When you are working on your fitness and health in any number of ways, you want to do so safely and in as much comfort as possible. I’m not writing you should go extremely easy. On the contrary, I submit that the more often you DON’T go easy the better you will look and feel. No, a good exercise plan will create “discomfort”. Only it’s the good kind of discomfort.
I’m referring to BEING comfortable while experiencing “discomfort”. I know that sounds kind of oxymoronic. Let me explain. When you are doing yoga, you’re constantly moving around your yoga mat, up and down, and side-to-side. The yoga moves may be creating discomfort. But, with the right yoga mat, you will remain comfortable.
We recommend the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat.
What’s a Yoga Mat’s Purpose
A yoga mat basically has three purposes:
- It Defines Your Workout Area – Rolling out your yoga mat is sort of like planting your flag in the exercise room. It says to the others there “back off, this is my space”. As you advance in the practice of yoga, this will become more and more important. It will give you adequate room to complete the exercises and poses you will learn along the way. Because of this, it’s important to have a yoga mat of adequate size.
- It Provides an Area for Your Base – Most yoga exercises and poses require a solid base to perform them correctly. That base must support you through all exercises, regardless of position.
- It Cushions Your Bones and Joints – While most yoga exercises are low impact, that doesn’t mean your bones and joints aren’t involved. On the contrary, as identified above, yoga requires a solid base. That means a lot of weight is going to be concentrated on different bones and joints. Having the required amount of cushion helps ensure your bones and joints remain uninjured regardless of the yoga exercises/poses you complete.
Thickness Matters
Many yoga mats on the market are in the 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thickness range. This can satisfy two of our defined yoga mat purposes we discussed in the above paragraph. The smaller thickness range doesn’t affect the potential length and width of a yoga mat. That area pretty much defines our requirement to stake out our yoga workout space.
Similarly, smaller thickness yoga mats bring your senses closer to the gym floor, surface of your commercial workout space, or the floor in the designated area for yoga in your home. Being closer to that surface would, theoretically, allow one to establish a good base for doing yoga.
But, the most common yoga injuries suffered are to the wrist, elbow, knee, and back. Some, if not most of those injuries could be eliminated using a yoga mat of the appropriate thickness. The smaller thickness mats, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, etc. just do not provide that cushion. You need a mattress that is at least 1 inch thick.
The HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat
We recommend the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat for all levels of yoga experience.
The HemingWeigh 1 Inch Thick Yoga Mat comes in only one color: black. But, what it lacks in color options, it more than makes up for in other areas.
It’s 70 inches long and 23 inch wide dimensions are more than adequate for staking out your yoga workout space. The yoga mat is made out of nitrile butadiene rubber. That’s a mouthful, I know. What it means is that it’s 1 inch thickness has both non-slip and anti-tear properties not available in cheaper yoga mats. It will last longer and will need to be replaced less often.
Pros and Cons
We evaluated the Pros and Cons of the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat and here’s what we found:
- Pros –
Size and Weight – The HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat has the dimensions to be used for most types of yoga from Ashtanga Yoga to Hatha yoga to Vinsaya 
yoga. Its 3.2 pounds weight and functional strapping system means it’s easy to carry to and from your yoga workout.
Non-Slip Surface – The non-slip surface of the yoga mat ensures you can do any yoga pose or exercise, confident that you can maintain your base. This feature means you’ll never blame your mat for becoming unbalanced again. On the contrary, it helps you maintain perfect balance.
1 Inch Thickness – At 1 inch thick, the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat has the thickness to help prevent the most common types of yoga injuries to the knee, elbow, wrist, and back.
Eco-Friendly – Made of non-toxic nitrile butadiene rubber, the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat is the smart choice for yogis
concerned with preserving nature.
- Cons –
Rollback – We found that the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat had a tendency to try to roll back up the first few times it was used. Once that material “memory” was corrected, the yoga mat laid flat for us and stayed there.
Smell – There was a strong smell to the yoga mat when first received. We sprayed our mat thoroughly with Febreze and left it outside for a day. You could use a garage. That improved the smell significantly.
Make the Decision
Your yoga mat plays an important role in your yoga success. If it doesn’t stay in place during your yoga session, it subjects you to potential injury. If it’s not thick enough, all the most common yoga injuries to elbows, knees, wrists, and your back come into play. It needs to be easily transported, easily cleaned, and sturdy enough to last.
The smart choice is the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat. Its size lets you control your workout space whether at the gym, in the park, or at home. It’s made of non-slip, anti-tear, non-toxic, nitrile butadiene rubber which makes it durable and eco-friendly. Its 1-inch thickness provides a solid base while also protecting you from the most common yoga injuries to the wrist, elbows, knees, and back.
Make the decision. Get your HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat today.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Hi William, this is an informative article. I do know a few things about yoga, in the past, I have been into transcendental meditation and I have a couple of friends involved with yoga. I think the Hemingweigh yoga mat is a great product and the reason for that is its thickness. The 1-inch thickness provides good body support and that’s important. When it comes to the smell of the mat, it could be fixed with baking soda. Just put baking soda all over it and leave it in the garage for a couple of days and the smell will disappear.
Thanks for the comment. That’s a great suggestion to use baking soda to eliminate the yoga mat smell. It’s a simple, effective solution.
I have to say that I always find myself buying a new yoga mats. First they get dirty easily, second they tend to smell after you have been using it for awhile. Thanks for you review on HemingWeigh. I agree, thickness changes everything. The cheap ones go bad quick and they are just not practical after a few uses. No matter what I guess I just cannot get rid of the smell. Oh well, I have to choose my battle right? I am goig to check HemingWeigh Out tho. Thanks for your amaing review!
This is a timely post. I’ve been working out from home a lot and needed a mat. The HemingWeigh (I love the play on the name) 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat is an excellent choice to do a review on. One of my problems is that yoga mats haven’t been thick enough. So 1 inch is perfect. It cushions my bones and joints. The price, $34.99 is not bad especially since it’s made of good quality materials. And of course, amazon is the must trusted place to buy it. Thanks for the review.
You are welcome! If you think about it, please come back and update us on your experience with the HemingWeigh 1 Inch Yoga Mat.
Thank you very much for the information. I found it very useful! There are many types of mats on the market and if one is not well informed it is easy to be guided by colour, aesthetics or price. I am more and more in favour of investing in quality materials for two reasons: firstly, because they give you a better experience and secondly, because they prevent you from having to buy another one in the future. In the case of the yoga mat, the most important thing for a good experience is that it has enough thickness to avoid possible injuries.
Marta.
Hi William, Thanks for the review of the HemingWeigh 1 inch Thick Yoga Mat. I can imagine that a one-inch thick yoga mat would be much more comfortable to use than the one that I presently have. I can imagine that it could prevent any potential injuries while performing the different yoga poses. Thanks for introducing me to this mat. I was not aware that their were any mats in that thickness.
Hello there, William! This is a great review you provided on the Hemingweigh yoga mat. I personally think thick yoga mats are the best because it provides a lot of cushion. I hate it when I do workouts on my back and when I do a sit-up or something, my tail bone comes into contact with the hard floor because of a mat that is too thin. I have also tried yoga and thick yoga mats help a lot as well. Thanks for this review!
If I was into Yoga, this Hemingweigh looks like a good option for mats. I need to excercise more often. I have just recently changed my diet and started to lose some weight. I am trying to figure out what forms of excercise I want to add to my routine. It has been too long since I was active on a regular basis. With things clearing up, I plan to get out more.
Good for you, Rich, and thanks for the comment. If you haven’t been active, start slow and remember to stretch those unused muscles. You don’t want to injure yourself as you are getting started.
Hello William, great review article you have here and quiet an informative one about the HemingWeigh 1 Inch Thick Yoga Mat. Am not much into yoga and I barely have any idea’s about yoga. Now considering i purchased the yoga mat. What would be the best starting point into yoga training or practicing?
Thanks for the comment. If you are just starting out with yoga, the three beginner poses described in my article would be a good start. You can also use Google to find more beginner poses. I would start there and emphasize the right breathing techniques and concentration required for optimum yoga benefit.
I think yoga mat is something everyone should consider, especially since now we stay at home a lot. I’ve tried a yoga session once or twice, and it really works the entire body over. The tiredness I feel at the end of a yoga session is so much more compared to other exercises I do! A good investment for sure.
This is a great review of the HemingWeigh yoga mat. Thickness of the mat is so important as it is then able to provide the stability and support you need when doing yoga. This in turn will help you progress and get a greater experience when doing your poses! I love that it is made of non-toxic eco friendly materials as this is much better for the environment- great idea to work out and help the planet all in one product – great!