A good exercise mat seems hard to find.
I wanted an exercise mat that was relatively portable and that would provide a stable exercise surface when exercising in various indoor locations, such as on wood flooring, carpet, or tile. Sometimes I do just body-weight exercises, sometimes I work with the TRX, and most often I use the kettlebell, but I do these exercises in various locations while on travel.
Based on lots of positive reviews, I thought I would try the Manduka BlackMatPRO 85-Inch Yoga and Pilates Mat
PRO:
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this mat easily rolls up and is portable
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this mat is not too heavy to carry around
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the length of the mat allows for coverage in a variety of exercises/poses
CON:
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the mat gets slippery when wet (as when sweating), which can be dangerous
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the mat is a little too narrow for my taste. For example, my hands are off the mat when doing a pushup, unless I use a narrow hand placement
Also, though this mat is marketed as a yoga mat and so probably is not expected to be able to withstand more rigorous use, one day I accidentally dropped a kettlebell onto the mat and the bottom edge of the kettlebell actually cut a hole through the mat. I mention this in case anyone is thinking of using the mat in a more general exercise setting.
So this mat seems fine as long as you stick with basic body-weight exercises only, and, as some reviewers have suggested, you use a towel or something to help prevent you from slipping if you exercise enough to work up a sweat. But for the price I was expecting a little more.
Manduka BlackMatPRO 85-Inch Yoga and Pilates Mat