yoga fly paper

August 23, 2010 2:05 PM

What is the stickiest yoga mat in existence?

I am having problems with my current yoga mat; it's just not sticky enough. I want to get another one, of highest quality. But, before I drop up to $100 on a good mat, I want to ensure that it's sticky.

I'm 6' and 180lb. I typically do intense vinyasa, and by the end of the class I'm drenched in sweat and sliding all over.

I looked at reviews on Amazon, and I'm starting to get skeptical. It seems every mat has a ton of 5-star reviews, but there are always a few 1-stars saying that it's not sticky.

posted by TheOtherSide to health & fitness (15 answers total)

Manduka Black Mat
posted by asuprenant at 2:08 PM on August 23, 2010 [2 favorites]

I love my Lotuspad mat. It's not 100% slipproof, but it's very good, and cheaper than a lot of similar mats. They frequently have sales, too.

And I really love my Manduka eQua towel, which further prevents slippage (and you can blot your forehead sweat on it during child's pose). Try the towel before you get a new mat.
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:13 PM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

Try a cotton mat/rug on top of your regular yoga mat. It absorbes the sweat on your feet and hands (I have sweaty little feet--even in gentle classes) and the dampness increases traction. The regular yoga mat under it keeps it from sliding across the studio floor.
posted by TishSnave at 2:58 PM on August 23, 2010

My guy is your height and a little heavier, practices pretty intense ashtanga and sweats profusely. He had the same problem with sliding all over. He bought a pair of Vibram 5-finger shoes and sometimes also wears coated work gloves to do yoga, and he says that helps a lot- allowed him to keep using an inexpensive normal sticky mat from Wal-Mart. If you try the gloves, getting them from a construction workers' retail shop might help. They run about $6-10.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:58 PM on August 23, 2010

Oh, and you can also use those Vibram shoes for running, sports, and water sports- the barefoot thing has helped a lot of my friends with orthopedic issues like shin splints and back pain.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 3:00 PM on August 23, 2010

I'm totally with the mat towel suggestion. I see a lot of people with the Lululemon Mat Towel at my yoga studio, but I just use a hand towel for when I do my downwards dogs. As far as I know, yoga mats aren't designed to soak up much moisture and if there's a considerable amount on your mat, it seems logical that you would end up skidding. I'd definitely look into this solution before ponying up for a new mat.
posted by melancholyplay at 3:02 PM on August 23, 2010

Yoga mats are slippery when wet. Yoga towels are the opposite - spray or drip water on the foot/hand contact zones before you start.

Another towel option from YogiToes

Another, the the Breathe Mat, is a combination towel and mat.

There are also yoga blankets but they are much heavier. The Yogitoes towel is very easy to wash. Mats and rugs aren't.
posted by and for no one at 3:03 PM on August 23, 2010

i go to bikram thrice a week and the studio provides thin towels for us to put on top of our mats to absorb sweat. they're just cheap thin towels but one does the trick for most people. if i practiced somewhere that didn't provide towels, i'd probably just buy one of gaiam's thirsty yoga towels—they're microfiber and wick away sweat, so they work better and dry much faster than regular towels. plus they're only $25, so they're way cheaper than a fancy new mat!
posted by lia at 3:06 PM on August 23, 2010

The YogiToes towel is awesome. It's washable and travel-friendly, so you can bring it with you to other studios while travelling!
posted by barnone at 3:15 PM on August 23, 2010

You might also want to try something like Aurorae Yoga Slip Free Rosin Bag. I haven't tried it myself but a lot of people seem to like it and it's a lot cheaper than buying a yoga mat, so it seems worth a shot.
posted by radiomayonnaise at 5:04 PM on August 23, 2010

I have and love the Harmony Mat. I got it because I was such a sweat monster in vinyasa practice, and it was the only thing that didn't have my sliding all over the place. I agonized over the decision, but I'm so happy with my choice that I now have two and I've used them for years!
posted by hansbrough at 5:27 PM on August 23, 2010

*me. Whoopsies!
posted by hansbrough at 5:28 PM on August 23, 2010

I fit your specifications and I just use a cloth mat cover. The sweatier I get, the more I stick. I actually just use the mat and cloth mat service provided at my studio because I go a lot and it works out to be cheaper than buying new ones every few months; plus I don't have to maintain them myself.
posted by dobie at 5:40 PM on August 23, 2010

I hate to be this person, but are you sure the mat is your problem? I was having "omg need a stickier mat!" issues for a long time. Then I found out my hand and foot alignment was incorrect. After some somewhat humiliating corrections, I very rarely have that problem, even in sweaty vinyasa.

If anything, I would bet that those minority negative Amazon reviews are folks with bad alignment. Even if it's not your problem.
posted by Sara C. at 6:13 PM on August 23, 2010

I agree with Sara C. and everyone who recommended towels. I just bring a small hand towel with me and dry my hands off when i need, as opposed to laying it on my mat.

But also: your mat isn't new, is it? The mat that I've been using for years was really slick for the first few months, but became much stickier each time I washed it. I have no complaints anymore. I take it to the car wash and use the high pressure spray to clean the mat (don't get too close with the spray, though!). Furthermore, there is a 'top' and 'bottom' to my mat, and there is a difference in stickiness.
posted by palacewalls at 11:17 PM on August 23, 2010