Yoloha Unity Cork Yoga Mat - 6mm thick - Non Slip, Eco-Friendly, Durable, Premium Quality

Ok, please note I only take hot Baptiste yoga so my review is based on the mat in a very hot room. First I purchased the original yoloha mat and when my hands slipped going up to wheel and my hands slid in down dog, I needed to return it. Enter the native mat. It has much better grip for hot yoga and I love the texture compared to the lululemon and jade mats I’ve tried. My problem is this: the underside is THIN and slippery. The original yoloha mat has an amazing nonslip rubber bottom that was solid and great for the practice. The native mat’s bottom is not the same material so it shifts around the floor a bit and slides up or back, and also sometimes bunches up (for instance when I’m going from right side half pigeon to left side), soI have to pull the mat back down to the floor. I thought about returning the mat but my last option would be a liforme or a lululemon and the cork just has such a great feel and smell to it and honestly the grippiness is (usually- not always) great. I just wish they put a quality bottom on this mat. It’s frustrating because this is the more expensive one!!And also, I strained two of my toes going from up dog to down dog with this mat. I had a much cushier mat before this one and the yoloha is more solid and hard, so when I went on my toes from up to down dog (yes, I was putting to much weight on my toes), I strained them. The solid feel of the mat is honestly a good thing - I do love the sturdiness of it and that it doesn’t stretch with me like some other mats, but just be warned that it is more solid so your body parts have to get used to it.PHOTOS: 1- you can see the wear on the top and bottom. This is using the mat for 1 month, 5 days/week in a hot yoga setting2- so you can see the weird material of the bottom of the mat3- thinness of mat4- this is how it bunches in class sometimes and I have to pull it down

I do a hot flow/vinyasa daily and have used many different yoga mats. I sweat buckets and hate towels because they get bunched up. Many yoga mat companies advertise non-slippery surface. I bought a $130 Manduka mat that was slippery even when not wet. The Jade was better, but still too slippery for my liking plus it moved too much on the floor. Lululemon was ok, but deteriorated after a while and I had to toss it. So, I saw this ad for Yoloha Native Cork Yoga mat. It is supposed to get less slippery with wetness and they do not recommend using a towel. I've used it 4 times so far and it is without a doubt the best mat I have ever used. It is absolutely firm (no slipping or sliding) on the slick wood floor and provides an uninterrupted, positive grip in the hottest, wettest conditions. My only hope is that the surface does not deteriorate over the long haul, but supposedly they guarantee their mats indefinitely. Oh, plus it is super light weight.

I purchased this mat based on reviews that praised it's use for hot yoga, and managing moisture, and non-slip qualities. Th non-slip quality is accurate. However, I purchased the mat on June 29th, and already see cracking in the cork, as it is separating from the rubber layer. For a mat that I have used for less than 5 month, this does not demonstrate quality. Before writing this review, I sent an email to the manufacturer on their company website, asking about this issue. It has been 2 weeks, and no response at all. So disappointing.

***Update-after owning this for over a year and a half and I still love this mat and it has not started breaking down with use ranging from 4-6 days a week! I also get tons of compliments about it.***I love this mat! I have had the same mat for several years and it started deteriorating and felt it was time to upgrade to a new mat. I was doing research as to the top mats with padding and grip being my top concerns when I came across this mat. The reviews were excellent and several articles I found also gave it good reviews so I closed my eyes and ignored the price while hitting the buy button, hoping for the best and that I made the right decision.I know this mat is expensive but so far, I feel it’s worth it and have ZERO buyers remorse. It has a light odor but basically your nose needs to be on the mat to really smell it. I love the size of it. I’m 5’6 and though not tall I would still feel like I was hanging off the standard size mat during certain poses. It’s well padded and grips very well. Oh and it lays flat OUT OF THE BOX! Yes you read that right...I don’t know about everyone else but the ends rolling on my other mat while I was trying to workout was always very distracting and annoying to me. That has not been a problem with this mat from the time I’ve taken it out of the box and every subsequent use (and I roll it back up after every use). And finally, it’s beautiful in its simplicity. The colors are complimentary and not outrageous so as not to distract you during your workout or practice. Plus with all this awesomeness, it’s also eco friendly! Great Job and would absolutely buy again.