At-home yoga has been a part of my day by day routine for I don’t even know the way lengthy, and over time, I’ve tried and liked numerous expert-approved yoga mats (hi there, Lululemon’s The Mat, Manduka’s GRP Adapt Mat, and Alo’s Warrior Mat). But it surely’s been a wrestle to search out one which didn’t present apparent indicators of damage and tear on the one-year mark.
That’s, till I examined Manduka’s Eko Yoga Mat ($100, amazon.com) final fall for 2023’s SELF House Health Awards. It impressed me straight out of the field and continues to take action over a yr later. Appears to be like like I’ve lastly discovered the workhorse mat of my desires.
The design
The Eko mat has the identical fundamental design as plenty of different high-end yoga mats: Its grippy prime rubber layer covers a soft backside layer that’s meant to stay to the ground throughout your observe. It’s 5 millimeters thick and never reversible—fairly commonplace stuff.
However upon nearer inspection, I seen that the rubber floor had a singular zebra-stripe sample somewhat than a very easy floor or a pebbled texture. I acquired the mat within the strong charcoal colorway, however there are slight variations within the colour and really feel the place the stripes alternate down the size of the mat. It’s a cool impact, and I feel it’s the supply of the mat’s superior grippiness.
One other characteristic that caught my curiosity from the get-go (and has continued to repay within the final 12 months): The mat’s prime layer is closed-cell, which means it gained’t let sweat or micro organism seep into its core. That additionally makes it straightforward to scrub—I typically wipe it down with light cleaning soap and heat water, then let it air-dry. Additionally, I’m a proud sweater, and the concept of all that moisture staying the heck out of my yoga mat offers me some severe peace of thoughts.
The texture
My expectations had been fairly excessive the primary time I took the Eko Mat for a spin—having used a bunch of different Manduka mats, I knew the model didn’t skimp on high quality. Even then, I used to be blown away by the way it felt all through my move.
My palms had been virtually glued to the mat throughout chaturangas and arm balances. I’d hop to the highest of my mat from downward canine and the mat wouldn’t budge (I apply it to hardwood flooring, which the underside layer sticks to love a magnet). The mat padded my knees and elbows in cat/cow and forearm planks. I stayed grounded and regular throughout one-legged balances. And I didn’t for one second really feel like I used to be working towards in a puddle of my very own sweat.