Manduka eKOlite Yoga Mat – Premium 4mm 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.

I've had this mat for about three weeks now, and use the mat about 3-4 times a week. I bought this mat after extensive research, both through the reviews here and also elsewhere online. After reading, I've been really careful with the care of the mat. My mat's still pretty sticky, although I'm a beginner so maybe it's not as sticky as I think it is, but I can say it's not slippery. Here's some thoughts in relation to the reviews I've seen / my experience so far:Odor: I aired out the mat for about a week and the smell was pretty gone. I did notice a difference between laying the mat out to air out and hanging it over something (i.e. a chair) - the latter was much better at getting the scent out. If you're planning to hang the mat, I strongly recommend you air it out in a place that not many people pass by because there's kind of a odor "cloud" that stays for the first couple days. I aired it out with the hanging method about four times (I think in between those times I practiced twice?) and by then the rubber scent was pretty much gone.Slip?: If you ask me, I think it might be based on the color - a lot of the "acai" color mats seem to have the slip problem. So far, the "ebb" version has been pretty non-slip (but of course, using the areas where there are fresh sweat drops makes it a bit slippy, but this might be unavoidable?)...Care: ... but I've also been really stringent about the care. I read on Reddit (I think) the account of someone who finally washed their mat with the vinegar-water solution (as per recommended by Manduka) and the mat ended up slippery, and someone commented that the eKO mats tend to become that way if there's too much moisture in them. As a result, I've taken these steps, and so far, its been good:1) After a sweaty practice, I let the mat sit for a minute or two before rolling it up. If it's been a rain-shower sweaty practice, I wipe it down, then let the mat sit.2) When I'm cleaning the mat with the vinegar/water solution, I put the solution on a towel, NOT on the mat itself. I take the towel (not drenched, but more damp?) and wipe it down, let it air out for a minute or two, then run my hand over the mat to make sure that it's pretty dry. If it's not I take a paper towel and just give it another wipe. Once it's dry, I roll the mat up. I clean the mat about 1-2 times a week in this way.3) I haven't put my mat in direct sunlight (except when going to/from the car to studio, etc.). Don't know how much it helps with the slip, but haven't done it. I've also kept it in a pretty cool place at home, and roll it out to dry if I think its necessary.Hope this helps!

I read lots of reviews and researched a lot. I relied especially on reviewers who had experience with many mats and had done extensive research. My biggest concern was that it would have the rubber/chemical smell for a long time. I aired it out and no more smell. Seriously...none. Completed a 300 hour teacher training (Sri Sri Yoga at the North Carolina Ashram) and it was, without any question, the best mat of any there. After the 300 hour course, this mat is my yoga base and I'd never choose differently. It has just the right balance of cushion with firmness for good "floor feel" while still protecting bony points from pain. Also, I sweat. Heavily at times. Absolutely solid grip when wet. For me it is great to be able to carry a lighter-weight mat. Concern of not enough padding was unfounded. This is a very protecting mat. I'm glad I don't have the full-thickness mat and, at 5'8", I'm very glad not to have a longer mat. Would be a waste of extra, unneeded length. Everyone who tried my mat wants one.

DO NOT BUY. Will never buy again. Came extremely dirty - I didn't believe the reviews I had read before, but there will be dirt and handprints on the mat you receive. Since the mat smelled terrible, I left it outside to let some of the smell fade, as Maduka's website says. Brought it inside to wipe it down with a part vinegar-part water solution (as it says to on Maduka's own website) and the mat became extremely discolored - parts of it are extremely dark, parts are extremely white, and the mat now feels permanently dusty to the touch. Such an expensive mat, and such a waste of money. DO NOT BUY.

I think this mat is a good one, just not for me. I'm somewhere between a novice and intermediate yogi. I used it for about 15 classes or so -- mostly flow and power. No hot or warm yoga.I found the top coating to be slippery, especially once I started sweating -- hands and feet would scoot around the thing. I also noticed that it would buckle in some poses, as if it were slipping on the floor, causing it to bunch up around whatever appendage was grounded at the time. I imagine many people could overlook these characteristics, or write it off saying, "all yoga mats do that," however, I kept thinking about it during practice, which was distracting.I returned this mat and ended up going with a jade harmony mat and that works much better for me.Again, this is a high quality mat and I have no doubt that some of my qualms can be chalked up to "user error." I just didn't find it to be all that forgiving given my skill level.

After reading the reviews about this mat, I was tentative to buy but I'm glad that I did. One negative that people are mentioning that is true is about the smell of the mat. It does have a lingering rubbery smell that sits on your body but I'm able to tolerate that and don't really mind. Every other aspect of this mat is completely positive. I have very clammy hands regardless of whether or not I'm at a bikram or vinyasa flow class and this mat really works wonders in keeping me from slipping and sliding around in down dog or in any other position. It also tends to work even better as the mat is worn in a bit (I got this mat about 4 months ago and go to yoga about 3-4 times a week and it's very comfortable now). I also saw a review at one point that mentioned that the mat leaves residue on the floor after classes but I've been to many studios with this mat and haven't found that to be true. This mat is definitely worth a try and does improve over time, hopefully this is helpful!

This is one of my favorite mats. It's light enough to transport to and from classes, but thick and heavy enough to feel durable and support your joints during practice. I am very happy that it is eco friendly as well.This mat is quite grippy. I have a manduka pro series mat that is very thick and heavy, which I only use at home. I've had that mat for years, but found it has always been a bit slippery for me as soon as I sweat at all. I tend to sweat a bit more than the average person, however, so a hand towel is an easy fix though. At present, my eKo Lite seems to grip better for me compared to my other Manduka pro, lululemon, and various other yoga mats I've tried.As for the smell some people have mentioned, I found that faded within a few days of airing it out. Every yoga mat I've ever had, which is at least 5 before this, have had a smell to start so this didn't surprise me. I've been using it at least 2-3 weekly for a few months and it doesn't smell at all now.Assuming it stands the test of time in terms of wear, this mat will become my go to!

I used to buy the £20-30 mats on amazon as they kept falling apart.This one is money well spent. Some of the features I love about it:- amazing grip on both side, which means no sliding, ever!- doesn't deform easily but still easy to roll up and store- very easy to clean (damp cloth is more than enough)Some minor drawbacks that I can completely live with- slight rubber odour (left my mat spread for a week and it almost disappeared)- heavier than cheaper options (I only use it at home so no worry here either)

I finally decided I was good enough to warrant an expensive yoga mat and boy did this not disappoint. It's super thin yet offers good cushioning because it's so dense, and I'm NEVER afraid of slipping. If you're someone who likes their mat to be more like a crash-mat then this isn't for you, but I'll never need another mat again. Superb quality and feels like it will last a life time!

Love this product. Slightly rubbery smell but I used it literally right out of the packaging and it was very tolerable. Airing it out now!Mat was slightly slippery when I first got on but the grip seemed to actually get better as I practised on it.Love the colour and the thickness.Very happy with this mat.The seller was also helpful and easy to deal with.

Just taken to Goa India for month long yoga teaching course. The non slip quality and ease of cleaning were invaluable in the hot and humid air.Thoroughly enjoyed using it.