I have a terrible track record with yoga mats. My Jade Harmony mat is shedding green rubber all over my clothes and the floor, leaving a trail every time I practice. I have only had this mat since June, and I was really hoping that the natural rubber would last a little longer than thinner mats. Unfortunately it took me only a couple of weeks to start digging a hole under my toes, and now I’m down to the white threads (on the mat, not the toes…). I really like eco-friendly mats, but how friendly is it exactly if you have to get a new one every three months?

So what do toe diggers do? As far as I could see, there was only one option left - The Manduka Black Mat. It’s heavy (7.0 pounds!), industrial-looking, and not exactly what you feel like lugging to class, but it is amazing to practice on. And it comes with a lifetime guarantee:

Manduka guarantees the BlackMatPRO and PROlite yoga mats, to be free of manufacturer defects and to last a lifetime, if used and cared for properly. […] If the product wears out from regular use, under normal conditions, we will replace the product, regardless of where if was purchased.

I’ve only used it twice so far, so lets see how it holds up…

It’s not recyclable, but for every year I use it I will prevent four yoga mats to end up in a landfill!