buy?
Manduka. Thanks for reading :)
Seriously though as a yoga instructor I get this question asked all the time. Which is the best mat to buy? Manduka hands down is the one. I personally own a Manduka prolite this mat the perfect length for me being 5’9. For taller yogis they also offer the Manduka pro 71” & the Manduka pro 85”.
What makes Manduka so special?
LifeTime Guarantee (I have been using mine for 4 years and still looks and feels amazing)
Dense - Lasts longer, More support, and more comfortable (Dense = good for handstands)
Does not smell - This is a big one made of moister absorbing material
Sticky - Less likely to slip during a hot yoga class or if your palms get sweaty.
What is the difference between the pro and the prolite?
The Manduka Pro is a little denser which can make it more comfortable on your knees, hips and shoulders during a yoga practice. The downside is that because of this extra density the mat becomes heavy weighing in at 7.5 lbs compared to the Manduka prolite’s 4 lbs. This becomes a little bit more of a burden while traveling from studio to studio but if its mostly for home use the Manduka pro is the mat for you.
I heard Lululemon makes the best yoga mats?
False. For years I practiced on my Lululemon mat thinking it was the best thing ever because it was “lulu”. I would constantly slip & loose grip during hot yoga practice. Then after only a few months, you could start to see the wear and tear on the mat. OH AND THE SMELL! My god folks if theres anything to turn you away from these mats it is the smell. No matter how much I aired it out cleaned it the smell never went away. Lululemon doesn’t even have a lifetime warranty they offer a quality promise which doesn’t sound like they will cover wear and tear after years of use. Thankfully I lost the Lululemon mat and purchased my Manduka.
Okay great so whats the downside to Manduka?
The only thing I can say is that its not super great for traveling being a little on the heavier side, the Manduka prolite is about 4 lbs and the 4.5 lbs for the pro. Luckily they do have the Equa superlite travel mat which comes in at only 2.2 lbs. If your the type of person who loves to take their mat while traveling this is a good option. Personally I like to travel very light so ill skip the mat all together and rent one a the yoga studios I visit.
In Conclusion
If your under 6'“ buy the Manduka prolite
Between 6” - 6.5” buy the Manduka prolite 79”
Over 6.5” buy the Manduka pro 85”
For traveling Manduka Equa
Mostly at home or sensitive joints Manduka pro
Edit
When I posted this on my Instagram it really blew up and the responses were unanimous Manduka is the favorite mat of my students. 78% of the people who responded to the poll picked Manduka only 22% picked Lululemon. Heres are the results and some of your replies y’all are hilarious! If you do not follow me on instagram you can find me on instagram or facebook @aldacoacro
