Whether you spend your days practicing mindfulness and meditation or carve out that specific thirty minutes a day for wellness and peace of mind, sometimes trying to find the perfect yoga mat is just so frustrating.
If you are sick and tired of taking a chance on a new yoga mat, only to end up disappointed in its performance, we are here for you; perhaps the Manduka PRO Yoga Mat has recently caught your eye and you are wondering if it is worth that solid investment.
We have thoroughly reviewed this yoga mat for style, materials, weight, thickness, traction, and durability such that you can determine if it’s worth the 100-200 dollar price tag.
Manduka is a company for yogis, founded on the idea that a high-quality yoga mat could make the world of difference for teachers and students alike. They have spent more than 20 years perfecting yoga mats and other accessories in order to ensure individuals have the best experience performing yoga as they possibly can. Indeed, their hard work paid off, as this is one of the best-selling yoga mats on the market currently.
The Manduka PRO Yoga Mat is a large, 6mm thick yoga mat that is constructed to provide exceptional support and stability while comforting bones and joints.
Manduka PRO Yoga Mat Review
Specs
- Brand: Manduka
- Colors: Black, Black Sage, Midnight, Odyssey, Purple, Verve
- Dimensions: 71 x 26 x 0.24 inches
- Thickness: 6mm
- Weight: 7.5 lbs
- Materials: Polyester, PVC
- Price: $129.00 (Get it at Manduka.com)
The Manduka PRO Yoga Mat is a large and long (71 x 26 inch) yoga mat. It features a dimpled fabric-like finish and comes in a range of rich, elegant colors: black, black sage, midnight, odyssey, purple, and verve.
When it comes to style, Manduka focuses on performance rather than fashion; it is a minimalist yoga mat that will not stand out or distract you from your routine.
This high-quality mat is composed of polyester and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), chosen for its comfort and support. Often, although yoga is meant to be a challenge of mind and spirit, it can leave us with sore bones, joints and muscles; this is due to poor cushioning that allows areas of our body to take on the full pressure of complicated or dynamic poses.
The Manduka PRO avoids this issue by ensuring high-density cushioning; it provides comfort for the spine, hips, knees, and elbows without allowing for much compression or sinkage into the mat itself.
Furthermore, if you have particularly sensitive joints or chronic pain or pressure issues, this may be an ideal mat for you.
Due to the materials and construction of the Manduka PRO, this yoga mat must be broken-in over time. There are many customer reviews complaining of the slippery surface which seems to contradict Manduka’s promise of superior traction or grip. Perplexingly, both the company and the clients are absolutely correct.
First, you must give the Manduka PRO good ole salting prior to use. In order to do so, you simply need to sprinkle sea salt over your mat and leave it for a full day. After, scrub the salt off with a tiny bit of water, wipe it down, and leave it to dry.
This process may need to be repeated a few times to properly season it. Now, if this is not completed, then the mat is going to have absolutely no traction. But, with the salting, your yoga mat will be able to perform amongst the pros, as they say.
Second, this yoga mat takes a while to break in; however, since it is so durable, you will receive years and years from the mat. After a good month of yoga sessions, you will truly see what an amazing mat it is. Perhaps, we should all be looking at the PRO as though it were a relationship.
We give a little, we get a little. In any case, when your mat has been fully salted and broken in, you will be able to see how the textured top layer truly performs. It will allow you to flow freely and easily between poses while gripping lightly to the surface of the mat with no sticking or sliding.
Furthermore, there is a dot pattern along the bottom which provides an anti-slip floor grip; this is a great addition that some yoga mats overlook, yogis do not want to be slipping all over the floor during complicated and carefully-balanced poses, especially during sessions like hot yoga.
While some individuals take issue with the 7.5-pound weight of the yoga mat, this weight actually adds to its ability to stay put. That said, a nearly 8-pound yoga mat may not be ideal for some individuals, especially if you are transporting it long-distance.
Finally, we all want to know if a yoga mat that carries up to a 200 dollar price tag is durable. Yes, it’s an amazing yoga mat, but for how long? Fortunately, Manduka built the PRO yoga mat to last a very long time, a lifetime even.
They even mention that some of their company staff are still using the initial PROs they made more than 12 years ago. Whereas polyester and PVC are highly durable materials on their own, Manduka designed the mats with closed-cell technology in order to make sure the mat would resist moisture, sweat, and bacteria.
In this way, the mat is able to be kept clean. Of course, you’ll have to clean the mat regularly which involves wiping it down after each use with a damp cloth and letting it air dry.
Is the Manduka Pro Yoga Mat worth buying?
Overall, the Manduka PRO Yoga Mat is worth the investment if you are a patient individual. The yoga mat takes a while to break in properly and requires practicing yoga carefully until it is sufficiently broken in. After that, you will receive great value from the mat in terms of comfort, stability, and durability.
Do I really need to salt my Manduka mat?
It is necessary to salt your Manduka mat prior to using it, as it will enhance the grip and traction of your yoga mat. You may have to repeat the salting process a few times.
Why is my new Manduka mat so slippery?
The Manduka yoga mat is slippery if you have not performed a salting process or broken it in yet. It would be important to try the salting process again, and attempt a few more sessions with your mat before expecting a substantial amount of grip.
How long does it take to break in the Manduka PRO?
The Manduka PRO will require ten yoga sessions or more in order to be broken in. It is important to keep in mind that this yoga mat will last a lifetime, so a month of breaking-in sessions will pale in comparison to the value you will receive from it for years and years.
