(Image credit: Emma Hall https://atlassocialco.com)
Live Science Verdict
The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat gives you maximum bang for your buck. Made from eco-friendly and biodegradable natural latex, it’s a conscious choice for any discerning yogi and one that really delivers on style, function and performance.
Reasons to buy
+
Excellent grip
+
Well made
+
Very sticky
+
Eco-friendly
Reasons to avoid
-
Marks easily
-
Quite heavy
-
Strong rubbery smell
-
Avoid if allergic to latex
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The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat lives up to its name – it’s super grippy and provides excellent support and stability for all types of yoga. Its sticky latex surface makes it durable enough to withstand a hot yoga or HIIT session, and its non-slip nature makes it great for stability and means you can move from downward dog into cobra with ease.
Its 4mm thickness provides ample cushioning for joints and bones (it’s a great buy for anyone with knee issues) and it’s easy to store and lightweight to travel with at just 4.4 lbs.
Key specs:
Size: 72” x 24” (unrolled), 24” x 4” (rolled)
Thickness: 4mm
Weight: 4.4l bs
Materials: Natural latex
Colors: Slate, mountain green, marina green, nerine pink, cornflower blue
As you’d expect from Sweaty Betty, it comes in gorgeous colors – all super stylish and chic.
Because this eco-friendly mat is made from natural latex (avoid if you have allergies) expect a strong odor at first, but this does wear off in time. It’s a little thin for headstands, so you might need to add a towel to make it thicker.
The latex also makes the mat feel soft with more give when you grip it. If you’re a fan of hot yoga, the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is going to be your new best friend! For the reason alone, we rank it among our best yoga mats.
Our only real complaint was the stickiness of natural latex meant it picked up dirt easily, but if you clean it down after each session this shouldn’t cause a problem. This yoga mat is resilient and durable enough for daily use, as well as higher intensity exercise like circuits and HIIT. Well designed, good value and stylish, it’s a win-win.
Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: Design
(Image credit: Emma Hall https://atlassocialco.com)
The Super Grip Yoga Mat comes in Sweaty Betty’s signature colors so it looks luxe and marries nicely with their activewear range. It comes in five different colors with calm-inducing names like mountain green, nerine pink and cornflower blue. There’s much more to it than its looks though.
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It’s a well-designed, high-quality mat and as its name suggests, the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat provides excellent grip and stability for all types of yoga.
Our one complaint is because of its stickiness it’s also a bit of a dust and dirt magnet and picks up marks easily, but nothing regular cleaning (and a carry bag for storage) can’t sort out.
Because it’s made from natural latex - avoid if you have allergies - it’s eco-friendly, but it has a strong odor when you unwrap it which wears off after a few days.
The Sweaty Better Super Grip Yoga Mat is really easy to unroll and stays nice and flat once it’s on the floor.
Being on the thinner side and weighing just 4.4 lbs, it can easily be rolled up and carried, making it ideal to take to yoga class or an outdoor HIIT workout. The only downside of this is it’s a little thin for headstands, so you might need to add a towel to make it thicker.
The great thing about the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is the grip. We can’t fault the support it gives – it’s called ‘super grip’ for a reason. It really keeps you in place even with sweaty hands (we recommend washing your hands before you start your flow for extra grip).
Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: Care
(Image credit: Emma Hall https://atlassocialco.com)
The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is made from sticky natural latex so it’s durable enough to withstand a hot yoga session. It has a non-slip layer which makes it great for stability and means you can stay in balance poses like downward dog or core exercises like plank for longer.
As it’s made from rubber you can expect a strong odor at first, but rest assured this odor disappears after a few uses. We recommend laying the mat out flat in a spare room when you first unpack it to get rid of some of the smell.
It picked up dirt quite quickly, and because of its stickiness it tends to mark easily, but if you clean it after every practice this shouldn’t be an issue.
To keep your mat super fresh, wipe it clean with a damp cloth and a small amount of mild soap. Don’t use harsh chemicals or rubbing alcohol on your mat and take care not to over scrub the mat as this could damage it.
We also recommend a monthly deep clean – gently wash it in a bath or shower then leave it to air dry for a day or two afterward to get all the moisture out. But don’t leave it out in the sun, as it ruins the rubber.
Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: User reviews
Online reviews for the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Mat are a bit of a mixed bag. Lots of people praised it for its grip; whereas equal numbers said the downside of that was that it got dirty quickly.
One reviewer on SweatyBetty.com said they had used the mat every day for yoga and HIIT, and it was the best mat they had ever had.
I've never had any issues with slipping - even when using for HIIT in the hot days of the summer! It lies nice and flat, which I love, and doesn't move around on the floor. It does hold dust after a session but if you wipe it after you've used it, it's fine. Tip - use a smooth cloth otherwise you can catch the surface of the mat. It is a natural substance so not indestructible.
Sweaty Betty customer
One reviewer on SweatyBetty.com said they would like the mat to be bigger to accommodate their height. They said: "I'm quite tall so my only point would be I'd love it a couple of inches longer and an inch or so wider, but other than that, spot on. It’s super grippy, to the point where it means you can't slide your foot up, which is encouraging better movement to get into those lunges from a downward dog."
Should you buy the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat?
(Image credit: Emma Hall https://atlassocialco.com)
So should you buy the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat? If you want a multi-purpose mat that you can do several activities on, this is the one. It performs well in hot yoga and in HIIT classes, is durable enough to be used daily, and has excellent cushioning for more difficult poses, with zero slip.
It’s nice and squishy for more restorative yoga like yin or meditation, or even a nice little sleep at the end of class.
If the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat isn’t for you, then you might prefer something similar from Lululemon: The Reversible Mat 5mm has cult status and for once you can believe the hype. It’s well made, durable and has excellent traction in both wet and dry conditions. It’s a little on the pricey side, and at 2.38kg rather heavy for lugging to class or on public transport, but it’s a great home yoga mat that will last a lifetime.
If you are on a lower budget then we recommend the Gaiam Premium 2-Color Yoga Mat, which comes in at under 50 bucks. It’s reversible so you can choose which side suits your yoga style or activity. Plus it’s a good size for taller people who need a bit more mat space, and has great cushioning to support joints and bones.
If you want something more premium, the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat delivers on style and function. We have to say that, despite being one of the most expensive out there, this is one of the best yoga mats you can buy. It looks and feels luxurious and is made with non-toxic ethically sourced rubber, which gives it an excellent grip. It also has an extended length (75" / 6.2ft) and the thickness (5mm) means it is super durable and comfortable.
Maddy Biddulph is a freelance health and fitness journalist with over 26 years of experience working for consumer media in the US and UK. As a Level 3 personal trainer and weight loss advisor she is used to trying out and reviewing the latest health and fitness products. At Maddy Biddulph Personal Training, she runs one-to-one and small group sessions, as well as group exercise classes. She specializes in mobility work with seniors and runs regular chair workouts in her hometown of Oxford.
