I’m sharing a review of my Manduka Pro yoga mat today.
I haven’t posted of review of my Manduka Pro yoga mat on the blog yet even though I bought it during the summer of 2018 in preparation for yoga teacher training. I thought I had shared a review before now, but I guess not. Better late than never, right?
The basics
I bought my mat off of Amazon (affiliate link) for $120 USD. Even though it was definitely an investment for me, I’ve been really happy with my purchase. Manduka offers a lifetime guarantee with their Pro mats. I see myself using it for years to come, so it’ll be a long time before I have to buy another mat if I ever need to again.
Like I mentioned above, I wanted to upgrade the mat that I was using before I started yoga teacher training. I knew that I would be using my mat a ton, so I wanted one that I would be comfortable on. I also wanted a mat that I knew would stand up to a lot of use. My teacher training was scheduled to run roughly every other weekend from September to March. That’s a whole lot of use! I read lots of reviews online and ultimately decided to go with the Manduka Pro in black. It comes in a variety of colors – from blue to pink.
The feel
One of the draws of the Manduka Pro (affiliate link) was the thickness and cushioning. I sometimes struggle with plantar fasciits. Even though yoga is low impact, of my heels are hurting it can make doing standing poses pretty umcomfortable. Having a bit more cushioning when I’m standing on my mat can make all of the difference in how I feel. In addition, I really notice a difference when I’m on my elbows and knees. I typically opt for a blanket when I’m kneeling anyways, but it’s much more comfortable on my Manduka Pro.
The cushioning is in large part thanks to the mat’s thickness. It’s 6 mm thick, which is quite a bit thicker than the mat I was using before. I can tell a huge difference between the two of them. Not only does the cushioning feel good in standing poses, but also sitting and when I’m on my back for a longer period of time. Yoga nidra classes are typically done laying in savasana the whole time, and it’s much more comfortable to do that on my hips and shoulder blades when I’m on my Manduka Pro.
I know that a lot of people have found that their mats were really slippery when they first got them. I’ve heard that it becomes more “grippy” after use. I didn’t have that problem. I was able to use my mat like normal right when I got it.
Size and weight
I opted for the 71 inch mat, though Manduka also offers a longer version for taller people that need the extra room. Because it’s thicker than most yoga mats, it also takes up more room when it’s rolled up. I was worried that finding a bag that it would fit in would be tough. But I just made sure to look through the reviews of the bags I was considering to see if others who had bought it were able to fit in their Manduka Pro’s.
This mat weights quite a bit more than other mats on the market. It weight in at nearly 7.5 pounds. If you’re going to be taking it on transit or taking it with you to work and then to a yoga class afterwards, I would really consider if the extra weight is worth it. I typically walked a few blocks from where I parked to the studio where my yoga teacher training we being held. By the time I got there my mat was definitely feeling heavy. I opted for an over the shoulder yoga mat bag which made carrying it a lot easier than trying to fold it under my arm the whole way.
The verdict
Even though $120 is a lot of money to spend on a yoga mat, I’m so happy with my Manduka Pro (affiliate link). If you’re someone who practices yoga regularly, I think it’s well worth the price. If you only attend classes a couple times a year, I think you can find more affordable mats that will work for you. It’s stood up really well throughout yoga teacher training and even now, it still looks great.
Have you tried the Manduka Pro yoga mat before? What mat do you use?
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