Customer Reviews

Aurorae Classic Yoga Mats - Ultra Thick, Extra Long with Rising Moon Focal point Icon, Illuminating Colors, Eco Safe, Free from Phthalates and Latex

5 star:		(452)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

UPDATE (11/10/10): Still thrilled to report I couldn't be happier. The mat has held up better than the manduka mat I owned, and has proven easier to clean and a lot lighter to carry. After 14 months still no sign of wear and it just seems to get better with use.

The company was actually nice enough to send me their rosin for doing hot or more intense practices where I really sweat........it does help with slipping issues. I found putting a little on my mat pre-workout seems to help substantially. In the past I had bought yogi toes and towels, which while they worked, were pretty expensive. So for now I am hooked on rosin.


ORIGINAL REVIEW: I recently decided it was time to upgrade my yoga mat to something a bit more high quality and came across this one. So far I have been very impressed. The quality of the mat is really remarkable for the price point and i really love what a great job they have done with this. You can tell this was developed by people who actually do practice yoga.

PROS
1) The knee pain i used to get on my old (thin) mat is gone. I have used this on a variety of different surfaces (including the hard floors at the local studio) and no issues.
2) The rubbery smell that I also had to deal with on my old mat is now gone. I followed Aurorae's recommendations and put a little lemon on.
3) Been using for a few months now and no durability/wear issues.
4) No staining of clothes. My last mat left a slight residue that would be seen on lightly colored clothing.
5) Price - $80 for a Manduka mat??? No way. This is better quality for a fraction of the price.

CONS
None but will update if I find anything.

I would recommend this one to any yoga enthusiast. Great product and well worth the money at this price point.

I have had my Aurorae mat for nearly eight months and still consider it one of the best mats out there. As a yoga teacher, I've tried many different mats ranging in price from $50 to $100 and the Aurorae mat beats them all. It's as long and wide as the 'premium' mats that are twice the price, but it's super lightweight so it's easy to carry around. The thickness is perfect: everyone who has tried my Aurorae mat comments on how nice it feels. It's thick without being too firm or two soft.

I've also been impressed with the durability of my Aurorae mat- I practice daily at home, and in the studio at least 3-4 times a week. I also use my mat outside on grass, concrete and flagstones. Obviously it's been put through a lot, but it's still in excellent condition. I have washed it once a month according to the manufacturer's directions and aside from a slight discoloration where my hands and feet are positioned in down dog, it still looks brand new.

Since the Aurorae mat is phthalate-free, it didn't stink of plastic when it arrived. I only had to unroll it and let it sit out for a couple of hours and I was able to use it that night. It also didn't smell like rubber as some of the other premium mats do. It's not only scent-free, it doesn't seem to hold odors (which is important if you sweat a lot!) There's nothing worse than being in child's pose and holding your breath because your nose is so close to a plastic-y/sweaty-smelly/rubber-stinking mat.

The only drawback I've found for my mat is that it isn't very 'sticky' when I sweat, but I have yet to find a truly sticky mat anywhere. In my experience, if you practice hot yoga or sweat a lot, no mat is going to be sticky enough without a towel over the top (I use a microfiber towel specifically made for yoga). I have the roisin bag also sold by Aurorae and that helps a lot, but when the studio is 100F+, I need a towel to help soak up the sweat and allow my hands some traction in down dog.

On the other hand, if I practice in an unheated area the mat works fine. It's not 'sticky' so much as the top of the mat allows my hands to sink in a bit and gain some traction. That's nicer than the last 'sticky' mat I tried which was so sticky that I couldn't keep hair and lint from gathering all over the top. Gross!

Overall, I've been so pleased with my Aurorae mat that I'm considering buying another one just so I can keep one at the studio and one at home. I also recommend this mat to all my students and every one who has bought an Aurorae mat has been just as pleased as I am. I don't think you can find a better mat, especially for the price!

I purchased this mat after reading all the great reviews (thinking... 162 people can't be wrong). Out of all mats amazon offers, probably the highest number of 5 star reviews out of the total submitted.

Yes, the mat looks and feels great, very little odor out of the box and almost none after washing (and whatever odor there is, it is never unpleasant). As instructed, I washed it in the machine, let it hang dry. It took a while to get dry completely, cause it seems to absorb the water almost like a sponge (remember, no tumble dry).

I like the thickness and length, but... Even though my palms and feet don't sweat much my hands just can't stop slipping, especially in Adho Mukha Svanasana. This happens in the very first few minutes, so sweating is not even an issue. I trust other reviewers who claim that using other products by Aurorae to minimize slipping probably works, but doesn't seem like a good solution to me simply because:
a) I have another mat (different brand) that is the same size and thickness, and no slipping at all (out of the box), and
b) I don't need an extra piece of equipment to carry around (rosin bag).

I also tried several mats at the studio, some thinner some same in thickness (1/4"), and came across only one that had some slipping (might have been soiled).

I will try washing the mat one more time as some suggest, and revise this review if I notice significant improvement.

Here's some food for thought. I read reviews for some other brands and someone bought two mats but different colors. One had slipping issues, the other did not. In other words, even if a mat is made by the same manufacturer, is it possible that some would slip, and some won't depending on the color or series?

I really wanted to like this mat - very soft and cushy, well built, nice design and colors (I got light green), but slipping is a huge flaw for me. I hate to return it, not so much because it's a hassle, but because I really like the thickness and the looks. Will use it for routines in which slipping won't be an issue. I'm still hoping that after a while I might break it in sufficiently, so that the slipping will stop.

My last yoga mat became family property. My daughter used it for her gymnastics practice, my son used it for his karate warm-ups and if I was lucky enough to find it, I got to use it for myself. Well, they can have my old mat & I'm hiding my new Aurorae mat. It's great for my mat Pilates, no more feeling like I'm rolling up on cement with my old flimsy mat. It's much more comfortable on the back and knees. The longer length is helpful too especially on days when I attend yoga in the park on a cement slab by the lake. What a great buy for the price!

I love this yoga mat! I'm super-sensitive to strong smells, and so I wanted to find one that didn't have that headache-inducing rubber smell to it. I got this one because of the reviews indicating that it was smell-less, and the reviews were certainly true. It's much longer than other yoga mats, which was a pleasant surprise. I can do some of my poses with my toddler accompanying me on the same mat! Speaking of my toddler, it's so cushy that she sometimes likes to take a nap on it. She has abused it in every way possible -- spilling food on it (an old toothbrush works wonders for getting in the crevices), grinding chair legs into it (it didn't tear!), and playing on it with her toys. At first I cringed every time she did something to it, but this mat is basically indestructible. Highly recommend.

NOTE: I received this product as a free review sample directly from the owner of Aurorae Yoga.

I am someone who practices yoga at home 3-5 times per week and attends yoga classes approximately once per month. Although I already owned a fairly new yoga mat that I liked very much, I found that this Aurorae Yoga Mat was a nice addition to my home practice collection. Specifically, I very much liked that the Aurorae mat's extra-long length (72") comes standard; many other companies who make yoga mats offer an extra length option, but usually for an additional fee. I also liked the 1/4" thickness of this mat, particularly for practicing postures on the hands and knees and floor poses as in Restorative yoga. For this same reason, I found that this mat served me particularly well when doing Pilates, and I now plan to use it regularly for that purpose. Furthermore, despite the mat's extra length and thickness, it is quite lightweight; although slightly bulky to roll, I believe that it would travel easily were I to take it to class.

Other advantages to this mat are that it is (according to Aurorae) eco-friendly, comes in a variety of attractive colors (I have the "Seamist," a pretty, bright mossy green), and provides a slip-resistant foundation. Regarding the latter, I have had very little problems with slipping while using this mat--I could actually hear the sounds of my feet sticking as I lifted them on and off the surface!--but then again, I haven't used it for particularly strenuous yoga or while sweating. However, Aurorae Yoga Owner Dennis Ingui provides a Care Sheet with the mat that includes several ways to clean/treat the mat to further increase the gripping power of the mat.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this mat. So why 4 of 5 stars instead of 5 of 5? Largely a matter of personal preference. Because of the thickness of the mat, it has a tendency to mold around your feet when stepping into it. Although, as mentioned above, I appreciate this extra cushion when kneeling or lying, when practicing standing postures, I prefer to feel the ground more firmly under my feet. Therefore, I will continue using my other, firmer yoga mat when I am going to be doing a routine consisting more of standing poses, and I will save my Aurorae mat for the times that my practice will consist mainly of floor postures. For those who prefer a thicker mat, however, this mat is an excellent choice at a great price. Also, if you choose to buy this mat for Pilates or just general abs/floorwork, I would definitely give the mat a 5-star rating for that purpose.

UPDATE 7/30/11: I use this mat almost daily, and it has held up very well. However, I use it mainly for general fitness activities, including floorwork, abs, and Pilates, but NOT yoga. For yoga, I prefer my Manduka - eKO Lite mat, as I think the surface of that mat grips better than this one. Although the Aurora mat originally felt fairly "grippy" to me, the surface has seemed to become smoother with wear, and thus not ideal for yoga.

I tried yoga a couple of years ago, but I hurt my knees so I stopped. Then recently my friend asked me to go to a yoga class with her and bought me this Aurorae Yoga Mat because she knew I was afraid of hurting my knees again - this yoga mat is totally different from the one I used last time. Its thickness is just perfect to protect my knees and joints. Its non-slippery surface and bigger size (longer than the average yoga mat sold in stores) make it possible for you to make any poses you want on this mat. I definitely recommend this product to anyone who enjoys yoga, from beginners to experts!

The first yoga classes I ever took were in the wrestling room at my college's gym, where the floors were so padded that we never needed mats. It was a rude awakening when I later took a yoga class at a regular gym and found that a mat on a hardwood floor left me with an achy back and knees. I've experimented over the years with different solutions, trying varieties of mats, and even using two mats --often finding that that didn't really work as the mats didn't stick to each other very well.

At the same time, I often encourage my clients do practice yoga for all sorts of reasons, from stress reduction to adding in healthy exercise. And yet, I've often had trouble recommending a yoga mat that really supports plus sized bodies.

When I received the mat about 2 days later, it didn't look much thicker than a normal mat. I unrolled it on the hardwood floor in the living room, as I eyed my cushier looking area rug longingly.

I hadn't done a long yoga session in while, but decided to use Yoga: Just My Size With Megan Garcia (which I love) and add a few poses on to that. All in all, I spent about an hour doing a variety of postures, mainly of the beginner, Hatha variety, on the mat.

My experience using this mat was really wonderful. I didn't find my lower back hurting. I could do calf/cow to my heart's content and not feel like I was putting extra pressure on my knee joints. I felt the way I like to feel from yoga -- centered, relaxed, lengthened, without the unnecessary achiness so often caused by inferior mats.

I found it to have just the right level of stickiness. I didn't find myself slipping as I got sweatier, which is awesome. The packaging also includes some notes on how to make it more sticky, which, of course, I can't find at the moment. Thanks, Colleen, for reminding me to point out this important feature!

One note -- while I loved that the mat was 4" longer than most mats, I also wished it was 4" wider than most mats to accommodate broader shoulders.

Aurorae Yoga products are the ultimate in high quality. This Yoga Mat is strong and durable while being much more thick and comfortable than any other that I have tried before. I love the warm, soothing color, the non-slip surface and the longer length - not to mention that the company is wonderful. They truly care about their customers and are prompt to help you in a moment's notice. I highly recommend Aurorae Yoga for all of your yoga needs!

I love it this mat!!
Since I start to use this mat, knee pain and the wired rubbery smell, I used to have when I used my previous mat, are gone!
It's because it is thick and a little bit longer than regular thin mat, so I really enjoy to attend yoga class with no distraction, right now.
Also, I bought denim bag to put this mat and it is also awesome!!