Manduka
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Everyone has to deal with sweat during a hot yoga class but mine is on a different level, to the point where people regularly ask me if I'm okay. I don't blame them: My natural pallor converts to tomato red once we start flowing and the nonstop rolls of sweat - in my eyes, dripping into my mat - concern basically everyone.
The real issue for me is that thanks to the slippery sweat, I spend most of the class trying to keep my hands and feet planted, digging my taut, exhausted heels into the mat to avoid hydroplaning off of it and into the person next to me.
For years, I put up with slippery mats and the too-short yoga towels that only kind-of helped, all the while butchering certain moves because my tendons were on fire from clinging to a now glass-like surface.
But then I heard Manduka, the company consistently responsible for the industry's best-performing yoga tools and some of our top overall yoga mat picks, launched a mat capable of withstanding hot yoga without a towel: the GRP Mat. It cost under $100 at the time (prices now range from $90-130) and not only has it been the best mat I've found for sweaty hot yoga sessions, it still performs as well as the day I got it some three years later.
Manduka spent over three years engineering a yoga mat that could withstand hot yoga without a towel. The GRP (short for Grip Ride and Performance) launched as a single mat to be the ultimate hot yoga accessory - and one that could also work seamlessly in every other yoga environment.
The line has since been expanded to include three mats of different thickness and portability: the standard 6MM ($130), which is an updated version of the original I own; the Lite 4mm ($100), which is a thinner, lighter version of the standard; and the Adapt 5mm ($90), the newest mat to the GRP line that features slightly different technology than the other two.
All three are 71 inches by 26 inches - the standard size of a yoga mat. The GRP Hot Yoga Mat 6mm and GRP Lite Hot Yoga Mat 4mm are both made with a leather-like top layer and 100% open airflow to evaporate moisture on contact and reduce bacteria buildup. They both also have a charcoal-infused rubber core to absorb sweat and mitigate odor.
According to the company, these mats should actually get grippier with sweat - an industry paradox - because unlike other closed-cell yoga mats (which is the standard), the GRP is made from open-celled polyurethane which lets the mat breathe. It does this by taking in moisture and then letting it evaporate.
The biggest difference between the two mats is their padding and, therefore, weight: the 6mm provides more cushioning and weighs 5.5 pounds, while the Lite 4mm has slightly less padding (although still more than the average mat which is just 3mm) but weighs only 3.7 pounds.
The GRP Adapt Hot Yoga Mat 5mm, meanwhile, is slightly heavier at 6 pounds but is crafted with a unique open-cell weave that allows moisture to pass through and be absorbed into the interior foam layer. Manduka claims this is two times the absorption capacity of competing mats. That means you have to clean this mat more diligently to avoid bacteria build-up but that foam rubber material offers a more springy, softer cushioning for your joints.
A few things immediately surprised me about my standard GRP mat: How thick it is (6mm thick) and how truly different the top layer feels, which is so similar to something like leather and unlike the suppleness of a rubber mat. The GRP feels more substantial.
Upon unrolling it, I noticed it also had a pretty unpleasant smell. Though, if it worked well, this was nothing that I couldn't forgive, or fix with a deep clean.
In my hot yoga class, there were a few standout moments. One is that when you slap the mat on the floor there is a ring of finality to it - once it lays flat with a "smack," it's not moving. Even in all the classes I've taken to it since that first test, it has never slipped or moved during a class.
Most importantly, though, the GRP Mat 6mm does a fantastic job of absorbing sweat. It's the only yoga mat I've comfortably used without a towel in a hot yoga class, and I was happy enough to toss my other mats in favor of this one. To me, there's no question that it's worth the money.
It took far longer for me to even see the sweat on my mat (maybe 50-60 minutes into a hot yoga session), and even then it was far more manageable. It was refreshing to be able to attend hot yoga and be completely present - listening to the instructor, challenging myself in my poses, and enjoying transitions rather than slipping around. Over the month and many classes I tested it in, there were points when I started to lose a little traction, but I didn't experience it in most classes which is far from the norm.
One of Insider Reviews' health and fitness editors, Rachael Schultz, tested the GRP Adapt Hot Yoga Mat 5mm, and said aside from a similar initial mal-odorous smell (that did go away with cleaning), it also does a great job of absorbing sweat and the 5mm of foam is a great cushion under your palms, knees, and feet.
One thing I'd like to point out is that for all three mats, since it sucks up all the sweat from your body, you should be regulargly cleaning the GRP, just like any other mat. Manduka recommends the Yoga Mat Wash & Refresh ($12) for regular maintenance. Thankfully, an initial cleanse did help me get rid of the smell.
According to Manduka, the GRP's core and bottom layer are made with sustainably harvested natural tree rubber. The mats are also manufactured in a sustainable factory in Spain to ensure no toxic emissions are released into the atmosphere. The fact that I've had my GRP 6mm for three years now and it still performs as well as the first month I used it proves the long-lasting quality.
And Manduka's ability to keep prices low even with an integration of sustainable materials is one reason we picked both their Eko Superlight Travel Yoga Mat and PRO™ Yoga Mat 6mm as two of the best yoga mats in our buying guide.
The Manduka GRP series isn't perfect but it is far and away the best yoga mat I've used as a sweaty yogi.
I can get through hot yoga class sans towel without hydroplaning off the surface in a wave of sweat - and that's something I've never been able to say before. The secondary concerns like the smell of the mat upon arrival certainly aren't deal breakers for someone who loves yoga but hates how sweat changes their practice.
All three of the mats in the series are pricey but most setups require you to buy both a yoga mat and a yoga towel which tends to run you at least $75 together; what's more, Manduka's use of sustainable practices and the longevity of its mats make it well worth the investment. If $130 on the 6mm mat is outside your budget, I highly recommend the slightly less expensive Adapt 5mm for $90.
If you like having a lighter yoga mat, we love that the Lite version is still well-padded and doesn't require you to bring an additional towel. For me, I've come to highly regard the thickness of the GRP 6mm. It's heavier to schlep around the city but it also won't move around in class when stability is an advantage.
Any of these three mats are a great use of $90-130 and I'm glad Manduka spent three years creating it, then three years optimizing it. If you're considering the GRP, I'd recommend giving it a shot.
