Customer Reviews

Natural Fitness Powerhouse Mat

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased several products from Natural Fitness during a recent exercise bender and have been really happy with them. The powerhouse mat is soft, durable and surprisingly "sticky" for a yoga mat (which is a good thing, by the way). Slightly longer than a standard mat, the powerhouse allows me the extra space I need to practice more complicated variations, like the Ganda-Berundasana position which I've been working on for years.

Aside from the obvious structural qualities, I also really appreciate that this mat is all natural. In a yoga practice, using a mat constructed of natural materials just makes sense!

I bought this mat from another location, and I was excited when I received it. Natural Fitness is a great company with a message that I really identify with. The mat was a great color and the thickness was wonderful, especially because of how bony I am around the hips and knees.

However, I was EXTREMELY disappointed in it when it was put into practice. I brought it to my yoga class, and was horrified when my (perfectly manicured, thank you very much) toe punctured the mat! On top of that, it left lasting indentations from where I shifted my weight or changed position. The mat was also too light for the thickness it has -- thus, when changing position, the mat changes with you. Also, the material is very sticky and when performing with the mat in a class, it is best done in pants so your legs do not stick.

I immediately took it back to the store for a refund. I purchased the Divine yoga mat from Natural Fitness instead, and have no complaints. This mat may be fine for someone doing ab work... On a carpet... In their own home. That's about it.

I love the eco-mindedness of this mat, that's why I rated it so high, and it is also very comfortable, but it is not very durable - I punctured it several places the first time I used it, and it is now ripped in several spots, which is a real bummer. Hopefully they can improve its durability because it's a great product otherwise.

This mat is great for my body type. I am slim and the thickness of the mat cushions my bones during Pilates. However, the mat tears easliy when pressure is applied from the different poses and stretches that require you to put weight on your feet and push outward (i.e: split stretches).

This mat has a great color and feel and is quite thick. The thickness is great if you need a mat to absorb more impact such as in pilates (or if you're working on a cold floor in the winter, which I have found it quite useful for). If you're looking for a yoga mat, this is much thicker than any yoga mat I've seen before. It's nice and sticky but stretches when you put pressure (for example if you jump back into plank, your feet land and then the whole mat elongates a bit). Also if you have cats, watch out! Their claws can destroy the surface if you leave them alone with the mat for 2 seconds. Traveling with it is also a bit of a challenge because it is so thick; it's about 7 inches in diameter when rolled up. Overall, it works well but again is better for pilates than yoga.

This yoga mat is nice and long and thick enough to provide some comfort. It could be a bit wider for a man 6 feet or more in size, however. My only complaint is that in just a month of use I've already began noticing cracks and notable "holes" (though not all the way through) at pressure points, such as those caused by kneeling.

This mat works well with my workouts (cardio with ab work & yoga). The only problem I have is part of it is now torn up due to low lunges and another area is worn down and thin due to low planks.

I use this mat five days a week and have found it very comfortable. The mat is always soft with firm cushioned support when and where needed. I keep it rolled up when not in use but when unrolled it lays flat within a minute. Each time I unroll it it looks just as clean and smooth as it did the day I received.

This is a great mat for working out at home, its has enough padding to make it comfortable for doing yoga and crunches. However, because of the padding its not great for carrying it around with you everywhere. I got it primarily for home - and that's where it needs to stay. It would have been really great if it came with a way to keep this mat tied together just for storage purposes.

This mat has incredible cushion and comfort, it feels like silk, and it is extremely light weight. The down side is that it is not very durable. I once stepped on it with my shoes on, and the foot print stayed for a few weeks. The foot print is gone now, but there are some small tears where the foot print was. I practice Falun Gong which is a Chigong meditation practice. We do 4 standing exercises in which we do not move the feet, and we do one seated exercise in half or full lotus position. That is the reason I bought this mat. It cushions the ankle bone when sitting in half lotus, and prevents it from digging into the floor, which is truly excruciating. Since we do not move our feet in the standing exercises, we do not put much stress on the mat. I would give that some serious consideration if I practiced Yoga. I would not recommend using this mat for outdoor workouts for the same reason. I keep this mat at home. I use a different mat when I practice outdoors. This mat is great for my purposes, if yours are similar to mine, I would highly recommend it.