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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great traction & pretty thick natural rubber yoga mat, August 3, 2007
I was looking for an all natural mat since I have issues with synthetics by getting headaches, joint pain/weakness, nausea & even stop breathing/throat closes up from it. (Foam mattresses & pillows destroy me, even if only 1/4" thick, I get much better energy from my 100% cotton mattress & buckwheat pillows.) I have never used yoga mats before except the used ones at a gym class since I have had no problems just using my carpet. I have recently removed the carpet & using bare wood floors & therefore it kills my knees.
I was searching until I found this almost by accident when for the price I was going to settle for "TPE (Thermal Plastic Elastomer) foam" or "PER (Polymer Environmental Resin)" that don't contain heavy metals, PVC or possibly phthalates & looking for a good thickness.
This is 24" X 68L" X .18 thick (61 cm X 172 cm X 4.5 cm) & has an open cell/spongy look to it by looking at the insides from the side, since it's only a basic cut to separate the material into each mat. It's got a very good thickness, it's very non-slippery, it does not slide at all on the floor & your feet will never slide by accident.
The mat itself is green & the red/orange/yellow is an added layer that kinda looks like thin polyester material? that's scratchy to the flick of a nail. This has a textured feel to it, like the texture of a screened textured t-shirt & nothing like a regular cheap yoga mat. The smell reminds me of being in a bicycle shop when I was a kid. The smell isn't strong, you have to put your nose to it & goes away in a few hours w/o doing anything.
Gaiam says to spot clean w/damp cloth w/cold water & mild detergent & dry flat. They write the mat may become brittle & unusable if exposed to the sun for extended periods of time.
At one end of the rolled mat, there was a small sized DVD tucked in paper. It contains 10 min of Susan Deason's Lower Body Yoga from a couple of years ago.
A gf who had her own average cheep sticky mat used hers & her feet slipped easily on it & the mat moved as well. I offered mine & she was in love instantly & happily surprised how her feet felt glued securely to the mat & made holding standing poses even easier. I think even sweat issues won't be a problem, but I use a/c when it's hot.
Because of the thickness, excellent traction on the floor itself & for your feet & the natural material, I gave this 4 stars, time will tell if I change it to 3 or 5 stars.
1/2008 - it's been 5 months, no problems at all, no degradation at all, no issues. *knock on wood* I keep it in a room where it can get 80º maybe more, but no direct sunlight & still holding well. I use it about 2-3x/week.
Here's the VERY interesting thing.... I've always struggled for years with side angle, warrior poses with the 90º bent front knee (triangle was always easy). I now have NO problem & can do it with EASE! I think the security of this mat has allowed me to relax & ground with security & can now do those poses even now on a bare wood floor or something slippery. This is not due to muscle strength, this change is sudden only since buying the mat & I have not increased my exercise schedule or increased yoga or toning workouts.
I WANT TO CHANGE THIS TO FIVE STARS!! I would do more if possible!
6/2008 - Yes, the mat is still going strong. I'm surprised others are having troubles, especially with the smell. I don't have the nose of a hound, but I can tell when food is bad though it looks fine. The smell does linger though I kept it in a room with the windows open almost daily from when I bought it until the weather got below 65º. I never put it outside or kept it really unrolled to air out.
My two dogs upon seeing it on the floor the first time, immediately crawled on it to lay down though they have their own soft, 100% cotton thicker mats to sleep on. Every time I unroll it, they're already laying on it while I'm still setting up the yoga dvd & I always have to push them off.
Yes, to this day if I put the mat right up to my nose & breathe deep I can still smell it lightly, but it almost smells pleasant. It smells much better then any plastic product, now those give me a headache & are unbearable, especially the first time you flip open a book with plastic pages? Man, I almost faint from that.
Oh, to the woman who gets a static build-up? Yes, it kinda sticks to my floor with that build-up, but I almost never get shocked.
5/2009 - the mat is still going strong, though I admit I only use it 1-2x/weak. The dogs still always try to lay on it, even as I am doing yoga. Doing downward dog while a dog walks then lays under you is a bit ironic. I never had any slipping issue, that's why I love this, it holds me true better then the usual plastic mats. I admit I have low metabolism & don't sweat much, especially from my feet or hands at all, nor do I work out to the point that I am dripping w/sweat. Maybe that's the difference?
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pleased!!, February 22, 2008
I bought this mat because I wanted one made of natural materials. I have not been disappointed. Many of my students like the look of it, and are impressed when they find out it is natural.
The only thing I have against the mat is that when I practice on our wooden floor at the studio, it builds up a really good static charge that gets me when I pick up the mat at the end of class!!! Otherwise, it is a grippy delight, and allows me to hold my postures as long as I want. I would highly recommend it for others.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Choice, December 21, 2008
This review is from: Gaiam Soft Grip Premium Eco Yoga Mat (Misc.)
At first I liked this mat a lot. It was summer and it was pretty to look at and held the floor well. Then came the fall. I started sliding all over and recently my teacher almost took at header as he stepped on it.
I called Gaiam and they suggested I wash it in vinegar or return it. I tried the vinegar since returning a product several months after purchase/use isn't an option. The vinegar helped remove the residual odor but made no difference on the slipping.
Don't waste money on this mat. I also thought that Gaiam would have done more and was disappointed at how they handled this situation.
I see from some other reviews that I'm not alone. Maybe this mat is good for gentle/restorative yoga but it doesn't seem to be able to handle holding the floor for a strong/moving practice.
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by Leslie Kaminoff
DVD ~ Shiva Rea
