Jade Harmony yoga mat review

Dubbed their most popular design to date and ‘nature’s best yoga mat’, the aptly named Jade Harmony yoga mat is a sustainable and all-natural selection for anyone on the hunt for a durable, grippy, and earth-friendly yoga companion.   

The best yoga mats come in all forms, often playing on a unique selling point like grip, cushioning, or a travel-friendly foldable design, so it’s always exciting when a yoga mat offers an amalgamation of several desirable features. 

We tested the Jade Harmony mat in a heated vinyasa class and restorative Yin to see how its eco-friendly design fared when challenged with balmier temperatures, as well as our need for comfort and cushioning on our joints. We weren’t disappointed.

Discover the many benefits of yoga, or read on to find out why this mat pulled in an excellent 4 stars from testing.  

Price and availability

The MSRP of the Jade Harmony yoga mat is $84.95/ £73.95. It’s available from the JadeYoga website, and the brand ships internationally. They’re not cheap, but for every teal mat purchased, $5 will be donated to ovarian cancer charities (available in September for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month). $5 goes to Autism causes for each saffron mat bought, and for every pink mat purchased, $5 will go to breast cancer charities (available in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month). For every mat sold, one tree is planted in partnership with Trees for the Future, which sounds like a pretty good deal to us.  

Design

The eco-friendly attention to detail is outstanding. From the mat’s natural rubber tree tapping origins to the brand's tree planting partnership, you can rest assured that you’ve done a good deed before you even step onto your mat.  

The corse, almost grainy-like texture is the reason this mat scores so highly for its grip factor, though the rougher feel could divide opinions. It’s not our favorite material, and we tend to favor a smoother PU top layer (which is also easier to clean), but you can’t argue with the seriously sticky grip this mat achieves – enhanced even more by the open-cell natural rubber material.

The Jade Harmony yoga mat is made using natural rubber tapped from rubber trees (a rapidly renewable resource) and contains no PVC, EVA, or synthetic rubber. JadeYoga says it's ‘everything you want in a yoga mat – cool colors, incredible grip, great comfort, and eco-friendly.’ We have to agree – nothing about the design is an afterthought. What’s more, the Jade Harmony mat is reversible. So, in effect, you could double down on durability. 

We loved the minimalist, earthly approach to color design, too. Enticing palette tones like midnight blue, olive green, raspberry, and Tibetan orange only increase the appeal and we love how the colors pop when sat alongside other mats in a yoga class. 

If you can get on with the texture of this mat, you’ll have a lot of fun using it for your practice.

Performance

The Jade Harmony mat is an epic choice for dynamic practices and most ability levels. As a self-confessed fussy yogi, we find it hard to strike a balance between a firmer mat for inversion practice (like wobbling our way into a headstand) and enough cushioning during low-impact classes.  

During testing, the mat offered up just the right amount of cushioning (it’s 5mm thick) but still provides enough stability to keep your footing during more challenging balances – something that’s often lost on foam or thickly padded mats. Although there’s a nice bit of bounce in the mat, beginners might require a bit more support from a thicker model or the use of yoga props. 

You could probably throw a bucket of water over this mat and still practice with the same efficiency. The gritty texture improves traction and moisture absorption in wet and dry conditions, so you’re guaranteed to stay put during really balmy hot yoga classes. That said, the mat can initially feel a bit slippery when wet, but the quick-absorbing rubber tackles this head-on. 

The ultimate test is downdog,  where the ability to reach the pose can be heavily affected by a slippery design. We found it easy to plant down and rely on the Harmony mat, allowing us to flow freely and be present in the moment of the class. At no point did we have to adjust it (or our pose) due to slippage, which is ideal for keeping the awareness on our body rather than our surroundings. 

However, the slightly rougher rubber texture does attract dust, dog hair, and sweat staining. The stickier surface makes it tons harder to wipe this off like you can with the PU top layer of the Yogi Bare Wild Paws mat, which could be an issue for hot yoga lovers or very sweaty yogis. This is typical of grippy mats, so just be prepared to clean it down more often after use.

The mat is also quite heavy, so we wouldn’t recommend it if you plan to travel or you like to head to class on foot, as it can feel quite cumbersome on the move. There are more travel-friendly options included in our guide for jet setters.

Worth noting is that there is some static when used on wooden floors, although this could be down to the mat being new.

Care

Not sure how to clean a yoga mat? 

This all-natural yoga mat requires very gentle cleaning. JadeYoga recommends wiping your yoga mat down with a damp cloth, using only water, and cleaning it every week. For anyone practicing daily, consider doing it after each use. For a deeper clean JadeYoga sells a plant-based mat wash formulated for natural rubber yoga mats.

It’s also recommended you avoid direct sunlight (this includes practicing outside) or drying your mat outside, as UV light damages the natural rubber. JadeYoga says to avoid alcohol, essential oils, soaps, detergents, and cleaning products, as well as washing machines or dryers. 

User reviews

Gushing reviews on the JadeYoga website are abundant, with one user saying ‘thank you! … I loved it immediately.” Another buyer said ‘thank you for creating the ultimate mat. Your mats are hands down the very best I have ever used … You understand what it means to be in your body and not thinking about slipping.”

Many of the comments are from those around the world in humid climates and yoga instructors who use JadeYoga mats to teach, so you can rest assured that it’s versatile.

Should you buy?

The JadeYoga brand’s eco-friendly roots and initiatives are at the heart and soul of its products, so if you’re looking to make more sustainable choices, then you won’t do much better than the Jade Harmony yoga mat. Alongside tons of grip, springy support, and a durable reversible rubber design, this mat is well worth its $85 price tag.  

Alternatives

Our top budget-friendly pick is the Gaiam Premium 2-Color yoga mat from Amazon. If you prefer thickness, this one offers you 6mm of cushioning – perfect for sore joints and beginner yogis. It might be too slippery for hot yoga, but it’s a steal for under $50. 

If you want to travel light, the JadeYoga Travel Mat (above) is a stowable steal for those who want to take their yoga practice on the road with them. It’s eco-friendly, grippy, super thin (only 3mm thick), and only weighs 1.3kg (2.8 lbs).