Customer Reviews

Harbinger 340100 Durafoam Exercise Mat

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I've been using this for a variety of workouts recently from the P90X program.

I'll start by saying for plyometrics this thing is a godsend. With just a bit of attention to how you're jumping it's so thick I feel very little impact most of the time.

For yoga floorwork it's amazing. I can spend 5 minutes balanced awkwardly on one knee and never have (the knee) get uncomfortable.

For any exercise that spreads you out and places pressure on the mat though it's subpar for 2 reasons.

1st: It has absolutely no texture and is VERY smooth. It's also waterproof. Even a tiny bit of perspiration on your palms (or dripping off your face) makes keeping your hands in place for some push-ups and poses almost impossible.

2nd: Even if you can get a grip, the foam will stretch and give rather a lot. I've noticed a slide of about 2" when doing things like downward dog. Definetly not ideal, and for yoga I'm almost certainly going to have to replace it.

The softness of it is also a bit of a problem sometimes with the memory of the foam. It likes to indent to (and then stick to) shoe soles sometimes. It can also make balance poses tricky when you realize suddenly the foam you're balanced on is about as smooth as a teenage concession worker's face.

As far as smell goes, it has a bit of a rubber odor but that disipated quickly. And within 48 hours of unrolling it it had become quite flat.

Overall: as a mat for floorwork like crucnches and jumping/impact exercises its actually fantastic. It's very comfortable and takes out a ton of impact. For things that require careful positioning and places any tension on the mat though it's miserable so don't expect to have this be perfect.

I take a Pilates/conditioning class and I bought the mat to have one of my own instead of using a 'community gym' one. I love the way that it never slips when doing any sort of workout and the feeling of it is just wonderful!! I highly suggest you try this mat--it even comes with it's own velcro straps--others make you buy them.

This is a good mat for the price. However, there's a couple of negatives I've found in my own use of it. First, during vigorous exercise on a wood floor, the mat tends to move around a lot. It may have better holding power on a carpeted floor, but it slips and slides a bit on wood. Second, when doing extreme workouts or when it's really hot out and you're perspiring more than usual, the moisture on the mat turns it into a skating rink. Be careful. I keep an extra towel handy to keep the mat dry.
It is very comfortable and appears to be durable. My mat had an initial newly-manufactured smell, but it was slight and went away very quickly.
Again, the price is great and the overall quality is good.

I am use to doing abs work and pilates on the carpet, but my carpeting did not have enough padding so I decided to order an exercise mat. I a very please with my order. I noticed the difference right away. The cushioning it gives my lower back is awesome.

I ordered this as part of my P90X workout efforts and, having read the (*very helpful*) reviews by other members, I expected it to have a 'new mat' smell. I was not disappointed. It did have a very industrial smell to it. What I did not anticipate was how strong the odor was when you got right down in chaturanga position on it. Wow! The first couple of workouts took some special breathing techniques.

The good news is that the new mat smell has let up considerably - mostly because I left it unrolled for several days so it could air out. Now, with three weeks of use, I barely notice it any more.

What I did not anticipate was the lack of durability. I have used the mat perhaps 10 times, and have not hit it with particularly heavy duty. I weigh ~ 190 lbs, do most of my yoga barefoot, and there are distinct wear spots already showing up. The material of this mat does not have a very durable surface and it tears with normal usage.

In my opinion, this mat is a 're-use' of a foam material designed for some other use. I would gladly give up some of the cushioning for a tougher material.

I don't think that I will be able to get more than another month out of this mat before I have worn a hole straight through it.

I cannot recommend this mat.

I bought this mat for my Yoga class. I've found it quite usable for that purpose. It's easy to unfurl and easy to roll up. It has its own velcro straps. The only annoying thing I've found is that curls slightly on the back end, but always straightens out when I lay it flat. I injured my knee in an accident along the way, and the extra padding with this mat has allowed me to continue doing Yoga. That has been a big plus. I noticed after a year there was a slight slippage in the mat when I was doing lunge positions. Also, I found that it was difficult to do balance positions, because of the extra thickness. As such, I usually just step off the mat for the balance poses. On the whole, I'd give this mat a 5 star rating. Comfortable, durable, easy to use.

Although the thickness/cushioning was great on this mat, I gave it away to charity because even after owning it for several years the strong chemical smell never went away.

We find it to be a great mat.

- Great size, maybe just a bit narrow
- Rolls up to a nice size for storing
- Nice thickness but not too thick for exercise
- Ours has never had a smell

For that price it was a bargain!

This product was great for my needs of pilates exercises. I am a tall woman and it was great in length and provided excellent cushion for my tailbone. The mat is easy to store and keep clean!

No bad order at all from the mat. I was a little apprehensive about purchasing this mat after seeing all the reviews about the smell coming from the mat when new, but I purchased it anyway. It is a good product and worth every penny - cushions you well while exercising and does not slip around on or under you.