The “Mercedes Benz of Yoga Mats”
22 Jan
Last night, amidst the euphoria (and exhaustion) following the Lady Gaga concert at Radio City Music Hall, I accidentally left my cherished Yoga Mat & Bag at the venue.
←R.I.P. my yoga mat
I’ve been a devoted customer of BarefootYoga.com for years.
Having been into Yoga before it became the sport-du-jour, BarefootYoga.com has been my go-to retailer of all things yoga — particularly mats & mat bags. They are dedicated to providing a great range of high-quality products. (’cause for some reason, buying my mat at a grocery store seems “meh” to me).
While I was browsing the site this morning for a replacement mat, I came across the Manduka Premium Black Mat.
Apparently, it’s the “Mercedes Benz of Yoga Mats”. How? According to BarefootYoga.com:
- German-made (naturally)
- has an excellent non-sticky grip and its texture is solid, not mushy or stretchy so you feel very grounded when you’re on it
- these mats were constructed to last a lifetime and offer exceptional durability that is superior to any mat currently available
- good for all types of Yoga, especially popular with Astanga Yoga practitioners
Sounds amazing, right? But then you scroll down to the prices:
- 26″ x 71″ (7 lbs) – $89.00
- 26″ x 85″ (9 lbs) – $105.00
JIGGA WHA?
Being healthy is definitely a priority to me, but it seems that only the financially sound can afford wellness these days. While I’m sure that this yoga mat is lovely, plush, resilient and durable…I’m highly skeptical that it warrants a $100 price tag.
Is there anybody out there who owns this mat? Any feedback? Was it worth the $$$?
As for me: if this is the “Mercedes Benz of Yoga Mats”…I guess I’ll be driving a Ford Pinto.
Namaste. 
i love the premium mat! it is worth every dollar!
when i started yoga a year and half ago, i got a cheap mat. but it made yoga torture for my knees.
if you don’t want to invest in such a pricey mat then get the cheaper version by manduka – the prolite.
i switched to the prolite 6 months ago because the premium mat is a bit heavy to schlep everywhere. it is lighter, but still effective.
Hey S: INTERESTING feedback! I did some online price comparison, and bought the Mandakni Ultra Mat from a different site — WAY cheaper!! http://www.yogaaccessories.com. I had a different 1/4″ mat before, so I want to stick with a mat that’s the same thickness. Where do you normally buy your mats from?
Glad you found a cheaper one! I hope you love it.
I like barefoot yoga too. but i bought both of my manduka mats from yogaworks at union sq. i wanted to see them in person first before buying.
Unless I fall in love with my new mat, I think for my next yoga mat, I’m going to go in person. I’ve never been to Yogaworks in Union Sq, but will def check it out!! Thanks!!
My goodness, I’ll be in the pinto next to you!
There is no comparison! It is far and way worth the money. If you practice often – you should have a mat that supports your wrists (assuming you do some sort of vinyasa etc.) But I would never spend the money on this mat for bikram.
Hey Olivia!
So nice to meet a fellow foodie!
First off – great blog!!
Second: I totally agree — this mat seems amazing. But the price was not. I think I bought a similar mat over at YogaAccessories.com for 1/3 of the price!