Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat

I bought this mat for three reasons: 1. I was hoping to find a mat on which I wouldn't slip as much, 2. I needed a slightly thicker mat than the one I'd had (no idea what brand, just something cheap I picked up at a yoga studio), 3. I didn't want toxic chemicals leaching or out-gassing from my mat. On all accounts, I'm basically happy. This is definitely a heavy-duty construction and I believe it will last a lifetime, even of daily use. The material is really dense, not squishy, but it does cushion the joints very well. The mat is not super-light, but I carry it to and from the studio with no problems (unlike the Black Mat, which is really heavy!). It also really stays put on the floor - doesn't slide around or bunch up at all.I've learned that NO mat is completely slip-proof, if you're sweating a lot while you practice. However, I only slip on this one if I'm sweating a ton, and just wiping my hands with a towel is enough to stop the slippage, on the rare occasions when it happens.Even though the mat is PVC- and phthalate-free, it did smell like chemicals when I got it (that's normal, from the manufacturing process). I washed it immediately with Dr. Bronner's hemp soap, which got rid of most of the chemical smell. I've washed it a few times since, used it constantly, and now it doesn't smell.Finally, I love the shade of purple that it comes in, it's not very pink-ish, instead it's more of a blue-y purple. In all, I highly enjoy this mat and recommend it to anyone who wants to buy just one mat, tote it around, and use it forever.

I bought this mat to replace my old Gaiam natural rubber mat, which was falling apart after 6 years of regualr use. I was super excited to find the Black Cherry color, but when I took it to my first class, I was slipping around like crazy, and I wasn't even sweating. My teacher suggested that it might need to be wiped down with mild soapy water to remove any factory residue, and probably just needed some time to break in. I tried both (including a salt scrub as suggested), and continued to slip and slide all over the mat after two months of 3-4 classes per week. I found it very distracting to my practice. Bottom line, I'm really disappointed that I spent 80 bucks on this mat. The firmness of the material is good, but it really needs some more texture on the top to prevent slippage.

***Update***3/1/09Sierra at Manduka just received my returned mat. She stated that I did indeed wear the film off, but the texture of both sides of my mat were unlike the norm. She offered to send me another ProLite which would be the correct texture, but I decided to go with the eKo as I heard great things about it. I will say that Mankuka's customer service is the best I've experienced. They are very committed to having satisfied customers and even go through the trouble of practicing on your returned mat to see what it is that wasn't working for you. So I feel that if you are one in many that get a mat like mine that was slippery, you will be in excellent hands to get the mat you will be happy with. I'm looking forward to practicing with my eKo.*************I rarely give reviews, but I felt this is important if you are a serious yogi. I treated myself with a Manduka mat for my birthday after hearing so much praise about them. I've had mine 4 months and I have done everything to make it less slippery: Use the cleanser, scrubbing it, laying it the sun for HOURS...out of desperation, I used Magic Erasers on it hoping to remove the shiny film on top. I finally resorted to CONSTANTLY wiping my hands on a towel before each asana...what a way to break a flow. Those that are in my class that have this particular Manduka all use a towel on top. I've gone through countless cheap mats without ever having to use a towel on top after 2 weeks of breaking in. I practice 90 minute yoga everyday and I still slip. It wasn't until someone shared my mat for a pose and commented "This is the slipperiest mat in the world! How do you practice on it?" that made me come here to review and look into returning it to Manduka (even though i purchased it via Amazon). I am way beyond the 30 days return because Manduka kept urging me to put it in the sun and wear it out. I would love any suggestions on how to make this less slippery and/or any tips on returning to Manduka. Please note: I am NOT a big sweater. It just takes one downward dog and I'm slipping. I gave this 2 stars because I really love the density of the mat and the no-rolling up at the end. email me if you have any suggestions! [email protected]

I do Bikram 5 days a week so I thought a nice mat was something I should havethe mat is nice it has nice cushion my towel sticks very wellIt is heavy but not to the point where its a hassle to carry MY biggest problem is how it moves around during class it literally shifts the hole class which drives me nuts I like to stay aligned with the mirror and sometimes its moves so much I have to stop and move it back I am practicing on carpet in a standard Bikram room I don't see other people having to adjust their mats. So Im thinking of how I can alter it to make it stop moving. I would not buy this mat again because of this issue

Wanted a nice thick one!

I'm pretty new to yoga and bought this as a good compromise between some really cheap mats that friends said I should avoid and some fairly expensive ones that some of the really committed yoga types go for. It arrived quickly and well packaged. I've not had it for long but it appears really well made and compact and light enough to carry around.