Good Sweat
Jade vs. Manduka: Yoga mat throwdown
Photo: Flickr/LululemonAthletica
New York is filled with fitness rivalries: Mets vs. Yankees, Flywheel vs. SoulCycle, and now Jade vs. Manduka—the manufacturers of the best-selling yoga mats.
Even though a non-competitive, live-and-let-live spirit pervades yoga philosophy, yogis take sides when it comes to mats. Considering that it’s the only major piece of equipment required and an important decision, maybe it’s no wonder?
Studios have their preferences, too, based on the loaner mats they stock: You’ll find devotees of Jade at Jivamukti and Manduka at Kula Yoga Project.
We spent months sweating on both Jade and Manduka mats—and tapped the Well+Good community on Facebook and Twitter to hear what makes someone a die-hard fan of one mat or the other. What’s the best mat in class? Read on:
New York yoga luminaries Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamukti pose for Jade yoga mats
JADE, www.jadeyoga.com
Jade is currently New York City’s “it mat.” It has an all-purpose reputation and a democratic price point ($64.95 for the premium Harmony model and $49.95 for travel or those who carry their mats everywhere). All Jade mats are made from tree rubber, and with every purchase, the company plants a tree, which kinda makes it hard to find fault.
Though some yogis are fickle, most readers we talked to loved the stability and stickiness of Jade mats—3:1 over Manduka—and Jade loaners seem to be found in more NYC studios (according to our admittedly non-comprehensive quest).
But some hard-core yogis complained that the stickiness doesn’t work for vinyasa or flow-based styles. “In chaturanga to up-dog transitions, you need to slide your feet back a bit as you roll over them for correct alignment. Yogis with a strong core and floating ability can manage to slip their feet back on a Jade. But for most of us, this is very difficult,” said one reader. Another complained that after a spell in hot yoga it “stretches all over the place,” but she loves it so much she’s just going to get another.
Other assets mentioned: It doesn’t come with that slick “just-manufactured film” that you have to wash off with apple cider vinegar. And it’s not “heavier than a medicine ball.”
Takeaway: Jade’s got mass appeal—hitting the right combination of affordability, stickiness, and tote-ability for most New Yorkers.
(Photo: Tiffany Assman, Flickr)
MANDUKA, www.manduka.com
The Rolls Royce of yoga mats. Manduka has yogis throwing down $90 for its legendary Black Mat Pro, and $100 for limited edition colors—currently a black sapphire. The Black Mat Pro is favored by many yoga teachers, has a lifetime warranty, and its deep cushion and non-slip bottom make it a far cry from the plastic sheets many New York City yogis are used to practicing on.
The aspirational price tag yogis can overlook, but not the Black Mat Pro’s weight problem. Because it tops 7 pounds, it’s “super impractical” for yoga-mat-toting New Yorkers. Said one yogi: “For me [the choice is about] weight over almost anything else. The Manduka is super sturdy (whereas I usually have to replace my Jade mats every 9 months or so), but it’s SO. FREAKING. HEAVY.”
Manduka’s lighter mats, like the Manduka Pro Lite ($68–$70), cost less and still feel sturdy. But the yogis we talked to either loved it and how it folds up or found it “ice-rink slippery.” Perhaps more a factor of a yogi’s sweat production than the mat’s construction? The popular Manduka Eko mat (made with tree rubber and subject to kleptomania) has the “slight slip required for chaturanga transitions.” The Eko Lite ($36–$42) can “buckle a little on the floor” but is otherwise “a great option.”
Takeaway: The pricey Black Mat Pro is more of a commitment—and its 7-pounds-of-cushion make it best for yoga teachers and yogis who leave their mats at a studio. Manduka’s light-weight models are solid spin-offs. —Melisse Gelula
Got an opinion about your yoga mat? Tell us in the Comments area, below.
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My hands get so slippery, the jade is the only mat I’ve found where I don’t constantly have to replant my hands. Love it. Also, does anyone have any tips to help hands from sliding forward in downdog?
I have owned both types of mats. The Jade mat was ok at first, but the performance really broke down over time. My Manduka Black Mat and Pro Lite have lasted for years and still perform like the day I bought them. I have not had any issues with them being slippery, but I do use one of their awesome eQua towels when I practice Bikram.
I love everything Manduka, but my heart (and sweaty hands) belong to my Jade yoga mat.
I have 2 Manduka Black Mat Pro mats and I love them. I have owned and used other mats and they just dont hold up to daily use or give me the cushion I need for 90 minute sessions. I use an eQua towel in my heated class to both prevent slippage and collect the sweat. They are admittedly heavy and I might switch to the lighter versions if I were carrying it in the city but until then, you cant pry this baby away from me.
I hated the Manduka. I have no idea what the hype is about! I slid all over the place, a mat from Target worked better.
I took a friend’s advice and got “The Mat” by Lululemon, and I am completely in LOVE!! This is the best yoga mat I have ever used. I highly recommend it!
Eko Lite Pro is my favorite mat in the world! I test the cushion-ness, not enough and my hip bones are horrified in stomach balancing poses and too much (which is most mats) I step off for balancing poses. And you will have it forever, who cares if something is less expensive and made of tree if you are committed to buying it every 1-2 years?
I really loved my Jade–I went through my teacher training with it–and was heartbroken when it started stretching (despite my attempts to practice non-attachment). Hearing that a fellow yogi’s Manduka PROlite was on it’s 7th year and still going strong, I went with that for the Jade’s replacement. I find it has a bit more cushioning than the Jade, but isn’t heavier (I do cart my around the city). It does seem a bit more slippery, but not by much, though it’s tough to compare a newer mat to a well-used one on that front.
Both are wonderful mats though, you can’t go wrong with either one.
Full disclosure: I have not used a Jade mat. But I love my Manduka. I have a PROLite, not too heavy, still super-supportive, and been with me for going on 3 years. It takes a while to break in and wear off whatever that ‘new mat’ slippyness is, but after that it’s yours forever. And the company has a really good vibe. But at the end of the day, it’s about whatever works for you and your practice.
I am in love with my woMANDUKA, my second one and when I roll it out I feel grounded, secure and all one, it’s totally my security blanket. Several students have followed and now we are 8 strong in yoga classes.
My fave is the Manduka EkoLite. I’m on my 3rd one. Used one to death, accidentally left the second one in Tulum, and now I’m on number 3 and will probably go on to get number 4 once I wear through it.
I find that it’s good and sticky. I think I have extra-slippery sweat that turns Jades and the Manduka Pro mats into slip ‘n’ slides. The Mandukas are also not too cushy so I don’t feel like I’m on a wobble-board as I stand on one foot.
I also like that the EkoLite doesn’t have a super-strong rubber odor. Back when I owned a Jade, I felt like no matter how much I washed my hands after practicing, they still smelled like rubber.
But that said, tons of my students and friends are in love with Jade. It just doesn’t work for me. At least lots of studios use them as their rental mats, so you can test drive them before buying your own.
I searched high and low for a Manduka PRO in Australia after wearing my way through countless cheaper mats. So glad I made the effort, it is everything I wanted. I was worried about the weight factor as I like to carry mine to the studio, however the bags I make have made it a breeze to carry them around, messenger style. LOVE my Manduka.
I haven’t used a Jade (but I have used Lululemon’s “The mat”, which appears to have the same surface). I use a Manduka Pro and love it. It’s cushioning without being spongey; never slides around on the floor; doesn’t stretch (or shred, which is how all my past yoga mats met their untimely deaths); and is as grippy as any mat could be considering I use it daily either in hot yoga or Ashtanga. It also Yes, it’s heavy, but that’s not a problem if you can leave it at the yoga studio, which I do. If I was still carrying my mat everywhere I’d have to find an alternative (it’s WAY too heavy for that, and I don’t think the Lite version would be cushioning enough in, say, Janusirsasana B) but as a ‘non-portable’ mat, it’s ideal.
Well, I use neither of these, though they’re both great mats. I’ve found the best for my practice is the Eco Yoga Mat, which combines jute with rubber and is touted as eco-friendly — also a consideration. Got mine at http://www.barefootyoga.com
YogaZura currently stocks Manduka yoga Mats within Australia.
I have used both Jade and Manduka mats. If you’re looking for the best performance and durability then I think either the Manduka PRO or PROLite mats are the way to go, you’ll get more life out of them then the Jade’s. They do take a little while to break in though.
Both the Jade and Manduka eKO mats are made from tee rubber, great for the environment, but it means they have a shorter life cycle and will naturally deteriorate over time. I think they’re pretty comparable in performance, though the Manduka eKO has a tri-layer technology which gives it a bit more stability which prevents wrinkles and stretching.
I have both. A black mat pro that I use for my home practice and a jade that I take to studios. The Jade mat has been great, but after a year is pilling and stretching every time I use it. It is not made to hold up to extended daily use. The black mat pro is slippery when you first get it. It has to be broken in….but once it is, it is completely worth it. It’s heavy, which is why it stays at home, but that’s where I prefer to do my main practice. I have been able to stabilize myself in arm balancing and inversions in a way I never could with the Jade.
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Yes, I agree, the Jade Yoga mat is the way to go. Plus there are great ways to use it with pretty much any exercise that you do.
I purchased a Manduka pro lite mat. After struggling to use it for 5 weeks I found the slipperyness unacceptable and contacted Manduka for a refund. I was told I was past the 30 refund limit and to scrub it with sea salt and dry in the sun (quite the feat in CT in the winter). I did a salt scrub 2x and still as slippery as ever. I called them again and they made me send the mat to them so they could do the salt scrub themselves and decide for themselves if the mat is slippery. If they deem it slippery I have a choice of getting another model mat they offer. NO REFUND! They have yet to send it back to me or contact me so I don’t know what the final outcome will be but I can say one thing for sure: NEVER EVER EVER BUY A MANDUKA MAT! Just for their lack of customer service if nothing else. Very poor business sense.
[...] There seems to be a Jade vs Manduka thing going on. Some prefer the spongey feel of the Jade while others prefer the hardness of the [...]
It really is time to move past the Manduka vs Jade debate we think. The Eco Yoga Store has been selling yoga mats for several years and can conclude after talking to many customers each practitioner has a slightly different body oil composition and all release different levels of sweat and body oil during their practice. At the Eco Yoga Store we stock Manduka because their range is far more extensive than Jade. They make 100% natural rubber mats. (Anyone slipping slightly on the coloured side of their eKO should turn it over as the back side is almost identical to a Jade!) But Manduka also produce high quality German PCV mats that have a lifetime guarantee. That is just as eco as buying a rubber mat as you are buying a product that doesn’t need to be purchased over and over like a rubber mat does. Also the German PVC is produced under very strict environmental controls. The Manduka range has something to suit any yogi regardless of how much and what is in their sweat!
The Lululemon mat is also Manduka… just has the lulu label….
Well, if you made it all the way down the comment list – here is my experience: Owned the eKo Manduka first – working on Hanumanasana, I tore up the top of my mat b/c this mat just is a layer of rubber. (Manduka said they’d give me % of next purchase) It’s really heavy to tote around especially at convention & retreats and I always felt it my back/shoulders. I’ve bought the Jade and have really loved it for the past two years – great for balancing poses and not too heavy. I just noticed recently that when I got up from class that I had mat “crumbs” all down the front of me – aww! Love the saffron color of the new Jade but I’m thinking of going Manduka b/c of having to replace every 2 years or less – carbon footprint.
[...] Jade vs. Manduka: Yoga Mat Throwdown [...]
Bought a Manduka Pro and cannot stop slipping. I’ve bathed with it four times now (using mild soap and a scrubby to clean it) and have lightly sandpapered it to no avail. I truly regret this purchase and would advise anyone with slippage issues (i.e. persperation) to look elsewhere.
I bought the Manduka and stubbornly tried to use it for two years. As a hot vinyasa yoga teacher, I would get so frustrated at sliding around, that I would give up and do yoga on the ground! I slid constantly on the Manduka, no matter how many times I washed it. It was awful. I never slip on my Jade mat, ever…love it. Buying the Manduka was a terrible waste of money.
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I’m so relieved to know that i’m not the only one experiencing major slippage on the black yoga pro mat, after several washings with soap/water, then on to the sea salt! it was sort of an improvement but any moisture in air from the studio or my own sweat, make it very difficult to stay in any position. I’m so very disheartened, as it was not a cheap purchase. did anyone buy their yoga towel to use with it? i hate to invest any more money into this. I will likely go back to my old mat, from Giaim (gasp)!
I have yet to try Jade. I do have the Black Mat Pro and the eKO Lite: I prefer the Lite for travel and the Pro for in-home practice. The only issue I have with the Pro is that it does get quite slick from perspiration…the Lite does not.
The Lite tends to bind on a non-solid surface while the Pro does not.
[...] Article Source: http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2011/03/28/jade-vs-manduka-yoga-mat-throwdown/ [...]