Manduka eKO Yoga Mat – Premium 5mm Thick Mat, Eco Friendly and Made from Natural Tree Rubber. Ultimate Catch Grip for Superior Traction, Dense Cushioning for Support and Stability in Yoga, Pilates, and General Fitness

My wife started on Weight Watchers over 3 yrs ago and since lost over 100lbs and now weighs less than she did when she was in high school. She started going to the gym lightly and then slowly built it up to where this woman splits the house before the boy goes to school just to catch a yoga session! Then goes back at noon to do her normal workout with her trainer and sometimes goes back yet again in the evening to nail down a spin or some other high impact class. Shes relentless! I'm proud as hell of her though. So, it was a natural thing to get her a yoga mat of her own. I set off on my quest to discover the ins and outs of yoga mats to discover that the world of yoga was WAY to big for me! But since my family is a very healthy organic one, it was a natural to zone in on the eco-friendly types first. I knew I didnt want my wife sprawled out across petro-chemical oozing rubber and I wanted her to have a superior product over the other people in her yoga class. I found this one by Eko Products and it seemed to be the best all around mat. Sure enough. Christmas day was a good one! This mat is nice and thick so its like taking a Cadillac mat to yoga every day and the claim that it has no memory and rolls right out flat is true too. It does and is everything they say it is. My wife loves it and everyone is envious. Score one for our side! I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is into yoga and to all those out there who are struggling with losing weight, my wife is an example to follow that it can be done. Get away from fast food and as much conventional foods as you can. Your body doesnt need any of the chemical additives that are in them. Try to incorporate as much organic replacements as you can so you are eating whole foods that werent grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers from genetically modified seed stock. Start exercising more and soon, as the chemical crap starts to leech its way out of your system, you will find the energy you used to have and will start to see results. After that its a cascade effect where you wont ever go back to your old way of living. Yes, eating organic is more expensive but all of the chemicals in conventional foods load up in your body and the toxins are stored in your cells, fat and intestinal tract including your colon. Over your lifetime these things cause your body to become diseased. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes are all caused by this buildup. I'm no physician but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to realise this and see that these additives and artificial flavors and colors dont belong in our diet and certainly not in your body. So, that is my review of this wonderful product to assist you in your new life at the gym and into a tranquil and more relaxed state of mind in yoga and also my recipe for getting your health and vitality back so you may live a long and healthy life. One last thought, alot of people think eating organic is like grazing with the horses out back. They are so very wrong! ALL foods that you eat right now are available in an organic version. You wont miss anything. You will learn how to cook and put together your own versions. You just have to get used to spending a few more dollars at the store. A good whole body cleanse to clear your colon and intestinal tract of existing toxins and an organic lifestyle will put your health problems away for good and put you on the fast track to a long and healthy life. My blood pressure was up and my cholesterol was over 250. All of my numbers on the panel were off. LDL and HDL numbers were all going the wrong way, the ratios were very bad. This was 3 yrs ago. My doctor put me on Lisinopril for the pressure and was about to put me on Lipitor for the cholesterol. Thats where I drew the line! Thats also the day I went and bought a whole body cleanse and restocked my fridge and pantry with all organic foods. I gave my stock of conventional crap to a neighbor. One year later I went back to the doc and he retested me. Pressure was 120/80, cholesterol was 125, I had lost 20lbs. I never stopped eating my favorite foods! I'm a southern boy so fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard or mustard greens, fried okra and corn on the cob with a pan of cornbread and a mess of black eyed peas is my sunday dinner! I love pizza (read that cheese). I like my beer too. It so happens that all I did was replace the stuff I was preparing with whole organic versions so I cut out all the chemical additives and my body purged the rest, with the help of a good whole body cleanse every 6 months or so. Now, when we are on vacation or in a place where I cant control what I'm eating and I must eat out, within 1 hour of eating my tummy starts rumbling. It goes on all night and the next day its diarreah! Your body will react very poorly to the old crap you used to eat! Its amazing. Anyway, I cant tell people enough about how my life is better so now I've rambled enough. I was supposed to tell you about the virtues of this yoga mat and I think I have. Its everything they say it is and my wife loves it! I dont do yoga but even I was impressed! A very good buy and they shipped it out within a week. It came in its own box and was packed nicely. A very good place to deal with. I would do it again instantly! Thanks for wearing on with me and I hope I made a difference for you with my testimony.

I ordered the Manduka eKO in Thunder, 79". The package arrived quickly and in decent shape. When I opened the box, the mat itself had a significant depression that does not appear to have been caused by packing or shipping. Just above the plastic label that holds the mat in rolled position, there is a spot about 2 inches long by half an inch high where some kind of damage happened. I can feel it when I step on my mat and it's a bummer for the price. I unrolled the mat and left it in a room with a fan and open window for a week to air out the rubber smell- it helped a little bit but not much. Thought about returning this item but it would have been too much money and hassle. I made a water/apple cider vinegar cleaning solution and wiped the mat down several times to try and "break it in" so it's not as slippery. I've gone to 4 classes, including warm vinyasa and hot yoga, and the mat is starting to wear but I still slip in down dog. Also, my whole body smells like rubber after I practice on this mat. I like having the extra length on the mat, I'm 5'9" and I tend to travel a lot. I also like the color, dark grey- it doesn't really have a green or blue tint as shown in some of the photos online. But beware- this color mat shows marks easily, specifically sliding feet in and out of poses leaves trails on the mat. I chose the eKO over the PRO because I do a lot of hot yoga and work up quite a sweat, this mat was supposed to be the best for wet conditions. I wish I had gone with the PRO Black instead of this eKO. Disappointing, but I'll use it until it's broken in and then just keep it as a spare or for home use. Considering the condition of the mat and the return policy, I would not buy from this retailer again. Side note- if you do buy an eKO, do not buy the Manduka Mat Renew spray. You'll want the Refresh spray as it's made for the natural rubber.

This is my first Manduka mat and it is the grippiest I have ever owned. Much better than Gaiam or any other brand. Before this mat, I was sliding all over the place. Now, my poses are secure!This mat might not be as grippy when wet, but I haven't done hot yoga with it so I can't say for sure. A drop or two of sweat does seem to make it lose some of its grippiness, but not bad. The cushioning is much more firm than other mats as well.Yes, it does have a rubbery smell, but this fades over time. I'm actually sort of fond of the smell. I guess it just depends on your sensitivities.I bought the mat as an Amazon Warehouse deal. It had 2 tiny imperfections, but nothing I couldn't overlook for the price and nothing that affects its functionality. I've had it for about 6 months now, and so far it's holding up well. A tiny thread came out of the side but it doesn't seem to have affected it. I take care to not leave it in the car when it's hot, as I've read that the extreme heat is not good for them. I would recommend this mat, especially if you can get a good Warehouse deal on it. The swirly blue and white color I got is great too!

When I use this mat I feel so confident during poses. It is a heavy mat, but it is well worth the effort carrying it to my class. I can sweat quite a lot during some classes, depending on the poses demonstrated.I can highly recommend this product to my fellow sweaters.

I LOVE my yoga mat. Bought this a good year ago now and use it weekly. I get very hot during my yoga sessions resulting in sweaty palms and feet. But this mat holds me firm from slipping. I do still apply a little chalk but if i forget i am still safe from slipping on this mat. It does smell like natural rubber will do once you first start using it, but the smell does get better over time.

I love this mat!I have been a yoga teacher for 15 years and have tried many mats over the years.This is by far my favourite. It's super grippy and I love the colour.It smells of rubber.. Obviously because it's made of rubber. I kinda like the smell.

This is the best mat I have ever purchased, and I have brought a few! Why is it good, easy: you do not slip and it is long enough for someone of my height (6 foot). After trying my mat, my wife purchased one!

I needed a good mat with length. This is perfect and no horrible plastic chemical smell like more artificial ones. The best I've ever had.