Manduka PRO VS Lululemon Reversible Yoga Mat, Which One Is Better?

Yoga enthusiasts must be familiar with Manduka and Lululemon, the two giants in yoga community that have won trust and loyalty from yogis around the world. However, they are favored for different reasons and may surprise you. Here Speck compares Manduka PRO and Lululemon Reversible Mat, and present you the detailed information of these mats from the perspective of yoga manufacturing engineers.

In order to facilitate your understanding of these two mats, Speck firstly presents you the vivid comparison chart through which you can see clearly the differences between Manduka PRO and Lululemon Reversible Mat. We have compared their material, grip, support, durability, portability and maintenance, and the detailed information will be given later.

Manduka V.S. Lululemon Comparison Chart

Feature by item comparison

1. Grip

The Manduka PRO boasts its amazingly excellent grip, which is also one of the reasons why this mat is adored by so many yoga fans around the world. However, you should be really careful because the PRO mat will not offer you agreeable grip or even “basic” grip at the beginning. You are supposed to rub the mat with salt and let it lie on the ground for one night, and then clean away the salt with a damp cloth. Repeat this process several times and you will get the “real” PRO mat you want.

Just as the name has told you, there are two usable sides of a Lululemon Reversible Mat. The front side of this mat is coated with a smooth finish that appears to be slipper yet has incredible grip. When practicing complicated yoga asanas on the front side of the mat, you can feel the traction that drags you to the mat firmly without any slide. Just as Lululemon boasts, “the wetter you are, the sticker the mat becomes.” The polyurethane layer plays a vital role in absorbing sweats, sweeping your worries about issues such as slipping and falling. In addition, the front side of Lululemon Reversible Mat is added antimicrobial ingredient so that the mat can keep sanitary during your exercising. During our tests, we noticed that the other side of the reversible mat was also characterized by agreeable grip in spite of the fact that Lululemon tells its customers that this side is only suitable for less sweaty yoga asanas.

2. Materials & Durability

 The PRO Mat of Manduka is made from PVC, a kind of material that has been widely adopted in manufacturing yoga mat. PVC yoga mats feature good elasticity and anti-slip functionality. This material adopted by PRO Mat is processed into the one that contains no harmful addition, offering you enjoyable using experience and extraordinary durability.

When it comes to durability, the Manduka PRO yoga mat overshadows other counterparts in the yoga mat market. Manduka provides every customer with a lifetime warranty so even if your durable PRO mat has quality issues, you can ask the company for a brand-new one! From the perspective of environmental protection, although the PVC material of Manduka Yoga Mat is not so eco-friendly, buying a durable Manduka PRO mat still makes contribution to the environmental protection as you are indirectly reducing consumption!

Compared with Manduka PRO yoga mat, the Lululemon Reversible Mat is not so durable. In fact, only the former is built to last for a lifetime. The Lululemon Reversible Mat has a rubber base and on its top layer is polyurethane. Since these materials are susceptible to scratches, you will find the mat full of “wounds and scars” after a certain period of exercising. What’s worse, the nice appearance of a Lululemon Reversible Mat can not last for a comparatively long time and stains would come out on the mat as the mat absorbs moisture continuously. But, it should be noted that the mat is still completely usable even if it looks beat up and worn.

reference from youtuber

3. Comfort & Support

Maintaining a good balance between comfort and support has long been pursued by yoga mat manufacturer and yoga mat brands who strive to offer yogis enjoyable using experience and adequate protection. Both the Manduka PRO yoga mat and the Lululemon Reversible Mat do a good job in terms of comfort and support.

Although the Manduka PRO yoga mat (6mm) is 1mm thicker than the Lululemon Reversible Mat (5mm), you can hardly feel any difference between them when practicing yoga asanas on them. Actually, they both present you a comfort cushioning and you may forget the presence of the hard floor beneath these mats! So, if you have sensitive joints and require extra cushioning, both of them will not let you down. In addition, the thick materials of these mats are not too soft to offer adequate protection. The stability and high density provided by the Manduka PRO yoga mat and the Lululemon Reversible Mat is worth the price. The excellent protection also partly owes to the strong grip, which pulls you tightly to the ground. It should also be noted that these two mats are bigger than their counterparts in the yoga community, which is definitely suitable for yoga fans with larger size or those who prefer a larger exercising space.

Read More: How Are Manduka & Lululemon Yoga Mats Manufactured?

4. Maintenance

Both the Manduka PRO yoga mat and the Lululemon are easy to clean, saving both your precious time and energy. The Manduka PRO yoga mat adopts a unique closed-cell surface, which prevents sweats or other liquids from seeping into the mat. Although there would be sweats on the mat, the remarkable grip will not let you flow or move during your practicing. And there is no need to worry about germs and stains. But it is advised that you wipe the mat with a wet cloth or towel every time you have finished your exercising.

Compared with the Manduka PRO yoga mat, the Lululemon mat takes you a little bit more time to maintain it. As mentioned above, the Lululemon Reversible Mat has prominent moisture-absorbing capability that enables yogis to stay away from moisture, sweats and other body fluids. However, the disadvantage of this characteristic is that stains will inevitably appear on the Lululemon mat after a certain period of time and the mat may be smelly. When this happens, you can wipe the mat with vinegar or a soap and dry it in a place that avoids direct sunlight to remove the annoying stains and smell.

5. Portability

In terms of portability, both the Manduka PRO yoga mat and the Lululemon mat leave much to be desired. In other words, they are both heavy and hefty, but the Lululemon Reversible Mat is slightly lighter than the PRO mat. The Manduka PRO mat weighs 7.5 pounds while the Lululemon weighs 5.24 pounds. The heavy weight indicates that they should be used in a fixed place such as a studio or your house, and are not suitable for carrying around although the Manduka PRO offers customers a strap for “easier” carrying. You must be tired of rolling the Manduka PRO mat up and paving it on the ground yourself, so just put it there if you have a spacious room.

6. Conclusion

The Manduka PRO yoga mat is suitable for those advanced yogis while the Lululemon Reversible Mat is applicable for all. Both of these mats have unique strengths as well as shortcomings. The Manduka RPO requires a yoga exerciser to break in it to present excellent grip while the Lululemon can offer strong and agreeable traction instantly. The Manduka PRO mat has prominent durability and is designed to last for a lifetime, while the Lululemon easily looks beat up after 1 to 2 months of use. In addition, compared with the PRO mat, Lululemon Reversible Mat can not enjoy a lifetime warranty. To conclude, we Speck suggest you to pick up the one that meets your fitness need!