Hello!

I purchased the original cork yoga mat a few weeks ago and have been using it primarily for hot flow vinyasa classes. I was unsure about the mat at first, but now I am impressed and surprised at the quality and performance! The cork is great for its anti microbial properties, which originally drew me to the cork mat, and the grip I am experiencing during hot yoga is amazing! I sweat a lot during my practice and notice the mat has more grip with more sweat.
The maintenance of the cork mat is the only drawback when compared to a rubber yoga mat, however the other qualities of the cork mat far outweigh the maintenance requirements.
I am interested how this mat will last in the months to come, as I should note the cork mat has not seen a full month of use. If the mat holds up through the winter months and everything holds up, then I would absolutely recommend this mat to other fellow Yogis!

Happy cork mat customer,

Cody M.

The mat is firm yet supportive and isn't slippery. So far I'm digging it. We will see how durable it is in the long run, but I am satisfied as of now.

It couldn’t have arrived at a better time. It has been very stressful lately and just being on this mat has improved my sense of well-being. I love the smell and texture of the cork and being energetically sensitive I immediately noticed how calming and loving the mat felt straight out of the box. It has been my go-to spot to tune in and breathe. Thank you Yoloha Fam for putting so much heart into your mission.

I have only used this mat a handful of times. I do like it as far cushioning and grip are concerned….however there are obvious signs of wear and tear especially where my hand placement is. It is one thing for the material to inherently have some kind of break in during initial use but when the material is coming off the surface I am not confident in the longevity.

The best mat that I have owned. I love that my feet and hands do not slip at all. Doesn’t not need water sprayed on it.

Thus mat feels light yet sturdy. However, if rolled up, seems as if the top and bottom edges do not lay flat. At first this mat was great and I felt safe moving around on the mat. Now after a few weeks of use and sweating on the mat, it is not as non slip as I'd like it to be. I almost slipped the other day after a heated class and thought that with the moisture, the cork would be more durable? A little disappointed now.

ok, let me try to write a review of the sort I was looking for when I was first shopping..

I first bought the 'original' about two years ago. I practise most days in-studio, often several flows a day so it has had decent use. Hot yoga perhaps one third of my studio classes. I am a short, very vigorous, very athletic guy. I sweat buckets in the hot classes.

A few notes;-

The try-before-you buy sample thing was invaluable. For me the surface on the Unity was far too coarse, the Aura was far too squishy. I am sort of considering trying a travel mat for my erm.. travel. That one is harder and just a thin cork surface though.. Ultimately the original was spot on.

I am an intermediate to experienced yogi;- I can hold handstands, float backwards and forwards etc etc.. If you had caught me perhaps ten years ago then like everyone else, I tended to transition heavily and slide a bit in sweaty classes because I was relying on mat traction. At that time the original would have been too hard a mat for me. I was on a 5/6mm rubber ones and that was a good place to be, I just did less yoga then. In short, if you are in the first few years of yoga or not nuts about it then I think these mats may not be ideal.

For hardcore creatures, it is (much!) more slippy than a b-mat but more grippy than a Manduka-pro, (especially with moisuture!) ;)

My main question before I bought it was will I just kill it in two months? (my rubber ones used to last 6 months or so before my hands and feet drilled through them) -Brief answer, no, it is tough. My 2-year old original has a lot of wear, I've re-glued on cork bits and there are hairy fibers around the edge but I love it and am still using it for hot flows;- there is nothing that affects my practise. It is probably important to note that I am very very kind to all of my mats;- this one is rolled loosely, cork side out, as per the Yoloha instructions. I clean it after every practise with my own (no solvent) cleaner and then I lie it flat on the hard floor under my bed when I get home. I did once get drunk after a hot practise and left it wet and rolled in a bag overnight and it did not like that at all, it curled for a few days to punish me.

The 'cork is better for traction and sweat' thing I don't really notice;- the amount I sweat in a hot class, there will always be a pool. It's fine.. I tend pull over a dry towel as we hit the floor for backbends in hot flows where I still need extra traction. Apart from Manduka, the grip in the wet seems very similar to good rubber mats.

An unexpected last note; I love the surface texture and the cork smell. I actually don't think I could go back to rubber for that reason alone. In face-down rests, I am very happy to have my cheek on it. I am the dude that might be meditating or might be asleep twenty minutes after the class ended, nobody knows :p .

Bonne pratique.

These guys went above and beyond and the may is awesome!