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.
Full review
6mm of padding for kneeling and floor work
All three publications rate the cushioning. Women's Health UK said the 6mm thickness gave impressive support in slower flows, Pilates and floor-based strength sessions, with its tester valuing the extra padding under knees and wrists in longer holds. OutdoorGearLab's testers liked it for stretch classes and slower flows, describing the cushion as comfortable in kneeling poses and seated stretches, and took it outdoors where it protected their feet on uneven ground. woman&home's reviewer found just enough cushion to take pressure off her joints without feeling unbalanced when standing, and used it for yoga, Pilates, strength work and stretching.
Light, easy to store and simple to clean
OutdoorGearLab measured it at 3.3 lb and called it one of the easiest mats to carry, which it said makes it convenient for commuting to class. woman&home found it rolls up tightly and stays rolled without a strap, so it stores easily in a cupboard or corner, and its grippy underside kept it in place through whole workouts. Women's Health UK reported that its textured, slightly sticky finish stayed put on wooden floors and carpet, and that a quick wipe was enough to keep it looking fresh. OutdoorGearLab gave it 8 out of 10 for care and cleaning.
Grip and lifespan are the compromises
Grip is where the reviews divide. OutdoorGearLab scored its dry grip 6 and its wet grip 4 out of 10, and one tester said the foam surface became slippery as moisture built up, undermining confidence in wide-legged folds and warrior poses. Women's Health UK found it performed well in gentler, low-sweat sessions but noted grippier natural rubber options for hot yoga. Durability reports also differ: OutdoorGearLab saw compression, scuffs and wear with regular use, especially daily studio use, while woman&home's reviewer said her mat was still in excellent shape after about two years of use a few times a week.
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
- +Wipes clean quickly
- +Offered in more colours and patterns than any other mat OutdoorGearLab tested
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
How it compares
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.
Rating sources
Not in the average — we derived this score from the review's words, and a publisher printed a score for this product, so the printed number counts instead.
Not in the average — we derived this score from the review's words, and a publisher printed a score for this product, so the printed number counts instead.
Counts as 3.56/5 in our score — this publisher's 149 scores on the site average 3.69, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
“62 OVERALL SCORE”
Our 3.6 score is the average of 1 of the scored reviews above, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. 2 derived scores above are not in the average because a publisher printed a score for this product. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
