Manduka eKO Yoga Mat - 5mm Natural Rubber | Eco-Friendly | Soft Textured Surface| Natural Next-to-Skin Feel

This thing will probably put live me.. it is so sturdy. It’s such a great mat. I think the only problem is that it’s so heavy that rolling it up it takes some getting used to, but I love it. It is easy to wash and luckily I picked a dark color because I’ve learned that bright colors on yoga mats stain and the stains never come out.

I love this mat. Even though it's heavy, this is the mat I bring to studios. (And from my experience, only the manduka large mat tote can fit it. You may be able to find others to carry it with, but just remember that you will have to shell out more money. A cheap regular yoga sling won't fit it.) I also have an eco lite and super lite which I use for different purposes (home practice and teaching yoga to my high school students after a regular academic day, respectively). I bring this one to the studios because it's the most solid, grippy mat that gives me (almost) total freedom to do the poses I want to do. However, I say "almost" because if I'm sweating profusely (usually because it's in the summertime and the studio didn't run air-conditioner - I don't usually do hot yoga), my hands and feet WILL slip on this mat. That's when I use my manduka yoga towel (I can't believe how much money I spend on manduka products!). With a yoga towel on the mat, I'm completely fine if I'm sweating. (But if I'm not sweating, the yoga towel is not grippy at all.) So if you do hot yoga, remember to bring a yoga towel to lay on top of the mat when you start to sweat.

Good mat purchase. It has the grip I need for Vinyasa, Hatha and Yin Yoga. I have not done any "Hot Yoga" yet. I believe it will have the durability I'm looking for in a Yoga mat. It does have a lingering rubber smell which is not a show stopper for me as it has been decreasing over time. The 5mm gives me the support I need and yes it is heavier but it is not back breaking. I take it in the car when I go to Yoga but can see myself carrying it without any problem while riding a bike. I've been using the Manduka Mat Wash for the break-in period and clean it with a damp cloth and water as well after every use. There is a Mat Review youtube video by Brett Larkin and she found the EKO to have better grip than the pricier PRO even though it has 5mm thickness as well. Amazon sent me the Eko Lite by mistake but promptly corrected the problem.

I love the mat, I was told after unrolling it and leaving it out the smell would go away. It has been a month now, multiple uses, it still wreaks of a chemical smell. You can’t even put your head close to the mat without smelling it so it makes it difficult to hold any poses that require your face being near the mat. I NEVER get headaches and it gives me a headache. I used multiple different all natural cleaners on it to get it to go away. I’ve left it unrolled on my covered porch all month as I can’t have the smell inside and hoped it would go away. It has not. I am so disappointed. I wish the smell would go away because the mat is perfect otherwise. I don’t recommend purchasing this from here. Try buying directly from Manduka.

I read the reviews, looked up outside sources and kept coming back to the Manduka brand for hot yoga mats. I was only interested in the most "green" one available and thought this one had to be the one for me. All of the reviews are right...EXTREMELY smelly. I leave mine unrolled and in the garage when not using in hopes it will eventually air out. It has also spent a night or two outside (it does have a white underside, watch where you lay it if you do not want it dirty!). I have owned it for about 2 weeks and it seems to be slightly better. That being said, I thought the smell would bother me during 75 minute sessions of hot yoga. Does not effect me except when I am face down on it (I do also cover it with a yoga towel, so there is a barrier). I just throw my hand towel on top of it at this time and I am so exhausted and smelly that the mat is the least of my problems. Also, please be advised this mat is large and HEAVY! When picking up the box at the front door I thought there is no way this has a yoga mat inside. I consider it to be part of my workout carrying the mat to and from the studio. I did find a bag that it can fit into after trying a couple {if interested this is what it sells for on Amazon: "Best Yoga Mat Bag Tote for Women (Fashion Forward, Savvy Design, Bold Colors, Sturdy Eco-friendly Materials) - Cute Sling Carrier, Simple Top Loading Sport Bag Tote, Large Size for Extra Storage, Perfect for Modern Yoga Lovers - 100% Cotton Canvas Made in USA - Yoginiology - Fully Guaranteed"} Overall, this mat is extremely sticky and excellent for hot yoga. However, you will not want to keep it in your confined car until the smell disappears! And if you are looking for a light, easy to manage mat, this is not for you. But I still do believe it is the best on the market in it's "green" category.

Sturdy and high quality. Also, sufficient cushion for my surgically repaired knee.

If you are looking for mushy cushioning, this mat is not for you. But if you want a good, non slip mat that will give you the foundation you need to feel secure in your poses, this is the mat you want.

It's just about a week shy of 4 years since I've purchased this mat, and it's survived, a lot more than I expected. It went with me from indoor yoga studios to outdoor boot camp style workouts in public areas on hot concrete. The reason I'm even writing this review is because I've been noticing threads coming out of the edges of the mat and today just saw that the edges and bottom show some breakdown and was curious when I had bought it. 4 years of abuse, poor storage (using a sling carrier and not worrying about exposing it to direct sunlight), literally tossing it around (nothing figurative about it) and all I have to show is a little breakdown on edges... plus if I remember right, these mats were made to be biodegradable, which was a selling point for me, so maybe a little disintegration is expected? I can't say enough about the eKO mat and the company. BTW, the mat did have an interesting smell to it when I first got it... not that synthetic smell otherwise I probably woulda returned it from the start... it smelled like... maybe cinnamon cookies? Don't know if that's changed with the newer ones over the years but to me, workouts on something that smells like dessert... the only way they could've improved this was to make it smell like coffee, bacon and a hint of maple syrup... but I'm guessing bacon scented mats wouldn't be a big selling point for those that use it strictly for yoga LOL.