By: Bradley Axmith
We gave our Review Team one job:
Find the best and most popular products and review them. Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews.
Where to buy:
You don’t need an expensive yoga mat to get the most out of your stretching and bending sessions – an affordable alternative will do the trick just as well. If anything, it won’t make you so overly-conscious about not getting any scratches or tears on your mat, which is stress relief in itself (this is what yoga is all about anyway, right?).
Meet the BalanceFrom GoYoga mat. Checking off all of the above mentioned boxes and more, it is that perfect at-home mat that will help you to get better at crow pose and give you the courage to attempt headstands. This is made possible thanks to the thick cushioning integrated into the mat that differentiates it from the rest of the mats available both online and in-store.
The best part – you can use the GoYoga mat for burpees, lunges, and push-ups, too. It doesn’t discriminate but rather facilitates a wide variety of physical activities that require supportive equipment. You’re thus killing two birds with one stone – getting an all-around mat that you can exercise on no matter if you’re feeling like doing yoga or a barre workout at that moment.
Keep reading to see why we consider it to be such a steal.
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Super easy to clean -
The cushioning is super thick which translates to supreme joint support
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The mat has two non-slip sides for you to make use of
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It doesn’t weigh much meaning that you can bring it with you everywhere you go
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The mat comes with a carrying strap which makes it portable
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You don’t need to follow any specific washing instructions - a bar of soap and water will do the trick just fine
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It’s one of the most affordable yoga mats on the market
Things we don't like:
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PVC is extremely durable but has bigger environmental impact -
The mat can become squeaky with the use
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If you’re on the taller side, this mat can be too short for you
Review
- DiveIn Score: 4.8/5
- Quality: 4.8/5
- Comfort: 4.8/5
- Performance: 4.7/5
- Price/Quality: 4.9/5
Where do we start? From being as cheap as a good-quality yoga mat can be to possessing features that make it easy for you to reach your fitness goals faster, BalanceFrom GoYoga mat is the real deal. And, with a 2-year warranty, it’ll be difficult not to bring the total cost down to a couple of cents per practice with frequent use.
Is it made from the most intricate materials? No. But it is equipped with the highly-regarded moisture-resistant technology that diminishes the risk of slipping. This applies to both sides of the mat too.
The extremely low weight and the carrying strap the mat comes with make it a bulky yet still portable piece of equipment that will come in handy during travel. No need to postpone your progress – bring this mat with you to your summer vacation and you’ll be right on your fitness track.
Specs & Features
- Material: Eco-friendly PVC foam
- Thickness: 6.35 mm
- Length: 68 inches
- Weight: 1.5 lbs.
- Care Instructions: Wash with soap and water
- Warranty: 2 years
Quality
When you hear about PVC, your thoughts immediately spiral to the highly-polluting synthetic polymer that is widely used in production. But if you add the ‘eco-friendly’ approach to production, it becomes much less toxic. This is the case with the BalanceFrom yoga mat, which isn’t the most environmentally friendly, but it’s much improved.
Built to last, this PVC foam-manufactured mat is relatively durable while also being fairly easy to care for. It’s because of the mat’s resistance to sweat, mold, and germs that it is promised to last you a long time if you wash it with soap and water from time to time.
Sure, you still shouldn’t expect it to last you a decade – the wear and tear are inevitable with a mat made from foam – but the 100% satisfaction guarantee offered by the manufacturer is a good enough assurance to have.
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Comfort
There’s no doubt that a yoga mat this thick (6.35mm) will be comfortable to use. After testing it for both yoga and pilates, we found this to be true.
Whether it’s the padding that made it so cushiony when doing yoga flows on hardwood floors or the two-sided slip-free surfaces that offered the grip that was just enough to not be afraid of tripping over, the mat posed no issues with remaining comfortable and secure throughout the entire practice.
Granted, there were some customers that experienced some squeaking when the mat was stretching while doing some high-intensity exercises, but this shouldn’t be a big deal-breaker for most.
Performance
Don’t be thrown off by the bulkiness of the mat – it doesn’t affect its performance. It could make carrying tricky if you don’t make use of the strap that comes with it – that has hook-and-loop fasteners for quick and easy adjustment – but there’s no lacking in the functioning of the mat.
You should feel free to do your favorite yoga flows and not worry about injuring yourself – the built-in padding won’t let that happen. Instead, it will protect you from unwanted bruises that could potentially discourage you from practicing those challenging poses ever again.
*Note that due to the mat’s length, you might find it hard to use it to your best advantage if you’re taller than average.
Price/Quality
BalanceFrom GoYoga mats have one of the better price/quality ratios out there for one simple reason – it meets customers’ expectations. The quality of the mat is just as good as advertised and, when factoring in the low price, it just makes sense.
This mat is easy to use and maintain, doesn’t cost a fortune, and has a 2-year warranty. It also combines thick cushioning and a bonus strap for convenient transportation.
The squeaking and stretching are minor downsides, but a small compromise will take you far in ensuring you get your weekly dose of yoga regardless of whether you practice it at home or in a yoga studio.
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
-
Super easy to clean
-
The cushioning is super thick which translates to supreme joint support
-
The mat has two non-slip sides for you to make use of
-
It doesn’t weigh much meaning that you can bring it with you everywhere you go
-
The mat comes with a carrying strap which makes it portable
-
You don’t need to follow any specific washing instructions - a bar of soap and water will do the trick just fine
-
It’s one of the most affordable yoga mats on the market
Things we don't like:
-
PVC is extremely durable but has bigger environmental impact
-
The mat can become squeaky with the use
-
If you’re on the taller side, this mat can be too short for you
Frequently asked questions
While there are plenty of thick yoga mats available on the market including the ones from Manduka, Hugger Mugger, Clever Yoga, and TOPLUS, BalanceFrom is by far the most comfortable mat according to customers. And, as is often the case with yoga mats, those that are supportive of your joints become the best-sellers for this exact reason.
This mat is built from moisture-resistant and sustainable PVC foam that offers unparalleled spine, elbow, and knee support. It comes with a 2-year warranty too, which makes the purchase worth the money.
BalanceFrom has the perfect mid-range thickness of 6.35 mm that makes it ideal for use on both hardwood floors and grass. It won’t impede your flow by becoming slippery either – instead, the mat will provide you with a solid yet supple foundation to practice a variety of yoga poses on.
Unlike some other high-quality yoga mats on the market, the one from BalanceFrom isn’t high-maintenance. Featuring moisture-resistant technology, it’s soap-and-water-friendly which makes the after-yoga washing process a piece of cake.
This yoga mat doesn’t come with a bag, but it does come with a handy alternative – a carrying strap. The adjustability of the strap makes the somewhat bulky mat easy to carry regardless of whether you’re heading out to the yoga studio or the local beach.
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