Manduka BlackMatPRO 71-Inch Yoga and Pilates Mat

Customer Rating:
Summary: yoga manduka mat 71"
Comment: This is the second mat I have ordered, I spend time in two different locales, so I keep one at each. That way I don't have to take up room in my luggage when traveling. I like the thickness, which is more than a lot of other mats out there. I have only been doing yoga about six months, but this makes a lot of difference in your practice.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Yoga Mat
Comment: I use this for both Yoga and Plyometrics (jump training). I read reviews about this mat having an odor when brand new, with some people claiming it was unbearable. Bologna. The "odor" was very mild and gone within a few days. The mat itself is amazing. It's thickness provides comfortable surface for Yoga and ab workouts and a nice cushion for jumping. The bottom surface is great for hard surfaces. However, use on a carpet can still cause bunching and movement, but there really isn't much that can be done about it for any mat. I'm impressed with this mat and recommend it to anyone who does tougher versions of Yoga or lots of jumping.

Yes, this mat is heavy, but even my grandma can lift a couple pounds. There really is no reason to complain if you need to transport this mat frequently, because if you can support your own body weight in upward dog, then you can carry this mat no problem. Buy it.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Best yoga mat!
Comment: This mat offers great stability and absolutely does not move! it's worth the money!

Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome for P90X'ers!
Comment: My husband & I both do the P90X workouts & I have to say for all of you out there - This is the BEST mat we've found. Unfortunately we went through a few yoga mats each until we found the Manduka Black mat. All the other mats tore up with the Plyometrics workout - but this mat not only provides great cushion for leaping, but my husband (who sweats a LOT in yoga) doesn't slide around like on the others. It's VERY durable & Amazon has the best price around. If you're thinking of doing P90X - I definitely recommend this mat - you'll never have to buy another one!

Customer Rating:
Summary: Best mat...hands down
Comment: If you're into yoga enough that you'd even entertain the idea of spending $75 for a mat, then you've come to the right place. Manduka's BlackMatPRO 71 is an incredible mat that will stand up to your level of yoga practice.

First of all, the thing weighs about 7 pounds. Yes, 7 pounds. Why? One word: quality.

*Put this mat down on carpet, and you'll have no problems--it will not buckle or give in downward facing dog.

*It's very "tacky" and I have never had any problems with it slipping on hard surfaces, or with my hands or forearms slipping, even while damp with sweat.

*At 71 inches (that's 5 ft 11 inches), it's also a bit longer than most yoga mats, which makes it nice for when you are doing something like corpse pose. (There's also an 85 inch version for you giants out there!) It's also wider (26 inches) than most yoga mats.

*It's 1/4 inch thick. It's soft to the touch, but it's not spongy so you're not as likely to lose your balance in tree pose.

Don't get me wrong: you can find much cheaper products that will totally do the trick. I've used those product for the past 6 years. But, with those products, I always had problems with buckling and the mat becoming slick once I started sweating. I am very glad that I stepped-up and bought this mat.

All-in-all this is a great mat and definitely worth the price if you are really into yoga.

I'd also recommend that you go ahead and pick up some sort of carrier for it (make sure it's big enough to accommodate it first), and Manduka makes a pretty nice one as a complement: the Manduka Large Mat Sak.

If you sweat a lot, then you'll probably also want to grab a towel: Manduka Large eQua Towel. All of these products together will run you about $160, which is A LOT, I know, but what price is ultimate comfort when you're practicing your daily asanas?