Lunch today likely looks familiar if you stopped by the blog yesterday.
More noodles with peanut sauce, chicken and veggies!
There was a bit of yesterday’s lunch leftover today and I ate the remaining noodles around noon. I took a bite of the noodles straight out of the fridge and ended up liking them so much cold, that I didn’t even bother to heat them up.
Since today’s portion was a bit on the small side, I supplemented the noodles with a fresh pear and a cup of honey vanilla bean Voskos Greek yogurt.
This may be a bold statement, but Voskos honey vanilla bean is one of my all-time favorite Greek yogurt flavors. I’m a sucker for the flecks of vanilla bean in every container. They remind me of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream.
Yoga Mat Mission
If you follow PBF on Facebook or Twitter, then you may already know that I’m in the market for a new yoga mat.
The first and only yoga mat I purchased came from Marshalls and while it was inexpensive and pretty, I’m beginning to realize it’s lacking in two very important areas. It’s too short (I’m 5’7’’) and it’s too thin. The length isn’t a big deal, but I’d love a mat that’s a little longer so I don’t have to scoot forward or backward on the mat as often, interrupting poses.
The thickness is my main issue. My current yoga mat is very thin and I’ve found myself coming out of poses prematurely because my knees hurt from digging into the hard floor since my mat provides next to no cushioning.
When I asked you guys for your recommendations on Facebook and Twitter, I received a bunch of feedback and now have my research cut out for me.
A couple of you asked me (via Twitter) to share the most commonly recommended mats with you, so here’s a line up of the current top contenders, as recommended by PBF-reading yoga masters:
- Jade: Harmony
- Lululemon: The Mat
- Aurorae: Classic
After reading reviews and descriptions about the above mats, they all seem to be thicker and most are a bit longer than the typical yoga mats. Unfortunately they’re all pricier than the yoga mats I’ve found at random stores like TJMaxx or Target, but if they last forever, as many claim they do (Manduka even has a lifetime guarantee), and make my yoga experience more comfortable, perhaps investing in a high-quality yoga mat that I won’t have to replace is worth the splurge? Or at least maybe it’s worth putting on my birthday wish list for the end of the month!
If you have additional thoughts about any of the above yoga mats or if I should investigate another mat all together, please let me know in the comments section.
Namaste!
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I have a Lululemon mat and it sucks, it’s so slippery! My yoga studio rents out Jade mats and they are really good! I definitely want to get one when I get a new mat (hopefully soon)!
The Jade mat is the best I’ve ever used. It’s thick and it’s not as slippery as most mats. With a lot of mats (especially mats that cost $10-20), you have to spray a special mixture to help it not be sticky. The Jade one isn’t like that. It’s a really good mat, worth the money.
I JUST did a post on my new Manduka ProLite. Feel free to check it out 🙂
My 6’5 co-workers swears by the Manduka. He was showing it to me the other day and even though he practices yoga pretty regularly the thing showed no signs of wear & tear after about 2 years of use.
The jade harmony mat changed my yoga experience. I’m a sweater (sweat-er?) and its the only mat I’ve ever used where I don’t feel like I’m going to slide onto my face in downward dog. Worth every penny just for getting rid of awkward slipping around.
I have a Gaiam mat, and I like it ok. However, I am just now getting into yoga. I would love for you to do a yoga blog and let us know what videos and such that you do!
I had mat issues, too! I found myself bruising up from Pilates, so my friend bought me a new mat as a gift! Here’s the description I got off their website: Green your practice with a Natural Fitness Natural Rubber Yoga Mat. Made from natural rubber, a sustainable and biodegradable material, these mats offer superb traction and a high-rebound dense cushion. Our mats are longer than traditional yoga mats and each has two colors. 3/16” x 24” x 69”. Earth/Red Rock color.
It may be a little cheaper than the ones you were looking into. It did take quite a while for the rubber smell to dissipate, but aside from the smell, I love the cushion it provides! 🙂
So here’s my yoga mat spiel: Do you want an open cell mat or closed cell mat? Open cells, are going to feel stickier because it absorbs a lot of the sweat and gunk that would sit on the surface of a closed cell mat. But open cells are also more difficult to clean than a closed cell. What type of yoga do you do? If it’s hot yoga, you may want a stickier mat; if it’s vinyasa, you may want a mat that’s less sticky for chatarunga-updog-downdog transitions. Do you want a biodegradable mat, or one that will last forever? Rubber biodegradable mats are meant to break down, meaning that it’s going to break down and biodegrade from regular use. And they smell strongly of rubber in the beginning. PVC mats won’t biodegrade and will generally last longer, but aren’t as environment-friendly. So the different brands you have listed all have their own strengths and weaknesses, depending on what you’re looking for.
Manduka pro/prolite: closed cell, PVC
Manduka eko: closed cell, rubber
Jade: open cell, rubber
The Mat: open cell??, rubber with PU layer
I personally use a manduka prolite (portable, good for vinyasa transitions, easily wipes down between deep cleans) with a yogitoes towel on top halfway through class (soaks up sweat, easy to wash)
I am OBSESSED with my Jade yoga mat. It’s thick and spongy and it’s really rubbery (I don’t like the smooth kind because I do hot yoga sometimes and I start to slide around < not cute.) I'm 5'9" and I got the longer length.
Also, these are really friendly to the environment, which I appreciate. And they come in nice solid colors. I hate the kind of mat that looks like it's tie-dyed.
Put it on your birthday list! I got mine for Christmas after my old mat started to flake bits off (it was a cheapo Gaiam from Target). I realize now that I totally would have paid full price myself had I known just how much better it would be!
Think a Manduka ProLite will be my next mat!
I’m 5’2, and I have the lululemon mat. I LOVE this mat, and it’s definitely long enough for my 5’8 sister to use. It has some texture, which makes it great for hot classes, and it is the most comfortable mat I’ve ever used. Anything lululemon that I’ve used has been extremely high quality, and the mat is no different.
Kimberly, I hear ya! They’re so expensive… but I’ve had my groove yoga pants for two and a half years now and they look the same as the day I bought them (and I wear them at least twice a week!)
I would love to own everything by Lululemon but it’s all so stinking expensive. I often wonder whether it’s worth it to splurge for the higher quality yoga clothes.
Where do you get the Voskos Greek yogurt at? I have not heard of that kind. It looks really good.
personally U go cheap yoga mat route and replace mine every 6 months. They get sweaty and germs no matter what!!
Hi! I also had an experience with the LuLu Lemon The Mat as well and not a very positiveone. I found it to be quite slippery and really not worth the price. I find I enjoy my TjMaxx mat actually better than the Lululemon mat. Although it is cushier it was so slippery I could barely do the poses in bikram yoga.
My current trend is to get the cheap mat & replace it every 6 months or so. I like using a yoga towel on the mat too, keeps it cleaner & it provides a little more traction/support.
I have an Aurorae yoga mat that I love! It is so comfortable and I’ve had it for three years now. I use it pretty frequently and I’ve never had any problems with it. The only wear marks are from my cats chewing on it.
Lululemon has a travel version of the mat which is awesome because it’s cheaper but just as awesome! I use it over my $5 Marshall’s mat it’s perfect! It’s CRAZY how a mat can change how you do yoga. I was a skeptic till I tried it. Speaking of such, if you can attend a free lululemon class they will let you try on of their mats, it’s nice to try before you invest in it 🙂
I was also doing a lot of research and asked my yoga instructor and my sister-in-law, who owns her own yoga studio. I was looking at Manduka, Jade and Lululemon. They both said they loved their Jade mats so I went with a Jade and I love it! I have been using it for about 2 months now and have no complaints. It was definitely an improvement over my thin, worn-out Nike mat. Worth the splurge if you plan to keep doing yoga.
Another tip my yoga instructor gave me to make your mat last is to not leave it in the trunk of your car, something I was guilty of. It can make the rubber break down more quickly, especially in hot, humid Georgia…or Florida! Good luck 🙂
i recently upgraded to the manduka pro lite and i love it. it took a few classes to break it in but now it’s perfect! it’s plenty thick and has good grip. i haven’t tried the others BUT I did the research too and came to the conclusion that if I was going to spend that kind of money I wanted one with a lifetime guarantee. I also asked my instructors so you could try that too!
Hi Julie,
I’ve tried all but the Aurorae, and my mat of choice is the Jade Harmony. I had the Manduka Pro, but even though I practiced frequently on it, it never got less slippery. So, I switched to the Jade, and have never looked back – it’s a stellar mat, has lasted through four teacher trainings plus hundreds of practice sessions, and just keeps getting better!
Hey Julie,
I’m a yoga instructor…..from my experience, the manduka pro lite is the best, I’ve had mine for almost 5 years and it’s even made three trips to India and been around the world and has still held up. The manduka pro is also very nice, BUT it is HUGE and heavy…..
I’ve had many students use the jade and lululemon mats, and have noticed they end up shredding and falling apart….also, the jade is pretty thin as well…..just my 2 cents 😉 Good luck!
I LOVE my Jade. I am cheap and I practiced with a Gaiam mat from Target for yearssss but finally last year when I started teaching I decided to splurge and get a good mat. It’s totally changed my practice. I love that I don’t have to use a towel during hot yoga practices.
I’ve been using a Jade mat for about a year and a half (it was on my Christmas list!), and I still love it. I’ve never had a Manduka, so I can’t speak to how they compare, but the Jade is a little less pricey and lighter in weight and has held up well for me with frequent use since I attend 3 to 6 classes a week. I’m also 5’7″ and since I didn’t get the longer option, I like to add a small folded towel at the front of the mat to give my space a few extra inches. It’s always nice to lay my face down on something soft when we do any work on our stomachs. Hope you find a mat that works for you!
If I could find a yoga mat that doesn’t slip while I’m on it I would be happy.
I absolutely LOVE my Lululemon Yoga mat. I take it to Bikram every Sunday and it still looks brand new! I highly recommend it.
I want to write the copy on the back of hair products….is that weird??!!!!
I have The Mat from Lululemon and it’s a good mat however, if I was buying a new one I’d go Manduka. I think it’s the best for no slipping and I like how it’s the waffle weave. The Lululemon one has a slick finish and really shows all my sweat! Gross. 🙂
Sorry I’m late to the yoga mat party!
I have some input if you haven’t bought a mat yet!
1) I hear The Mat is life changing. BUT I also hear it does slip in hot yoga.
2) Jade is amazing but personally it’s really rough on my hands has this weird gritty feel when I rolled over in chataranga.
3) I literally started yoga just over a year ago but I go about 4-5x per week. I bought a reasonably priced mat off YogaAccessories.com (cheesy sounding, I know). Its extra long (Im also 5/7), 1/4″ thick, and I would absolutely buy one again! Its really no-frills, it doesn’t slip — I don’t slip either (although there was a slight break in period of like 2 weeks that it was a little slippy) – and its just starting to wear now. For the $17 I paid, totally got my money’s worth!
Hope that helps!
Out here in India you have these Chinese unbranded ones much like the Jades shown above and then you have the ones available at the branded sportswear outlets of Adidas, Reebok and Nike. As a top skin and anti aging doctor from Mumbai, most of my patients are yoga practioners and we often end up exchanging notes on yoga. For me, a closed cell mat purchased from Reebok has turned out to be an excellent buy. My experience with the Chinese ones were not so good what with the mats starting to decay and bearing the brunt of my nails and ultimately ended up looking like a cat scratched them thoroughly! The Reebok one does not have a single sign of wear and tear and washes easily too and looks as good as new even after a year of use. Oh the mat also has a nice carrying case with a shoulder sling attached too! You should definitely look at exclusive mats that come with a carrying case to improve portability though there are nice yoga bags in the market with exterior elastic loops to stick your rolled up mat through them.
I had the same dilemma just a few weeks ago, Jade vs. Maduka vs. lululemon.
Luckily I went to a yoga trade show and got to compare and contrast them all!
This is what I came to realize…
They’re all GREAT mats, but the lululemon and Maduka mats WEIGHT A TON, so unless you want the extra workout carrying your mat to class, I highly suggest JADE!!
I ended up buying a Jade mat and LOVE IT.
I really wanted something that wouldn’t make my hands SLIP, because they always do during class….
Hope that helps!!!
I’ve gone through several yoga mats and brands, and have found that what type of yoga makes a difference. I currently do “Power Yoga” which is a hot Vinyasa yoga- and you SWEAT! For a really sweaty yoga, Jade has been THE WAY to go. Its a nice, thick, quality feeling mat that helps you not slip all over!
I’ve been using my Jade for over a year and its been way worth the money!
Hi Julie!
I am a native Floridian! Born in Miami & raised in Orlando! I now reside in Philadelphia, PA! A good friend from Orlando recommended I check out your blog! I am a designer and I happen to design beautiful yoga bags and I also rep JADE yoga mats! I personally think that Jade Mats are the BEST! My yoga mat is 5 years old & looks & performs as good as the day I bought it! I would love to send you one of my yoga bags to try if you would be interested in writing a blog about them & perhaps offering one as a “PROMOTIONAL GIVEAWAY”! All the best!!! Kim Michie
I know that you just bought a mat (slippery) but I did see Bethenny has a skinny girl yoga mat! it looks amazing and folds up instead of rolling up! just thought i’d let you know, better late than never!!
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Definitely the Manduka, for me! The quality is awesome, it’s long enough and I just love the feel of it!