If you want a mat to last you a lifetime, and can also tick the boxes for grip, portability, and comfort, the Manduka PROlite is the way to go. This mat beat out its category contenders for longevity by a landslide. It’s an extremely durable, high-performing mat that’s stamped with a lifetime guarantee. Yoga teachers everywhere (including myself) agree that the Manduka PROlite gets better with age the more you use it, similar to a baseball glove. I’ll get upside-down to that.

The PVC material and density of the mat make it competent under any condition — outdoors, in a heated room, in a non-heated studio, and with gentle-to-vigorous practices — which can’t be said for the majority of the mats tested here. I took this mat through a multitude of restorative and standing poses, sun salutations, arm balances, and inversions.

I’m not the only one who ranks this mat at the top of the list. Boston’s 2014 Best Yoga Instructor and Owner of Sadhana Studio, Cunningham, has been using the Manduka Pro series mats for 14 years.

In asanas that tend to be slightly harder on the knees, like Ustrasana (camel pose) and Anjaneyasana (low lunge), this mat provides just the right amount of support and cushion to feel ease and comfort throughout the pose, even when held for long periods of time. The mat also provides stabilization and joint protection during asanas that require more stability, balance, and impact (think: Tree pose, handstand, and jumping back to chaturangas). At the same time, it won’t compromise the ability to feel stable and connected to the ground.

As far as texture, grip, and comfort go, I give this mat two thumbs up. The slip-resistant traction kept fidgeting to a minimum. The surface, which isn’t super sticky, allowed for gliding transitions through quick vinyasas. The transition to take my foot into or out from a lunge felt effortless compared to when catching or sticking on mats made from a different textile (like some of the natural rubber mats did).

Other than the first couple of uses during the “break-in period,” the manual labor for this mat is practically nonexistent. Its closed-cell technology makes it incredibly easy to clean and wipe down after class, and with a weight of around four pounds, it’s light and easy to carry. The mat comes in an assortment of colors and in two different sizes (71 and 79 inches) to accommodate style preference as well as the taller yogis out there. It’s fairly pricey for a yoga mat, but with a lifetime warranty, it provides outstanding value.

Don’t just take my word for it, though. Based on research, and many conversations with other yoga practitioners, the Manduka company is considered the holy grail of yoga-mat brands. It continuously tops the charts in reviews. The Manduka PROlite series is a lighter, more portable version of the beloved Manduka Black Mat Pro, which has been on the market for 15 years. The PROlite mat receives accolades from a number of magazines and popular publications. It was voted the Top Pick Award by OutdoorGearLab, voted a “must have” by Yogi Approved, and is sold and used by the most popular yoga studios across Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles.

CorePower Yoga Orange County’s regional manager, Calvert, says the Manduka PROlite is her favorite, and it’s the one the company carries in its studios all across the United States.

Barre & Soul Studios, found in several locations around the Boston area, provides the Manduka PRO series mats to its members for use in class.

Manduka instructs consumers to scrub the mat down with coarse sea salt prior to using, which helps to remove a thin layer that is applied in the manufacturing process. Wearing this down actually helps improve the mat’s traction with continued use. This process may be a little more labor-intensive than you’d prefer, but there’s something comforting about having a mat get better with time and form to you. Cunningham likens the breaking-in process of the mat to that of a new baseball glove: You break it in and then it fits “like a glove.”

Although some people, like Calvert, find the mat to grip fantastically with moisture, some evidence points to a few issues. In an email from the company, Manduka implies the mat does require a breaking-in period (although this is not always the case for everyone), meaning it could feel quite slippery for several uses until it has seen some action.

The traction for the Manduka PROlite is best used under dry conditions with minimal moisture, so ultra-sweaty practices and those done in a heated room may not benefit from this mat without the use of a towel on top of it. I recommend the Liforme Yoga Mat for these conditions.

In terms of eco-friendliness, the mat is made with PVC rather than natural rubber or another more environmentally friendly material. However, no toxic emissions are released during production, and its lifetime durability results in fewer landfill dumps, still making it a safe choice for the environment overall. If you are concerned with practicing on a mat that is made from eco-friendly material that’s still high performance, my recommendation is the Jade Harmony Professional (a top pick tested here).

Don’t dismiss these mats just because they didn’t make my top pick. Like I’ve stated, yoga mats, like yoga, are not created equal and preference is unique to the individual’s style. Depending on what you’re looking for, these mats could be better suited for you.

Yoga classes done in a heated studio are popular today (and let’s face it, many of us continuously perspire holding Warrior II), so I wanted to find a mat that would provide the best stick under super-sweaty conditions without having to rely on the use of a towel. Enter the Liforme Yoga Mat. The mat has attracted plenty of notice on social media thanks to its distinct visual appearance, with alignment markers etched directly onto its surface.

Liforme offers a grippy surface that was unmatched by any other brand I tested (although Yoloha, below, came close). The mat has a natural rubber base, topped with a layer of polyurethane, a material that’s very good at absorbing sweat — hence the no-slip grip. No breaking-in period was necessary. I got perfect traction straight out of the box and never felt like I was in danger of falling. The mat itself also stayed put, even on a slick hardwood floor.

The Liforme is 4.2mm thick, offering a middle-of-the-road balance between no give at all and feeling like you’re practicing your asanas on a Tempurpedic. It’s a couple of inches longer and wider than the Manduka PROlite, and while I appreciated the extra room, it does mean the mat is on the heavier side, at 5.5 pounds versus the Manduka PROlite’s 4.6. At $140, the Liforme is also an investment — but if hot yoga and heavy sweating are part of your weekly routine, it’s one worth considering.

James Armitage, Liforme’s creator has said the mat is only intended to withstand 300 to 500 sessions. You can keep using it beyond this point, but the material may lose its grip. Depending on how frequently you practice, this could mean replacing your mat every year or two, which gets pricey. (Though to be fair, I’ve found many mats need replacing after a couple of years.) To prolong its life, the Liforme shouldn’t be stored in direct sunlight — its materials are biodegradable, and prolonged sun exposure can cause them to break down more quickly.

The Liforme also stains pretty easily. After resting my head in Child’s Pose, I noticed marks where my face had been, and the manufacturer cautions against using the Liforme directly after applying body creams or massage oils. I also found it to have an odd scent straight out of the box — an almost fishy smell. It began to fade by the second time I used it, so this probably isn’t a deal-breaker unless you have a very sensitive nose.

Like the Lifeforme, the Yoloha Native Yoga Mat has a non-stick surface designed to accommodate hot yoga and lots of sweating. But this mat gets its non-slip powers from a surface of cork and recycled rubber. A little unusual, yes, but cork is naturally antimicrobial, helping to minimize odor and kill the bacteria attracted to your sweat.

Despite being 6mm thick, the Yoloha Native is also more lightweight than the Liforme (4 pounds, versus Liforme’s 5.5), making it easier to roll up and take with you. It comes with a carrying strap made of natural fibers, which I found a little uncomfortable — I’d probably spring for a case if I used the mat regularly, but the strap does have a minimalistic appeal.

The Native performs very similarly to the Liforme, providing plenty of support through a variety of poses. Because it’s made of rubber and cork, however, the texture is slightly more tacky, which can take some getting used to. Cork becomes more grippy as it gets wet, so if you don’t sweat much but still want a rock-solid grip, you might consider misting the mat with water before you start.

I also appreciated Yoloha’s commitment to being eco-friendly. Cork is a renewable resource in the truest sense of the word: the bark can be harvested every 3-5 years without harming the tree. My mat was also shipped with minimal (and totally recyclable) packaging, and the company included a plantable pear seed with my order.

Cork is naturally prone to cracking over time, and while the company says this shouldn’t affect the mat’s performance, it’s something to take into consideration if you’re concerned about aesthetics. You can use regular household glue to fill in the cracks if you’re bothered by them, but it’s admittedly an extra step.

As with the Liforme, some people have also noted that Yoloha mats begin to lose their grippiness after a year or two of regular use. And at $140, the Yoloha is an investment on par with the Liforme and might be out of reach for those on tight budgets.

Credits to: http://www.reviews.com/best-yoga-mat/