Broga® Yoga President and Co-Founder, Adam O’Neill, reviews what he believes to be the best yoga mat on the market and shares an exclusive, limited time discount for the “Yoga for Men” online store.
“The Legend” is.
I sweat like a horse in yoga classes. (Hot yoga is out of the question. Read: “hydroplaning on puddles of perspiration”.)
It’s sort of a running joke among members of the Broga team, but as far as I know my sweat issue isn’t something to worry about. This Greatist article does a good job of making us “sweaters” feel better with some good info. But don’t read that yet. Stay with me…
Over the years, we’ve received yoga mats from tons of existing and up-and-coming mat companies. Some focus on men, some are designed for “everyone”, some focus on cushion, some on grip, some on socially responsible materials (for example, we have a ton of respect for the products and people over at Kharma Khare).
“And as it turns out, when you design a mat with the pure intention of making something that is simply great for practicing yoga on, you end up with something that is simply great for practicing yoga on. And isn’t that the point of a yoga mat?”
Some mats are designed to be easily transported, or easily sold (inexpensive), or folded or rolled in a unique way, or show you where your hands and feet should go with little images and maps. Some come with customizable prints or themed carrying shoulder bags. Some are status symbols because of their cost and the brand that makes them.
But in my experience, no (other) mat that I’ve ever used has been designed with an uncompromising focus on its fundamental raison de etre: practicing yoga. And as it turns out, when you design a mat with the pure intention of making something that is simply great for practicing yoga on, you end up with something that is simply great for practicing yoga on. And isn’t that the point of a yoga mat?
We’ve known and interacted with the guys at Yoga for Men numerous times, and we have a ton of respect for them. So when I saw that they’d created a yoga mat, it piqued my interest immediately and I ordered one.
It arrived a few days later in a simple brown box – no frills.
Before I opened the box, I noticed that it was heavy. Very heavy. I haven’t weighed it, but it feels like it weighs almost twice as much as other mats. But the weight was not a turn off for me. In fact, my first thought was more like, “holy sh*t, this is going to be awesome.” You know that feeling of holding an electronic device that seems lighter than it should? How it feels cheap, almost fragile? And by contrast the premium version of the thing, whatever it is, is often heavier – feels stronger, better? Well, this felt like the “premium thing.”
But was it?
Yes. Completely.
I rolled it out that day and did a short practice at home. I noticed that unlike many other mats, it didn’t have a strong smell nor a “you have to use it for a while to break it in” chemical film on it. It was nearly odorless.
And it was big. Really big. Longer and wider than any mat I’ve ever used, a welcome experience for a 6’2″, 225lb dude who, like I said, sweats a lot.
My impression of “The Legend” by that point was positive, but there’s no substitute for a rigorous field test, so a few days later I put it through the ultimate challenge: a Broga® Yoga class.
Wanting to give this mat an honest assessment, I decided to see how far into the practice I could get without putting my trusty, absorbent, grippy mat towel over the top. But, to my surprise, I never needed the towel. Turns out, the Yoga for Men guys have an exclusive deal with creators of an impressively effective patent-pending wicking material that forms the top layer of “The Legend.”
Through the duration of the practice, the mat felt stable, cushy, and, I daresay, inspired.
So, in summary, here are my thoughts:
- “The Legend” is expensive, but it’s worth it. For less than the cost of your cable bill, or cell phone bill, you can make an investment in yourself and your practice, with a very high quality product that is well designed to do the job it’s meant to do.
- You won’t need to buy a mat towel to go over it (saving you $40-60).
- Grip, cushion, and moisture-wicking all in one place.
IMPORTANT: Please know this, we’ve never done a review like this before and we wouldn’t have become a ‘rep’ for this mat unless it was the best mat, in our opinion, for men, on the market – which we believe it is. With such a steep price tag, the “burden of proof” is very high, but I am thoroughly impressed and recommend this mat with 100% confidence.
I shared this review with the Yoga for Men team and asked if they wanted to offer any sort of promotional discount to the Broga community. They did, so here it is…
Exclusive Discount!
For the next six days – now, through Monday, November 30th at 11:59pm, you can use code – Broga25 – to get $25 off of “The Legend” mat… and $25 off of any Bhujang style item in your cart (besides art-wear and logo-wear) at the Yoga for Men online store.
Thoughts?
What’s your favorite yoga mat? Have you tried “The Legend”? Please let us know in the comments below.