A lot of people have been pointing out to me that their Manduka Eko mat gets very slippery when they practice Ashtanga or a sweaty Vinyasa Flow class. I’ve had students and readers of this blog say to me that they had high hopes for the Manduka Eko and were disappointed because they found it to be too slippery. Does this mean that the new Manduka mat is a bad mat?
In a word, no. In my seven years or so of practicing yoga, I have never found a closed-cell mat that stayed sticky with an intense amount of sweating. I’m no expert on yoga mat design, but my understanding is that yoga mats can be classified into two categories: Open-Cell Mats and Closed-Cell Mats. Closed-cell mats do not absorb sweat or water. The “cells” that make up the mat are closed, after all. If there’s nowhere for the moisture to go, it’s obviously going to stay right on top of the mat. This usually results in a very slippery mat. The solution? Get a Yogitoes. It will absorb sweat, and you can wash it to keep things sanitary.
But, some people might think, wouldn’t it just be better to get an open-cell mat? Maybe–but probably not. True, some people I know do prefer the open-cell mat because it absorbs sweat and water to some degree. Personally, I find this feature of open-cell mats to be pretty disgusting. An open-cell mat will be more likely, it seems to me, to turn into a breeding ground for bacterial and/or fungal growth, or other nasty things which I’d rather not think about.
So my conclusion is that if you want a good mat, pick it first and foremost for the following sorts of consideration: density, weight, environmental friendliness, cost, size, ease of care and durability. In terms of slippage, the only solution really seems to be a Yogitoes. They are kind of expensive, but totally worth it, in my opinion. If you don’t want to shell out the money for a Yogitoes, use a simple hand towel under your hands, and keep wiping down your mat throughout the practice. (I’ve actually taken to doing this lately since I don’t sweat quite enough to keep my Yogitoes moist and sticky.) When it comes down to it, there is no “perfect” yoga mat out there, and any one you buy will have its pros and cons. For me, the Manduka Eko is still the best.
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Thanks for sharing this! I’ve been debating whether to get a Manduka or Jade mat. I have decided to try both anyway now but you make some great points to consider and I love my yogitoes. With the open cell mats, you can still wash them though but I guess there’s always that chance of it not being cleaned or drying out properly.
Comment by rand(om) bites June 19, 2008 @ 6:30 pmI agree. I sweat a lot (the pita in me + my vinyasa practice) and have tested many eco mats but the towel/mat combo has always worked best regarding the grip. Plus with a towel you can just rinse it and hang it between practices…if your sweating regularly enough to sweat clean. Instead of yogitoes though, which is synthetic, I use a hemp PadaPath eco yoga towel of my own design. Hemp feels great to practice on – it strikes the perfect balance between tough & fiberous for the grip but still soft & comfortable for all the ying postures too.
Comment by lee June 20, 2008 @ 8:01 amFor my ashtanga and sweatiest vinyasa classes, the best thing for ME so far has been my Manduka Purplelite mat (i absolutely adore it) and an Ashtanga rug i bought at Kino MacGregor’s shala in Miami
i can’t say my hands don’t give at all – i think it’s impossible – but this time i’m not afraid of slipping out of Urdhva Dhanurasana and poppin meh tail (West Indian expression – you get the drift
)
Comment by Shakira June 22, 2008 @ 1:14 pmI love the Natural Fitness,natural rubber mat! I’m not an ashtanga yogini but with this mat, my hands aren’t going anywhere. I practically force people to try it out, LOL
Comment by Candice July 3, 2008 @ 7:31 pmThe Yogitoes towel is also pretty great -i just discovered this
Comment by Shakira July 21, 2008 @ 12:37 pmI also love the yogitoes towel. Really nice because the mats can get so slippery when you sweat and then it is tough to carry and dry later.
Steve
Comment by steve "Yoga therapy DVD" dude December 9, 2008 @ 4:40 pmInteresting. I just bought the Manduka Eko and am pretty disappointed in the slipperiness (is that a word?) vs. my Maha mat. But I know there is a lot of personal preference in mats. I thought Manduka would be better at grip for vinyasa classes – I do use Yogitoes but only when it’s getting really messy without it. On the Manduka Edo I need it after the first couple of sun salutations. Just one more voice. I think I’ll sell it on Craigslist and try a Jade next. m
Comment by michael December 9, 2008 @ 5:03 pmI agree that the rubber mats are breeding ground for germs. I like the tpECO Mats from Kulae for ashtanga. Great grip and easy to clean. Great colors as well.
Comment by Rob January 6, 2009 @ 11:42 ami just bought the manduka eko and i find that it is so slippery that even my yogitoe is not able to cling to it, any suggestions? do you think i still need to break it in? i bought this mat bc it said it was best for the slipping issue. my cheap mat seems to work better with the yogitoe. it just keeps getting bunched up. i am so frustrated with the whole thing.
Thanks,
Comment by myrrisa August 19, 2009 @ 1:24 pmMyrrisa
I found that my Eko mat got stickier as I used it more. I understand your frustration, and am about to post something again on this problem of slippery yoga mats, so stay tuned!
Comment by ekachakra August 19, 2009 @ 9:20 pmso what’s the verdict..
Comment by mare February 15, 2010 @ 4:02 pmJade or Menduka?? I tried both with Demo mats and still can’t make up my mind!
MANDUKA!
Comment by Bob February 15, 2010 @ 4:07 pmok so i had to repost on this bc of my early post in which i was unhappy with my manduka mat. My mat is not slippery anymore!! it took about 1 month for it to break in and i also had to wash it. i love love love my mat now and am so glad i went with them. i dont even have to use a yogitoes with it either. i would also like to point out there wonderful cutomer service in which i got a years worth of yoga journal and a free sample non slip cloth. anyway, this mat did turn out to be great in the end you just have to break it in.
Comment by myrrisa June 27, 2010 @ 8:49 amThanks so much for your thorough reviews and opinions. I’ve been practicing vinyasa regularly for 6 months now and have grown unhappy my open cell mats. I Just ordered an eKo. I think one of the other guys in my class has one and he’s really happy as well. Cheers!
Comment by Bob July 26, 2010 @ 2:39 amIt wasn’t that long ago where the yogis were using flour sacks for mats. Some still do in the Himalayas.
Comment by yoga mat fan August 11, 2010 @ 8:06 pmI’ve been using the eKo for about three weeks now. When I first got it, it was great — no slippage at all. But over the last couple of weeks, it’s getting more and more slippery. I wash it down every day with a wet towel as recommended, but I’m going to try a vinegar wash to see if that will restore its original cling.
Comment by yankee yoga September 6, 2010 @ 11:26 amA followup to my last post: After weeks of frustration, I finally figured out the problem I was having with the Eko mat. Due to its construction, the mat seems to wick moisture into the inner layer. I had been following the company’s instructions to wipe the mat with a damp cloth and then leaving it to dry while spread out on the floor. The mat, however, does not dry at all well like this! Instead the moisture just seems to build up, becoming very slippery (and slimy, of course). I now hang it up to dry, making sure the air can circulate freely. This has restored most of the mat’s grip. Manduka really should have this information on their site — I’ve only ever used single-layer mats, which don’t have this issue. They’re quite good about responding to emails, however. On the other hand, I had to figure this out for myself. Oh well, it’s all part of the experience. It’s a great mat otherwise, in terms of stability, especially for balancing.
Comment by yankee yoga October 4, 2010 @ 4:04 amThis is bullshit and you know it. A slippery mat it not the fault of the person slipping on it.
Comment by anon November 5, 2011 @ 7:15 amWill surely recommend this site to some friends! Very interesting site and articles. Really thankful for sharing. Regards,
Comment by Mat for Yoga November 30, 2011 @ 3:44 am