Product Description

For ten years and counting the Black Mat has been renowned by serious yogis and hailed as the ‘Bentley’ and Taj Mahal’ of yoga mats. It is ideal for yoga and Pilates practitioners looking for performance, comfort and longevity from their mat. Its fabric-like surface finish is not sticky, yet slip-resistant, even when wet from perspiration. The firm material resists bunching and remains flat even when practicing on carpet or with sticky feet. The Black Mat is exceptional for cushioning your spine, hip bones, knees and elbows from punishing hard floors; its durability is superior to other mats.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #486 in Sports & Outdoors
• Size: 26 x 27 x 1/4
• Color: Black
• Brand: Manduka
• Model: BM71
• Dimensions: .25" h x 26.00" w x 71.00" l, 7.00 pounds

Features

• Superior wear and longevity
• Comfortably cushions spine, hips, knees, and elbows on hard floors
• Slip resistant, yet non-sticky, even when wet from perspiration; provides stability on hard or soft surfaces
• Eco-responsible manufacturing
• 7.0 lbs; 71 inches long; 26 inches wide; 1/4 inch thick

Amazon.com
One of the most durable yoga mats available, Manduka’s black mat is made from high-performance material designed to endure a lifetime of yoga practice. The mat has a specific top and bottom surface. The top’s sticky surface keeps feet firmly rooted during balancing poses, such as Warrior or Downward Facing Dog. The bottom side remains stable on hard floors or carpet, and won’t shift or bunch up during movement. The mat’s 1/4-inch thickness provides superior cushioning for the spine, hips, knees, and elbows during restful postures like Child’s pose. For safe practicing, the mat’s surface remains slip-free even when wet with perspiration. Measuring 71 inches long and 26 inches wide, the mat is long enough for taller yoga practitioners. Though its 6-1/2-pound weight makes it a little heavier than other yoga mats, with more weight, comes noticeably more comfort. --Cristina Vaamonde

Customer Reviews

Two Sides to All Yoga Mats; Know Which Side is Up
Yoga mats come in three basic thicknesses. At 1/4" this one tops even the thickest sticky mats. Roughly the thickness of two average mats together, this one will help cushion all those boney parts and not bunch up the way two mats together always seem to do. It's not only thicker, it's denser to boot. It's cushion without mushiness. However, this cushion comes at the price of being quite heavy -- more heavy than four average mats combined! Probably not the best choice for a mat you tote around unless you want to get in some extra strength training. This one is the kind you buy, find a place for, and leave it there. Also note that the roll this yoga mat makes is huge, something to consider if between practice storage space is an issue. The "thick" mats at 3/16" will still provide extra cushion without the hassle but if you've tried them and they're still not enough, this might be the way to go. Mats that are about one third as thick as this one (1/16") are good for travel or placing under a thicker mat to provide more traction. The average mats are about 1/8." This mat is also two inches wider than the average mat, 24" is the standard width, and three inches longer than average -- 68" is the standard length.

There are two sides to this and nearly all yoga mats. Look carefully at the 'bumps' on each side of the mat. On most mats, the larger bumps are designed to face upwards to cushion your hands, feet, and knees during poses while keeping your body from dangerously slipping out of alignment. The smaller bumps are designed to face downwards to grip the floor and keep the yoga mat from sliding. With this mat it's slightly different. Manduka's mats have a unique dotted bottom surface that holds the mat in place during your practice. It looks unlike any other mat you've ever seen. This mat also has a brand label on one end. Just like on most but not all mats with a label, it is located on the 'up' side.

You will need to wash this mat once before using it the first time to remove the coating. Instructions for this are included with the mat. This yoga mat will increase in stickiness with use. (So do most mats.) They start out mildly sticky and increase in stickiness the more they are used. If you find yours decreasing in stickiness each time you pull it out, this is the typical sign that a light coating of dust or too much body sweat has accumulated on your mat and it needs a light hand washing with very diluted soap and water. After washing, dry your mat unrolled, inside, and away from sunlight. (Hanging over the shower bar works nicely.)

When you first unroll your mat you will find one end to be a bit curled. Simply alternate the direction you roll your mat (top outside once, then bottom outside next) or the end you start from (curled end once, flat end next time) and you'll find it straightening out more or less over time.

I recommend buying your own yoga mat even if your yoga studio or gym provides them for you. I've worked in many studios and gyms over the years. Sometimes management has mats cleaned often, sometimes not. If you bring your own mat you always know where it's been. :o) Plus, owning your own mat may encourage you to begin valuable practice at home.

For my students who have trouble with their knees in some of the poses requiring the body weight to rest on a knee, I recommend temporarily folding over one end of the mat to get double cushion under the knee while still leaving one layer under the rest of the body. This saves you having to haul more than one mat out each time you practice which can be discouraging especially to the beginner.

Don't wait. It's worth the expense!
First off, I've been practicing ashtanga/power yoga for about a year and a half now. I'm not an expert, but I know what works for me. My hands and feet sweat a lot during class. Most mats I've tried turn into a slip-and-slide after the first 5 minutes. From day one I've had to use a towel under my hands at the front of the mat to keep from collapsing in down dog. I've tried them all, your standard "sticky" mat, a mysore rug, etc. The sticky mat gripped until I got sweaty then it was worthless. The mysore rug needed to be so wet to grip that I ended up sitting on wet spots (not fun). The Black Mat is the only one that works. It grips perfectly and I don't even need the towel under my hands. I also love that it is so thick and dense. It doesn't "follow" me when I jump through, provides plenty of padding for my knees/arms, and is very stable for balancing poses. I even like that it's heavy...it helps tone my arms!

Yogafiied
I bought the black mat due to great Amazon Customer reviews. Bottom line with this mat: If you are going to use the mat to constantly go to the yoga studio, buy the Purple Travel Mat from Manduka. If you are keeping this Black mat at home and not needing to travel with it, its an excellent mat. The Purple Travel mat is great for traveling, light weight enough and provided adequate yet firm padding for joints/knees. The Black Mat which I returned due to its weight and bulkiness, is better as a stationery, at home mat. Its depends on where you pratice your yoga. Both Manduka mats a wonderful products.