Everyone who practices yoga deserves a good yoga mat. While it may seem like an unnecessary investment, a yoga mat does so much more than give you a cool accessory that makes you look like a professional yogi.
Yoga mats are there to give you a better grip on your poses, to help you maintain balance, to provide insulation from the cold floor, but also to provide a cleaner environment for you to practice yoga. And in our endeavors to look for the best yoga mats that money can buy, we discovered a brand that deserves our undivided attention: Manduka.
Quick Comparisons of 5 Best Manduka Yoga Mats
| IMAGE | CATEGORIES | DETAILS | |
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Begin Yoga Mat |
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Check The Price |
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Pro Travel Yoga Mat |
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Check The Price |
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Manduka X Yoga Mat |
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Check The Price |
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Grp Hot Yoga Mat |
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Check The Price |
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Manduka PRO Yoga Mat |
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Check The Price |
About Manduka
The Manduka story starts back in 1997 with Peter Sterios, an architect with a love for yoga who wanted to share a mat with the world, one that could provide the right balance between support and a firm grip. It’s as simple as that. The first people that got to enjoy the quality of a Maduka mat were Peter’s yoga teachers who, excited about what the product had to offer, passed it along to their students. And so, a community of Manduka lovers and buyers was born.
But contrary to what some may think, Manduka doesn’t just make and sell yoga mat, but it’s a company oriented towards yoga in general. While it may have been their yoga mats that put them on the map, Manduka also manufactures yoga towels, clothes, carriers, and other types of yoga-related equipment.
Because they believe in creating a sustainable company, Manduka aims at being very transparent about the materials and manufacturing process of each line of mats. The PRO line, for example, is made from high-quality PVC and comes with a lifetime guarantee. The eKo line of mats is made with natural tree rubber which is biodegradable and manufactures with zero-waste. Overall, every mat in Manduka’s shop is made without using any sort of toxic chemicals or dyes.
Before we dive into some of the best Manduka yoga mats out there, there are two more things we’d like to talk about, project:OM and Live On. project:OM is looking to donate one percent of the company’s global sales to organizations that have missions similar to Manduka (such as organizations that help women in their battle against breast cancer).
On the other hand, project Live On is aimed at creating mats with zero waste through an extended program in North America that will hopefully extend to Europe in the near future. The best way to explain how this program works is to think of it as a recycling program for yoga mats: when you order a new mat, you can send back your old one so that it can be recycled and put to good use.
Top 5 Manduka Yoga Mat Reviews
Manduka is a yoga mat brand that we’ve come to appreciate because it is clearly invested in making professional mats. They stick to a very specific type of construction because they have understood the dangers of selling cheap PVC yoga mats. In the following paragraphs, we are going to show you what are the best Manduka mats in five separate categories, so that you’ll find it easier to match the product with your needs and with specific situations.
Begin Yoga Mat
- Dimensions: 68 x 24 inches
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Thickness: 5 mm
If you’re new to this whole yoga business, then you need a mat to match your current skill level, and the Begin mat by Manduka is the right product to get you started. To get something out of the way: this is not a product designed for beginners that are on a budget, but rather for those who know they are serious about practicing yoga and are ready to spend money on a high-quality product.
The Begin mat is designed with the right balance between the cushioning you need and the thickness that’s ready to support you in your poses, making sure that you don’t lose balance because of any extra padding. It measures 68 x 24 inches and has a total weight of 2.5 pounds, making it a good mat for those seeking portability.
It is made with natural tree rubber, as Manduka is a sustainable mat manufacturer that wouldn’t have it any other way. The closed-cell surface will make sure that the mat doesn’t absorb any sweat. With a simple wipe with a cloth, you can clean your Begin mat after each practice.
Who Should Buy This?
The name of the product is very suggestive: the Begin mat is designed for people who are at the start of their yoga journey and are looking to invest in a quality product that balances thickness for cushioning with great support during practice.
Pros:
- Multiple color options.
- Eco-friendly product.
- Made with natural rubber.
- Lightweight.
- Closed-cell structure.
Cons:
- Some complaints about grip under sweaty hands.
Pro Travel Yoga Mat
- Dimensions: 71 x 24 inches
- Weight: 2.4 pounds
- Thickness: 2.5 mm
When it comes to traveling, you want a portable yoga mat. Of course, you could just buy the one that weighs the least, but you will have to find the right balance between thickness and cushioning. Manduka did the research for you and brings you the Pro Travel Yoga Mat; a product designed for people who need a portable mat.
Compared to the expert mats they sell, Maduka has created this mat to be 50 percent lighter, weighing in at 2.4 pounds. It measures 71 x 24 inches, making it a good choice for taller people who often struggle with mats that are shorter than that.
The Pro Travel Yoga Mat holds onto the general features that have already made Manduka famous as a yoga mat brand, such as the closed-cell construction that prevents sweat and moisture from finding its way to the core of the mat, and even of the latex-free construction that promises a mat safe for people who have allergies.
Who Should Buy This?
The Pro Travel Yoga Mat is a product designed for yogis who need a portable mat to take to yoga classes, but also for those who travel and would appreciate a mat that’s lightweight and foldable, occupying as little space as possible in the luggage.
Pros:
- Latex-free construction.
- Oeko-Tex certified.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Multiple color options.
- Easy to fold.
Cons:
- Might feel slippery at the beginning.
Manduka X Yoga Mat
- Dimensions: 71 x 24 inches
- Weight: 3.7 pounds
- Thickness: 5 mm
Let’s assume that you practice yoga but could use a multifunctional mat that would serve for other purposes, let’s say, fitness classes. The X Yoga Mat was designed to shoot two birds with one stone and provide you with a product that’s suitable for multiple gym sessions. Weighing in at 3.7 pounds, this isn’t the lightest mat designed by Manduka, but it is still portable enough to be taken to classes, and it folds up pretty easy too.
Measuring 5 mm in thickness, the X Yoga Mat provides you with the cushioning you need in order to maintain your balance even in the most complicated poses while making sure that you don’t come in direct contact with the floor which could potentially leave you feeling sore.
It has the same type of closed-cell construction as other Manduka mats, looking to bring you a latex-free product that’s safe to use even if you’re allergic to this material. It is a sustainable mat that resulted from eco-friendly manufacturing, which means that you can recycle it once it’s too damaged to be used anymore.
Who Should Buy This?
If you practice yoga and would love to have a 2-in-1 type of mat that can also serve you during fitness classes, the X Yoga Mat is here to meet both requirements in a product that’s high-quality and used by professionals.
Pros:
- Decent weight – can be taken to classes.
- Folds easily.
- Latex-free.
- Good for allergies.
Cons:
- Claims about being slippery when wet.
Grp Hot Yoga Mat
- Dimensions: 71 x 26 inches
- Weight: 4.8 pounds
- Thickness: 6 mm
Hot yoga is a specific type of yoga that’s practiced in a warm environment. The purpose of hot yoga is to bring forth a more intense type of workout that combines more complicated and vigorous poses with a higher temperature that will eventually lead to higher weight loss, better muscle exercise, and better heart health overall.
Needless to say, this intense practice requires a special mat that’s up to the challenge. It needs to provide you with really good traction even when you’re super sweaty, and that’s where the Grp mat comes in. This is a 6 mm version of the mat, but there is a lighter one available, with a 4 mm thickness.
The Grp mat was designed with a charcoal-infused rubber core that looks to absorb some of the heat from your body, preventing further necessary sweat. The use of charcoal in the construction of the mat will also make sure that the product can absorb odor and create a better workout environment for you.
Who Should Buy This?
The Grp mat is designed for people who practice a more intense form of yoga which is known as hot yoga. While hot yoga generally requires the use of a towel on top of the mat, the Grp mat is looking to eliminate the need for a towel and was designed to be a 2-in-1 product for enthusiasts.
Pros:
- Leather-like surface.
- Charcoal-infused core.
- Open airflow technology.
- No towel required.
- Absorbs odors.
- Absorbs moisture.
Cons:
- Better grip when moist.
Manduka PRO Yoga Mat
- Dimensions: 71 x 26 inches or 85 x 26 inche
- Weight: 7.5 pounds for the 71-inch version or 9.5 pounds for the 85-inch version
- Thickness: 6 mm
We could only end this review round-up with a product suitable for every yoga enthusiast with a respect for good equipment. Advertised as being a mat for professionals, the Manduka PRO Yoga Mat is actually a product for everyone who is willing to invest in good equipment. Unlike other models, this mat is available in a larger version, one that measures 85 inches in length. Tall people, rejoice!
You can expect the same type of closed-cell surface as with most other Manduka mats. The construction is meant to prevent sweat or bacteria from getting inside the mat, which makes it easier for you to wipe it clean after a workout. Because of its medium grip, the PRO mat is often the choice of yoga class teachers, as it allows them to switch poses with ease.
Who Should Buy This?
While the Manduka PRO Yoga Mat is advertised as being a product for professionals, people of all levels of yoga expertise have purchased and used this product successfully. It is the best price for people who are serious about their practice, like Bikram yoga, and want the very best mat that Manduka has to offer.
Pros:
- Easy to clean.
- Recommended by experts.
- Good cushioning.
- Good for pilates.
- Good grip.
Cons:
- Requires use with a yoga towel.
- Expensive.
Bottom Line
As you can see, Manduka is a yoga brand that is oriented towards serving a large pool of customers. It has a wide variety of yoga mats that have made their way into professional yoga classes, and are used by experts and beginner yogis alike.
From affordable to expensive, the Manduka line of yoga mats is designed to provide a little something for every skill level and every budget, but in the end, their products are considered above average (translation: if you want a really cheap yoga mat, Manduka is not the brand you’re looking for).
The post The Best Manduka Yoga Mat appeared first on Better Mind Body Soul.
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