Head-to-head · Best Extra-Thick Yoga Mats

Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm) vs Gaiam Premium 6mm Print Yoga Mat

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm) comes out ahead by a clear margin (5.0 vs 3.6). Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm) is best for: Budget buyers who want a cushioned mat for gentle yoga, stretching and light floor or weight work at home. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Extra-Thick Yoga Mats

Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm)

5.0

1 source$24.98as of Oct 16

The Gaiam Essentials is a 10mm NBR foam mat with a carrying sling at a budget price. Best Products editor Cat Bowen, a daily runner with sore joints, bought one and found kneeling and seated poses comfortable on hardwood for the first time, and that it was thick enough to soften the noise of dropped weights. Her one complaint was the length.

Strengths

— Made kneeling and seated poses comfortable on hardwood floors for Best Products' tester
— Thick enough to absorb the sound of dropped weights, per Best Products
— Only a mild new-mat smell out of the box, per Best Products

Watch-outs

— Best Products' tester, who is the same length as the mat, said it could definitely be longer
— At 10mm it is the thinnest mat on this page, with less padding than the half-inch and 1-inch options

$24.98 · Buy at gaiam.com Full review →

Ranked #3 in Best Extra-Thick Yoga Mats

Gaiam Premium 6mm Print Yoga Mat

3.6

1 source$24as of Oct 17

The Gaiam Premium 6mm Print is a 68 x 24-inch PVC yoga mat with 6mm of cushioning and printed designs. woman&home named it the best thick yoga mat overall after about two years of use, Women's Health UK chose it as its best thick yoga mat, and OutdoorGearLab scored it 62/100 and named it its best first yoga mat, all praising the joint-friendly padding. OutdoorGearLab also found the surface slippery once wet and saw the cushion compress over time, and both UK publications noted a chemical or plastic smell when new. It suits beginners and casual home practice; anyone doing hot yoga or vigorous daily flows should look at a grippier rubber mat.

Strengths

— 6mm of padding cushions knees and wrists during longer floor holds
— Stays put on both wooden floors and carpet
— Light and easy to carry, at 3.3 lb as measured by OutdoorGearLab

Watch-outs

— Surface turns slippery when wet, so it is a poor fit for hot or sweaty sessions
— Cushion compresses and scuffs with regular use
— Strong plastic smell when new that takes weeks to fade

$24 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm)

At 10mm it is the thinnest mat on this page: a little thinner than the half-inch Amazon Basics (12.7mm) and ProsourceFit Extra Thick (13mm), and far thinner than the 1-inch BalanceFrom GoCloud. At 72 inches it is shorter than the 74-inch Amazon Basics.

Gaiam Premium 6mm Print Yoga Mat

At 6mm, the Gaiam Premium Print is noticeably thinner than the Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm), the Amazon Basics 1/2-inch Extra Thick Mat and the BalanceFrom GoCloud All-Purpose 1-inch Mat. woman&home found that thickness gave enough cushion without feeling unbalanced when standing, and it is a PVC yoga mat sold in printed designs rather than a foam exercise pad.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm)	Gaiam Premium 6mm Print Yoga Mat
Thickness	2/5 inch (10mm)	6mm
Material	NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) foam	PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
Dimensions	72 x 24 in	68 x 24 in
Includes	Carrying sling	—
Weight	—	3.1 lb
Care	—	Dry flat

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