PowerExtra Yoga Mat: Great Value for Price

Help -- I need a new yoga mat!

About every 3 years, I need to replace my yoga mat. I set out on a quest to find something that is:

• Affordable
• Nice to look at
• The right size
• The right squishiness
• Sticky
• Not noxious
• Earth-friendly

This is my year.

I did some research but kept getting hung up on that first criteria above, "affordable." Yoga mats can be flipping expensive! Finally via Amazon I found the PowerExtra Yoga Mat for only $30 (at press time).

How does the PowerExtra Yoga Mat perform against other criteria?

Nice to look at: Check. Love the two-tone colors. I chose the violet/light purple. The textures are different on each side, and I like the patterns on both. (And if you don't like the logo at the back of the mat? No worries. It rubs off within a few weeks.)

The right size and squishiness: Check. The mat is 72" long, which is great for tall yogis. The width is standard, and the depth (thickness) is 1/4", which strikes the perfect balance between cushy on the knees but not too unstable for balance poses.

A photo posted by Lori Lavender Luz (@lavluz) on Apr 11, 2015 at 11:38am PDT

 
Sticky: Not yet a check. The mat is not slippery, but it's not quite as sticky as my old yoga mat, just a typical mat. I am hoping I'll eventually adapt to the mat, perhaps requiring me to have better form.

Not noxious: Unchecked for the first 2 weeks. After the mat had time to air out, though, I no longer detect a chemical smell. Check.

Earth-friendly: Unknown. I did a bit of research on TPE (thermoplastic elastomers), and while much of the chemistry is over my head, there are may clues (smell being one of them) this is not a naturally occurring substance. It required significant processing (unlike the cotton mat I tried during my last search), yet it has "the potential to be recyclable."

Thumbs Up for PowerExtra Yoga Mat

Overall I'm pleased with my new PowerExtra yoga mat. Upward thumbs, upward dog.