Customer Reviews

Gaiam Earth Meets Sky Print Yoga Mat

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was looking for something that would keep me in place while I practiced my yoga and exercise moves. I found this mat in the horrendous maze of exercise/yoga mats and purchased based on the reviews I read. It seemed like a decent enough mat for the price...

Most of the other customers were complaining about a terrible rubber smell when you opened the plastic... And this was CERTAINLY the case. As soon as I opened it, the smell hit my nostrils, filled the room, and stayed there until I finally rolled the mat up and put it in my closet. I wasn't expecting it to be such a strong smell!!!

As far as an actual "mat" is concerned, this one provided hardly any traction for me at all. As soon as I started stretching, I started to slip around right away. As it turned out, halfway through my work-out, I threw the mat aside, and continued on my floor. I had more traction on my own carpet, particularly in the Downward Dog pose, which is a pose I come back to frequently. This may be a good mat for hardwood floors or something similar, but if you've got carpet in your exercise/yoga area, find another mat, or stick with your carpet for your workout...

This mat costs more than a non-printed mat, but it's beautiful to look at. I really enjoy unrolling it in yoga class and stretching out over something pretty. It will also stand out from the rest of the mats in class - I have yet to meet anyone who has a similar mat and I go to a couple of different yoga studios a week.

The mat does smell strangely when you first open it, but just spread it out on your floor for a couple of days (flip it over once!) and the smell will go away.

I ordered the mat and a yoga mat harness at the same time from Amazon to get the free shipping ($25 min) and I was quite happy with both items.

The mat is lovely- as another reviewer said, the colors are better in person. And the thickness and stickiness feel good to me.
Some reviewers said they didn't notice much of a smell; maybe it's the luck of the draw, but mine smells really offensive. I've got it hanging over the shower rod to let it air out, and the bathroom smells like something toxic and chemical. Hopefully it will dissipate in another day or so...

Forewarned about the funky smell this mat has upon first opening, I aired it out flat for the first night, and haven't had any problems with the odor since then.
The pattern on this mat really is beautiful and is a nice added bonus when doing inverted positions; you get to look at pretty leaves! It's a very basic pleasure but don't knock it, I say.
It is slightly thinner than some other mats, so really I guess it just depends on how bony a person is. My biggest problem areas are actually the tops of my feet when doing child's pose, camel pose, and any other pose that involves pressing them flat against the floor. With this mat the worst edge is taken off but I still have to modify sometimes. However, I do yoga on a hard wood floor and for this the mat is perfectly comfortable for my other joints, even when rolling on my back. I wouldn't want a super-thick mat when dealing with standing poses and downward dog, because of balance issues and the fact that thicker mats tend to stretch more.
My one misstep with this mat was when I tried to clean it for the first time to get any factory film off that might be contributing to sweaty-hand slippage. I used "mild detergent" and water like the packaging says, but I didn't realize how porous it is, and ended up having to roll it up in a towel to get out the huge amounts of water it was refusing to relinquish. Even after that I had to hang it next to the radiator for a few days to get out the last bits of moisture.
So those are a few things to keep in mind. I still really like the mat, though, and feel it was a good purchase.

I love the way this mat looks, with the brown background and the blue leaves. Several people in my classes have commented on it and wanted to know where they could get one.

Since it's made by Gaiam, you know that it's standard size for yoga and a product of good quality which provides excellent traction.

Mine arrived sealed in a plastic wrap and once unwrapped, it needed a few days of airing out, but that was not a problem for me, especially since I had been forewarned by previous reviewers. I'm very pleased with my pretty mat.

This is a really great mat, it looks awesome and is comfortable to sit/lay on. However, that being said, I do agree with a previous review that there is a weird smell when you first open it up. It does go away if you leave it unrolled for a day or two.
My wife liked it so much, she took it and gave me hers. On a side note, I've seen this exact mat at a couple of Barnes and Nobles- and I think it was cheaper there. (The shipping is VERY expensive for a light weight mat). I think it was about $9. So after S&H it is cheaper to buy it from B&N.

I have no other data point for comparison, this being my first mat; but I'm satisfied within all reasons. I definitely thought more than twice before buying, for fear of it turning out to be a smelly, slippery, too-thin, good-looking good-for-nothing-else. I was eventually still overcome by its charming looks, and so far I love it! The thickness turns out to be pretty acceptable (I'm doing it on carpet though); it's still smelling strongly (after 3-4 days) when I put my face next to it, but oh well, it's better than the air of Shanghai (where I'm from).

This yoga mat is exactly what I was expecting, and I'm very pleased with it!

Great mat - what could be better than a fully functional mat that's cute as well? If only doing yoga were as easy as choosing this mat.

I was extremely excited when my mat came in the mail! And it came so quickly too! I ordered it on Valentine's day and it came on Tuesday! I didn't even use two-day shipping! I actually got the free shipping. Amazon did a great job with delivering it!

I was afraid of purchasing this when I was reading some of the reviews on the smell, but when I opened mine, It didn't have a strong odor at all. I mean, it smelled like a yoga mat smells like, but nothing toxic like. I even used mine a few hours after getting it! My only problem, and I think this is for all yoga mats, is using it on the carpet is a little difficult to do. I guess my next investment will be something to put under my yoga mat. Now I am waiting for my matching bag that goes with it. I'm super excited! The website has other nice designs too.