UPDATE (11/10/10): Still thrilled to report I couldn't be happier. The mat has held up better than the manduka mat I owned, and has proven easier to clean and a lot lighter to carry. After 14 months still no sign of wear and it just seems to get better with use.
The company was actually nice enough to send me their rosin for doing hot or more intense practices where I really sweat........it does help with slipping issues. I found putting a little on my mat pre-workout seems to help substantially. In the past I had bought yogi toes and towels, which while they worked, were pretty expensive. So for now I am hooked on rosin.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I recently decided it was time to upgrade my yoga mat to something a bit more high quality and came across this one. So far I have been very impressed. The quality of the mat is really remarkable for the price point and i really love what a great job they have done with this. You can tell this was developed by people who actually do practice yoga.
PROS
1) The knee pain i used to get on my old (thin) mat is gone. I have used this on a variety of different surfaces (including the hard floors at the local studio) and no issues.
2) The rubbery smell that I also had to deal with on my old mat is now gone. I followed Aurorae's recommendations and put a little lemon on.
3) Been using for a few months now and no durability/wear issues.
4) No staining of clothes. My last mat left a slight residue that would be seen on lightly colored clothing.
5) Price - $80 for a Manduka mat??? No way. This is better quality for a fraction of the price.
CONS
None but will update if I find anything.
I would recommend this one to any yoga enthusiast. Great product and well worth the money at this price point. Aurorae Yoga Mats - Ultra Thick, Extra Long with Focal point Icon and Illuminating Colors. SGS approved Free from Phthalates and Latex. All products guaranteed. Infinity
I have had my Aurorae mat for nearly eight months and still consider it one of the best mats out there. As a yoga teacher, I've tried many different mats ranging in price from $50 to $100 and the Aurorae mat beats them all. It's as long and wide as the 'premium' mats that are twice the price, but it's super lightweight so it's easy to carry around. The thickness is perfect: everyone who has tried my Aurorae mat comments on how nice it feels. It's thick without being too firm or two soft.
I've also been impressed with the durability of my Aurorae mat- I practice daily at home, and in the studio at least 3-4 times a week. I also use my mat outside on grass, concrete and flagstones. Obviously it's been put through a lot, but it's still in excellent condition. I have washed it once a month according to the manufacturer's directions and aside from a slight discoloration where my hands and feet are positioned in down dog, it still looks brand new.
Since the Aurorae mat is phthalate-free, it didn't stink of plastic when it arrived. I only had to unroll it and let it sit out for a couple of hours and I was able to use it that night. It also didn't smell like rubber as some of the other premium mats do. It's not only scent-free, it doesn't seem to hold odors (which is important if you sweat a lot!) There's nothing worse than being in child's pose and holding your breath because your nose is so close to a plastic-y/sweaty-smelly/rubber-stinking mat.
The only drawback I've found for my mat is that it isn't very 'sticky' when I sweat, but I have yet to find a truly sticky mat anywhere. In my experience, if you practice hot yoga or sweat a lot, no mat is going to be sticky enough without a towel over the top (I use a microfiber towel specifically made for yoga). I have the roisin bag also sold by Aurorae and that helps a lot, but when the studio is 100F+, I need a towel to help soak up the sweat and allow my hands some traction in down dog.
On the other hand, if I practice in an unheated area the mat works fine. It's not 'sticky' so much as the top of the mat allows my hands to sink in a bit and gain some traction. That's nicer than the last 'sticky' mat I tried which was so sticky that I couldn't keep hair and lint from gathering all over the top. Gross!
Overall, I've been so pleased with my Aurorae mat that I'm considering buying another one just so I can keep one at the studio and one at home. I also recommend this mat to all my students and every one who has bought an Aurorae mat has been just as pleased as I am. I don't think you can find a better mat, especially for the price!
My last yoga mat became family property. My daughter used it for her gymnastics practice, my son used it for his karate warm-ups and if I was lucky enough to find it, I got to use it for myself. Well, they can have my old mat & I'm hiding my new Aurorae mat. It's great for my mat Pilates, no more feeling like I'm rolling up on cement with my old flimsy mat. It's much more comfortable on the back and knees. The longer length is helpful too especially on days when I attend yoga in the park on a cement slab by the lake. What a great buy for the price!
I love this yoga mat! I'm super-sensitive to strong smells, and so I wanted to find one that didn't have that headache-inducing rubber smell to it. I got this one because of the reviews indicating that it was smell-less, and the reviews were certainly true. It's much longer than other yoga mats, which was a pleasant surprise. I can do some of my poses with my toddler accompanying me on the same mat! Speaking of my toddler, it's so cushy that she sometimes likes to take a nap on it. She has abused it in every way possible -- spilling food on it (an old toothbrush works wonders for getting in the crevices), grinding chair legs into it (it didn't tear!), and playing on it with her toys. At first I cringed every time she did something to it, but this mat is basically indestructible. Highly recommend.'
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